Frank McCourt (executive)
Encyclopedia
Frank McCourt is the owner and chairman of the Los Angeles Dodgers
and Dodger Stadium
in Chavez Ravine
. In , he purchased a controlling interest of the Dodgers from Fox Entertainment Group
, owned by Rupert Murdoch
's News Corporation
. Prior to purchasing the Dodgers and moving to Los Angeles, McCourt was a Boston real estate developer, whose family resided in Brookline, Massachusetts
.
and attended Georgetown University
where he earned an economics degree in 1975. He met his future wife, Jamie McCourt
, when they were both freshmen at Georgetown. They married in 1979. The McCourt family has a long association with real estate and construction in the Boston area.
In 1977, Frank McCourt founded The McCourt Company, which specializes in the development of major commercial real estate projects, particularly parking lots.
In the late 1970s McCourt acquired 24 acres (97,124.6 m²) in South Boston from the bankrupt Penn Central railroad and developed the L-shaped property into parking lots.
That property is located here: 42°21′7.81"N 71°2′42.74"W
The McCourt company headquarters moved to Los Angeles
in 2004 in connection with the family relocating to Los Angeles. The McCourts owned a $16 million, 13000 sq ft (1,207.7 m²) home in Brookline, MA that was acquired by John W. Henry
, owner of the Boston Red Sox.
, Frank McCourt made a bid to buy his hometown Boston Red Sox
. If he had won the bid, he had planned to build a new stadium on the land he owned and used for parking lots on the South Boston waterfront. Instead, the Red Sox were sold in 2002 to John W. Henry
, Tom Werner
and Red Sox President Larry Lucchino
.
McCourt had also tried to buy the Anaheim Angels and Tampa Bay Buccaneers
before he bought the Dodgers.
McCourt is not the first member of this family to own part or whole of a sports franchise. His grandfather was part-owner of the Boston Braves
.
for $
430 million from NewsCorp, Rupert Murdoch
's flagship enterprise. McCourt's purchase of the Dodgers was financed mostly by debt.
In 2004 McCourt's South Boston parking lot property was used as collateral for some of the financing to acquire the Dodgers from News Corp. Later the South Boston property was turned over to News Corp. in exchange for canceling acquisition debt. News Corp. received approximately $200 million when they re-sold the property to Morgan Stanley and Boston real estate investor John B. Hynes III in 2006.
The Dodgers assets acquired by McCourt included significant real estate assets related to the stadium in Chavez Ravine, including stadium parking lot land. Plans have been announced for new real estate developments at Dodger Stadium.
To offset the purchase, McCourt has raised ticket and concession prices every year. By April 2009 the team and its related assets, in which McCourt had invested heavily in improvements, had increased in value to $722 million according to Forbes
.
In 2010 the value of the team was estimated at $727 million according to Forbes.
, replacing him with Paul DePodesta
. DePodesta is featured (along with Billy Beane
) in the book Moneyball as it discusses their non-traditional approach to using statistics to manage the Oakland A's. In Los Angeles DePodesta made a blockbuster trade in the middle of the 2004 season: the Dodgers sent the team's starting catcher, Paul LoDuca, its set-up man, pitcher Guillermo Mota
, and outfielder Juan Encarnacion
to the Florida Marlins
for the high on-base percentage first baseman Hee-Seop Choi
and power pitcher
Brad Penny
and pitching prospect Bill Murphy, who was in turn flipped with Koyie Hill
and Reggie Abercrombie
to the Arizona Diamondbacks
for Gold Glove center fielder Steve Finley
and catcher Brent Mayne
. At the time, DePodesta said of Choi, "I think we've acquired one of the better offensive players in the league."
Although Finley hit 13 HRs for the Dodgers in his two months with the team, this trade was a spectacular bust. In the playoff loss to St. Louis that season, Penny did not play, Choi had one at bat (hitless) and Dodger catchers were 3-for-10. Choi batted .161 with 0 HRs for the Dodgers after the trade, though he did walk 11 times in 87 plate appearances.
In 2004
, the Dodgers won the NL West (93 W, 69 L), but lost in four games to the St. Louis Cardinals
in the Divisional Series
of the playoffs. In the offseason the Dodgers decided not to re-sign Adrián Beltré
due to his high contract demands (Beltre finished second in the NL MVP voting and would later sign with Seattle for 5 years/$64 million). DePodesta signed outfielder J.D. Drew for five years at $55 million, sinkerball pitcher Derek Lowe
for four years ($36 million), and All-Star second baseman Jeff Kent
.
However, the 2005 season
(71 W, 91 L) was the Dodgers' second-worst record since moving to Los Angeles, due in part to players' injuries. That off-season, manager Jim Tracy was fired. Soon after Tracy was fired, McCourt fired DePodesta and about a month later, hired Ned Colletti
to replace him.
's first action as GM was the signing of the former Red Sox manager, Grady Little
. Colletti then signed several veteran players such as Rafael Furcal
, Nomar Garciaparra
, Kenny Lofton
, and Bill Mueller
. These players were among those who led the 2006 Dodgers to the NL Wild Card spot, with an 88–74 record. The Dodgers would get swept by the New York Mets
in the National League Division Series
. In the winter of 2006–07 the team signed Juan Pierre
, Jason Schmidt
, and Luis Gonzalez
.
In October 2007, Grady Little resigned and Joe Torre
was hired as their new manager. In 2008 with Torre, Ned Colletti
signed Andruw Jones
, Hiroki Kuroda
, and Chan Ho Park. During the trade deadline the Dodgers acquired Manny Ramirez
in a trade with the Boston Red Sox
.
In 2007 Dr. Charles Steinberg was hired as Executive Vice President, Marketing and Public Relations of the Dodgers after working with the Boston Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles. In 2009 he was reported to be on his way out and was said to be allied with Jamie McCourt and had lost influence as she did, according to a report in the Los Angeles Times
.
said the following day that "the focus of the Dodgers is on the playoffs and the World Series." Jamie was fired from her position as Dodgers CEO on Thursday, October 22, 2009, the day after the Dodgers were eliminated from the playoffs, thus ending the reign of the self-proclaimed "First Female CEO of a Baseball Team." She officially filed for divorce shortly thereafter. Frank McCourt then accused her of having an affair with her driver and changed the locks on her office. The pending divorce will settle the issue of Dodgers ownership. He has claimed that the divorce has "no bearing on the team whatsoever."
On December 7, 2010 the judge in the divorce case of the McCourts invalidated the post-nuptial marital property agreement ("MPA") that Frank McCourt had claimed provided him with sole ownership of the Dodgers. In the wake of this decision, Frank McCourt's lawyers said that Frank would use other legal avenues to establish his sole ownership of the Dodgers, while Jamie McCourt's lawyers said that Jamie would be confirmed as the co-owner of the team as community property of their marriage.
On June 17, 2011, Frank & Jamie reached agreement on a settlement of their divorce. The settlement was contingent upon Major League Baseball approving a 17-year television contract between the Dodgers and FOX Television. The discussion set aside the Dodgers ownership issue until a scheduled one-day trial on August 4, whereupon if the judge sided with Frank he would keep the team and pay a settlement fee to Jamie and if the judge sided with her the team would be sold. However, on June 20, baseball rejected the television deal and the settlement agreement fell apart.
On October 17, 2011 the McCourts reached a settlement in their divorce case where Jamie would receive about $130 million and relinquish her claims on the Dodgers. This ended what is widely believed to be the costliest divorce in California history.
Jerry Brown
was opening an investigation into the Dodger's charitable foundation, the Dodgers' Dream Foundation. According to tax returns, the charity's chief executive Howard Sunkin, earned a salary of nearly $400,000 per year, almost a quarter of the foundation's entire budget. Sunkin is a close associate of McCourt and has worked with him during his divorce proceedings. The courts eventually awarded the funds to be repaid and McCourt personally repaid $100,000.
announced that MLB would be appointing a representative to oversee the day-to-day operations of the Dodgers. His statement said that he took that action because of his "deep concerns for the finances and operations" of the Dodgers. This event occurred shortly after an LA Times report that McCourt had obtained a personal loan from Fox
to cover the team's payroll for April and May.
McCourt vigorously disputed MLB's actions. Nevertheless, Selig appointed former diplomat and former Texas Rangers executive Tom Schieffer
to oversee the Dodgers' finances.
On June 27, the Dodgers filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection.
After much legal wrangling between McCouts lawyers and MLB lawyers in bankruptcy court, he reached a deal with the league to put the team up for sale.
along with Lou Perini
and others.
Frank McCourt is a member of the Board of Directors of Georgetown University
.
, had been Vice Chairman, CEO and President of the Dodgers organization. Their son Drew McCourt has been director of marketing.
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
and Dodger Stadium
Dodger Stadium
Dodger Stadium, also sometimes called Chavez Ravine, is a stadium in Los Angeles. Located adjacent to Downtown Los Angeles, Dodger Stadium has been the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers team since 1962...
in Chavez Ravine
Chávez Ravine
Chavez Ravine is an area in Sulfir Canyon that is the current site of Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California.It was named after Julian Chavez, a Los Angeles Councilman in the 19th century.-History:...
. In , he purchased a controlling interest of the Dodgers from Fox Entertainment Group
Fox Entertainment Group
The Fox Entertainment Group is an American entertainment industry company that owns film studios and terrestrial, cable, and direct broadcast satellite television properties...
, owned by Rupert Murdoch
Rupert Murdoch
Keith Rupert Murdoch, AC, KSG is an Australian-American business magnate. He is the founder and Chairman and CEO of , the world's second-largest media conglomerate....
's News Corporation
News Corporation
News Corporation or News Corp. is an American multinational media conglomerate. It is the world's second-largest media conglomerate as of 2011 in terms of revenue, and the world's third largest in entertainment as of 2009, although the BBC remains the world's largest broadcaster...
. Prior to purchasing the Dodgers and moving to Los Angeles, McCourt was a Boston real estate developer, whose family resided in Brookline, Massachusetts
Brookline, Massachusetts
Brookline is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States, which borders on the cities of Boston and Newton. As of the 2010 census, the population of the town was 58,732.-Etymology:...
.
Early years and business background
McCourt was raised Roman CatholicRoman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
and attended Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
where he earned an economics degree in 1975. He met his future wife, Jamie McCourt
Jamie McCourt
Jamie McCourt is the former CEO of the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team-Early life:Jamie McCourt was born in Baltimore, Maryland, to Jewish parents. Her father, Jack Luskin, ran the Luskin's chain of appliance stores in Maryland. As a 17-year-old freshman at Georgetown University, she met...
, when they were both freshmen at Georgetown. They married in 1979. The McCourt family has a long association with real estate and construction in the Boston area.
In 1977, Frank McCourt founded The McCourt Company, which specializes in the development of major commercial real estate projects, particularly parking lots.
In the late 1970s McCourt acquired 24 acres (97,124.6 m²) in South Boston from the bankrupt Penn Central railroad and developed the L-shaped property into parking lots.
That property is located here: 42°21′7.81"N 71°2′42.74"W
The McCourt company headquarters moved to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
in 2004 in connection with the family relocating to Los Angeles. The McCourts owned a $16 million, 13000 sq ft (1,207.7 m²) home in Brookline, MA that was acquired by John W. Henry
John W. Henry
John William Henry II is a futures and foreign exchange trading advisor who founded John W. Henry & Company . He is the principal owner of the Boston Red Sox and Liverpool F.C., and co-owner of Roush Fenway Racing. In March 2006, Boston Magazine estimated his net worth at $1.1 billion, but noted...
, owner of the Boston Red Sox.
Failed Red Sox bid
Before buying the Los Angeles DodgersLos Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
, Frank McCourt made a bid to buy his hometown Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
. If he had won the bid, he had planned to build a new stadium on the land he owned and used for parking lots on the South Boston waterfront. Instead, the Red Sox were sold in 2002 to John W. Henry
John W. Henry
John William Henry II is a futures and foreign exchange trading advisor who founded John W. Henry & Company . He is the principal owner of the Boston Red Sox and Liverpool F.C., and co-owner of Roush Fenway Racing. In March 2006, Boston Magazine estimated his net worth at $1.1 billion, but noted...
, Tom Werner
Tom Werner
Thomas Charles "Tom" Werner is an American television producer and businessman who, via his investment in New England Sports Ventures, is chairman of the Boston Red Sox and Liverpool Football Club....
and Red Sox President Larry Lucchino
Larry Lucchino
Lawrence Lucchino, is the current President and CEO of the Boston Red Sox, and a member of John W...
.
McCourt had also tried to buy the Anaheim Angels and Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
before he bought the Dodgers.
McCourt is not the first member of this family to own part or whole of a sports franchise. His grandfather was part-owner of the Boston Braves
Boston Braves
Boston Braves may refer to any of the following American professional sports teams:*Boston Braves , the Major League Baseball team now known as the Atlanta Braves...
.
Purchase of the L.A. Dodgers
After his failed bid to buy the Red Sox he set his sights on the Dodgers. In 2004, McCourt bought the Los Angeles DodgersLos Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
for $
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
430 million from NewsCorp, Rupert Murdoch
Rupert Murdoch
Keith Rupert Murdoch, AC, KSG is an Australian-American business magnate. He is the founder and Chairman and CEO of , the world's second-largest media conglomerate....
's flagship enterprise. McCourt's purchase of the Dodgers was financed mostly by debt.
In 2004 McCourt's South Boston parking lot property was used as collateral for some of the financing to acquire the Dodgers from News Corp. Later the South Boston property was turned over to News Corp. in exchange for canceling acquisition debt. News Corp. received approximately $200 million when they re-sold the property to Morgan Stanley and Boston real estate investor John B. Hynes III in 2006.
The Dodgers assets acquired by McCourt included significant real estate assets related to the stadium in Chavez Ravine, including stadium parking lot land. Plans have been announced for new real estate developments at Dodger Stadium.
To offset the purchase, McCourt has raised ticket and concession prices every year. By April 2009 the team and its related assets, in which McCourt had invested heavily in improvements, had increased in value to $722 million according to Forbes
Forbes
Forbes is an American publishing and media company. Its flagship publication, the Forbes magazine, is published biweekly. Its primary competitors in the national business magazine category are Fortune, which is also published biweekly, and Business Week...
.
In 2010 the value of the team was estimated at $727 million according to Forbes.
Hiring and firing of Paul DePodesta
In 2003 (under News Corp ownership) the Dodger's record was 85 wins, 77 losses. Shortly after purchasing the team, McCourt fired then General Manager Dan EvansDan Evans (baseball)
Dan Evans is an American Major League Baseball executive. He is the former President and CEO of Paragon Sports International and West Coast Sports Management, a baseball representation firm whose headquarters are in Pasadena, CA...
, replacing him with Paul DePodesta
Paul DePodesta
Paul DePodesta is the Vice President of player development and scouting for the New York Mets. He was formerly a Front Office assistant for the San Diego Padres...
. DePodesta is featured (along with Billy Beane
Billy Beane
William Lamar "Billy" Beane III is a former Major League Baseball player and the current general manager and minority owner of the Oakland Athletics...
) in the book Moneyball as it discusses their non-traditional approach to using statistics to manage the Oakland A's. In Los Angeles DePodesta made a blockbuster trade in the middle of the 2004 season: the Dodgers sent the team's starting catcher, Paul LoDuca, its set-up man, pitcher Guillermo Mota
Guillermo Mota
Guillermo Reynoso Mota is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher. He stands tall and weighs . He throws and bats right-handed. Mota has played for the Montreal Expos, the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Florida Marlins, the Cleveland Indians, the New York Mets, the Milwaukee Brewers and the San...
, and outfielder Juan Encarnacion
Juan Encarnación
Juan De Dios Encarnación is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. His last major league team was the St. Louis Cardinals...
to the Florida Marlins
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
for the high on-base percentage first baseman Hee-Seop Choi
Hee-Seop Choi
Hee-Seop Choi is a professional baseball player who has played in the MLB for the Chicago Cubs, Florida Marlins, and the Los Angeles Dodgers. He is a first baseman who bats and throws left-handed. Choi currently plays for the Kia Tigers in the South Korean pro baseball league.-Amateur career:Choi...
and power pitcher
Power pitcher
In baseball, a power pitcher is a pitcher who relies on the velocity of his pitches, sometimes at the expense of accuracy. Power pitchers usually record a high number of strikeouts and statistics such as strikeouts per 9 innings pitched are common measures of power...
Brad Penny
Brad Penny
Bradley Wayne "Brad" Penny is a Major League starting pitcher. Penny has spent portions of his career with the Florida Marlins, Los Angeles Dodgers, Boston Red Sox, San Francisco Giants, St. Louis Cardinals and Detroit Tigers....
and pitching prospect Bill Murphy, who was in turn flipped with Koyie Hill
Koyie Hill
Koyie Dolan Hill is a Major League Baseball catcher for the Chicago Cubs.-Baseball career:While attending Wichita State University, Hill compiled a .355 batting average and 186 RBI primarily as a third baseman....
and Reggie Abercrombie
Reggie Abercrombie
Reginald Damascus Abercrombie is a former Major League Baseball outfielder now playing for the Sioux Falls Fighting Pheasants of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball.-Professional career:...
to the Arizona Diamondbacks
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field...
for Gold Glove center fielder Steve Finley
Steve Finley
Steven Allen Finley is a former Major League Baseball outfielder.-Early life:Finley, who grew up in Paducah, Kentucky, attended Paducah Tilghman High School and Southern Illinois University, where he earned a degree in physiology and played for the baseball team from 1984–87.-College, Team USA,...
and catcher Brent Mayne
Brent Mayne
Brent Danem Mayne is a former Major League Baseball catcher who has played with the Kansas City Royals , New York Mets , Oakland Athletics , San Francisco Giants , Colorado Rockies , Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Dodgers...
. At the time, DePodesta said of Choi, "I think we've acquired one of the better offensive players in the league."
Although Finley hit 13 HRs for the Dodgers in his two months with the team, this trade was a spectacular bust. In the playoff loss to St. Louis that season, Penny did not play, Choi had one at bat (hitless) and Dodger catchers were 3-for-10. Choi batted .161 with 0 HRs for the Dodgers after the trade, though he did walk 11 times in 87 plate appearances.
In 2004
2004 Los Angeles Dodgers season
The 2004 season brought change to the Dodgers as the sale of the franchise to developer Frank McCourt was finalized during spring training. McCourt promptly dismissed General Manager Dan Evans and hired Paul DePodesta to take over the team...
, the Dodgers won the NL West (93 W, 69 L), but lost in four games to the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
in the Divisional Series
2004 National League Division Series
-Atlanta Braves vs. Houston Astros:-Game 1, October 5:Busch Stadium in St. Louis, MissouriOdalis Perez faced Woody Williams in Game 1. Albert Pujols got the Cardinals started with a solo homer to make it 1–0 in the first. Then in the third, Perez reached his limit after surrendering five two-out...
of the playoffs. In the offseason the Dodgers decided not to re-sign Adrián Beltré
Adrián Beltré
Adrián Beltré Pérez is a Major League Baseball third baseman for the Texas Rangers.The youngest player in the National League when he made his major league debut, he has also played for the Los Angeles Dodgers , the Seattle Mariners , the Boston Red Sox , and the Texas Rangers . He bats and...
due to his high contract demands (Beltre finished second in the NL MVP voting and would later sign with Seattle for 5 years/$64 million). DePodesta signed outfielder J.D. Drew for five years at $55 million, sinkerball pitcher Derek Lowe
Derek Lowe
Derek Christopher Lowe is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Cleveland Indians. He throws and bats right-handed. He is 6'6" and 230 pounds.-Early years:...
for four years ($36 million), and All-Star second baseman Jeff Kent
Jeff Kent
Jeffrey Franklin Kent is a retired Major League Baseball second baseman. Kent won the National League Most Valuable Player award in 2000 with the San Francisco Giants, and is the all-time leader in home runs among second basemen...
.
However, the 2005 season
2005 Los Angeles Dodgers season
In 2005, the Los Angeles Dodgers suffered from a rash of injuries to key players such as closer Eric Gagné, shortstop Cesar Izturis and outfielder J.D. Drew and fell to their second worst record in Los Angeles history, finishing in fourth place in the Western Division of the National League...
(71 W, 91 L) was the Dodgers' second-worst record since moving to Los Angeles, due in part to players' injuries. That off-season, manager Jim Tracy was fired. Soon after Tracy was fired, McCourt fired DePodesta and about a month later, hired Ned Colletti
Ned Colletti
Ned Louis Colletti, Jr. is the General Manager for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He previously served as Assistant General Manager for the San Francisco Giants....
to replace him.
Ned Colletti / Joe Torre era
Ned CollettiNed Colletti
Ned Louis Colletti, Jr. is the General Manager for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He previously served as Assistant General Manager for the San Francisco Giants....
's first action as GM was the signing of the former Red Sox manager, Grady Little
Grady Little
William Grady Little is a former manager in Major League Baseball. He managed the Boston Red Sox from 2002 to 2003 and the Los Angeles Dodgers from 2006 to 2007...
. Colletti then signed several veteran players such as Rafael Furcal
Rafael Furcal
Rafael Antonio Furcal , is a Major League Baseball shortstop who is currently a free agent.-Early career:...
, Nomar Garciaparra
Nomar Garciaparra
Anthony Nomar Garciaparra is a former Major League Baseball player. After playing parts of 9 seasons as an All-Star shortstop for the Boston Red Sox, he played third base, first base, and designated hitter for the Oakland Athletics, first base and third base for the Los Angeles Dodgers, and...
, Kenny Lofton
Kenny Lofton
Kenneth Lofton is a former Major League Baseball outfielder known for his great speed on the base paths as well as in the field, award-winning defensive play , timely hitting, and playful spirit. He batted and threw left-handed...
, and Bill Mueller
Bill Mueller
William Richard Mueller is a former Major League Baseball third baseman. Mueller's playing career was spent with the San Francisco Giants , Chicago Cubs , Boston Red Sox , and Los Angeles Dodgers . He won the American League batting title in 2003, and helped the Red Sox win the 2004 World Series...
. These players were among those who led the 2006 Dodgers to the NL Wild Card spot, with an 88–74 record. The Dodgers would get swept by the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
in the National League Division Series
2006 National League Division Series
-San Diego Padres vs. St. Louis Cardinals:-New York vs. Los Angeles:The series seemed over for the Mets before it even started, first by losing ace Pedro Martínez for the postseason and then losing probable Game 1 starter Orlando Hernández. Despite having a potent offense, many people didn't seem...
. In the winter of 2006–07 the team signed Juan Pierre
Juan Pierre
Juan D'Vaughn Pierre is an outfielder in Major League Baseball who is currently a free agent. He bats and throws left-handed....
, Jason Schmidt
Jason Schmidt
Jason David Schmidt , is a former American Major League Baseball pitcher.Schmidt was born in Lewiston, Idaho. In his career he has played for the Los Angeles Dodgers , San Francisco Giants , Pittsburgh Pirates and Atlanta Braves , by whom he had been drafted in the eighth round, 206th overall, of...
, and Luis Gonzalez
Luis Gonzalez (baseball outfielder)
Luis Emilio Gonzalez , nicknamed "Gonzo", is a retired Major League Baseball outfielder. A Cuban-American, Gonzalez spent his best years with the Arizona Diamondbacks and was one of the most popular players in that organization's history...
.
In October 2007, Grady Little resigned and Joe Torre
Joe Torre
Joseph Paul Torre is a former American professional baseball player and manager who currently serves as Major League Baseball’s Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations. A nine-time All-Star, he played in Major League Baseball as a catcher, first baseman and a third baseman for the...
was hired as their new manager. In 2008 with Torre, Ned Colletti
Ned Colletti
Ned Louis Colletti, Jr. is the General Manager for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He previously served as Assistant General Manager for the San Francisco Giants....
signed Andruw Jones
Andruw Jones
Andruw Rudolf Jones is a Major League Baseball outfielder who is a free agent.Jones made his debut during the 1996 season. In the 1996 World Series, Jones became the youngest player to ever homered in the postseason...
, Hiroki Kuroda
Hiroki Kuroda
is a professional baseball player from Osaka, Japan who is currently a free agent. He is a starting pitcher, who most recently pitched for the Los Angeles Dodgers .-Early days:...
, and Chan Ho Park. During the trade deadline the Dodgers acquired Manny Ramirez
Manny Ramírez
Manuel "Manny" Arístides Ramírez Onelcida is a retired Dominican-American professional baseball outfielder. He was recognized for great batting skill and power, a nine-time Silver Slugger and one of 25 players to hit 500 career home runs. Ramirez's 21 grand slams are third all-time, and his 28...
in a trade with the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
.
In 2007 Dr. Charles Steinberg was hired as Executive Vice President, Marketing and Public Relations of the Dodgers after working with the Boston Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles. In 2009 he was reported to be on his way out and was said to be allied with Jamie McCourt and had lost influence as she did, according to a report in the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
.
Divorce proceedings
On October 14, 2009 it was announced the McCourts would be separating after nearly 30 years of marriage. While speculation was raised on the impact upon the McCourt family and Dodger ownership, a spokesperson for Jamie McCourtJamie McCourt
Jamie McCourt is the former CEO of the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team-Early life:Jamie McCourt was born in Baltimore, Maryland, to Jewish parents. Her father, Jack Luskin, ran the Luskin's chain of appliance stores in Maryland. As a 17-year-old freshman at Georgetown University, she met...
said the following day that "the focus of the Dodgers is on the playoffs and the World Series." Jamie was fired from her position as Dodgers CEO on Thursday, October 22, 2009, the day after the Dodgers were eliminated from the playoffs, thus ending the reign of the self-proclaimed "First Female CEO of a Baseball Team." She officially filed for divorce shortly thereafter. Frank McCourt then accused her of having an affair with her driver and changed the locks on her office. The pending divorce will settle the issue of Dodgers ownership. He has claimed that the divorce has "no bearing on the team whatsoever."
On December 7, 2010 the judge in the divorce case of the McCourts invalidated the post-nuptial marital property agreement ("MPA") that Frank McCourt had claimed provided him with sole ownership of the Dodgers. In the wake of this decision, Frank McCourt's lawyers said that Frank would use other legal avenues to establish his sole ownership of the Dodgers, while Jamie McCourt's lawyers said that Jamie would be confirmed as the co-owner of the team as community property of their marriage.
On June 17, 2011, Frank & Jamie reached agreement on a settlement of their divorce. The settlement was contingent upon Major League Baseball approving a 17-year television contract between the Dodgers and FOX Television. The discussion set aside the Dodgers ownership issue until a scheduled one-day trial on August 4, whereupon if the judge sided with Frank he would keep the team and pay a settlement fee to Jamie and if the judge sided with her the team would be sold. However, on June 20, baseball rejected the television deal and the settlement agreement fell apart.
On October 17, 2011 the McCourts reached a settlement in their divorce case where Jamie would receive about $130 million and relinquish her claims on the Dodgers. This ended what is widely believed to be the costliest divorce in California history.
Dodgers' Dream Foundation scandal
In 2010, it was revealed that then California Attorney GeneralCalifornia Attorney General
The California Attorney General is the State Attorney General of California. The officer's duty is to ensure that "the laws of the state are uniformly and adequately enforced" The Attorney General carries out the responsibilities of the office through the California Department of Justice.The...
Jerry Brown
Jerry Brown
Edmund Gerald "Jerry" Brown, Jr. is an American politician. Brown served as the 34th Governor of California , and is currently serving as the 39th California Governor...
was opening an investigation into the Dodger's charitable foundation, the Dodgers' Dream Foundation. According to tax returns, the charity's chief executive Howard Sunkin, earned a salary of nearly $400,000 per year, almost a quarter of the foundation's entire budget. Sunkin is a close associate of McCourt and has worked with him during his divorce proceedings. The courts eventually awarded the funds to be repaid and McCourt personally repaid $100,000.
Ownership dispute with Major League Baseball and Bankruptcy
In April 2011, Baseball Commissioner Bud SeligBud Selig
Allan Huber "Bud" Selig is the ninth and current Commissioner of Major League Baseball, having served in that capacity since 1992 as the acting commissioner, and as the official commissioner since 1998...
announced that MLB would be appointing a representative to oversee the day-to-day operations of the Dodgers. His statement said that he took that action because of his "deep concerns for the finances and operations" of the Dodgers. This event occurred shortly after an LA Times report that McCourt had obtained a personal loan from Fox
Fox Entertainment Group
The Fox Entertainment Group is an American entertainment industry company that owns film studios and terrestrial, cable, and direct broadcast satellite television properties...
to cover the team's payroll for April and May.
McCourt vigorously disputed MLB's actions. Nevertheless, Selig appointed former diplomat and former Texas Rangers executive Tom Schieffer
Tom Schieffer
John Thomas Schieffer, known as Tom Schieffer , is an American diplomat who served as U.S. Ambassador to Japan from 2005 to 2009 and as U.S. Ambassador to Australia from 2001 to 2005. Schieffer is a friend and former business partner of President George W. Bush. He is the younger brother of Bob...
to oversee the Dodgers' finances.
On June 27, the Dodgers filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection.
After much legal wrangling between McCouts lawyers and MLB lawyers in bankruptcy court, he reached a deal with the league to put the team up for sale.
Dodgers ownership record
| Season | Wins | Losses | Chg wins | Manager | Ownership |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 93 | 69 | +8 | Jim Tracy | McCourt |
| 2005 | 71 | 91 | -22 | Jim Tracy | McCourt |
| 2006 | 88 | 74 | +17 | Grady Little Grady Little William Grady Little is a former manager in Major League Baseball. He managed the Boston Red Sox from 2002 to 2003 and the Los Angeles Dodgers from 2006 to 2007... |
McCourt |
| 2007 | 82 | 80 | -6 | Grady Little | McCourt |
| 2008 | 84 | 78 | +2 | Joe Torre Joe Torre Joseph Paul Torre is a former American professional baseball player and manager who currently serves as Major League Baseball’s Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations. A nine-time All-Star, he played in Major League Baseball as a catcher, first baseman and a third baseman for the... |
McCourt |
| 2009 | 95 | 67 | +11 | Joe Torre | McCourt |
| 2010 | 80 | 82 | -15 | Joe Torre | McCourt |
| 2011 | 82 | 79 | +2 | Don Mattingly Don Mattingly Donald Arthur "Don" Mattingly is a former Major League Baseball first baseman and current manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Nicknamed "The Hit Man" and "Donnie Baseball", he played his entire 14-year baseball career for the New York Yankees... |
McCourt |
Family history of sports ownership
Frank McCourt's grandfather was part owner of the Boston BravesAtlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
along with Lou Perini
Lou Perini
Louis R. Perini was the principal owner of the Boston/Milwaukee Braves of the National League from through . In 1945, he purchased the club from Bob Quinn, and he moved the club to Milwaukee, Wisconsin for the season after complaining of poor attendance and revenue in Boston...
and others.
Charity and community
Like his grandfather who started the Jimmy Fund foundation, Frank McCourt has started ThinkCure to fight cancer. He is also a contributor to the Dodger Dream foundation.Frank McCourt is a member of the Board of Directors of Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
.
Family business
Frank McCourt's estranged wife, Jamie McCourtJamie McCourt
Jamie McCourt is the former CEO of the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team-Early life:Jamie McCourt was born in Baltimore, Maryland, to Jewish parents. Her father, Jack Luskin, ran the Luskin's chain of appliance stores in Maryland. As a 17-year-old freshman at Georgetown University, she met...
, had been Vice Chairman, CEO and President of the Dodgers organization. Their son Drew McCourt has been director of marketing.