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Why The Pain Has Just Begun For Dodgers Fans

by Miguel Salcido on April 24, 2011 in Breaking News, Dodgers

Most Dodgers fans are happy and excited about the prospect of MLB stepping in and righting the ship. Many realize that we do have a long hard road ahead of us but that in the long run the series of events that are about to unfold are required. I’m here to predict that the road will be much longer, and harder, than anyone has imagined thus far.

It has occured to me just this morning, like a glimmering Easter egg hidden amongst the bush. McCourt has EVERYONE by the balls!

Frank McCourt’s Leverage

  • I believe that McCourt has purposely split the Dodgers and all the land around Dodger stadium, including the parking lot. Remember that the sale of the team included ALL of that land at Chavez Ravine? PRIME real estate. Many said that alone was worth $400M!! Frank is an @ss but he ain’t no dummy. Now, if the team is forced away from him he can and will make things impossible because he owns all the land around the stadium separately and MLB cannot wrestle that away from him!

….the fact Dodger Stadium and the parking lot are separate companies from the Dodgers, which could muck up a sale. (via Mike Waldner – DailyBreeze.com)

  • Although Frank cannot sue MLB, he can go after Selig personally. And if there is an attempt to take the team away from him you can bet your bottom that Selig will be in court for years to come. This is the ONE thing that Selig has fears over and is what has delayed his moves. He sacked up and went ahead with these moves anyways but you can bet that he’ll be playing his cards VERY carefully. I mean, with a $3 billion dollar deal on the table Frank may have a case if that opportunity is taken away from him.

These two things that Frank has positioned himself so strategically around are called LEVERAGE, and Frank is the king of leverage. When he signed that agreement to join the MLB owners club he knew that he could leverage these two things to subvert the restrictions in that contract. Sly bastard.

Let’s Not Forget About Bud Selig

Selig has totally screwed the Dodgers. He pushed the sale to McCourt so much that there was no bidding, no competition for the sale. But Fox was having a hard time lining potential buyers up at $400M, now the club is said to be worth $800M. I’m not sure that there will be a long line of buyers at that price now, especially with the economy down and Frank owning all the land around the stadium.

I almost feel that Seligis on the Yankees payroll. It is a plot to kill the second largest market in MLB, the only other club that has even the slightest potential to be as big as the Yankees. It is even said that Selig and Jerry Reinsdorf pushed O’malley out of the owners club back in the day! That alone started a series of events that have lead to a decade or instability for the club. Selig is also screwing Oakland for the past 4 years by not allowing them to move the club to San Jose like they want and everyone in he Bay Area wants.

 

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Just Another Reason to Hate the MLBPA

by Miguel Salcido on March 22, 2009 in Breaking News

The economy is in shambles, almost one in every ten people in some states are unemployed, people are losing their houses, and it would seem like a great time for those more fortunate to give back. Right?

It was reported by ESPN today that the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) filed a grievance against the clubs because of the Dodgers new “Ramirez” provision which calls for a charitable donation in all contracts from now on.

Manny Ramirez accepted a 2 year $45 million deal on March 4th. At the same time he made a $1million dollar donation to the Dodgers Dream Foundation at the request of the Dodgers owner Frank McCourt. Now it is not known if McCourt asked for that much or if Manny generously offered up the million after being asked for just a donation. But McCourt vowed that he would require all contracts from the Dodgers to have a “Ramirez” provision.

This provision is a blank line for the player to write in an amount that they want to donate to charity. So it does not require a certain amount, as long as it’s something. It could be a dollar or a million. But the player that donates more will certainly benefit from the positive image it creates for them in their new team’s city.

Back to the grievance. The MLBPA’s lawyer feels that its fine for players to make donations whenever THEY want to, but that forcing players to make a donation was not allowed under the current agreement.

The Executive VP of Labor Relations, Rob Manfred, says that it’s totally fine and that teams have been doing it for years. He says that as long as it is a club policy and is adhered to then clubs are free to bargain with players and make special pacts.

“Article II of baseball’s labor agreement states contracts can include special covenants which actually or potentially provide additional benefits to the player. We’re at a loss to understand how the MLBPA could possibly take the position that making a charitable donation does not provide a benefit to the player,” says Manfred.

Frank McCourt was surprised by the news when asked about it today but I feel that he put it best in his statements below.

“I have not seen the grievance, but I find it odd that in these challenging times, that we encounter a complaint against the idea of players giving back to the communities that support them,” he said in a statement. “We believe there are qualities that represent the Dodger way. The player’s contributions to the team, appreciation of the fans, and impact on such a supportive community all combine to help our organization live up to our core values. We seek players who embrace these values. The Ramirez provision is a blank line to be filled in with whatever number a player chooses.”

Way to go Frank! The MLBPA needs to pull their heads out and open up THEIR pocket books, along with the players and continue to give back to their communities and help those less fortunate than them.

The grievance was filed Friday and if it’s not settled it will go to arbitrator Shyam Das for a decision.

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