Monday, November 9, 2009

Cuban a possible purchaser?

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Ok, well since this story's blowing up everywhere, I might as well throw my hat into the ring:

This should really be a non-story right now. At the earliest, we're months from even knowing who even has authority to sell the Dodgers. What's more, Cuban's bid to buy a major league team was already rejected once. Granted, he's now expressing a desire to finance the purchase a different way, but putting together an ownership group with one controlling shareholder has its own difficulties. For one, you've got to, you know, find those other multi-millionaires. There just aren't as many of those walking around these days.

I guess the mini-frenzy about this Cuban news is to be expected, and Lord knows we'll have all the time in the world to internet-vet* all of the potential purchasers of the Dodgers--assuming the team will be sold. I just think this was your fairly typical statement of interest. This is your Theo Epstein "of course we like Roy Halladay" sort of thing. Mark Cuban, a wealthy man who has tried to buy a baseball team in the past, would potentially be interested in a baseball team. Until we get at least a little ways down the path on this ownership dispute, I can't get too terribly interested in individual candidates.

*Posnanski would call this "intervetting."

I should point out, though, that I would love someone with Dodger roots--or at least Southern California ties--to end up with the Dodgers. Part of the reason Los Angeles never took to the McCourts, in my opinion, is that they were clearly not Californian in any meaningful way. Not the "Californian" I feel, anyway, when looking out from my Aisle 124 perch toward the left-field bleachers at dusk. I guess it's the naive fan left in me; I want the owner of the Dodgers to actually love the Dodgers.

Update: Cuban denies interest in Dodgers, says e-mail was "all headline and no substance." According to Cuban, the Times seems to have read too much into his words. A clear example of why we need to be very patient with ownership rumors, treating them just like hot stove rumors.
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2 comments:

  1. That is really too bad. Cuban could definitely save us from this mess and deliver a championship to LA.

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  2. Cuban is not going to be the owner of the Dodgers. Major League Baseball is not going to okayed the buying of the team by Cuban. There was enough hind leg back kicking from MLB office when Cuban was interested in buying the Cubs. Selig and Bob DePuy don't want Cuban in the league.

    Ignore the white knight coming in and buying the Dodgers. If the McCourts have to sell, it is going to be messy, given how leverage the McCourt appear to be at this moment.

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