Dodgers News & Notes

Rupert Murdoch should kiss Frank McCourt goodbye

• FOX acknowledges that MLB is a bigger meal ticket than Frank McCourt. Forbes 
• In a series of questions and answers, Bill Shaikin forecasts what the near future may have in store for Frank McCourt. LA Times 
• Heading into the freeway series, former Dodgers and now current Angels reminiscence about the good old O'Malley days. LA Times 
• The Dodgers' woeful record in interleague play is part of a League trend. LA Times
• Great moments of the Freeway Series. You better believe Chan Ho Park's karate kick is on that list. OC Register
• Freeway Series preview. Yahoo Sports 
• Along with pitching matchups. SB Nation 
• James Loney turns it around in June. Mike Scioscia's Tragic Illness 
• Everyone is talking about Matt Kemp, and it has nothing to do with Rhianna. MLB.com 
• Sheriff Kevin Malone has found a higher purpose than baseball. TJ Simers

Updates:

• Mark Cuban doesn't fit the typical MLB owner profile. Jayson Stark
• Dodger attendance continues to slide — an average of 9319 fewer folks per game compared to 2010. LA Times

Frank and Jamie McCourt reach a settlement (updated)

I will make an effort to update this page throughout the day:

Fine reporting from Bill Shaikin of the LA Times. Here are the key points:

• The settlement is contingent upon MLB's approval of McCourt's $3 billion television contract with Fox.

• If Bud Selig were to reject the agreement, the settlement would be voided and divorce court proceedings would resume.

• If Selig were to approve the agreement, Jamie McCourt has agreed not to challenge the Fox contract.

• The McCourts agreed to a one-day trial so that the judge can determine whether the Dodgers belong solely to Frank or should be considered community property.

• If the judge rules that the Dodgers are community property, the McCourts would split their assets 50-50, which would most likely force a sale of the team.

• If the judge rules that the team belongs solely to Frank, then Jamie would receive "$100 million, keep the couple's homes and receive indemnity from tax liability."

Full story here.

Update 1: 

Molly Knight via Twitter posted the following in two successive tweets:

Source: Selig unlikely to approve Fox deal partly because if judge rules team is community property and orders sale on Aug 4 then . . . the new owner is saddled with potentially below market television deal that devalues the franchise.

Update 2:  
Via 6-4-2, reaction from Frank and Jamie McCourt following the settlement. Here's Frank being pollyannaish:

I fully expect MLB to approve the Fox transaction. MLB has taken the position that, before they approved the transaction, they wanted to see either a settlement of the divorce, or Jamie's consent, or an order from the judge. Today, they received all three. I fully expect that they will be good to their word, and they'll approve the transaction in a timely way.

Full story here. 

Update 3: 

In a follow up to his earlier report of a settlement between Frank and Jamie McCourt, Bill Shaikin writes that before Frank can secure ownership of the Dodgers, two things have to happen:

• MLB must approve the proposed TV deal between McCourt and Fox.  

• McCourt must establish that he is the sole owner of the Dodgers in a one-day trial on Aug. 4. If not, the settlement stipulates that the team must be sold. 

The rejection by Bud Selig of the Fox TV contract would cause unmitigated delight to the Dodger fanbase. But with the celebration comes a grim admonishment, per Shaikin:

The settlement announcement dramatically increases the likelihood of a confrontation between McCourt and Bud Selig, baseball's commissioner.

 Full story here.

Putting James Loney's slow start in historical perspective

Jon Wiseman compares James Loney's wretched start to other wretched Dodger starts of the post-1988 era. "Loney has a .534 OPS, putting him firmly in position to have one of the worst Dodgers starts through the end of May of any regular since 1988."

Worst OPS through May
(minimum 3.1 plate appearances per team game)
.452 John Shelby, 1989
.457 Alfredo Griffin, 1988
.532 Mike Davis, 1988
.582 Cesar Izturis, 2003
.595 Jose Offerman, 1994

If post-1988 history is any predictor, don't expect Loney to bounce back this season. That is, unless he moves to Albuquerque.

The face of Dodger baseball, circa 2011. We live in a sorry time of weak hitting