No Longer Dodger-ing The Problem

Major League Baseball has taken over the LA Dodgers day-to-day operations in the wake of the bitter divorce fight between the team's owners, Frank and Jaime McCourt.

Once among baseball's glamour franchises, the Dodgers have been consumed by infighting since Jamie McCourt filed for divorce after 30 years of marriage in October 2009, one week after her husband fired her as the team's chief executive. Frank McCourt accused Jamie of having an affair with her bodyguard-driver and performing poorly at work.

Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig told Frank McCourt on Wednesday he will appoint a trustee to oversee all aspects of the business and the day-to-day operations of the club. At the same time, Frank McCourt was preparing to sue MLB, a baseball executive familiar with the situation told The Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity because McCourt had not made any statements.

"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," Selig said in a statement.

A person familiar with Selig's thinking said the commissioner may choose to force a sale. The person spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity because Selig's statement did not mention that.

Baseball officials could not recall another instance in modern times when the commissioner seized control of a team from its owner. Before Tom Hicks sold the Texas Rangers last year, Selig appointed McHale to monitor the Rangers but technically left Hicks in charge of the franchise while McHale worked behind the scenes.

Even when suspending George Steinbrenner from the Yankees in 1990 and forcing Marge Schott to sell her controlling interest in the Cincinnati Reds in 1999, the commissioner's office allowed the owners to choose their successors as the controlling executive.

"This is one of the great franchises. It's hard to imagine a mess like this ever having happened," former Commissioner Fay Vincent said. "It's a very sad situation. I feel very bad for baseball and for Bud."

Just goes to show you that custody battles hurt everyone involved.  Only this time, it's an entire baseball team.

I really don't have a hell of a lot of sympathy for folks in a divorce battle who are using one of the great sports franchises in the country as a chip on the high stakes table.  If you can't treat your franchise correctly, maybe it needs to go to someone who will care for it correctly.  Besides, if you have enough money to buy an MLB team, you're probably doing okay otherwise.

Well, except for the bloody divorce that's threatening to wreck the entire NL West.  First World Problems, we have a winner...