is said by Dennis Wasser, one of Jamie McCourt’s attorneys:

Photo from TMZ

“The chances of a settlement always get better as the case goes on. Both sides get pounded, and they get tired.”

Jamie is getting her a$$ handed to her.

There will be a settlement soon!

This just in from TMZ:

Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank McCourt claims his wife, Jamie McCourt, diabolically tried to strong-arm him into showing his love by giving her a piece of the team — at the same time she was secretly consulting divorce lawyers.

In Frank’s legal brief, obtained by TMZ, the Dodgers owner maintains his wife signed over her interest in the team, in return for getting sole ownership of more than $100 million in homes.

Frank claims in legal papers Jamie never wanted to buy the Dodgers in the first place.  According to Frank, Jamie felt buying the team in 2004 was a “risky business venture,” because the Dodgers had been losing millions and the deal was insanely leveraged.

Frank says Jamie — a lawyer who has drafted marital agreements herself — was more than happy to sign the marital property agreement that gave Frank the team and gave her all the homes.

But fast forward to 2008 … the Dodgers became profitable while the value of real estate began plummeting.  According to the docs, Jamie came to Frank with a proposal:  “If we’re going to be life partners, we’re going to be business partners.”  Frank says Jamie wanted him to give her half interest in the Dodgers but she would keep most of the homes herself.  Frank smelled a rat and said no.

Frank claims Jamie was stricken with celebrity-itus and wanted a piece of the team, calling it “her ticket to become the mayor of Los Angeles, the Governor of California, and maybe even the President of the United States.  To create the fairytale of ‘Brand Jamie,’ she recognized she had to rewrite history.”

Tune in to TMZ on TV weekdays Monday through Friday (check http://www.tmz.com/tmztv/ for syndicated/local listings)

I think you are starting to get a glimpse of what Frank’s case is going to look like, and Frankly (no pun intended), Jamie is probably going to be toast!

• According to Dylan Hernandez of The LA Times, Hiroki Kuroda has had difficulty adjusting to pitching every five days (instead of six in Japan) and had essentially abondoned his forkball (which was his best pitch) because the American Baseballs were “slicker.”  He received some sage advice from Hideo Nomo about both and may be back on track.  Am I the only one who thinks Kuroda could win 15-17 games with a mid-3.00 ERA?
• The Giants returned former Dodger farmhand Steve Johnson to the Orioles under Rule 5.  Johnson was acquired in the George Sherrill for Josh Bell Deal.  Guess he wasn’t “all that.”
• Ken Gurnick reports that Cory Wade has experienced pain in his shoulder for two years and the doctors suspect it may be the AC joint, which would not be from overuse, but rather from some sort of trauma. If it’s the AC joint, you can’t blame it on Torre…
• I think Charlie Haeger will make an excellent swingman/longman in the pen as he can pitch multiple days in a row.  If he makes the team, look for him to log over 110 innings.
• Hong-Chih Kuo is allegedly pain free at this moment (it’s moment-to-moment with him).  Let’s hope that he stays that way all season.
• If Garret Anderson, Doug Mientkiewicz, Jeff Weaver and Ramon Ortiz make the team, the Dodgers will have to drop at least two more players from the 40-man roster.  It is currently 39 and if Wade goes on the 60-Day DL, it would be 38, leaving 2 more spots to be chopped.  Hummmm… who would that be?  Repko and who else?
• My guess is that Russ Ortiz will sink to his natural level below sea-level, and Ramon will continue to elevate his game.  Ramon could be a nice find.  I doubt that both Ramon Ortiz and Jeff Weaver make the squad however.
• Though I despise it, I read it and yesterday’s was RIGHT ON:  DODGER DIVORCE – Jamie is such and idiot!  I think everyone is starting to realize that.
• Steve Dilbeck of The LA Times gets in a slam (tongue-in-cheek) on McJamie.
• Tony Jackson of ESPN/LA has an excellent article on Jaime Jarrin.  Really good!
  

Lawrence Delevingne, a writer at  The Business Insider, sent me this link to his article The Nastiest Billionaire Divorce Ever: Jamie And Frank McCourt.  It deals with the facts and not the rampant speculation that some of you state as facts.  It’s a worthwhile read, if you want to know all the players in this process.

Dodger Stuff:

• Flash!  No Manny next year.  Who knew?  From Dylan Hernandez at THE LA TIMES  Manny is very adept at stating the obvious.
• Tony Jackson of ESPN/LosAngeles weighes in with more about Manny being Manny
• Andrew Lambo profiled

My 2 Cents:

• Jamie Carroll will be a utilityman this year – DeWitt or DeBelli will start.
• It’s possible that the Dodgers may carry only 4 outfielders as Carroll and Blake can both play OF.
• Most of the players on the 40-man roster are in camp.  That’s a good sign.

Baseball seems to put Spring in your step when Spring is in the air.  It’s been a long, cold winter here – I usually enjoy the winter, but my surgeon told me that the first winter would be rough on my hip and it has been a bear.  Stiff, sore and constantly aware of it, I am.  I am counting the days until Florida – March 7th, and then Camelback on March 20-27th.  I will have the Spring back in my step when the Boys of Summer start reporting tomorrow. 

“Pitchers & Catchers, Start Your Engines.”

 Here are a few things to chew on until then:

• Jon Weisman reports that Ned Colletti said he believed that Randy Wolf would have accepted the Dodgers offer of arbitration (which is something I have been telling you for some time now).  According to Jon, Ned offered the following:

“The reason (we didn’t offer arbitration) was we thought he would take it.  At $12-13 million a year, we weren’t prepared to do that. And you know what, the people I’ve talked to since, that are very close to him, say that ‘You know what, he would have taken it.’ And I wasn’t prepared to pay him $12-13 million for one year, nor was I prepared to pay him $8 or $9 million for three years.”

Now, I suppose if you have been in the camp where you have accused McCourtof being Cheap and now wanting to sign draft picks (which is absurd) you now have the options of choosing one of three responses in order to save face, especially after what happened with Orlando Hudson: 

1. “Ned is a liar.  He doesn’t really think that!”
2. “Ned doesn’t have a clue.  He doesn’t know of what he speaks.”
3. “Maybe Ned know more than me.  Maybe he’s closer to the situation than me and knows more than I do.”

You pick it! 

• Tony Jackson of ESPN/Los Angeles reports that the Dodgers have signed Eric Gagne to a minor league deal.  The question on the table, is not whether he is “Game Over” but whether his “Game is Over.”   You can speculate all you want, but we will see in the Spring or Summer.  It would be great to see him return to the mound in LA, but that seems like a long-shot.  In part, Tony writes:

Gagne received offers from the Dodgers and Colorado Rockiesafter separate throwing sessions in front of club officials, although multiple sources said his session for the Rockies was underwhelming. Not that it mattered, because Gagne had made it clear to the Dodgers that he preferred to pitch for them.

The move carries virtually no financial risk because it includes no guaranteed major league money unless Gagne makes the club in spring training, and it is difficult to envision him accepting a minor league assignment if he doesn’t. The deal contains an escape clause, allowing Gagne to again become a free agent if he doesn’t make the team, something that is fairly standard for minor league deals signed by major league veterans.

They say you can never go home again!  Who is “They?”

• What better option than to have Joe Torre hit Matt Kemp #2?   30 HR/30 SB/40 Doubles/10 Triples to go with a .300 BA and 100 RBI would be nice in the number two spot!
• There comes a time, when you have to just trust your minor league system to supply you with the answers you are seeking.  This is especially true with pitching and our #5 starter, in particular.  Starting this year, we have about 15-20 pitchers who will be “major league ready” by 2012.  They will start filtering in as soon as NOW.  I like Stults or Haeger for the #5 spot right now (subject to change).
• Whether the Dodgers contend for the Championship will depend a lot upon which Manny Ramirez we get.
• I believe the most OVERRATED team in baseball is the Colorado Rockies. 
• As your stomach turns:  Jamie McCourt has asked for about $1 mil a month in temporary support, according to Bill Shaikin of The LA Times.  Sounds about right to me. 
• If you pay players $25 mil a year and want to take $30 mil a year home, well that’s your business.  It is a business afterall…

• I think that Frank and Jamie McCourt need to learn that hate is not the opposite of love, because right about now they are loving to hate each other.   When you get to
  

  His Game IS Over...

  apathy,  then you are at the opposite of love.  Look, I don’t know who did what to whom… and I don’t care.  Move along.  Get on with your lives and quit acting like idiots.  It’s all very boring to most of us.

• Old friend Jonathan Figueora died at age 26 of lupus, according to Diamond Leung.  You just never know…
• Diamond Leung also reports that Eric Gagne wants to come back – maybe with the Dodgers and that he’d be open to a minor league deal.  Well, I’d sign him to that and it  sounds nice, but Game Over’s game is over!  Too bad!
• I don’t put much stock in the George Sherrill for Edwin Jackson rumor, although the Dodgers would do that in a second.  I can’t see the Tigers doing it straight up.  I’d trade James McDonald AND Sherrill for Jackson in a heartbeat!
• Ditto on the AJ Ellis for Alberto Callaspo.  Why would KC do that?  I doubt that AJ Ellis can hit .150 in the majors, and even I can run faster than him.
• Scout Mitch Webster left the Dodgers to become scouting director for the KC Royals.  Read the full story

Mac

The Fool

     Comes now this Blogger, Mark S. Timmons, proceeding pro se, and under the authority granted to me by myself, I do hereby swear and affirm, under the penalties for perjury that the following is a true and accurate representation of the facts of this case: Read the full story

"Frank, I need my Driver!"

 Sure, Frank is probably no saint, but Jamie is a total idiot!  I am not even going to get into it, and this is my final word on the subject until it’s finalized.  What a waste of time and speculation!

FLASH THIS JUST IN: 

Manny says he’s he’s exercising his option.  Who knew?