Major League Baseball
Notebook: Owners approve sale of Dodgers to McCourt

By Seattle Times news services

	Frank McCourt
	E-mail this article Print this article Search archive

LOS ANGELES — Frank McCourt talks a good game. Time will tell if his team plays enough of them.

The $430 million sale of the Los Angeles Dodgers from News Corp. to McCourt was unanimously approved by baseball owners yesterday, more than 3-1/2 months after the sides reached an agreement.

Under scrutiny over his finances and a target of local criticism, McCourt made some bold promises at a Dodger Stadium news conference.

"I intend to restore the glory days of Dodger baseball with a team worthy of support from our fans," he said. "We've committed not just to buy this team, but to win a world championship."

The Dodgers haven't won a postseason game since beating Oakland in the 1988 World Series.

The price is the second-highest for a baseball team, trailing only the $660 million paid for the Boston Red Sox two years ago. The highly leveraged purchase, likely to be completed within a week, probably will set off the third change in management in six years for the marquee franchise.

The O'Malley family controlled the Dodgers for nearly 48 years before selling to News Corp. in March 1998. The corporation quickly tired of running the club, and former movie executive Robert Daly took over as chief executive officer in October 1999 after purchasing a minority stake.

Daly has said he will depart when the sale closes. McCourt refused to discuss the futures of team president Bob Graziano, general manager Dan Evans and manager Jim Tracy.

McCourt, 50, emphasized he wants the Dodgers to win immediately.

"We're going to have a $100 million-plus payroll," he said. "We're going to sign a guy who can hit."

Tigers put injury protection in Pudge deal

NEW YORK — If Ivan Rodriguez gets a spine injury in his lower back that lands him on the disabled list for five weeks or more, the Detroit Tigers would be able to terminate his contract after the 2005 season.

The 10-time All-Star catcher does not currently have any injuries, but the provision would protect the Tigers if one occurs.

On the verge of agreeing to a guaranteed $40 million, four-year contract with the Tigers, Rodriguez was in Texas to be examined by Dr. Andrew Dossett, the Rangers' spine consultant.

Rodriguez's agent, Scott Boras, had several conversations with the Tigers aimed at finalizing the deal, a baseball source told The Associated Press.

Notes

• Right-hander Jose Mesa, who lost his closer's job with the Phillies late last season, agreed to a minor-league contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates. The former Mariner, eighth among active pitchers with 249 career saves, likely will compete with another nonroster pitcher — Juan Acevedo — to be the Pirates' closer.

• The Tampa Bay Devil Rays declined comment on reports that a New York investor agreed to buy a large portion of the team's shares. It does not appear the sale will change the status of Vince Naimoli, the managing general partner who runs the franchise. Stuart Sternberg's intention to buy out five of Naimoli's investors in the general partnership would give Sternberg about 45 percent of the club.

• Yankees third baseman Aaron Boone, in his first comments since injuring his knee in a basketball game, said his season is not over. "No. I plan on being back this year," he told the New York Daily News. "Definitely. I'm going to be back." Boone refused to discuss the specifics of how he was hurt, but said he hopes the Yankees don't terminate his contract. "I don't know what is going to happen," he said. "There's a lot that has to be worked out. But I sure hope (to stay). It is where I want to be."

• Prosecutor Luisa Quevedo in Caracas, Venezuela, will decide within six months whether to charge free-agent pitcher Ugueth Urbina with a crime for firing a gun on Jan. 23. Urbina's lawyer, Andres Peinado, said his client was shooting in self defense because he believed someone was trying to rob him.

• The Florida Marlins finalized their $750,000, one-year contract with left-hander Darren Oliver.

Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company