Monday, June 27, 2011
South Carolina Baseball Wins 2011 CWS Game 1 In 11th Inning
South Carolina Baseball Wins 2011 CWS Game 1 In 11th Inning
The South Carolina Gamecocks have done it again, winning a College World Series game in improbable fashion. After trailing 1-0 for almost the entire game, the Cardiac Cocks (love it or leave it!) took a 2-1 lead over the Florida Gators in extra innings and are now one game away from repeating as national champs. Let's catch up.
With one out in the top of the 11th, the Gators pulled Nick Maronde for towering junior righty Greg Larson. Christian Walker, who's playing with a broken bone in his wrist, singled to first, and then -- OMAHAM! -- a pair of erratic throws on a solitary stolen base attempt sent Walker all the way around the basepaths, giving the Cocks their first lead of the game, 2-1.
Adam Matthews walked as "GAME! COCKS!" chants took over TD Ameritrade. Though Florida escaped without any further damage, USC fans clearly sensed their team was about to pull yet another postseason win out of nowhere.
Carolina brought on Matt Price to close, who'd only gotten two days of rest since his last effort. Brian Johnson reached first with no outs -- Paul Wilson took over as pinch runner. Josh Adams sacrificed Wilson to second. Tyler Thompson struck out swinging after a 10-pitch at bat. Daniel Pigott stepped to the plate and grounded out.
Let's get excited about Game 2 -- 8 pm ET on Tuesday night.
Check here for complete 2011 CWS scores and schedules, and here for NCAA baseball news and stories. For more SEC sports, join Team Speed Kills. Gators fans, head to Alligator Army and SB Nation Tampa Bay; USC fans, visit Garnet And Black Attack
With one out in the top of the 11th, the Gators pulled Nick Maronde for towering junior righty Greg Larson. Christian Walker, who's playing with a broken bone in his wrist, singled to first, and then -- OMAHAM! -- a pair of erratic throws on a solitary stolen base attempt sent Walker all the way around the basepaths, giving the Cocks their first lead of the game, 2-1.
Adam Matthews walked as "GAME! COCKS!" chants took over TD Ameritrade. Though Florida escaped without any further damage, USC fans clearly sensed their team was about to pull yet another postseason win out of nowhere.
Carolina brought on Matt Price to close, who'd only gotten two days of rest since his last effort. Brian Johnson reached first with no outs -- Paul Wilson took over as pinch runner. Josh Adams sacrificed Wilson to second. Tyler Thompson struck out swinging after a 10-pitch at bat. Daniel Pigott stepped to the plate and grounded out.
Let's get excited about Game 2 -- 8 pm ET on Tuesday night.
Check here for complete 2011 CWS scores and schedules, and here for NCAA baseball news and stories. For more SEC sports, join Team Speed Kills. Gators fans, head to Alligator Army and SB Nation Tampa Bay; USC fans, visit Garnet And Black Attack
College World Series Game 1 To Extra Innings As South Carolina Baseball Survives
GAMECOCKS WIN
2-1 OVER GATORS
College World Series Game 1 To Extra Innings As South Carolina Baseball Survives
The Florida Gators were 90 feet away from beating the South Carolina Gamecocks to take a 1-0 series advantage in the 2011 CWS final, but USC's infield was able to put together an inning-ending double play with bases loaded. To the 10th we go.
But let's back up! In the top of the ninth, Brady Thomas achieved a one-out single to apply pressure on Steven Rodriguez. As Adam Matthews took over base running duties, Florida pulled Rodriguez for sophomore right-hander Austin Maddox, who typically functions as the team's closer. Maddox has been dealing with a sprained foot.
Maddox was able to get out of trouble immediately, forcing Adrian Morales into a double play.
Submariner John Taylor took over for the Gamecocks, walking Mike Zunino. Brian Johnson spent a long time attempting to bunt Zunino along, eventually giving up and swatting a shot down the right field line to put runners on the corners. Carolina intentionally walked Josh Adams to load the bases in hopes of a double play.
Tyler Thompson stepped to the plate having walked twice and scored Florida's only run to that point. He tapped the ball to second base, where Scott Wingo made a fantastic play to fire the ball home and acquire out No. 1. Daniel Pigott then grounded to second, with Wingo again sending the ball home; this time, catcher Robert Beary zinged the ball along to first base.
But let's back up! In the top of the ninth, Brady Thomas achieved a one-out single to apply pressure on Steven Rodriguez. As Adam Matthews took over base running duties, Florida pulled Rodriguez for sophomore right-hander Austin Maddox, who typically functions as the team's closer. Maddox has been dealing with a sprained foot.
Maddox was able to get out of trouble immediately, forcing Adrian Morales into a double play.
Submariner John Taylor took over for the Gamecocks, walking Mike Zunino. Brian Johnson spent a long time attempting to bunt Zunino along, eventually giving up and swatting a shot down the right field line to put runners on the corners. Carolina intentionally walked Josh Adams to load the bases in hopes of a double play.
Tyler Thompson stepped to the plate having walked twice and scored Florida's only run to that point. He tapped the ball to second base, where Scott Wingo made a fantastic play to fire the ball home and acquire out No. 1. Daniel Pigott then grounded to second, with Wingo again sending the ball home; this time, catcher Robert Beary zinged the ball along to first base.
Check here for complete 2011 CWS scores and schedules, and here for NCAA baseball news and stories. For more SEC sports, join Team Speed Kills. Gators fans, head to Alligator Army and SB Nation Tampa Bay; USC fans, visit Garnet And Black Attack.
BIG LEAGUE STEW
- Mon Jun 27 05:58pm EDT
From LeBron to Lonnie: Chisenhall Era arrives in Cleveland
Ever since the calendar flipped to June, several MLB teams have called up young prospects in hopes of getting them experience during a lost season.
The Cleveland Indians, however, are taking a different approach: They're farming their farm to help jump start their playoff hopes.
MLB.com's Jordan Bastian reports that third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall(notes) was called up from Triple-A on Monday afternoon to take the roster spot of Adam Everett(notes), who was DFA'ed. The long-awaited move comes almost three weeks after second baseman Cord Phelps(notes) was promoted to help out in the infield and in the lineup against right-handed pitching.
Chisenhall, who bats left-handed, is ranked the top prospect in the Indians' organization and the 36th-best in baseball, according to MLB.com. He was just named the International League's player of the week after posting two homers and 14 RBI for the Columbus Clippers and owns one of the best Twitter handles (@TheChizKid) around.
He'll be expected to produce immediately as the second-place Indians are coming off scoring just four runs while being swept by the San Francisco Giants over the weekend. There are worse indignities than been locked down by San Francisco pitching, but with Chisenhall's eventual arrival being predicted since the start of spring training, it was a transaction just waiting to be made.
With the Indians batting a measly .218/.294/.336 in June, it's hoped that Chisenhall can add a bit of power to a team that has gone 10-21 since being a season-high 15 games over .500 on May 23. That's obviously a lot to ask from a kid who won't turn 23 until the end of the season, but we're really just talking about the normal progression of the storyline here. He was going to get called up regardless of the Indians' record, so isn't it better that he's playing very meaningful baseball right out of the box? - Mon Jun 27 04:08pm EDT
Answer Man: Orel Hershiser talks Dodgers, ‘Boogie’ video, juggling
Orel Hershiser finished the 1988 regular season by amassing 59 straight scoreless innings, a record-breaking prelude to a Cy Young Award and the Los Angeles Dodgers unlikely World Series championship later that October. The grind of '88, along with heavy use from 1985-1989, took a toll on Hershiser's elbow, but he still pitched effectively until the 2000 season.
After a stint as a pitching coach, Hershiser went into broadcasting and he recently was promoted to lead analyst on ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball. Along the way, he briefly dabbled in coaching Little League — which, along with Subway, helped Hershiser find his way to an Answer Man phone session.
Subway is bringing back its Baseball DeSigns promotion, which Hershiser will explain — along with his thoughts on the Dodgers, both past and present.
David Brown: As a former Dodgers player, what do you think of the turmoil the team has been going though the past couple of years?
Orel Hershiser: I'm allowed to check my Dodger Blue heart at the door, because I'm in the media now, so it's easy not to talk emotionally about their struggles. But it is hard to watch, of course. I was with the organization 11 years, and I'm going to be linked to the Dodgers until my grave. It's very hard to watch, not only for Dodgers fans but also for all of Major League Baseball. When you see MLB have to go in and help them out and kind of steer the organization, that's something you never would have thought of seeing when, say, the O'Malleys owned the team. Or when Fox owned the team. It's sad, that's for sure.
DB: Regardless of who owns them, what would you like to see changed about how they're run?
OH: I don't think it's right for me to comment on their internal workings at all. It's fair to analyze their players on the field, to analyze their roster, to look at their record and say that Major League Baseball needs the Dodgers to be like rock stars so that when they come to town, there's an extra 8-10,000 people in the seats. Just like what happens when the Red Sox travel, when the Yankees travel, what happens now when the Texas Rangers travel. The teams that are at the top of pack usually help the other teams when they came to town. That's what the Dodgers always did. That's the hard part for Major League Baseball. Especially in this economy, even in baseball, they're looking for new ways to draw fans and keep fans and to cause excitement. The Dodgers aren't doing that right now.
DB: I was looking through some of your old baseball cards, and your Donruss card from 1989 celebrates your scoreless innings record, and there's a graphic that says "59 and counting" on it. Do you consider that a jinx?
Read More » - Mon Jun 27 02:20pm EDT
Jack McKeon tells stories of a life spent in baseball
Ed. note: Shutdown Corner's Doug Farrar was at Safeco Field over the weekend to shadow Florida Marlins manager Jack McKeon. The octogenarian skipper did not disappoint, spinning a number of enjoyable stories over the three-day series.
SEATTLE — True baseball lifers are hard to find. Sure, there are men who will manage well into their 60s, trying and failing to retire along the way, but they seem often as not to be dragged back into the game, and the endings are often sad. Rare is the man who waits in the wings to pounce on the first opportunity given, when the man in question is 80 years old.
But as we all know, that's what happened to new (and former) Florida Marlins manager Jack McKeon, who replaced Edwin Rodriguez soon after Rodriguez's resignation last weekend. Under Rodriguez, the Marlins had lost nine straight and were 1-17 in the month of June. Still, when he left, general manager Larry Beinfest said that the move "hit us and hit us hard." After one more loss under interim manager Brandon Hyde, the Marlins announced that McKeon — the man who led the franchise to victory in the 2003 World Series — would have a second act.
He had been a special assistant for the team — basically, McKeon was his own boss. He would review the minor league clubs, make personal appearances, and consult with the Marlins' front office on any number of matters. The move back to manager was a complete surprise to McKeon, but not an unpleasant one.
For Mrs. McKeon, it may be a different story.
Read More » - Mon Jun 27 01:22pm EDT
Encarnacion’s homer and Dotel’s celebration meet ‘The Natural’
Unless you were a fan of the St. Louis Cardinals, the ninth inning of Saturday's 6-3 win by the Toronto Blue Jays featured a pretty funny moment. That was when Edwin Encarnacion launched a home run and it landed in the Busch Stadium bullpen, where teammate Octavio Dotel retrieved and then danced with his new souvenir.
Inspired by Dotel's give-and-take, Ian Hunter of Blue Jay Hunter decided for some reason that the highlight should be mashed with "The Natural." I'm glad he did:
Here's the original video of the home run and Dotel's one-man party:
Read More » - Mon Jun 27 12:09pm EDT
Evan Longoria ditches batting gloves, posts monster weekend
Look, Ma! No gloves!
Mired in a 4-for-37 slump entering this past weekend's series with the Houston Astros, Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Evan Longoria decided to get his George Brett on and not wear batting gloves.
Smooth move: With his hands uncovered, Longoria went 8 for 14 with three homers and three doubles in three wins over the Astros. He also scored six runs and drove in 10 RBIs.
Whether or not Longoria's huge weekend was a product of opting out of the gloves or just a benefit of facing the awful Astros remains to be seen. But after seeing his average rise from .232 to .253 in just one weekend, Longoria said he plans to stick with the gloveless look.
From MLB.com:
Read More » - Mon Jun 27 11:08am EDT
Video: Young fan has Henry Rowengartner moment at Giants game
Kids these days. Ever since that young Phillies fan tossed her dad's gift of a foul ball back over the railing, it's become a bit of a "thing" for children to reject ballpark souvenirs.
You'd like to call 'em ingrates or maybe even dismiss the meme as tired, but check out the rocket on this little guy's arm!
Impressive effort, to say the least. Like Henry Rowengartner in "Rookie of the Year" before him, this fella amazed a lot of people — well, except for the shocked man sitting next to him — by chucking Andres Torres'(notes) foul ball back toward the field of play at the San Francisco Giants-Cleveland Indians game on Saturday.
Can a meeting with Gary Busey and Daniel Stern be that far behind?
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The Juice: Brewers take control of NL Central with sweep of Twins
Nine innings, nine items to get you going. Ladies and gentleman of the Stew, take a sip of morning Juice.
1. Pewaukee Push: Was this the weekend when the Milwaukee Brewers made their big move in the NL Central? Time will tell, but a sweep-sealing 6-2 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Sunday put winning pitcher Chris Narveson (right) and the Crew in command of a division race that has been neck and neck for most of the year.
Combined with the St. Louis Cardinals getting swept by the Toronto Blue Jays, the domination at Miller Park gave the Brewers a three-game lead in the Central and some more hope that they can win the team's first division title since 1982.
"It's definitely bigger than a no-game lead," Prince Fielder said.
Hey, no kidding, Prince. The once-hot Twins have now lost five straight games and fielded a lineup on Sunday that featured 22 combined homers, just one more than Fielder's season total.
2. They can't win if they can't score (but San Francisco can): The bad news for the San Francisco Giants was that they managed to score only eight runs all weekend. The good was their pitchers only allowed a total of five, sending the team to a sweep over the Cleveland Indians, their dance partners in the 1954 World Series. Madison Bumgarner provided the pitching punctuation for the series, striking out 11 batters in seven innings during Sunday's 3-1 win.
3. A daring escape: The Detroit Tigers are proud owners of a one-game lead in the AL Central, but the way they did it couldn't have been any more last-minute. Jim Leyland's crew scored seven runs with two outs in the eighth inning, good for an 8-3 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Read More » - Mon Jun 27 03:43am EDT
Q&A: Jimmy Rollins swings for Babe Ruth’s record 575-foot homer
Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins stands 5-foot-7 and weighs 175 pounds, and he proudly owns 161 career home runs in nearly 6,600 career at-bats.Those stats did not make him an obvious candidate to try and hit a baseball farther than anyone in recorded history ever has. But throw in a little Red Bull (which sponsors Rollins), along with some "mad scientists" who have been experimenting with composite bats and lively balls, and you got Rollins attempting a Guinness World Record on Monday.
Rollins tried to break the record for "Longest Batted Ball," a mark of 575 feet owned by immortal slugger Babe Ruth. Adding to the circuses, Rollins took his hacks with souped-up bats at the intersection of the Ben Franklin Parkway and 20th Street in downtown Philly. The spectacle ran live on ESPN3.com during lunchtime.
While Rollins failed gain to Ruthian lengths with any homers — the farthest he hit any ball was 463 feet — he did entertain Philly pholks in a unique way on their lunch hour. Phillies blog extraordinaire The 700 Level recapped the events in brief but entertaining prose.
Below, check out a YouTube video of Rollins' performance, plus a Q&A we did with J-Roll before he tried to break the record. Of course, we also stray from the topic a little, exploring Rollins' brief but storied acting career and his second career as a music impresario:
Read More » - Sun Jun 26 11:20am EDT
Photo: Yes, this man shaved a Joe Mauer jersey into his back hair
Say it ain't so, Joe! While our own Dave Brown thought he found the ugliest Joe Mauer(notes) T-shirt during last year's playoffs, those who had the misfortune of watching this last weekend's Twins-Brewers series can attest that was far from the case. Yes, that's a man with the name and number of the Minnesota Twins catcher shorn into a back rug lush and thick enough to be shampooed with a bottle of Mauer-endorsed Head and Shoulders.
If we're being honest, we'll say that we admire the steady hand of whoever fashioned that evenly spaced nameplate for Mr. Sasquatch. But in no way can we condone this over-the-top display of love for Mauer. Can you imagine ordering Miller Park's famous cheese fries in a helmet and then learning your seat is right behind this guy? That type of nightmare fuel would spoil Racing Sausage kebab sales for the entire mezzanine.
Big BLS H/N: Midwest Sports Fans
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Video: Nice catch, soldier! Vet nabs foul ball at Yankee Stadium
Friday night was already shaping up to be a good one for Michael Kacer.
He took his 13-year-old nephew, Isaiah, to his first New York Yankees game. And as part of a group with Achilles International — a nonprofit organization devoted to athletes with disabilities — Kacer got to hang out on the field before the game, meeting Nick Swisher and posing for a photo with Joe Girardi. Kacer served 11 years in the National Guard and lost his left arm in a 2008 rocket attack.
But the night got even better after the game began. During the Yankees' half of the first inning, Curtis Granderson popped a foul ball behind home plate. The ball caromed off the concrete just inside the wall and bounced up toward the next level of seats. Kacer reached out over the railing and caught the ball with his cap. No sweat.
Here's the video, courtesy of MLB.com:
Read More »
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MLB STANDINGS JUNE 27 2011
| Regular Standings | Expanded Standings | Wild-Card Standings | |||||||||||
| American League | |||||||||||
| East | W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | East | Cent | West | Streak | L10 |
| New York Yankees | 45 | 31 | .592 | -- | 25-18 | 20-13 | 13-12 | 11-10 | 13-5 | Won 2 | 7-3 |
| Boston Red Sox | 45 | 32 | .584 | 0.5 | 22-16 | 23-16 | 18-9 | 10-9 | 11-8 | Won 1 | 5-5 |
| Tampa Bay Rays | 44 | 35 | .557 | 2.5 | 18-19 | 26-16 | 15-12 | 14-10 | 6-9 | Lost 1 | 8-2 |
| Toronto Blue Jays | 39 | 40 | .494 | 7.5 | 17-18 | 22-22 | 13-18 | 13-10 | 7-6 | Lost 1 | 5-5 |
| Baltimore Orioles | 35 | 40 | .467 | 9.5 | 22-19 | 13-21 | 10-18 | 11-9 | 8-7 | Won 1 | 5-5 |
| Central | W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | East | Cent | West | Streak | L10 |
| Detroit Tigers | 43 | 36 | .544 | -- | 25-15 | 18-21 | 13-12 | 15-7 | 10-10 | Won 3 | 5-5 |
| Cleveland Indians | 40 | 36 | .526 | 1.5 | 24-14 | 16-22 | 12-10 | 13-12 | 8-9 | Lost 3 | 4-6 |
| Chicago White Sox | 38 | 41 | .481 | 5.0 | 19-20 | 19-21 | 11-12 | 6-11 | 14-13 | Lost 1 | 5-5 |
| Kansas City Royals | 33 | 45 | .423 | 9.5 | 23-24 | 10-21 | 6-7 | 9-16 | 14-14 | Won 2 | 3-7 |
| Minnesota Twins | 32 | 44 | .421 | 9.5 | 14-16 | 18-28 | 6-18 | 13-10 | 9-8 | Lost 5 | 5-5 |
| West | W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | East | Cent | West | Streak | L10 |
| Texas Rangers | 41 | 38 | .519 | -- | 23-16 | 18-22 | 10-12 | 16-11 | 9-9 | Lost 2 | 5-5 |
| Seattle Mariners | 39 | 39 | .500 | 1.5 | 21-18 | 18-21 | 11-8 | 12-17 | 9-9 | Won 1 | 5-5 |
| Los Angeles Angels | 39 | 40 | .494 | 2.0 | 15-20 | 24-20 | 9-13 | 13-12 | 9-11 | Lost 1 | 6-4 |
| Oakland Athletics | 35 | 44 | .443 | 6.0 | 19-16 | 16-28 | 5-12 | 13-15 | 12-10 | Lost 1 | 6-4 |
| National League | |||||||||||
| East | W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | East | Cent | West | Streak | L10 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | 49 | 30 | .620 | -- | 30-13 | 19-17 | 23-13 | 13-9 | 8-4 | Won 1 | 6-4 |
| Atlanta Braves | 44 | 35 | .557 | 5.0 | 22-17 | 22-18 | 16-14 | 15-7 | 8-10 | Lost 1 | 6-4 |
| Washington Nationals | 40 | 38 | .513 | 8.5 | 22-13 | 18-25 | 13-19 | 9-7 | 10-8 | Won 1 | 8-2 |
| New York Mets | 39 | 39 | .500 | 9.5 | 18-20 | 21-19 | 15-15 | 10-10 | 8-8 | Won 2 | 5-5 |
| Florida Marlins | 34 | 44 | .436 | 14.5 | 17-26 | 17-18 | 11-17 | 9-10 | 10-9 | Lost 1 | 2-8 |
| Central | W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | East | Cent | West | Streak | L10 |
| Milwaukee Brewers | 44 | 35 | .557 | -- | 29-11 | 15-24 | 13-11 | 17-16 | 9-4 | Won 3 | 5-5 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 41 | 38 | .519 | 3.0 | 21-18 | 20-20 | 9-9 | 16-13 | 12-11 | Lost 3 | 3-7 |
| Cincinnati Reds | 41 | 39 | .512 | 3.5 | 22-19 | 19-20 | 3-7 | 24-14 | 10-9 | Won 1 | 4-6 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | 39 | 38 | .506 | 4.0 | 19-20 | 20-18 | 8-12 | 16-10 | 9-10 | Lost 1 | 5-5 |
| Chicago Cubs | 32 | 46 | .410 | 11.5 | 17-22 | 15-24 | 5-4 | 11-22 | 12-12 | Won 1 | 4-6 |
| Houston Astros | 28 | 51 | .354 | 16.0 | 13-28 | 15-23 | 5-13 | 13-22 | 7-10 | Lost 3 | 3-7 |
| West | W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | East | Cent | West | Streak | L10 |
| San Francisco Giants | 44 | 34 | .564 | -- | 24-13 | 20-21 | 5-11 | 11-8 | 20-11 | Won 5 | 5-5 |
| Arizona Diamondbacks | 43 | 36 | .544 | 1.5 | 22-17 | 21-19 | 11-8 | 12-10 | 12-14 | Lost 2 | 6-4 |
| Colorado Rockies | 38 | 40 | .487 | 6.0 | 19-19 | 19-21 | 7-5 | 9-10 | 17-21 | Lost 3 | 5-5 |
| Los Angeles Dodgers | 35 | 44 | .443 | 9.5 | 19-24 | 16-20 | 8-8 | 11-16 | 12-15 | Won 1 | 4-6 |
| San Diego Padres | 34 | 45 | .430 | 10.5 | 16-27 | 18-18 | 8-12 | 13-15 | 11-11 | Won 1 | 4-6 |
| x-Clinched Playoff Spot; y-Division Champ Last updated Monday, Jun 27, 2011 9:17 pm | |||||||||||
HOW THE OTHER OWNERS FEEL IN MLB VS DODGERS??????
HOW THE OTHER OWNERS FEEL IN MLB VS DODGERS??????
Selig vs. Dodgers’ McCourt is 29 against one
By Tim Brown, Yahoo! SportsApr 22, 12:45 am EDT
LOS ANGELES – The opponent in Frank McCourt’s fight to retain control and even ownership of the Los Angeles Dodgers may have a single face – Commissioner Bud Selig’s – but it has many voices.
Selig’s seizure of the team is being guided in part by the concerns and frustrations of many of McCourt’s fellow owners, who fear the devaluation of their own franchises through McCourt’s financial and operational ineptness, sources said Thursday.
Whatever the assurances by McCourt that the Dodgers are not trundling toward ruin, and whatever the assertions by McCourt’s new vice chairman Steve Soboroff that Selig is a misguided, uninformed bully, Selig’s greatest authority lies in the consensus of The Other 29.
Selig spends large portions of his days conferring with owners of the 30 MLB teams, and McCourt’s ownership practices have been picked over by baseball’s executive council, which consists of eight owners, four from each league.
A strong Dodger organization – like a healthy New York Yankees, a competitive Boston Red Sox, a relevant Chicago Cubs – is good for all.
“When the big markets are big,” said one high-level American League official, “certainly the boats rise with that tide.”
Selig’s “deep concerns” with the direction of the Dodgers are shared by enough owners to have led to Wednesday’s announcement, that a trustee will oversee business and day-to-day operations of the club.
“This has been an ongoing sentiment in the industry,” said a source familiar with the owners’ thinking. “The embarrassment and frustration has been evident for a while.”
Without the oversight, baseball owners fear a desperate McCourt would undersell his television rights, diminishing the value of their own future broadcast deals. McCourt is believed to have a $3 billion agreement with Fox to televise Dodgers games for 20 years, beginning with the 2014 season. Selig has yet to approve it, primarily because of suspicions some of the money would fund McCourt’s divorce (he has not settled with his ex-wife, Jamie) and other personal debts, leaving the club in disrepair.
Recent news that McCourt secured a $30-million personal loan from Fox that covered his April payroll served to heighten Selig’s concerns, along with those of other owners. If McCourt one day would need to be rescued and the Dodgers sold, the television rights would be among the team’s most valuable assets. By moving now, Selig could save them for a future owner.
“Otherwise,” the AL official said, “you’d be left with a carcass. This is an attempt to stave off further disaster.”
McCourt appears to be readying for battle, even if it’s one vs. 29, and could mount a legal challenge. Baseball officials say, however, that Selig would not have taken such an aggressive action without being secure in his – and baseball’s – legal standing, if only by virtue of his “best interests of baseball” powers.
McCourt’s only public reaction came in a statement in which he claimed to be in compliance with MLB guidelines. Speaking to reporters Thursday at Dodger Stadium, Soboroff referred to the incoming trustee as “the Wizard of Oz” and the commissioner’s decision, “irresponsible.”
“Don’t talk to me about his financial situation,” said Soboroff, who has been on the job only a few days. “Give me a break. Let’s compare it to other places, to other big-city situations. How do you single him out and you don’t single the Mets out? Come on.”
One rival team executive said Thursday that McCourt should know that Selig has the support of much of baseball, and that Selig probably won’t stop until he’s forced McCourt to sell.
“If Frank was smart,” the executive said, “he would become an ally of Bud and work with him to get the best price.”
Selig’s seizure of the team is being guided in part by the concerns and frustrations of many of McCourt’s fellow owners, who fear the devaluation of their own franchises through McCourt’s financial and operational ineptness, sources said Thursday.
Frank McCourt has few allies in his attempt to remain in control of the team he's owned for seven years.
(Associated Press)
(Associated Press)
Selig spends large portions of his days conferring with owners of the 30 MLB teams, and McCourt’s ownership practices have been picked over by baseball’s executive council, which consists of eight owners, four from each league.
A strong Dodger organization – like a healthy New York Yankees, a competitive Boston Red Sox, a relevant Chicago Cubs – is good for all.
“When the big markets are big,” said one high-level American League official, “certainly the boats rise with that tide.”
Selig’s “deep concerns” with the direction of the Dodgers are shared by enough owners to have led to Wednesday’s announcement, that a trustee will oversee business and day-to-day operations of the club.
“This has been an ongoing sentiment in the industry,” said a source familiar with the owners’ thinking. “The embarrassment and frustration has been evident for a while.”
[Grudge Judge: Was MLB justified in taking over the Dodgers?] |
Without the oversight, baseball owners fear a desperate McCourt would undersell his television rights, diminishing the value of their own future broadcast deals. McCourt is believed to have a $3 billion agreement with Fox to televise Dodgers games for 20 years, beginning with the 2014 season. Selig has yet to approve it, primarily because of suspicions some of the money would fund McCourt’s divorce (he has not settled with his ex-wife, Jamie) and other personal debts, leaving the club in disrepair.
Recent news that McCourt secured a $30-million personal loan from Fox that covered his April payroll served to heighten Selig’s concerns, along with those of other owners. If McCourt one day would need to be rescued and the Dodgers sold, the television rights would be among the team’s most valuable assets. By moving now, Selig could save them for a future owner.
Bud Selig did his homework before seizing control of the Dodgers.
(Getty Images)
(Getty Images)
McCourt appears to be readying for battle, even if it’s one vs. 29, and could mount a legal challenge. Baseball officials say, however, that Selig would not have taken such an aggressive action without being secure in his – and baseball’s – legal standing, if only by virtue of his “best interests of baseball” powers.
McCourt’s only public reaction came in a statement in which he claimed to be in compliance with MLB guidelines. Speaking to reporters Thursday at Dodger Stadium, Soboroff referred to the incoming trustee as “the Wizard of Oz” and the commissioner’s decision, “irresponsible.”
“Don’t talk to me about his financial situation,” said Soboroff, who has been on the job only a few days. “Give me a break. Let’s compare it to other places, to other big-city situations. How do you single him out and you don’t single the Mets out? Come on.”
Selig – and therefore many owners – indeed view the Dodgers’ and New York Mets’ situations as somewhat similar. Both are large-market, signature franchises experiencing severe financial problems. The difference, as Selig appears to view it, is in the organizations’ reactions to the cash-flow crises.
Mets owner Fred Wilpon has chosen to sell off a portion of the team in order to become solvent. McCourt, on the other hand, falls deeper into debt, further harming the Dodgers.One rival team executive said Thursday that McCourt should know that Selig has the support of much of baseball, and that Selig probably won’t stop until he’s forced McCourt to sell.
“If Frank was smart,” the executive said, “he would become an ally of Bud and work with him to get the best price.”
Updated Apr 22, 12:45 am EDT
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