Dodgers Might Be Done With the McCourts
Anyone following baseball or high-profile divorces has undoubtedly been aware of the divorce between Frank and Jami McCourt. Now, with a recent ruling from the couple’s divorce court judge, the McCourts might find themselves divorced from the Dodgers.
The Chicago Tribune is reporting that the judge, Scott Gordon, tossed out an agreement that would make Frank McCourt the sole owner of the club. This is particularly significant because if Frank is not the sole owner, then typically Jamie should be entitled to half the team.
If we think of the baseball team as the family residence, and Frank and Jamie have divorced, then the reason that baseball might be done with the McCourts becomes clear. With both parties entitled to half, and neither side being willing or able to buy out the other’s interest in the club, there is only one option.
Since it is unlikely that one side will pay the other to gain a full interest in the team, the most likely option is that the Los Angeles Dodgers will be sold and Frank and Jamie will split the proceeds.
The sale isn’t expected to happen in the immediate future. The decision is almost certainly going to be appealed. However, the odds of the decision being overturned are small.
The McCourts’ marriage is finally ending after a long relationship which lasted for the better part of a third of a century. The tail end of the Dodgers 2010 baseball season has seemed to revolve around this couple’s difficult split.
If the McCourts do indeed decide to sell, then there will be an interesting process to find the replacement owner.
First, it would be necessary to find someone with enough courage and bankroll to finance such a lauded franchise.
Also, the new owner would need to have an intimate relationship to baseball if he or she would have any hope of succeeding.
Finally, the new owners would need to be approved by the owners association, which isn’t always an easy task.
Either way, it seems pretty evident that the McCourts’ control of the Dodgers is slipping, and it’s probably just a matter of time before a new owner is in place and the fans can focus on the field again.
