… and here comes the Judge. By now, everyone should know everything about Frank McCourt, as the trial is set to resume soon. The “Always
New Manager?
Right” Plaschke weighs in with his “insights” (which are generally 180 degrees away from fact), and Dodger Divorce has becomes MUST READING for the Dodger fan!
Now we find Peter O’Malley in the news blasting McCourt in his own eloquent way, and some people react as if he has no “skin the the game.” PLEASE! Look, I like Peter, he was “the Dodger”s for most of my life, but Peter would have blasted McCourt 5 years ago, if given the opportunity. This is just the first time he can weigh in with something bad, and you can rest assured that he will continue to do so. The Dodgers are his kid and no one else can do them justice. So don’t even say “Even Peter Blasts McCourt.” OF COURSE HE DOES! That make him more than an uninterested bystander. Peter O’Malley did his fair share to make the Dodgers irrelevent in his day and you need to remember that the “good old days weren’t always good, and tomorrow’s not as bad as it seems.” (Billy Joel).
If Frank McCourt is ousted as owner of the Dodgers or put in a position by the Court where he has to sell the Dodgers, or if he is indicted, then put me on the Bandwagon, but as of this instant, Frank McCourt is the Dodgers owner and Peter O’Malley has to be somewhat jealous that the Dodgers never came close to generating the revenues the Dodgers have under Frank. We need to realize that other owners may spend as lavishly as McCourt – we just don’t know about it! Frank currently has a scope up his butt! Most other owners don’t! You can be outraged, but that’s the way a lot of rich people live. Get a clue. You just know all about Frankie right now.
Let this thing play out because a large portion of what you read is CRAP… Including THIS! I just admit it! Plaschke is just a “Knee-Jerk Shock-Jock.” Why is it that you generally blast Plaschke, but you believe him when he writes something you agree with? If you agree with him, you are probably in the wrong as well. Remember this” Conventional wisdom is usually wrong.
Personally, I think Frank is stupid in his personal life, but we could have a lot worse owner. Believe that!
This and That
By now, everyone has heard the rumor that Andre Ethier wants to play in Boston. Yeah, we all know that one of his best friends is Dustin Pedroia. Me? I prefer the unconventional wisdom. Why not bring Dustin Pedroia to LA? This has the makings of a blockbuster trade. How about Jon Broxton, Matt Kemp, Ryan Theriot and James Loney for Jacoby Elsbury and Dustin Pedroia?
Look, the Dodgers are stuck with Furcal and Blake for another year. Think about it. Kemp has a lot of value….
Lineup:
- Elsbury CF
- Furcal SS
- Pedroia 2B
- Ethier RF
- Dunn 1B
- Gibbons LF
- Blake 3B
- Barajas C
New Manager
Joe Torre will step down as the Dodgers manager and be replaced by Don Mattingly at the end of the season and an announcement is supposed to come before Tonight’s game.
I don’t blast Plaschke. I agree with him a lot more than I disagree with him. And he is right on the money with this one.
Let’s see the O’Malley family won how many Championships? And how many do you think we will get with McCourt running the show? He took over a successful franchise, has the best, most loyal fans anywhere, and he sucked the tank dry.
Sure, as long as Selig is involved, we could get a worse owner – but, I think with the microscope that is on this now, he would do a much better job of vetting the next one. There are a number of local people who value this franchise and have enough money that they won’t have to do what the McCourts have done. Yeah, there are other owners that are bad….. but really, can you name any of those owners that can top what we are seeing right now?
Pedroia is a California guy. But honestly, do you really believe he would leave Boston to come to this?
If we don’t get a change of leadership, every star on this team will be planning their exit.
The McBastards “stole” 105 million from the Dodgers over 5 years using the cash generated by the team like their own personal ATM??? You can’t get rid of these scumbags fast enough!
What’s the link for the site which chronicled the McBastard divorce on a daily basis?
The only negative thing I can say about Peter O’Malley is that he wasn’t as smart as his father, and didn’t have the foresight to envision a regional network that would have allowed for family ownership. It took Steinbrenner to think of that, unfortunately AFTER O’Malley sold out to News Corp. I remember Peter O’Malley saying that he thought that baseball teams needed to be owned by large corporations, and that family ownership was thing of the past.
I agree that this thing has to play out. But Plaschke isn’t the only one with bad stuff to say about McCourt. I don’t know what, if anything, other owners take out of their teams. However, an owner who is truly independently wealthy is less likely to feel the need to rape his own team. The need will simply not exist. For McLeverage, however, that’s not the case.
As for your trade, it has merit. However, I am still reluctant to part with Kemp. Ellsbury is coming off an injury plagued year, but I’m guessing based on the nature of his injuries (broken ribs), he’s likely to recover. I also noticed that Pedroia has played in only 75 games this year, so I’m guessing that he’s been hurt as well. In his case I don’t know the nature of those injuries, and whether or not they could carry over into next year. The final caveat for me is that I haven’t seen Ellsbury or Pedroia play everyday, and in that respect I would have to hope that the Dodgers’ management had done its homework. But as I said, the suggestion has merit, and at the least is a starting point for a deal.
By the way Mark, your wisdom is not as unconventional as you might think. When I heard about the Ethier rumors and his connection with Pedroia, the same thought occurred to me, since, in fact, the Dodgers were in need of a second baseman, and I prefer to see Kemp in right, rather than in center.
Regarding your lineup, I’m not thrilled with Gibbons in left field. Ethier is best suited to play left, and Gibbons is a defensive liability in the outfield. Not to mention, that his small sample this year doesn’t inspire me with confidence that he would hit in an everyday role. In fact, his average has recently plummeted from the .360′s to .300. At best, Gibbons is a 4th outfielder.
The lineup is also weaker defensively. You’re replacing Kemp in the outfield with Gibbons, and Loney at first with Dunn (assuming he would even sign with the Dodgers). Loney is no speedster, but he’s faster than Dunn, and Kemp is way faster than Gibbons. So not only is the defense weakened, but overall team speed is diminished.
Why not a deal that keeps Kemp (who I am hopeful is getting a wake-up call this year), and gets us only Pedroia. If we got Pedroia I would be willing to gamble and give Trayvon Robinson a chance to take over in center with Kemp moving to right and Ethier to left. Maybe then Dunn at first or perhaps Derrick Lee (I think he might be available as a free agent). If Jerry Sands really turns out to be good, he could then be considered as a first base prospect in another year or two. I’m not overly thrilled about givng up Broxton and Loney, but I understand you have to give something to get back something in return.
As for Mattingly being the manager, I posted on that at the end of the previous thread. I’m not thrilled, but it’s too early for me to pass judgment. Mattingly as manager might be completely different than Mattingly as coach. It’s not unknown for people to show previously hidden traits once they assume a position of authority. Maybe Mattingly completely surprises as manager. He’s not my choice now, but it doesn’t mean that that can’t change. As I noted in the previous thread, my first inkling of what he might become will be whether or not he chooses his own coaching staff. Hopefully, he’s been given that option by management. After his remarks on XM radio, I’m guessing that Bob Schaeffer will be gone. The definite positive in all of this is that Torre will be gone as manager. Than in itself is a plus for me.
Oh, by the way. If the Dodgers can find a way to move Blake, I’d like to see him replaced at 3B. I don’t consider Beltre a possibility at the dollars he would command, nor would I even want him at that cost. Don’t ask me who I’d like, since at this time I haven’t a clue as to who might be available.
Lawdog,
I know that you don’t believe in capitalism, but IF (and I said IF – figures don’t lie, but liars figure) McCourt took $105 mil out of the Dodgers in 5 years, that’s a little over $20 mil a year on revenues of $270 mil. I think that’s extravagent, but stole? Come on!
That said, I doubt that is the truth.
Brooklyn,
If Ned can trade Blake, he’s Superman!
That was 105 million tax free!
And I don’t have a problem with capitalism, as long as it tightly regulated to keep the rich from taking all the wealth and leaving table scraps for the poor. It’s like Churchill said, capitalism is a terrible form of government, but it happens to be better than anything else we have available.
Probably an integrated system of captalism and socialism would work best for everyone concerned.
Don’t toss Gibbons out with the trash until you’ve seen a bigger sample. I think the sucker can hit and will from someone as a regular left fielder or DH next year. I hope the Dogs give him a shot.
wow mark i’ve never disagreed with you more!!
o’malley is absolutely right. mccourt is a piece of garbage. this whole town (except you) wants him gone.
and i’ not trading kemp loney and others for some overhyped red sox players. wasn’t pedria seriously injured earlier this year?
no thank you.
Lawdog,
It was tax-free not because McCourt is a scumbag, but because some Presidents and Congressmen are! He just played by the rules.
Now he is saying that he did it to appease his wife. I can’t say if that’s true or not, but it may be. He said that the beginning of the end of their marriage was when she wanted it to be $250 mil and he said no way. Again, I have no clue who to believe…
Bobby,
It’s easy to convict someone in the Court of public opinion because facts don’t matter, which is why most of you want to believe that Frank is a scumbag.
I won’t be fooled by allegations. This is not my first rodeo!
That said, we may find out that Frank is a scumbag…
or maybe not!
I think what most of you are saying is a “knee-jerk reaction” based upon suppositions, not facts.
Also, believe this: Bud Selig has no say in how the Dodgers are being run. NONE!
Baseball currently has no debt rules. Maybe they should.
So, Mark, you think that Frankie is lying under oath? Man, that is a serious accusation.
Ldog is absolutely right about his take on capitalism. Capitalism isn’t a form of government, it’s a business paradigm. The United States is actually a federal constitutional republic, and I believe a democratic one. I am surprised you didn’t know that, but in a way, it does explain your sometimes strange postition on things.
Bud has no say in how the Dodgers are being run now, but he sure had a say in who was picked to run the team. And, it would seem that McCourt’s business practices were…. at the very least suspect, at the very most criminal. But, like you say, because we the people have allowed corporations to own our elected leaders as well as our a large part of our press, we have people like McCourt not paying taxes and news organizations backing political parties.
Shall we discuss the Bush tax breaks now?
I’m on board with unloading Kemp…I’m tired of his lack of hustle and constant waving at sliders low and away…he’s clueless. I don’t care if he “gets good” with another team. He’s Reggie Jackson without Reggie Jackson’s talent…even Reggie Smith. I will personally pack his Gucci bags to leave. He is a joke. It’s one thing to be young with talent, then struggle; but to do it with the attitude he has-is disrespectful. Give me a Pedroia (I doubt it will happen), a Carroll, and others who want to be there. Give us someone with passion, not someone who picks Dave Stewart (Dave Stewart? Didn’t he have sex with a male prostitute?…why does that always go overlooked?), but I digress….UGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH.
Dave Stewart also represents Billingsley.
He also won the Roberto Clemente award and that isn’t talked about much either. I have no problem with Stewart, but I think Vin is right about Kemp. Send him to Pittsburgh or better yet, Kansas City. Let him pull his pimpdaddy crap back there and see how it flies.
Anyone notice Randy Wolf with a complete game shutout over the Division Leaders? Not bad for a bum hey? I wonder how Hudson is doing? Not bad either, though his numbers are being put up on a considerably better team.