Frank McCourt Selling LA Dodgers: 9 Key Moments of the Ugly Divorce

It was announced today that Frank McCourt and Major League Baseball have agreed to sell the Los Angeles Dodgers in an auction, with the team expected to fetch somewhere between $800 million and $1.2 billion.

This is a very good team that, with a few moves, could be able to contend within the next couple seasons, so this development is a significant one for the team moving forward, as they will now finally be able to spend some money.

The McCourts' divorce was an ugly one, and there were a number of moments from the time they announced their split until now that led to today's announcement. So here is a look at the key moments that have transpired over the past three years to bring us to where we are today.

2009 NLCS Announcement

The day before the first game of the 2009 NLCS between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies, it was announced that Frank and Jamie McCourt were separating after being together for nearly 30 years.

As far as distractions go, that was a big one, and the Dodgers fell to the Phillies 4-1 in the series. Unfortunately, that would only be the beginning of what would be a bitter next two years.

Jamie McCourt Is Fired as CEO, Accused of Infidelity

The day after the Dodgers were eliminated from the playoffs, Jamie McCourt was fired from her position as CEO of the team, and a few days later, she officially filed for divorce.

Rather than act civil, Frank spoke out and accused her of cheating on him with her driver and then changed the locks on her office. That was the first signs of just how ugly the divorce proceedings to come were going to be.

Dodgers Dream Foundation Scandal

As the finances of the two sides and the team came under closer scrutiny, the team's charitable foundation, "Dodgers Dream Foundation," was exposed for its wrongdoing.

Based off of tax returns, it was revealed that the charity's chief executive Howard Sunkin earned a yearly salary of $400,000, which amounted to almost a quarter of the charity's budget.

Making matters worse, Sunkin was a close friend and associate of Frank McCourt and was actually working with him on his divorce. The money was ordered to be repaid, but it was yet another black eye for the McCourts.

McCourt's Post-Nuptial Agreement Is Invalidated

In December of 2010, the judge in their divorce case declared their post-nuptial agreement to be invalid, thus shooting down Frank's claims to sole ownership over the team, and with that, the Dodgers were officially pulled into the middle of the divorce.

This would prove to be a distraction for what was a very good team heading into the 2011 season, as despite a solid core of players like Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier, Clayton Kershaw and Chad Billingsley, among others, the Dodgers were unable to do anything significant in the offseason while the two fought over control of the team.

MLB Assumes Control of the Dodgers

After taking out a personal loan from Fox to pay the team's salary in April and May, Bud Selig determined that it was time for Major League Baseball to step in and take at least partial control of the team.

Despite Frank's best efforts to stop it, Selig eventually appointed Tom Schieffer, a former Texas Rangers executive, to oversee the Dodgers finances and take control of the day-to-day operations of the team.

The Dodgers Declare Chapter 11 Bankruptcy

After continued struggles to make payroll and an unwillingness to sell the team, Frank McCourt finally had to declare Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection on June 27.

This will go down as one of the more embarrassing days in baseball history, as this was truly a black eye for what was a once proud franchise. This was essentially the rock bottom of the entire McCourt saga.

McCourts Reach Settlement Agreement, Agreement Falls Through

After much negotiation, the McCourts finally reached an agreement on their divorce settlement that was reliant on Major League Baseball approving a 17-year television agreement for the team.

The judge in the case ruled that the team would go to Frank, and he would buy out Jamie's portion of ownership in a separate settlement. However, when MLB declined the television contract, the entire thing fell through.

Settlement Is Finally Reached, Frank Takes Sole Control of Dodgers

After four more months of negotiation, the two sides finally agreed on a divorce settlement and officially went their separate ways.

Frank was forced to pay $130 million to Jamie for her to give up her part of the team, as this is believed to be the costliest divorce in the history of the state of California.

The Dodgers Are Put Up for Sale

Finally, it was announced today that Frank McCourt agreed to put the team up for sale and will be giving up control of the team he has owned for over seven years.

The team, as well as its stadium, will be put up for auction, and MLB will have to approve any sale of the team. This is a huge step for Dodgers fans, as the team has a solid core of players, and with some money at their disposal, they could emerge as a contender very quickly.