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It Truly is a November to Remember for Dodger Fans

November 21, 2011 By

Who would have thought when November first began that Dodger fans would have so much to be thankful for?  It all began on November 2nd, when Frank McCourt agreed to sell the Dodgers.  On Nove,ber 17, Clayton Kershaw won the National League Cy Young Award.  Then, seemingly out of nowhere, Matt Kemp signed an eight year, $160 milion deal on November 18. Really, can it get much better than that that?  Absolutely.  Tomorrow the National league MVP Award will be given out, and if Dodger fans had their way, it would go to Matt Kemp.

That would be 20 days of baseball euphoria in Los Angeles.  I honestly am having a hard time finding something to compare it to.  Here we have a down-on-it’s-luck franchise, getting the ultimate gift when a despised owner agrees to sell the city’s beloved franchise, followed quickly by it’s young phenom pitcher receiving the highest award possible, followed by their charismatic and unbelievably talented young outfielder signing a lucrative extension and proclaiming his desire to be a Dodger for life.  It kind of makes you think Matt Kemp is due the MVP doesn’t it?

I so want Matt Kemp to be the MVP.  I want it for him because he had one of best all-around seasons for any baseball player in decades.  I want it for him because he played hard everyday on an average team.  I want it for him because he played the game the way it’s meant to be played: with hard work, class and a fantastic attitude.  But mostly, I want it for Dodger fans…for their support, passion and believe in this club.

But whether or not Matt wins the MVP, I’m thankful.  Thankful that the Dodger organization has turned a corner and that hope is once again on the horizon.  A new owner will soon be in place and we’ll have the opportunity to see Kershaw, Kemp and the others for years to come.

As a baseball fan, you really can’t ask for much more than that.

KeMVP, baby.

Photo credit: Jon SooHoo / 2011 LA Dodgers

Filed Under: Clayton Kershaw, Featured, Frank McCourt, Matt Kemp, Uncategorized

Dreams Do Come True: McCourt Agrees to Sell Dodgers

November 2, 2011 By

I had a little extra kick in my step when I bounded out of the house this morning. Was it Christmas? Nope. My birthday? Nah. In many ways, it was both of those things combined. It was suddenly remembering the news from the night before: Major League Baseball and Frank McCourt had agreed to sell the Los Angeles Dodgers and its assets at auction.  Even better, MLB hoped to have a new owner in place by the beginning of the 2012 season.

As a blogger, I’m ecstatic.  I didn’t start this blog four years ago to write about the Dodger owners, but rather, the game, the players, the deals and the rumors. Never in my wildest dreams did I expect to find myself sitting in LA Superior Court watching the McCourt divorce trial. But you know what? I learned a lot, and I discovered some great writers along the way (Josh Fisher and Molly Knight, to name two).

Given the pace of the legal proceedings over the past two years (to say nothing of Frank’s ongoing insistance that he would never, ever sell), I certainly wasn’t expecting such a decisive decision quite so quickly. But there it was: the Dodgers would have a new owner – and soon.

I won’t waste such a joyous moment as this to recount the McCourt Era in Los Angeles. Instead, this is a time to do what baseball fans do best: spend the off-season speculating about how best to improve their favorite team. Dodger fans will do one better: weighing the pros and cons of who the best owner will be, whether it’s Marc Cuban, Steve Garvey and Orel Hershiser, Dennis Gilbert or even Peter O’Malley.  The options are plentiful (hey, what about Vin Scully? I kid, I kid…), but you know Bud Selig is going to do right by Dodger fans this time around.

Rejoice Dodger fans – you’ve earned it.

Here are a few links to some of our favorite coverage over the past 24 hours:

- The great Bill Shaikin at the LA Times breaks the news Peter O’Malley is throwing his hat in to the bidders’ ring

- Mike Scioscia’s Tragic Illness looks at Ownerpalooza in LA

- Ramona Shelbourne at ESPNLA breaks down the odds of the current contenders

- The New York Times discusses the revived hopes and dreams of Dodger fans

 

Filed Under: Featured, Frank McCourt, Ownerpalooza

Talkin’ Dodger Baseball with NPR

October 28, 2011 By

Here at dodgerfan.net, we’re always happy to speak to media outlets about the Dodgers, but I was particualrly thrilled and honored to get a call from my favorite NPR affiliate, KCRW-FM, asking if I could speak with them about the current state of the Dodger organization.  The segment aired in the local news portion of ”Morning Edition” (in keeping with the moment, I tried to use my best NPR-voice)  and although it was heavily edited, I think it turned out pretty well.

Here was the lead-in, which isn’t on the audio file:

Could Frank McCourt finally be on his way out of Dodgerville?

As the World Series wraps up and concludes the baseball season either tonight or tomorrow in St. Louis, there’s news from Delaware that could cheer the hearts of Dodger fans who just suffered through one of the most agonizing years in franchise history.
A bankruptcy court trial that was scheduled to begin Monday has suddenly been postponed – and there’s word that McCourt and Major League Baseball asked for the delay to continue negotiations on a settlement that would require him to sell the team.
That would be a welcome development for Chris Volk, a blue-blooded, third-generation Dodger supporter and author of the blog dodger-fan-dot-net. He spoke to KCRW producer Darrell Satzman about the season of Dodger fan’s discontent…
Filed Under: Frank McCourt Tagged With:

Is Frank McCourt’s Greatest Injustice Yet to Come?

June 27, 2011 By

After reading the coverage of Frank McCourt’s decision to take the Dodgers into bankruptcy in a last ditch effort to retain control of the club, my heart sank.  If it proves anything, it proves that McCourt is willing to do preserve his ownership, no matter what the long term damage is to the organization.

Frankly, it sickens me to see a proud and historic franchise like the Dodgers dragged further into the mud.  Fans are clearly staying away from Chavez Ravine, and Frank has to be aware that the actions of the fans amounts to nothing less than a silent boycott of his ownership, right?

In the end, I just don’t see how McCourt wins (if there can even be a winner in such matters).  But regardless of who owns the team or how bad the baseball is on the field, I’ll always love coming to Chavez Ravine as long as the likes of Vin Scully and Tommy Lasorda still walk the halls, reminding all of us of happier days and the promise of the future. 

But it could get worse.  My greatest nightmare is that these proceedings are so distasteful to the stately Scully that he silently walks away at the end of the season.  The fans need him more than ever to return for the 2011-12 season, ideally with a new owner in tow.  Vin Scully retiring now would deprive Dodger fans not only of one of the greatest treasures this franchise has ever had, and also an element of hope.  A light to see them through the darkness.  Scully leaving would send this silent fan revolt to a level we haven’t imagined.

I have no reason to think this will indeed take place (and certainly don’t believe Vin would ever discuss his personal feelings on the subject), but in my opinion, that would be the saddest day in Dodger history.  And Frank McCourt’s greatest crime of all.

Filed Under: Frank McCourt, Vin Scully

Does Dodgers Bankruptcy Put McCourt in the Drivers Seat For Now?

June 27, 2011 By

Dodgers owner Frank McCourt filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection today, citing the rejection of a 17-year TV deal with Fox for roughly $2.7 billion as a prime factor. The McCourts were close to finalizing their divorce proceeding and McCourt allegedly planned to use about $150 million from the agreement to settle a divorce with his wife, Jamie, and to pay off outstanding debts. McCourt and his former wife have previously acknowledged using about $100 million in salary and loans taken against the club to finance their lifestyle.

How does bankruptcy help McCourt and the Dodgers fend off what many are calling inevitable – the sale of the team?

Attorney Chris Ward told the Wall Street Journal that McCourt’s filing may eventually pave the way for a bankruptcy court to approve the Fox Sports deal previously rejected by MLB:

Given that Major League Baseball didn’t approve the TV contract, without that revenue they’re not going to be able to operate. They may have some more leverage to get the Fox TV transaction approved in bankruptcy court over the objections of Major League Baseball. That’s what really precipitated the bankruptcy filing.

McCourt will likely be able to stay in an ownership position while all of this plays out despite the fact that the MLB consitution gives Selig the right to strip McCourt of ownership should he file bankruptcy. That’s because, according to the Los Angeles Times, bankruptcy courts can overrule MLB rules while the actual bankruptcy proceedings play out. So while MLB will likely get its way in the end, McCourt has played the one card he had left after the rejection of the Fox deal and has graced the Dodger community with more antics as the ownership saga continues to unfold.

Attorney Chris Ward also agrees that the move was really the best one McCourt could make at this point:

Deal Journal: What do you think of what the Dodgers are trying to do?

Ward: It gives them an upper hand that they didn’t have before. Strategically it was probably the right move to make.

DodgerDivorce.com was kind enough to post the filing so you can read the details. Manny Ramirez is the largest creditor with over $20 million due (no surprise there) but lots of other current, former, and minor league players are on that list as well. Poor Vin Scully is stilll owed over $100k on his contract (here’s hoping he gets all of it) and the team apparently also has over $300k in unsecured credit card debt with Bank of America according to the filing.

Video summary courtesy of ESPN

Filed Under: Dodgers Bankruptcy, Frank McCourt
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