I suppose if anyone could be called an opportunist when it comes to the McCourt divorce, it's me. And we've seen a lot of weird stuff over the last several months. Faith healers, pool demands, a complex financial relationship with a Chinese bank--it's been strange, ok? But it looks like we're not done yet. I know that many of you are angrier than I am about everything surrounding McCourt ownership. But this, via TMZ, is a bit much:
The principal owners of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Frank and Jamie McCour [sic], are going through a much publicized divorce and, as a result, the Dodgers have cut spending on essential services, such as security at baseball games at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers knew that having inadequate security at such games placed their patrons in danger and, despite this knowledge, deliberately chose not to spend the money necessary to safeguard their patrons, in order not only to save money but for Frank McCourt and the Dodgers to bolster the position of Mr. McCourt in the divorce proceedings that he and the Dodgers had fewer available assets than what was claimed by Jamie McCourt.Several problems. First, the alleged incident happened on February 28, 2010. So this didn't happen at a Dodgers game, but rather (I suspect) at a USC/UCLA baseball game held at the Stadium. Which, of course, doesn't excuse the Dodgers from allegedly skimping on security. Still, I think the allegations are a tad misleading or, at least, incomplete.
Second, and more troublesome: how would it help Frank McCourt to skimp on security, if the goal was to show fewer assets? Wouldn't the goal be to spend as much as possible, to keep cash out of Frank's hands? Now if the Dodgers just didn't have the money to spend on security: fine, yeah, that's a problem. But I don't believe that was (or is) the case.
Somehow, I'm guessing that Perez v. Dodgers won't be quite as momentous as McCourt v. McCourt. And, while I wouldn't pretend to deny Albert Perez, Gerardo Rodriguez, and Alfredo Rodriguez their opportunity to sue the Dodgers for some sort of wrong which caused them harm, to couch it in terms of the divorce seems a bit...well...cheap. I'm quite certain the divorce has revealed more organizational problems that it has caused, and this allegation of lax security would, if true, just be another entry in that first column.
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Was this the World Baseball Classic?
ReplyDeleteOn another note:
After a comprehensive analysis of the entire divorce proceedings, I have finally settled, pardon the pun, on what I feel will be the most likely scenario to happen.
The two will settle at some point in the next few weeks. Jamie will not receive a share of the team, but will receive an acceptable apportionment of future revenue after 2012. Frank and FOX will then extend the TV contract at the end of this season, providing an immediate workable revenue stream for Frank to run the team, pay legal fees, Jamie's spousal support, and to pay off debts. The team will return next year the same, minus Kuroda and Sherill. The big signing will be Ted Lilly. Don Mattingley will be our manager, with Bob Schaeffer as bench coach, and Tim Wallach as third base coach.
The Dodgers will end the season in fourth place.
Tim Wallach will not be a 3rd base coach, he's the #1 prospect in the PCL...........
ReplyDeleteThat's exactly WHY he will be the Dodgers third base coach. LOL.
ReplyDeleteThe Dodgers are one of the worst hitting (offensive) teams in MLB since the all-star break. Who's the hitting coach?...Don Mattingley. Oh yeah, with no manager experience & let's not forget the blunder on the mound. Now we have the best manager in the minors in Tim Wallach with manager experience! Who I ask you should be and deserves the Dodgers manager position.... Tim Wallach does. But we have a Mccourt as owner so the manager we'll have next season will be Don Mattingley. And what is to be expected of the next season..the same as this season but possibly worst. The young players will play as they have this season..just go through the motions & a 4th place finish. There will be a new record low for the Dodgers in fan attendence and season tickets. Let's hope it will be a wake-up call to Mccourt to sell the team. SELL THE TEAM MCCOURT!!...I know, I know its wishful thinking on my part.
ReplyDeleteHe will manage another team like the D-backs if the Dodgers let him go, he was already the hitting coach here before that would be going backwards.......
ReplyDeleteIf anything, the Dodgers underestimated the size of the crowd for the college baseball games that day: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/sports_blog/2010/02/ucla-beats-usc-at-dodger-stadium-before-14558.html
ReplyDeleteThe lawsuit is frivolous, but I've noticed that their used to be an usher in every aile beteen innings. Lucky to see one during a game now days and probably why there are more fights in the reserve sections.
ReplyDeleteI am vindicated! Mattingly, Bowa, Wallach, Duncan, Honeycutt.
ReplyDelete