$1.2 Billion For The Dodgers? An Offer Has Been Made

Bill Shaikin of LATimes.com gave Dodger fans some news they've wanted to hear for a while. There is an offer on the table for the team, $1.2 billion from Bill Burke and a group of Chinese investors.

The bid is headed by Los Angeles Marathon founder Bill Burke and funded in part by Chinese investors, according to a letter sent to McCourt on Tuesday. The letter was disclosed to The Times by two people familiar with its content but not authorized to discuss it publicly.

The proposed sale price would set a record for a MLB team.

The bid terms proposed by the Burke group call for an all-cash payment to buy the Dodgers, all real estate related to the team and the team's media rights, according to the letter. Attorneys for McCourt have said he could try to keep Dodger Stadium and the surrounding parking lots even if he sold the team.

The bid would expire in 21 days, according to the letter, with the goal of closing a deal within 90 days, subject to the approvals of the bankruptcy court and Major League Baseball.

I'm not gonna get too worked up over this news. Yes, it's exciting to think the Dodgers could have new ownership, but Shaikin is talking about foreign investors other than Burke, "certain state-owned investment institutions of the People's Republic of China, as well as unidentified American investors. All sales must be approved by the MLB owners, and I just can't see this one going through. You never know though, Bud Selig and the owners really want Frank McCourt out. For now, I'll take this story with a grain of a salt.

Bud Says No To Fox Deal

MLB Commissioner Bud Selig has rejcted a proposed deal between the Dodgers and Fox Sports.

From MLB.com:

Commissioner Bud Selig informed Dodgers owner Frank McCourt on Monday that he would not approve a lengthy extension to a media rights deal between the ballclub and FOX, placing his ownership of the historic franchise in jeopardy.

Selig said he'd given the contract -- reported to be as high as $3 billion with a sizeable upfront payment -- a great deal of consideration, but in the end it didn't conform with the best interest of the ballclub or Dodger fans.

"Critically, the transaction is structured to facilitate the further diversion of Dodgers assets for the personal needs of Mr. McCourt," Selig said. "Given the magnitude of the transaction, such a diversion of assets would have the effect of mortgaging the future of the franchise to the long-term detriment of the club and its fans."

Selig can do this within his authority based on the debt-service rule, which doesn't allow franchises to borrow on future assets in order to pay current bills. Under the rule, owners must sell equity in the team to raise revenue, decrease spending or both.


Major League Baseball took over the day-to-day business operations of the Dodgers this spring and has been investigating its finances. That report is due by the end of the month. At that point, Selig will determine whether McCourt must sell the team.


Last week, McCourt and his ex-wife, Jamie, reached an agreement out of court, which was contingent upon Major League Baseball's approval of the between the Dodgers and FOX. With Monday's ruling by Selig, that agreement is null and void and must now go back to divorce court in Los Angeles.


McCourt repeatedly has said that he needs the upfront payment from the TV deal to pay his bills. A payroll of $30 million that includes $8 million in deferred payments to ex-Dodger Manny Ramirez is due by the end of the month.
Selig said that he's sent McCourt a letter on Monday that detailed the reasons why he could not improve the media deal.


"Mr. McCourt has been provided with an expansive analysis of my reasons for rejecting this proposed transaction," Selig said. ""As I have said before, we owe it to the legion of loyal Dodger fans to ensure that this club is being operated properly now and will be guided appropriately in the future. This transaction would not accomplish these goals."

We're one step closer to Franks departure.

McCourt Appologizes To Fans On Dodgers Live

Before tonight's game between the Dodgers and Padres, ousted owner Frank McCourt issued an apology to  fans on Dodgers Live. Here's what he had to say:

"There's one thing I do want to say, 'cause I  haven't talked much over the last 18 months about my personal situation. In the last couple of days I've had a lot to say, but the most important thing I have to say this evening to Dodger fans is, that I'm sorry. I wanna just issue an apology to them for my personal mess having affected their lives and I wanna apologize for some of the lifestyle decisions I've made and I wanna apologize for any embarrassment I've caused  this community, this team and these fans. That said, I'm gonna fight for these fans. I have work to do to regain their trust and confidence, but I plan to do it and I'm gonna redouble my efforts to make sure I do get their trust and their support again and that I fight for what's mine, and I fight for these players out here and fight for this team."

It's probably too late Mr. McCourt, much too late.

Dodger News And Notes: MLB Takeover

Some Friday night links:

Steve Garvey, Ron Burkle: Dodgers owner? The former Dodger great says he has an investment group put together that would like to buy the team. That group now includes Ron Burkle. So, who is Ron Burkle? Well, he's rich. Forbes estimates his net worth at $3.2 billion. He's also familiar with purchasing a sports franchise. He teamed up with hockey legend Mario Lemieux in buying the Pittsburgh Penguins back in 1999. Garvey says he has six to eight other investors in his group.

Colletti and McCourt haven't talked takeover. Ned Colletti said Friday that he's been in communication with team owner Frank McCourt, but only through texts. They've only discussed roster moves, injuries and on-field issues. They haven't met in person since MLB took over the team, and they haven't discussed the takeover. Ned Colletti says he still considers Frank McCourt his boss.

Selig has support of MLB owners. From Tim Brown of Yahoo Sports:

Selig’s seizure of the team is being guided in part by the concerns and frustrations of many of McCourt’s fellow owners, who fear the devaluation of their own franchises through McCourt’s financial and operational ineptness, sources said Thursday.

Whatever the assurances by McCourt that the Dodgers are not trundling toward ruin, and whatever the assertions by McCourt’s new vice chairman Steve Soboroff that Selig is a misguided, uninformed bully, Selig’s greatest authority lies in the consensus of The Other 29.

Selig spends large portions of his days conferring with owners of the 30 MLB teams, and McCourt’s ownership practices have been picked over by baseball’s executive council, which consists of eight owners, four from each league.

It doesn't seem like the rest of baseball's owners are happy with McCourt's situation. What happens in LA, as well as other major markets, can affect the rest of the league.

MLB To Take Over Operation Of The Dodgers....WooHoo!

According to the LA Times' Bill Shaikin, Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig says he will appoint a trustee to oversee the team's business affairs while investigating the 'operations and finances of the Dodgers and related entities.'

Commissioner Bud Selig:

"Pursuant to my authority as Commissioner, I informed Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank McCourt today that I will appoint a representative to oversee all aspects of the business and the day-to-day operations of the Club. I have taken this action because of my deep concerns regarding the finances and operations of the Dodgers and to protect the best interests of the Club, its great fans and all of Major League Baseball. My office will continue its thorough investigation into the operations and finances of the Dodgers and related entities during the period of Mr. McCourt's ownership. I will announce the name of my representative in the next several days.
"The Dodgers have been one of the most prestigious franchises in all of sports, and we owe it to their legion of loyal fans to ensure that this club is being operated properly now and will be guided appropriately in the future."

You know what they say, "Better late than never."  Let's hope this is the first step toward McCourt's exit and new ownership. The situation in Dodgertown is sad. It's sad to see so many empty seats at Dodger Stadium. It's sad to see such a poorly constructed team take the field for the second season in a row. The divorce and everything surrounding it is sad. I can't speak for every Dodger fan, but I think most of us are fed up with EVERYTHING. Good for Bud Selig.

Dodgers Community Caravan: Dodgers Dreamfield Dedication In Northridge

I attended the unveiling of the newest Dodgers Dreamfield today. The Dodgers Dream Foundation and LA84 Foundation dedicated the new Dodgers Dreamfield at Northridge Recreation Center. It was the last stop of the Dodgers' annual community caravan. The dedication ceremony was led by Dodger Owner and Chairman Frank McCourt, 12th District City Councilman Greig Smith, LA84 Foundation President Anita L. DeFrantz, LA84 Foundation Vice President of Grants and Programs Patrick Escobar and General Manager of the City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation Jon Kirk Mukri.


Dodger players in attendance included Rafael Furcal, Matt Kemp, Tony Gwynn Jr., Jay Gibbons and Gabe Kapler, as well as former Dodgers Fernando Valenzuela, Ron Cey, Steve Garvey, Derrel Thomas, "Sweet" Lou Johnson, Don Newcombe, Todd Zeile and Dodger broadcaster Charley Steiner.

The entire event was a lot of fun. It was nice to see all the little leaguers in attendance.

When the players first arrived, they headed straight to the field, and the fans were told not to ask for autographs until the event was over. People ignored this and started taking pictures with the players and asking for autographs. That was put to a stop quickly once the dedication ceremony began.

Charley Steiner started the ceremony. He introduced all the players and speakers. We heard from Greig Smith, Anita L. DeFrantz, then Frank McCourt. Frank gave a nice speech, then he got all the kids together to start a baseball clinic.

The clinic was separated into stations, and the kids would rotate every five minutes. It was a pleasure to watch.

When the clinic ended, a group picture was taken with all the kids and Dodger personnel. Afterwards, the players took pictures with the fans and signed some autographs. I was there with my Don Newcombe bobblehead hoping to get his autograph. That didn't happen. I had a terrible experience trying to get him to sign. I would love to tell this story, but I don't want to bad-mouth anyone. Maybe one day I'll actually get him to sign the bobble. Anyways, with all the time I wasted trying to get Newk's autograph, I missed out on some other opportunities. I did get to meet Steve Garvey, Fernando Valenzuela, Todd Zeile and Gabe Kapler though.

Dodgerbobble and Fernando

Dodgerbobble and Garv

Dodgerbobble and Todd Zeile

It's hard to see, but that's Gabe Kapler's autograph

Now I'm ready for baseball. First Spring Training then Opening Day. We're almost there.

Dodgers News And Notes

Frank McCourt meets with executives from the commissioner's office. LATimes.com's Bill Shaikin tells us that the Dodgers owner met with several of Selig's lieutenants earlier this week in New York. According to officials familiar with the discussions, McCourt requested the meetings.

It is uncertain exactly what McCourt proposed in his meetings, but he could get hundreds of millions of dollars by either negotiating a new television contract with Fox or selling a minority share of the Dodgers, then using the proceeds to settle his divorce. McCourt has insisted he has no plan to sell any share of ownership.

However, Selig could reject any television contract or partnership agreement. After court documents in the divorce trial revealed how the McCourts diverted millions in team revenue each year for personal use, Selig could cite grounds that such money should be used to improve the team rather than to pay off an ex-wife, one official said.


In addition, the officials said, Selig could refuse McCourt the short-term financing available to owners from MLB.

It is unclear whether such actions could pressure McCourt to the point of putting the team up for sale, whether McCourt would take legal action to stop any such moves, or how any decisions Selig might consider would be affected by Jamie McCourt's contention that she owns half the team.

However, the owner of another MLB club said he doubted Frank McCourt could rally other owners behind him — and against Selig — should the commissioner decide to act.

Dodgers' fourth annual Winter Development Program begins this weekend. The Dodgers' fourth annual Winter Development Program, which helps prepare minor league players for the Major Leagues both on and off the field, kicks off this weekend and will include workouts, community visits, informational seminars and visits to different areas of Los Angeles. Sixteen of the Dodgers' top minor league prospects will be in town for the week-long event and workouts will focus on fundamentals, strength training and conditioning.

Camelback Ranch box office opens. Vin Scully Is My Homeboy gives us the details on Dodgers Spring Training games. Single-game tickets went on sale today in  Glendale, AZ.

How close is Trayvon Robinson? ESPNLosAngeles.com's Jon Weisman gives us all the details on the switch-hitting center fielder.

Dodger in the Dominican and Venezuelan Winter Leagues. Chad at Memories of Kevin Malone gives us a recap on all the Dodgers that played in each league.

Around The Dodger Blogosphere

Is Matt Diaz the next Dodger Left Fielder? It could happen. According to Tony Jackson of ESPNLosAngeles.com, the Dodgers search for a left fielder has been narrowed to free agents Matt Diaz and Scott Podsednik and possibly one more name that remains a mystery.

In the same article, Jackson mentions the Dodgers pursuit of another catcher, possibly Russell Martin. He also talks about Vicente Padilla joining the Dodgers as a reliever and possibly as a candidate for the closer's role if Jonathan Broxton struggles.

Ruling in Dodgers' divorce case expected Tuesday. Frank and Jamie McCourt are expected to find out Tuesday whether a judge has thrown out an agreement that could determine the ownership of the Dodgers.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Scott Gordon is expected to rule Tuesday on the validity of a marital agreement that would provide Frank McCourt with sole ownership of the Dodgers, according to multiple sources familiar with the case.

No Hall for Garvey. The 1974 NL MVP was on the Hall of Fame veterans committee ballot. To be elected, a candidate must appear on at least 75% of the 16 ballots. Only one person on the special ballot got the votes, Pat Gillick, who built three World Series champions and has served baseball for nearly 50 years, who had the necessary 75 percent (12 votes) to make it in. The results of the Expansion Era Ballot (12 votes needed for election): Gillick (13 votes, 81.25 percent; Marvin Miller (11 votes, 68.75 percent; Dave Concepcion (8 votes, 50 percent). Those receiving less than eight, aside from Garvey: Ted Simmons, Vida Blue, Ron Guidry, Tommy John, Billy Martin, Al Oliver, Rusty Staub and George Steinbrenner.

Garvey's next chance at the Hall won't come until 2013.

The Minotaur gets married. Dodgers' Ace Clayton Kershaw got married this past Saturday. Roberto at Vin Scully Is My Homeboy has the details.

Feelin' Kinda Blue. There's a new Dodger blog that I'm really enjoying. It's called "Feelin' Kinda Blue".  Check it out.

Dodgers News And Notes

No arb for Pods, Pad or Rod. The Dodgers declined to offer arbitration to their three Type B free agents; Scott Podsednik, Vicente Padilla and Rod Barajas. Am I surprised? Not really. I guess the Dodgers were worried they'd accept? It's just sad.  Very, very sad. They didn't offer Randy Wolf or Orlando Hudson arbitration last year either.

For Hiroki Kuroda, it was Dodgers or bust. During a news conference today at Dodger Stadium, Kuroda said he never seriously considered signing with any other Major League club and was excited about the one-year, $12 million deal he signed last week to remain with the Dodgers for a fourth season. I'm happy he's back too.

The Dodgers sign right-handed reliever Oscar Villarreal. The Dodgers added to their non-roster list for 2011 Tuesday, signing right-hander reliever Oscar Villarreal. Villarreal has spent parts of six seasons in the National League but hasn’t pitched in the majors since part of 2008 with the Astros. He has a career record of 24-15 with a 3.86 ERA.

Frank and Jamie are officially divorced. Frank and Jamie McCourt are officially divorced, even though their divorce proceedings could last several more years. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Scott Gordon granted a request to change the McCourts' marital status from separated to divorced, according to court documents.
The status change has no impact on the proceedings. Any assets determined to be community property would be considered as shared assets through the date of the separation, July 7, 2009, rather than the date of the divorce.

Lilly Staying In LA

According to the LA Times, the  Dodgers have signed pitcher Ted Lilly to a three-year deal. The dollar amount on the contract hasn't been announced yet. The deal is expected to be finalized once Lilly passes a physical next week.

Lilly went 7-4 in 12 starts for the Dodgers and had a 3.52 ERA. He also had the lowest run support in the majors.

The Dodgers now have three of the five rotation spots filled, with Chad Billingsley and Clayton Kershaw holding down the other two spots. The team is still expected to have interest in re-signing Hiroki Kuroda and Vicente Padilla.


I'm curious to see what the Dodgers are gonna pay Lilly over the next three seasons. I wouldn't be surprised if Ned Colletti overpayed for the 34 year old. Well, maybe Frank McCourt is willing to spend some money this offseason.

Donnie Baseball To Manage Dodgers in 2011

It was announced earlier today that hitting coach Don Mattingly will replace Joe Torre next season as the Dodgers manager. Mattingly has never manged at any level of the game.

From today's Dodgers Press Release:

The Los Angeles Dodgers announced today that former American League MVP Don Mattingly has been named the Dodger manager for the 2011 season and that Joe Torre has stepped aside from the position. Mattingly becomes the ninth manager in Los Angeles Dodger history and 27th in franchise history while Torre is expected to take time to determine his plans for 2011

"Over the past three years, I've had the opportunity to work with Don closely and have gotten to know him both personally and professionally and I'm convinced that he's the right person to lead the Dodgers," said Dodger General Manager Ned Colletti. "His work ethic is unparalleled, his baseball knowledge is vast and his leadership skills have been established during more than three decades in professional baseball.

 

"Donnie has also learned alongside the best in the business. Joe Torre has been a great friend, a strong leader and an incredible presence for this organization and I cannot thank him enough for his service to the Dodgers. I respect his decision to step aside and I look forward to the day where I can watch him take his rightful place in Cooperstown among baseball's legends."


Mattingly is completing his seventh season as a Major League coach (2004-10) following seven seasons as a special instructor during Spring Training for the Yankees (1997-2003). He is in his third season as the Dodgers' hitting coach following one season as the bench coach under Torre in New York (2007) and three years as the Yankees' hitting coach (2004-06).

"The opportunity to manage the Los Angeles Dodgers is truly an honor," said Mattingly. "There are few organizations in the world with the history, tradition and track record of success as the Dodgers. I'm looking forward to continuing what I came here to accomplish with Joe and that's to win a World Championship."


Mattingly will manage in the Arizona Fall League at the completion of the regular season. He becomes the eighth current Major League manager to pilot a big league club without previous managerial experience, joining Torre, Dusty Baker, Joe Girardi, Ozzie Guillen, Cito Gaston, Bud Black and Kirk Gibson. Lou Piniella, who began the year as the Cubs' manager, also managed in the Major Leagues without any minor league experience. Guillen won the World Series in his second year, Gaston in his third full season and Piniella and Girardi in their fourth seasons as a big league skipper. Bob Brenly won the World Series in his first year as a big league manager.

Mattingly spent 14 seasons as a first baseman for New York, where he compiled a .307 lifetime average with 222 home runs and 1,099 RBI while earning MVP honors in 1985, nine Rawlings Gold Glove Awards and six All-Star appearances.


He becomes just the ninth manager in Los Angeles Dodger history, following Hall of Famers Walter Alston (1954-76) and Tommy Lasorda (1977-96), Bill Russell (1996-98), Glenn Hoffman (1998), Davey Johnson (1999-2000), Jim Tracy (2001-05), Grady Little (2006-07) and Torre (2008-10).


Torre guided the Dodgers to consecutive National League Championship Series appearances and reached the postseason in a record-tying 14 consecutive seasons from 1996-2009. The certain future Hall of Famer has more postseason victories than any other manager in Major League history, ranks fifth on the all-time regular season wins list and has posted a three-year record with the Dodgers of 251-220 (.533) through last night's game. He finished third in 2009 NL Manager of the Year voting.
"It has been an incredible honor to wear the Dodger uniform and I will always carry with me some very special memories from the past three seasons," said Torre. "This was not a decision I took lightly but I believe it's the right one for myself and my family and I'm truly thrilled that Donnie will be the one leading the Dodgers. It's time that the Dodgers had a new voice and I have the utmost confidence in him. I know he's ready for the challenge."

I've been critical of Don Mattingly in the past. The Dodgers rank 12th in the National League in total batting stats. To say the offense has been bad, would be an understatement. If he can't help this team as the hitting coach, how will he do as the manager? On any other team, Donnie Baseball would have been fired by now, not promoted.

He's managed in two games for the Dodgers. He made mistakes in both games. One was in the preseason, where the Dodgers were penalized for batting out of order because the lineup card that had been posted in the clubhouse, didn't match the one given to the umpires. The other was this past July when he vistited Jonathan Broxton on the mound twice, and Broxton had to be removed from the game.


Like a lot of other Dodger fans, I would like to have seen AAA Albuquerque Isotopes' manager Tim Wallach given an opportunity to manage the Dodgers. Wallach played for the Dodgers and  has the managerial experience.

Am I surprised the team made this move? No, not at all. This is the typical ass-backwards move made by Frank McCourt and Ned Colletti. Does this mean I want Don Mattingly to fail? Absolutely not. I want this team to win in 2011. Maybe Don Mattingly is the right choice to manage the Dodgers. I don't think he is. I hope I'm proven wrong.

Win Streak Ends, Dodger News, Notes And History

The four game-winning streak came to an end tonight, as the Dodgers lost 5-3 to the Colorado Rockies. Starter Chad Billingsley had a rough night going 6 innings and giving up 3 earned runs. He walked five Rockies and struck out NONE. Bills gave up a solo homerun to Todd Helton in the 6th inning, ending an MLB-leading 92-inning stretch without allowing a homerun.

After scoring 23 runs in the last four games, the Dodger offense failed to show up tonight. A two-run homerun by catcher Rod Barajas with two outs in the ninth came too late.

Manny Ramirez was not in the starting line-up again for the third straight game. Joe Torre says the benching has nothing to do with a deal the Dodgers have in place with the White Sox, who claimed Manny off the waiver wire on Friday. So why is the best hitter on the team being benched?

Torre:

"This is just my dumb move. There is no reason I can give you that makes sense. A lot of what I do is a feel thing."

Yeah right. Manny appeared as a pinch-hitter in the seventh inning and struck out.

In other Dodger news:

Dodgers assistant general manager Logan White is expected to be a candidate for the Arizona Diamondbacks general manager position.

Carlos Monasterios will make one more start Tuesday night against the Phillies in place of Vicente Padilla.

Russell Martin is expected to have his broken right hip rescanned next week to determine if the fracture is healing properly.

Frank McCourt gives away 40,000 Dodgers tickets to LAPD officers. TJ Simers questions his generosity.

This Day In Dodger History:

August 28, 2002
Eric Gagne, who at the beginning of the 2002 season wasn't even sure if he was going to make the ballclub, notches his 45th save, setting a franchise record and earning a bottle of Dom Perignon autographed by each Dodger teammate.


"It's kind of weird, seeing a little Canadian in the record books for a Dodger," said Gagne. "I'm proud to be in it."

Gagne moves past Todd Worrell, having already bested Jeff Shaw. He has more in a season than Ron Perranoski or Mike Marshall or Jay Howell or Steve Howe.
"It shouldn't be just my name on it, it should be the whole team," said Gagne.

Although Gagne broke the record with a flourish, striking out the side in the 9th inning, preserving a 1-0 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium for starter Odlis Perez. The 26-year-old also made it exciting by allowing a single and a four-pitch walk.

"I was just thinking, 'Don't blow it for Odalis,'" he said.

Gagne would save seven more games in 2002, giving him a total of 52 for the season.

You can see Eric Gagne's 2004 Dodger Stadium bobblehead here.

AUGUST 28, 1977:

Dodger first baseman Steve Garvey enjoys a monstrous night against the St. Louis Cardinals, collecting three doubles and a pair of home runs – including a grand slam – as he piles up 14 total bases in an 11-0 victory. Garvey, who scores five times and drives in five runs, falls one base shy of the Los Angeles Dodger single-game record for total bases set by Davey Lopes on Aug. 20, 1974. His standout performance helps the first-place Dodgers maintain their 8 ½-game lead in the National League West. The dependable Garvey went on to enjoy one of the best seasons of his career, batting .297 with 33 homers and 115 RBI while helping the Dodgers to the N. L. Western Division title and an appearance in the World Series.

You can see Steve Garvey's Dodger Stadium bobblehead here.

Dodgers Win Four Straight And Other News

Dodgers win four in a row. Clayton Kershaw pitched another gem. He outdueled Cy Young candidate Ubaldo Jimenez, going 6 innings, while giving up one run on 5 hits and two walks and striking out six. His only blemish was a second inning homerun he gave up to Todd Helton. Kershaw finally had his first 1-2-3 first inning of the year.

The Dodgers offense keeps rolling as they scored six runs tonight. That's four games in a row now that the Dodgers have scored five or more runs. The offensive hero tonight was the Beard, Casey Blake, who hit his fifth career grand slam tonight off of Colorado reliever Matt Belisle. That gave the Dodgers a 5-1 lead, and they wouldn't look back. Matt Kemp knocked in one more run in the ninth inning as the Dodgers went on to win 6-2.

In other Dodgers news:

The Chicago White Sox file a waiver claim on Manny Ramirez.
Ted Lilly is the latest Dodgers player to be placed on waivers.
Frank McCourt gives 40,000 Dodgers tickets to LAPD officers.
The Dodgers will celebrate team photographer Jon Soo Hoo for 25 years of service.
Joe Torre's wearing an "In Beard We Trust" shirt from theLFP.com. You can order a shirt here.

Dodger News And Notes

Some Dodger news on a Friday Evening:

Dodgers made an attempt at Cliff Lee. According to a source close to the situation, the Dodgers were in trade talks with the Seattle Mariners for pitcher Cliff Lee. The source said that the Mariners wanted one of two players, James Loney or Chad Billingsley. Of course Lee ended up in Texas today. The Rangers moved first baseman Justin Smoak and three minor leaguers to Seattle for Lee.

Did the Dodgers pay one of their executives from the team charity? It seems they paid Howard Sunkin, the team’s senior vice president for public affairs, $400,000 last year for what tax records describe as a 40-hour-a-week job at the Dodgers Dream Foundation,which is a  nonprofit charity. Uh-oh.

Frank and Jamie's divorce is the subject of a New York Times article.

The Dodgers and MSI announce partnership. The Dodgers and leading Taiwanese technology manufacturer MSI  announced a new partnership and unveiled a limited-edition Dodgers Wind Top All-in-One (AIO) PC and Netbook.