Notes of Caution

From "Dodgers' would-be saviors need to talk" by Ramona Shelburne at ESPNLA.com:

Bidding against each other serves only Frank McCourt and his creditors. Worse, it could leave whichever group wins the auction with a sales bill that would hinder their efforts to quickly rejuvenate the franchise with upgrades to Dodger Stadium or investments in payroll.

"If this thing gets out of hand, the costs eventually get passed back to the fans," one source connected with a potential ownership group said. "That's the last thing that should happen."

It is for this reason Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has kept a cautious distance so far. He's interested in the team, but only if the price makes sense.

And from "McCourt could ignore Kemp before selling Dodgers" by Tim Brown at Yahoo! Sports:

Let’s consider this: Every dollar McCourt spends between now and the time he hands the keys to the next guy could come out of his pocket, taken right off the top of the sale price. This is why teams up for sale are so routinely stripped down first. New owners generally don’t like big debt, or a future of big debt. If someone’s going to hamstring the club for years, they’d rather it be them. Something like that.

So, while Dodgers fans delight over McCourt’s departure and their hand in it, they also might consider McCourt’s absence of motivation to grant them a competitive team in the short term.

Thank you, Mr. & Mrs. Buzzkill. Yeah, I suppose it's time to get over the initial thrill of McCourt's cold, dead hands loosening their grip on the Dodgers and face the reality of everything that could go wrong when a $1.2-billion franchise changes hands. But can't I bury my head in the sand for another couple of weeks?

Boycotters Back for More

(click to enlarge)

Connecticut Post Calls It For Cuban

I find it touching that William Paxton of the Connecticut Post (Southwestern Connecticut's largest daily newspaper) is imploring Bud Selig to not only unseat Frank McCourt as Dodgers owner, but go ahead and give it to "perfect fit" Mark Cuban:

Any time a sports franchise hits the market, the Dallas Mavericks owner's name vaults to the top of the buyer list. But in this case, the Los Angeles Dodgers really could use Mark Cuban. Dodger blue now stands for how fans feel about their team, and even San Francisco Giants fans can admit baseball is better when L.A. has a good team. Just like when the Red Sox were for sale in 2002 and baseball made sure to get the right guy, Bud Selig needs to come through again in one of his major markets. Cuban seems like the perfect fit.

Boom! Cuban it is. Now I wonder what Paxton thinks of the inherent instability of India/Pakistan relations in an increasingly multipolar world?

Everybody Hates Frank

"You hate me! You really hate me!"

• Jamie wants to wet her beak a little. Jamie McCourt is expected to ask judge to order sale of the Dodgers (Bill Shaikin, LA Times)
• Remember how Giants fans pooled their money to fly those stupid banners over Dodger Stadium? Michael C. wants Dodger fans to pool their money to buy an anti-McCourt billboard. Sell the Dodgers
• We mentioned this before: The beautiful dream of public ownership is still alive. Own the Dodgers
• This one needs no explanation. Mark Cuban Save the Dodgers

photo by Jon SooHoo/Dodgers

He's Our Only Hope?

Thanks to Nic j for this picture from last night's game:

Steve Garvey Corraling Investment Group To Buy Dodgers; Cuban Still In Wings

Looks like this blog just got one step closer to getting a lifetime press pass:

Steve Garvey, one of the most popular players in Dodgers history, said Wednesday he has assembled an investment group that would like to buy the team.

"It's always been a dream of mine to own a franchise," Garvey said.

On the day after a judge threw out an agreement that would have granted Frank McCourt sole ownership of the Dodgers, a decision that legal analysts said had increased the likelihood that the team eventually would be sold, McCourt said he would rebuff Garvey and all other would-be buyers.

"There are some great treasures out there that people would love to buy, the Dodgers among them," McCourt spokesman Steve Sugerman said. "But, like the Mona Lisa and the Pacific Ocean, the Dodgers aren't for sale."

I suppose Sugerman means, not for sale now. After all, the Mona Lisa was once sold for 4,000 ecus. But I digress:

Mark Cuban, the high-profile owner of the Dallas Mavericks and a losing bidder for the Chicago Cubs and Texas Rangers, said last year he might be interested in the Dodgers. He declined to say Wednesday whether he would pursue the team.

"It's too early to say," Cuban said via e-mail. "Let's see what happens if and when it goes up for sale."

Cuban said last year he would consider investing in a team "where I could contribute capital to buy out a majority shareholder and gain control."

Not to rebuff Dad or anything but I think Mark Cuban would be a more optimal owner. At least we'd have treasure troves of money to spend after the purchase...

Selig Unsurprisingly Shrugs About Lengthy McCourt Divorce Disaster

Yes, the McCourt divorce trainwreck could continue well into 2012, damning the Dodgers to additional lost seasons in a limbo of low-payrolled, poor-performing teams. But MLB Commissioner Bud Selig is still sitting on the sidelines, shrugging his shoulders:

The inability of Frank and Jamie McCourt to settle their divorce case and the prospect of several more years of litigation has prompted Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig to consider intervening on behalf of the Dodgers.

Selig has remained virtually silent on the issue since the McCourts filed for divorce 11 months ago, saying only that the legal proceedings needed to play out.

However, according to four people who have spoken with him, Selig is dismayed at the public spectacle surrounding the divorce and concerned about the potential for lasting damage to the league and its flagship West Coast franchise. He has told those people he wants the Dodgers' ownership situation resolved long before his scheduled retirement in 2012.

You want glimmers of hope, Dodger fans? There, at the bottom of Bill Shaikin's piece, lies a faint spark of light:

Sal Galatioto, whose New York investment firm advises buyers and sellers of sports franchises, said McCourt would not need to entertain lowball offers if he were to sell the Dodgers.

"There would be plenty of buyers," Galatioto said. "The team is profitable. It's Los Angeles."

The list of potential buyers is headed by Southern California residents, including Milwaukee Brewers owner Mark Attanasio, former player agent Dennis Gilbert, Boston Red Sox Chairman Tom Werner, former commissioner Peter Ueberroth and real estate developer Alan Casden.

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and software mogul Larry Ellison also have been mentioned as potential buyers, and one baseball source said Asian investors might explore a bid as well.

Cuban? Ellison? Anyone? Bueller?

Please?

Headlines

Dodgers bringing back all coaches (Dodgers.com)

Mark Cuban says he'd be interested in buying the Dodgers (LA Times)

Dodgers Not Pursuing Aroldis Chapman (MLBTR)

Well, You're Never Going To Get The Cubs Now

ESPN.com: Feds accuse Mavs owner Cuban of insider trading

WASHINGTON -- Federal regulators have charged billionaire Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban with insider trading for allegedly using confidential information on a stock sale to avoid more than $750,000 in losses. The Securities and Exchange Commission filed a civil lawsuit against Cuban on Monday in federal court in Dallas. The agency said that in June 2004, Cuban was invited to get in on the coming stock offering by Mamma.com Inc. after he agreed to keep the information private.

The SEC says Cuban knew the shares would be sold below the current market price, and a few hours after receiving the information, told his broker to sell all shares in the search engine company.

"As we allege in the complaint, Mamma.com entrusted Mr. Cuban with nonpublic information after he promised to keep the information confidential. Less than four hours later, Mr. Cuban betrayed that trust by placing an order to sell all of his shares," Scott W. Friestad, deputy director of the SEC's Division of Enforcement, said in a statement. "It is fundamentally unfair for someone to use access to nonpublic information to improperly gain an edge on the market."

Mark Cuban Seeks New Image

In an attempt to re-create the Dallas Mavericks for the 2007-08 NBA Season, Maverick owner Mark Cuban has hired a new marketing firm to promote his team. SoSG has been learned that this will be the new logo...