Monday, May 02, 2011

McCourt as Sheen Part 2: Forays Into Comedic Material

As Phil Rogers wrote in the Chicago Tribune, "McCourt's battle with baseball almost funny," Frank McCourt's last round of quotes to the media seemed to elicit laughs from MLB brass:

[A]round MLB's offices in New York, some people are having a hard time not laughing about McCourt's claim Commissioner Bud Selig is ducking him.

"There is no owner who during the period 2004-11, the period Frank has been in the game, who has consumed more of the commissioner's time, more of the commissioner's office's time, than Frank McCourt,'' MLB executive vice president for labor relations Rob Manfred said Friday.

Selig, who appointed former diplomat Tom Schieffer to operate the team as ownership groups assemble to buy out McCourt, declined comment on the situation. But a highly ranked MLB source said Selig will meet with McCourt "in due time.''

McCourt, who seems to have read the Rod Blagojevich manual on damage control, lambasted MLB after a meeting with Manfred and others Wednesday. He was disappointed Selig didn't attend the meeting and claimed he's working to "solve a problem, not make a problem.''

"It has been the issue of the week every week,'' one MLB source said. "He's always gone to the commissioner with things that he needs -- rules to bend, paths to pave. It's always something with the guy. For him to say, 'All I want is a meeting with Selig,' is a little wacky.''

Rogers also cites precedent from Selig about why McCourt's "lifeline" strategy with Fox wouldn't be approved by the league:

McCourt, who has gone through a costly and very public divorce with his wife Jamie, paints a scenario in which he could remain a viable owner of the Dodgers if MLB only would approve a deal to sell future broadcast rights. That pending agreement with Fox Sports could bring the Dodgers $300 million immediately and be worth up to $3 billion over 17 years, according to McCourt.

But this is the same type transaction that Selig would not allow the overleveraged Tom Hicks to make when he tried to hang onto the Rangers. It would handicap a club heavily in the future, when it could find itself operating without television revenue for a few years after that money was used to pay old debts.

"That wasn't going to fly with Hicks, so why would it with Frank?'' asked the source, who indicated that McCourt's standing has been eroded by personal excesses that were revealed during his divorce.

McCourt is threatening to sue MLB. It does not appear Selig and his lieutenants are losing sleep.

They point to McCourt recently having taken out a $30 million personal loan as a sign he cannot afford a protracted fight. The one thing McCourt can afford to do is talk, as this remains cheap.

Earlier: Deadspin Finds A Frank McCourt Reference Sure To Please DelinO

16 comments:

Steve Sax said...

My introductory piano teacher would be proud: just bagged the badge of Kurt Suzuki (OAK, HR). Sax's mlb.com badge display case holds 56 badges.

Nostradamus said...

You've been slacking, Sax. I've passed you up, it seems.

Nostradamus said...

Speaking of...

Yeah, that looks better.

Nostradamus said...

All it takes is 24 hours and I'm ready for baseball again after a nasty loss. There is clearly something wrong with me.

Neeebs (The Original) said...

@MC: Do they call you "Deacon Blues?"

karina said...

@Sax had the game and didn't get the Suzuki badge :(

karina said...

nice avatar, Mr C!

Nostradamus said...

Oddly appropriate, Neeebs.

Check on the Scotch Whiskey drinking, but I can claim only rudimentary saxophone skills.

Nostradamus said...

Thanks, K! The badge obsession claims another victim.

Steve Sax said...

@Mr C, how many badges you got?

(And by the way, why we can't trade unwanted or doubles badges is an obvious miss.)

Paul said...

I got a Mr. C piss in the alleyway badge!!

Nostradamus said...

@Sax

I just hit 60 with the Suzuki HR, almost up to the 5th page now. A sorting function would be useful, too.

Nostradamus said...

@Paul

It was a fire escape.

spank said...

Urine badge!

Steve Sax said...

60 badges, holy crap

Totally agree that the organization sucks. It seems totally random--it's not alpha, or chrono, or team, or anything. Weak sauce.

Nostradamus said...

@Sax

65 after yesterday (Bourjous, Mathis, Konerko, Avila, and Barajas)