Bud Selig Rejects Frank McCourt’s Fox Deal

What does one do when an owner’s public divorce revealed massive looting of his team for personal gain and now has trouble making payroll so he must borrow money from a future television deal? If you’re an intelligent man, you block said deal. That’s exactly what Bud Selig did.

From his statement:

“Pursuant to my authority as Commissioner, I have informed Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank McCourt today in a detailed letter that I cannot approve the club’s proposed transaction with FOX…

Mr. McCourt has been provided with an expansive analysis of my reasons for rejecting this proposed transaction. Critically, the transaction is structured to facilitate the further diversion of Dodgers assets for the personal needs of Mr. McCourt. Given the magnitude of the transaction, such a diversion of assets would have the effect of mortgaging the future of the franchise to the long-term detriment of the club and its fans.

As I have said before, we owe it to the legion of loyal Dodger fans to ensure that this club is being operated properly now and will be guided appropriately in the future. This transaction would not accomplish these goals.”

In summation: Mr. McCourt, you can’t treat the ballclub like a personal piggy bank and then play fast and loose with the rules when that income source comes up empty. Sure, MLB never should have let it get to this point, but at least they’re starting to clean up the mess now.

Craig Calcaterra points out one little problem. Even if Major League Baseball assumes control of the franchise when McCourt inevitably fails to reach payroll, McCourt would still own the parking lots and land that Dodger Stadium is on, essentially acting as Mr. Roper to the new owner’s Jack Tripper.

You’ve gotta hand it to McCourt, though—he may be a terrible baseball owner, but he’s one shrewd parking lot attendant.