December 17, 200421 yr LA seems to be in an uproar over the latest..... I guess Frank McCourt is the new Grinch out there December 17, 2004 Bill Plaschke: McCourt Cashes Out With Fans A year after Frank McCourt began running Chavez Ravine behind a thick shroud of promises and platitudes, the curtain has finally been pulled. Today we gaze upon a sorry soul with tattered pockets and a desperate plea. "Pay no attention to that man who is destroying the Dodgers! Pay no attention to that man who is destroying the Dodgers!" Too late, Toto. Today, we have finally seen the real Frank McCourt. He really doesn't have the money to properly operate the Dodgers. He really never should have been allowed to purchase the Dodgers. He really couldn't care less about those fans he rolls over as if they were stalls in one of his Boston parking lots. Shame on Peter Chernin for nominating him. Shame on Commissioner Bud Selig for confirming him. Shame on McCourt for wasting the last year pretending he had the resources to make it work. If he did, on Thursday afternoon the Dodgers would not have allowed Adrian Beltre to reluctantly move to Seattle. If he did, on Thursday night the Dodgers would not have been on the verge of shipping off Shawn Green, Brad Penny and Yhency Brazoban for Javier Vazquez and a couple of cheap prospects. And when you saw McCourt swaggering across the field after October's division-clinching victory, you thought he was on the same team. Once the season ended, the smile disappeared and the pockets tightened and the intentions crystallized. McCourt doesn't want to turn the Dodgers into a winner, he wants to turn them into the Devil Rays. Instead of footing the bill for a championship, he's more concerned with paying the bill for the electricity, of which, this season, there may be none. As of Thursday night, McCourt had celebrated his championship by firing one of his longtime play-by-play guys, lowballing his manager, making weak offers to accomplished coaches, dumping salaries of his two most dramatic players, allowing his best player to walk, polishing a deal to send away two other high-priced veterans and, oh yeah, raising some ticket prices. In exchange for the giveaways, McCourt has done, what, sign Jeff Kent and Ricky Ledee? Given the team's numerous holes, here's guessing one will start the season as the short fielder, and the other as rover. Certainly, other deals will be made, spots will be filled, a couple of hitters and pitchers will be enlisted. Maybe, in Dodger fans' wildest dreams, some big names will show up; Carlos Delgado, Magglio Ordonez, Matt Clement, maybe even Mike Piazza. But McCourt seems willing to sacrifice this season, maybe next season, maybe every season until he can begin reaping the benefits of a high-priced business with a low-rent payroll. How dare he confuse Dodger fans for suckers. I tried to reach McCourt for this story. I phoned a Dodger publicity guy and told him I was going to be critical of the owner and offered him a chance to explain himself. I'm still waiting for a return call. This left General Manager Paul DePodesta on the firing line, and whatever he's paid to continually defend his boss, it's not enough. When asked about the perception that McCourt doesn't have the money to run a team in a major market, DePodesta said, "It's ludicrous. That's an absurd perception." Here's what ludicrous: The Dodgers had worked out the basics for the Green and Penny salary dump before Beltre signed and their offer still fell 30% short of the Seattle Mariners' deal. Here's what's absurd: Beltre, who didn't want to leave, gave the Dodgers every chance to match the Mariners' deal and the Dodgers refused to even come close. Said DePodesta: "We didn't let Adrian walk. Adrian chose to leave." Retorted agent Scott Boras: "Adrian Beltre valued his time as a Dodger, and certainly made sure the Dodgers were completely aware of other offers before making his decision." Word is, it's not DePodesta's fault. Word is, he's doing the best he can with whatever loose change McCourt allows him to pluck from underneath the cushions. It's amazing how McCourt could sit behind home plate throughout the season and fail to realize his most important job of the winter, the first real test of his regime. Nothing mattered but signing Beltre. Jose Lima wouldn't have mattered. Steve Finley wouldn't have mattered. Trade half the team and it wouldn't have mattered. You keep Beltre, you keep the soul of the Dodgers' batting order, the cornerstone of their fielding, the rock of their future. The guy is 25. The Dodgers have invested nine years in his development. Last season he rewarded them with one of the best offensive seasons at his position in baseball history. He is a model citizen, a Los Angeles resident, a clubhouse force who made the Spanish-speaking players feel included and kept Milton Bradley out of fights. All this and, last season, he hit 48 homers while playing his home games in Dodger Stadium on one leg. If McCourt wouldn't sign this guy, which of his stars will he sign? Memo to Eric Gagne: Demand a trade. Memo to Cesar Izturis: Don't get too comfortable. When I saw the television ticker Thursday night claiming there was a nearly completed deal sending away Green and Penny and Brazoban, I thought it was a misprint. They trade those three guys to Arizona in a deal involving Randy Johnson and they don't get Randy Johnson? The Dodgers spend all fall defending the indefensible trade for Penny, scolding the media for their lack of understanding, and now they ship him away? The Dodgers spend all fall defending Brazoban as a replacement for Guillermo Mota, scolding the media for its lack of baseball acumen, and now he's gone? And, oh yeah, Green had 18 homers and a .900 combined slugging and on-base percentage after the All-Star break. It's all about saving money, with little thought given to saving a season, making McCourt the new target of a city's anger, upsetting just about all but one. Kobe Bryant's thank-you note is in the mail. LA Times December 17, 2004 Dodgers Seem to Have Embraced Chaos Theory By Tim Brown, Times Staff Writer Frank McCourt, the Dodger owner and potentially their third baseman next season.... LA Times December 17, 2004 T.J. Simers: Is There Anybody Left to Bail Out the Dodgers? The first thing you really have to do is give the Dodgers a lot of credit. They've made it clear they are working on Milton Bradley's anger management problem, making sure he was in an Ohio jail Thursday when it came time to hear the infuriating news that Adrian Beltre would not be returning to the Dodgers. The Dodgers have added Jeff Kent, which explains why they raised preferred parking prices. You can understand the demand to see him play. Did I mention the Dodgers signed Ricky Ledee? Elmer Dessens? Obviously the brass will do whatever is necessary to put an underdog on the field, and we all love an underdog, so the Dodgers are really giving us just what we want. LA Times December 17, 2004 DODGERS IN TRANSITION By Steve Henson, Times Staff Writer Dodger Stadium is undergoing renovation, and earthmovers are digging up ground everywhere. But it will take more than heavy machinery to plug the hole created Thursday at third base. Gaps in right field and on the pitcher's mound could need filling as well. Free agent Adrian Beltre, the Dodger third baseman since 1998, signed a five-year contract for $64 million with the Seattle Mariners, spurning a Dodger offer of six years for $60 million, plus an option that would have pushed the overall value beyond what the Mariners gave him. Dodger General Manager Paul DePodesta expressed disappointment, but he immediately moved on, closing in on a three-team trade that would send right fielder Shawn Green, starting pitcher Brad Penny and reliever Yhency Brazoban to the Arizona Diamondbacks. LA Times
December 17, 200421 yr at least the Giants have no threat in the division. The D-Backs are still a .500 team at best, the DOdgers are basically destroying the team, the Padres haven't done anything to improve the team, and the Rockies are the Rockies. Meanwhile the Giants have filled their major holes after a 91 win season.
December 17, 200421 yr at least the Giants have no threat in the division. The D-Backs are still a .500 team at best, the DOdgers are basically destroying the team, the Padres haven't done anything to improve the team, and the Rockies are the Rockies. Meanwhile the Giants have filled their major holes after a 91 win season. 637195[/snapback] I love it..... Let people say what they want about the contracts Sabean has given out, but we'll love them even more come October...
December 17, 200421 yr Author at least the Giants have no threat in the division. The D-Backs are still a .500 team at best, the DOdgers are basically destroying the team, the Padres haven't done anything to improve the team, and the Rockies are the Rockies. Meanwhile the Giants have filled their major holes after a 91 win season. 637195[/snapback] I love it..... Let people say what they want about the contracts Sabean has given out, but we'll love them even more come October... 637258[/snapback] yes, Im sure you guys will just breeze thru NL West this year
December 17, 200421 yr Get all the Giants on roids and I'd say they have a good shot at the NL Pennant.
December 17, 200421 yr The Giants are supposed to breeze through the West every year.... 2004 NL West Champion L.A Dodgers.
December 17, 200421 yr Get all the Giants on roids and I'd say they have a good shot at the NL Pennant. 637262[/snapback] Bonds should give them advice and tell them how he got good...then they'll be really good because they'll all be on steroids :thumbup
December 17, 200421 yr I dont have a problem with the moves. I think Vazquez is a lot better than he performed last year. They got rid of Green's contract. Sure they lost a potential ace in Penny and Yhency a future closer but both of them are not sure things. If they go out and sign Clement and Pierznski and maybe another hitter at 3B or OF. They will compete for the division title.
December 17, 200421 yr Get all the Giants on roids and I'd say they have a good shot at the NL Pennant. 637262[/snapback] Bonds should give them advice and tell them how he got good...then they'll be really good because they'll all be on steroids :thumbup 637380[/snapback] :deadhorse
December 17, 200421 yr Author Get all the Giants on roids and I'd say they have a good shot at the NL Pennant. 637262[/snapback] Bonds should give them advice and tell them how he got good...then they'll be really good because they'll all be on steroids :thumbup 637380[/snapback] Bonds was good before the roids.... you know, back when you were just a thought in your parents head
December 17, 200421 yr Hey Los Angeles. You're a big market. Congrats on that. But you have no luxury suites. Your owner is poor. So poor he had to borrow $150M from your old owner to finance the sale. And he has to pay that, plus interest, within 2 years. Welcome to life as a Florida Marlin and an Francisco Giant fan. No one cares that you're the L.A. Dodgers. One of the most popular professional sports franchises in the world, located in the second-largest city in the country. However if you can't pay, you can't play. So before you head to Chavez Ravine with your torches and pitchforks, recognize the talent Paul DePodesta has gotten back and how it will help the franchise remain respectable until your owner can pay his bills.
December 18, 200421 yr The Dodgers are falling apart by the minute. Ever since the Paul Lo Duca/Guillermo Mota/Juan Encarnacion trade last July, they have been getting the bad end of trades and deals. They now have nothing to show for that deal, since they traded Penny to the D-Backs, and put Murphy in the deal for Steve Finley, who they let go to the Angels earlier this offseason. I would not be happy if I was a Dodger fan.
December 18, 200421 yr Odd how they made the playoffs last year and have a good chance this year while freeing up some money. Not bad. Not bad at all.
December 18, 200421 yr Author Odd how they made the playoffs last year and have a good chance this year while freeing up some money. Not bad. Not bad at all. 637896[/snapback] really? I give them minimal chance now
December 18, 200421 yr Odd how they made the playoffs last year and have a good chance this year while freeing up some money. Not bad. Not bad at all. 637896[/snapback] No Beltre, no chance
December 18, 200421 yr I don't think the Giants are ones to talk about offseasons... they've had an awful one.
December 18, 200421 yr I don't think the Giants are ones to talk about offseasons... they've had an awful one. 638051[/snapback] Let's see: last year the Giants had three weaknesses: relief pitching, defense, and baserunning. The Benitez signing solves the first problem, the Vizquel and Matheny signings solve the second problem, and the Vizquel signing helps with the third problem. The team is already drastically improved over last year with still over 7 million to spend
December 18, 200421 yr Baserunning :lol The easiest way to fix baserunning is to coach 'em up. You don't hit the free agent market looking for "baserunning" -- If my 5-yo T-ballers run to third instead of first, it's not their fault. It's mine -- They could have hired me as a baserunning coach... Those guys would have known it goes 1st, 2nd, THEN 3rd.
December 18, 200421 yr lol... whatever helps you sleep at night. Just be happy you're in a crappy division so you MIGHT have a shot at winning it... but I highly doubt it. LA and SD are the best 2 teams of that division. Vizquel and Matheny signings were awful. Benitez is overpaid... and not to mention the turmoil that is happening with Bonds. I'd hate to be a Giants fan right about now and if you think anything else of your offseason as a whole besides that it sucks, you're kidding yourself.
December 19, 200421 yr lol... whatever helps you sleep at night. Just be happy you're in a crappy division so you MIGHT have a shot at winning it... but I highly doubt it. LA and SD are the best 2 teams of that division. Vizquel and Matheny signings were awful. Benitez is overpaid... and not to mention the turmoil that is happening with Bonds. I'd hate to be a Giants fan right about now and if you think anything else of your offseason as a whole besides that it sucks, you're kidding yourself. 638063[/snapback] Wow, talk about a dead wrong perception of a team you're not a fan of. The Giants have had a great offseason. I am thrilled with the Benitez, Vizquel, and Matheny signings.... You're talking about a team that won 91 games last year with no closer and without a true starting shortstop. They've addressed that and will be a much better team in 2005. The Matheny signing helps the defense and will also help the pitching staff...Not to mention the starting pitching that took form towards the end of last year.... To say San Diego is better is just plain comical.... And the Dodgers without Green, Finley, and Beltre now.. They thought they had offensive struggles last season... :lol
December 19, 200421 yr Every GM of the NL West has collectively lost their minds. It's rather fun to watch.
December 19, 200421 yr Every GM of the NL West has collectively lost their minds. It's rather fun to watch. 638215[/snapback] Oh right, cause the ML team that you put together has had more than 8 straight seasons in either 1st or 2nd place, like the Giants have.. Can you please give Brian Sabean a call and give him some tips? I think he'd appreciate it coming from such an experienced executive, such as yourself. He obviously needs it based on his track record... :banghead
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