Beverly Hills-based developer Alan Casden has been "rejected by Major League Baseball as a candidate to buy the Dodgers, reducing the field of bidders to six," according to Bill Shaikin of the L.A. TIMES. Casden was "not invited to Monday's meetings of Dodgers bidders and two committees of major league owners." The six parties still in the running "each met for about a half-hour with Commissioner Bud Selig and 14 owners, representing the MLB executive council and ownership committee." The six bidders at the meetings included: SAC Capital Advisors Founder and Mets investor Steven Cohen along with agent Arn Tellem; Rams and Arsenal Owner Stan Kroenke; former Nationals and Braves President Stan Kasten along with Guggenheim Partners CEO Mark Walter; F1 Grand Prix of America Exec Chair Leo Hindery; Shamrock Holdings President & CEO Stanley Gold; and Grizzlies Owner Michael Heisley along with Brewers minority investor and L.A.-based Ares Capital co-Founder & Managing Partner Tony Ressler (L.A. TIMES, 3/13). FORBES.com's Mike Ozanian reported the "highest bid," at $1.6B, came from Basketball HOFer Magic Johnson and Kasten, whose purchase "would be partially financed by private equity." However, a source said that MLB's owners were "extremely impressed with the make up of Cohen’s bid," which was $1.4B "but included an astounding $900 million of equity." The source said, "There were five strong bids." The "lowest bid from the five groups" was $1.3B. All the bids "included the lease to the parking lots for Dodger Stadium," which would still be owned by outgoing Owner Frank McCourt. MLB was "not impressed with the structure of the bid" by Hindery's group, nor by Casden's offer (FORBES.com, 3/12).
BOBBLED OPPORTUNITY? In L.A., Bill Plaschke noted the Dodgers are "celebrating the 50th anniversary of Dodger Stadium this summer by handing out 10 bobblehead dolls featuring celebrated Dodgers heroes," but Baseball HOF Spanish-language broadcaster Jaime Jarrin, who has spent 53 years with the team, "is not included." Cal State L.A. professor emeritus Jaime Regalado said, "It's a huge oversight, a total misreading of their fan base. It's a tremendous slight for the man who many in the Latino community consider the Latino Vin Scully." It is "almost as if the folks who made this decision about 'Dodger Stadium Greats' never looked in the Dodger Stadium stands, which are filled with those who were led there by Jarrin." The Dodgers issued a statement Saturday "in which they defended the decision by saying there just weren't enough bobblehead dates for all the Dodgers greats" (L.A. TIMES, 3/11).
WAVE OF THE FUTURE: MLB.com's Ken Gurnick noted there is an iPad in "nearly every locker" in the Dodgers' clubhouse, and Bloomberg's "Sport Pitch Review" is available on each. The app, available only to professional baseball players, allows "access to game video and the capability to sort and retrieve any combination of game situations almost instantly, 24/7." Dodgers CF Matt Kemp said, "It's the best thing a baseball player can have." Seven of 30 Dodgers are using the app. An MLB spokesperson said that current rules "prohibit such electronic devices as smart phones and tablets from being used in dugouts during games" (MLB.com, 3/11).
