Menu
Morning Buzz

MLB Takes Over Operations Of Dodgers Franchise From Frank McCourt

MLB yesterday announced it will take over the business and day-to-day operations of the Dodgers, stripping owner Frank McCourt of financial control of the team and representing by far the league's boldest step to date addressing an ugly divorce and debt-fueled saga with the club that has extended for nearly two years. MLB intends to appoint a designated day-to-day representative for the club in the next few days and continue its investigation of the finances of the Dodgers and McCourt.

MLB sees its takeover of the Dodgers as far larger than its prior, more distant oversight of the Rangers during their financial woes under former owner Tom Hicks that included a bankruptcy filing. And unlike prior MLB involvements in Texas, Montreal, or even its participation in the A's ballpark pursuit, the Dodgers move involves one of the sport's marquee franchises and a highly prominent global brand.

Among MLB Commissioner Bud Selig's future options is to use his broad best-interests-of-baseball powers to force McCourt to sell. But any such move, or any franchise sale voluntary or otherwise, is likely at least months away. More immediately, the takeover is designed to return some normalcy to the club and "stop the bleeding," said a league source. Possible candidates to fill the club representative role, industry execs said, include MLB Exec VP/Administration and CIO John McHale Jr. and former Nationals President Stan Kasten.

See Twitter Me This for how MLB’s move to take over the team is playing.

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 25, 2024

NFL meeting preview; MLB's opening week ad effort and remembering Peter Angelos.

Big Get Jay Wright, March Madness is upon us and ESPN locks up CFP

On this week’s pod, our Big Get is CBS Sports college basketball analyst Jay Wright. The NCAA Championship-winning coach shares his insight with SBJ’s Austin Karp on key hoops issues and why being well dressed is an important part of his success. Also on the show, Poynter Institute senior writer Tom Jones shares who he has up and who is down in sports media. Later, SBJ’s Ben Portnoy talks the latest on ESPN’s CFP extension and who CBS, TNT Sports and ESPN need to make deep runs in the men’s and women's NCAA basketball tournaments.

SBJ I Factor: Nana-Yaw Asamoah

SBJ I Factor features an interview with AMB Sports and Entertainment Chief Commercial Office Nana-Yaw Asamoah. Asamoah, who moved over to AMBSE last year after 14 years at the NFL, talks with SBJ’s Ben Fischer about how his role model parents and older sisters pushed him to shrive, how the power of lifelong learning fuels successful people, and why AMBSE was an opportunity he could not pass up. Asamoah is 2021 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree. SBJ I Factor is a monthly podcast offering interviews with sports executives who have been recipients of one of the magazine’s awards.

Shareable URL copied to clipboard!

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Morning-Buzz/2011/04/21/Dodgers.aspx

Sorry, something went wrong with the copy but here is the link for you.

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Morning-Buzz/2011/04/21/Dodgers.aspx

CLOSE