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BluePastorKyle:That's very disappointing. I wonder how Plashke heard about it. I suppose someone inside tipped him to it, which is fine.
What are the Dodgers thinking? Now's the time to sit tight and not do something stupid like this while the divorce is giving such bad press. Why pile it on? Logan White's comments aren't helpful either, as he should have just said, "no comment." But he tries to defend it. Until I got to that part, I was thinking there has to be another side to this story. But apparently, there is not. They truly cut Genovese's salary for no apparent reason.
You're right Greg, that's shameful. Why not just give the man a severance package of $36,000 (2-year's pay) and ask him to retire if you don't appreciate his lack of computing skills? I could understand that kind of move. Perhaps Genovese is so old-school that he refuses to use computers, so it's understandable if they'd just rather cut him loose. But to cut his salary and ask him to continue to scout when you don't even appreciate his work? It says he hasn't yet signed a major leaguer for the Dodgers in 15 years. Fine, cut him loose. But why string him along and risk it getting out into the public like this? It's just stupid.
I wonder if Logan had to read from a prepared script. That just doesn't sound like him. Hell, for all we know, he was told to spin it good on the McCourts or they/he would cut all of his scouts. At this point, conspiracy theories is all we have, but it I would not put this past these clowns. This is just the beginning. I am sure worse stuff will be coming out about the ownership of this team and we will have Bud Lite and his cronies running the team.
I'll play the radio on Southern stations because Southern Belles are Hell at night...grabarkewitz:I wonder if Logan had to read from a prepared script. That just doesn't sound like him. Hell, for all we know, he was told to spin it good on the McCourts or they/he would cut all of his scouts. At this point, conspiracy theories is all we have, but it I would not put this past these clowns. This is just the beginning. I am sure worse stuff will be coming out about the ownership of this team and we will have Bud Lite and his cronies running the team.
Also, TJ Simers' interview with Hot Lips is a must-read. She's trying to portray herself as a baseball girl and that she was the one spearheading the Joe Torre hiring and all that. She later throws Frank under the bus by saying that she opposed raising ticket prices but that Frank wanted to raise them anyway because he's the "real estate guy".
JamesMiranda:Also, TJ Simers' interview with Hot Lips is a must-read. She's trying to portray herself as a baseball girl and that she was the one spearheading the Joe Torre hiring and all that. She later throws Frank under the bus by saying that she opposed raising ticket prices but that Frank wanted to raise them anyway because he's the "real estate guy".
Yeah, that was nearly a puff piece by Simers. I haven't seen this much hard hitting journalism since my last birthday card. Wow, talk about spin. I still want to punch Frank in the throat and drop Hot Lips off a cliff. Simers' interview just made me want to do it myself instead of hiring someone to do it.
I'll play the radio on Southern stations because Southern Belles are Hell at night...grabarkewitz:Yeah, that was nearly a puff piece by Simers. I haven't seen this much hard hitting journalism since my last birthday card. Wow, talk about spin. I still want to punch Frank in the throat and drop Hot Lip off a cliff. Simers' interview just made me want to do it myself instead of hiring someone to do it.
They're really not doing themselves any favors by throwing each other under the bus. Who'd want to be investment partners with these two idiots? I hope they sell the Dodgers.
JamesMiranda:They're really not doing themselves any favors by throwing each other under the bus. Who'd want to be investment partners with these two idiots? I hope they sell the Dodgers.
The part that made me laugh was Hot Lips worrying about how this will affect her kids. Yeah, like Drew will even notice that his parents are getting a divorce. That one is working his way through the Hollywood Starlet Network and the only time he will likely notice something amiss is if his trust fund goes kaput. I mean, the clown wasn't in LA a week before he was trying to be another notch on Shannen Doherty's bedpost.
I'll play the radio on Southern stations because Southern Belles are Hell at night...bigblaster:I love the Los Angeles Dodgers, but SHAME ON THEM:
http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-plaschke12-2009nov12,0,2601997,full.column
On the surface it sounds lame, and petty, but a couple of things in the article stood out to me the most:
"I know this is a different era, but baseball is baseball, isn't it?" said Genovese, who has yet to sign a Dodger who has made it to the major leagues "
So, you're telling me this guy has been on the payroll for 15 years and he hasn't signed ONE player that made it to the major leagues?
"but has tipped other scouts on hundreds of local players he knows better than anyone."
Do any of them have names? I'm thinking that if one of these nameless players had actually turned out to be golden, Plaschke would have managed to squeeze it in the headline.
No doubt, this guy seems like a legend in the business, and a heck of a great guy, but it's pretty obvious to me that the Dodgers haven't gotten much out of his employment for the past 15 years. On the surface, it looks like a sad story that tugs at the heartstrings, but realistically, it looks like a pretty reasonable business decision to me.
bigblaster:I love the Los Angeles Dodgers, but SHAME ON THEM:
http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-plaschke12-2009nov12,0,2601997,full.column
I'm sure the gentleman is/was a great scout, and I trust the old time scouts more than any. However, the article said he never signed anyone who played for the Dodgers and at age 87, it's time to cut back. How many organizations keep an employee in any capacity into their 70's, much less 80's. Most are cutting packages when the employee is in his fifties.
Just another case of PlassHat trying to make a big deal out of normal attrition.
GenericFan:On the surface it sounds lame, and petty, but a couple of things in the article stood out to me the most:
"I know this is a different era, but baseball is baseball, isn't it?" said Genovese, who has yet to sign a Dodger who has made it to the major leagues "
So, you're telling me this guy has been on the payroll for 15 years and he hasn't signed ONE player that made it to the major leagues?
"but has tipped other scouts on hundreds of local players he knows better than anyone."
Do any of them have names? I'm thinking that if one of these nameless players had actually turned out to be golden, Plaschke would have managed to squeeze it in the headline.
No doubt, this guy seems like a legend in the business, and a heck of a great guy, but it's pretty obvious to me that the Dodgers haven't gotten much out of his employment for the past 15 years. On the surface, it looks like a sad story that tugs at the heartstrings, but realistically, it looks like a pretty reasonable business decision to me.
This story probably isn't worth the ink that Plass-hat applied to it, but $10K isn't much savings to a major sports franchise that is currently fighting a losing battle on the PR front. Even 10 or 20 times this "savings" is chicken feed to a team sending execs on junkets to the Middle East and Europe during the season, which is an image that gets dredged up by being so penny-ante with people not named McCourt.
Foolishness all around, but the club was just asking for this spectacle with such a move at such a time. Of course, they just fired their squadron of PR flacks !
Every silver lining has a cloud.kennerbuggy:This story probably isn't worth the ink that Plass-hat applied to it, but $10K isn't much savings to a major sports franchise that is currently fighting a losing battle on the PR front. Even 10 or 20 times this "savings" is chicken feed to a team sending execs on junkets to the Middle East and Europe during the season, which is an image that gets dredged up by being so penny-ante with people not named McCourt.
Foolishness all around, but the club was just asking for this spectacle with such a move at such a time. Of course, they just fired their squadron of PR flacks !
Point is, if they had just told him Adios at 87, would that have been such a bad thing? Instead, they kept him on the payroll, admittedly at a token salary, but how many people are retained at any salary or in any capacity at that age. The press can spin it any way they want, and the bleeding hearts will be wringing their collective hands.
GenericFan:On the surface it sounds lame, and petty, but a couple of things in the article stood out to me the most:
"I know this is a different era, but baseball is baseball, isn't it?" said Genovese, who has yet to sign a Dodger who has made it to the major leagues "
So, you're telling me this guy has been on the payroll for 15 years and he hasn't signed ONE player that made it to the major leagues?
"but has tipped other scouts on hundreds of local players he knows better than anyone."
Do any of them have names? I'm thinking that if one of these nameless players had actually turned out to be golden, Plaschke would have managed to squeeze it in the headline.
No doubt, this guy seems like a legend in the business, and a heck of a great guy, but it's pretty obvious to me that the Dodgers haven't gotten much out of his employment for the past 15 years. On the surface, it looks like a sad story that tugs at the heartstrings, but realistically, it looks like a pretty reasonable business decision to me.
Given that the Dodgers haven't developed a local player to be a star in quite a long spell, one has to wonder if that is Genovese's fault or the lack of acumen of our development staff. Not blaming Logan White. But, we haven't spent a number one pick on a local player since Bill Bene. I know Greg Miller was a sandwich pick, but our crack medical staff screwed that one up. Since 2000, the only local, top ten pick, we have drafted and made the show is Delwyn Young. I know there is no paucity of talent in the Valley, so either Genovese is being ignored and should be given a gold watch or the Dodgers don't want local players since the Strawberry/Davis fiasco. Granted, this is Plass-Hat, so this could be no more than piling on of the McCourts, which I encourage.
I'll play the radio on Southern stations because Southern Belles are Hell at night...kennerbuggy:This story probably isn't worth the ink that Plass-hat applied to it, but $10K isn't much savings to a major sports franchise that is currently fighting a losing battle on the PR front. Even 10 or 20 times this "savings" is chicken feed to a team sending execs on junkets to the Middle East and Europe during the season, which is an image that gets dredged up by being so penny-ante with people not named McCourt.
Foolishness all around, but the club was just asking for this spectacle with such a move at such a time. Of course, they just fired their squadron of PR flacks !
There it is, Ken. I am sure some recently fired employee put Plass-Hat on this, because the fat bastid couldn't find a story, or his ass, on his very best day. Let's face it, the McCourts are their worst enemy. Right now, their name is dirt in LA and each and every time they open their mouths, they bury themselves deeper and deeper. Hell, I think the only place they are popular is San Francisco.
I'll play the radio on Southern stations because Southern Belles are Hell at night...JamesMiranda:Also, TJ Simers' interview with Hot Lips is a must-read. She's trying to portray herself as a baseball girl and that she was the one spearheading the Joe Torre hiring and all that. She later throws Frank under the bus by saying that she opposed raising ticket prices but that Frank wanted to raise them anyway because he's the "real estate guy".
Yeah, given that Kevin Malone became "Sheriff Dodger Boy" for his asinine self-aggrandizing, I move that we add "Baseball Girl" to the nickname list for Hot Lips.
The Easternmost in Quality...the Westernmost in Flavor!!bigblaster:Yeah, given that Kevin Malone became "Sheriff Dodger Boy" for his asinine self-aggrandizing, I move that we add "Baseball Girl" to the nickname list for Hot Lips.
Baseball Girl might work for those of us who don't remember MASH and the Frank & Hot Lips connotation.
I'll play the radio on Southern stations because Southern Belles are Hell at night...So ... at the hearing today they set two dates, one in March for spousal support and the big one is on May 24, where the validity of the document Frank is using to claim sole ownership of the Dodgers will be questioned. This means that this ordeal will likely not be settled until next off-season.
Jamie's attorney warned everyone to be ready for "many bombshells" to come ... oy vey. I'm just rooting for a trainwreck so we can get these jack-asses outta here. Make it ugly, make it in public, and make each other look like the complete morons each of you actually are. Sweet.
The mad scientist formerly known as ngrossDoppelgangBang:So ... at the hearing today they set two dates, one in March for spousal support and the big one is on May 24, where the validity of the document Frank is using to claim sole ownership of the Dodgers will be questioned. This means that this ordeal will likely not be settled until next off-season.
Jamie's attorney warned everyone to be ready for "many bombshells" to come ... oy vey. I'm just rooting for a trainwreck so we can get these jack-asses outta here. Make it ugly, make it in public, and make each other look like the complete morons each of you actually are. Sweet.
I just read this at DT. I concur on your timeframe, Nick. But, things will go easier on the sale thing if Frank's "sole" ownership is nothing more than Frank's wishful thinking, that would be great. But, I am thinking that Frank won't even contemplate a sale until he makes his first alimony payment.
I'll play the radio on Southern stations because Southern Belles are Hell at night...grabarkewitz:I just read this at DT. I concur on your timeframe, Nick. But, things will go easier on the sale thing if Frank's "sole" ownership is nothing more than Frank's wishful thinking, that would be great. But, I am thinking that Frank won't even contemplate a sale until he makes his first alimony payment.
The main problem is that Franko hit the lottery on this bet, buying the Dodgers. He hasta know that he will have a hard time finding another money tree like this one, so he figures to hang on for dear life.
Every silver lining has a cloud.kennerbuggy:The main problem is that Franko hit the lottery on this bet, buying the Dodgers. He hasta know that he will have a hard time finding another money tree like this one, so he figures to hang on for dear life.
Man, that is really depressing.
www.shmolnick.comkennerbuggy:The main problem is that Franko hit the lottery on this bet, buying the Dodgers. He hasta know that he will have a hard time finding another money tree like this one, so he figures to hang on for dear life.
The thing is, we don't know how leveraged the team is, at this point. If he is giving Hot Lips some serious alimony along with paying for all the houses and whatnot, he could be in some serious shirt. It could even be worse if he has to give half of the team to Hot Lips. There is no way he can continue to make his loan payments with half of the Dodgers. I mean, it appears that he is barely making them with full ownership, if he is living from paycheck to paycheck - as he claims.
I'll play the radio on Southern stations because Southern Belles are Hell at night...grabarkewitz:The thing is, we don't know how leveraged the team is, at this point. If he is giving Hot Lips some serious alimony along with paying for all the houses and whatnot, he could be in some serious shirt. It could even be worse if he has to give half of the team to Hot Lips. There is no way he can continue to make his loan payments with half of the Dodgers. I mean, it appears that he is barely making them with full ownership, if he is living from paycheck to paycheck - as he claims.
I have little doubt that the McCourt's are WAY strung out financially. but the little f'er Franko sounds like he is trying to leverage the acreage around DS to create some financial room.
We have to understand that Frank and Hot Lips are darn near grifters - they have scammed, inflated and swapped one asset after another. If the Dodgers are "earning" (Sopranos connotation) $50M in cash and $30M in debt service per year for the McCourts they are loath to give this up. Frank is bound to view the current situation as a short-term bind that he can buy himself out of with a little more liquid cash - thus the impingement on Dodger payroll and scamming every other asset he has.
Every silver lining has a cloud.Sounds like it's time for a visit of the McCheap household by cousin Vinnie Grabarkewitz...!
"Yo, I'm gonna fix you Frankie...! Mr. Grabarkewitz says he has some special plans for youse (sic) and your pretty little wife. He tells me dat (sic) we can do this the easy way... or I getta do it da (sic) fun way...!"
Michael MahlerApparently, former super agent and currently an executive with the White Sox, is part of a group interested in buying the Rangers. It appears that his group is on the outside, now that MLB has given the group headed by former player and current Ranger executive, Nolan Ryan a 30 day window to purchase the club from current owner Tom Hicks.
Rosenthal notes that Gilbert "possibly" be interested in purchasing the Astros or "his hometown Dodgers" if they are put up for sale.
Dennis Gilbert, with the proper financing, could be a great Dodgers owner. Wasn't he insturmental in building the field for the RBI effort in South L.A.? He's already qualified to take over Jamie's previous role as CEO, or whatever.
Seriously, ANYBODY with money and an interest in winning would be welcome with open arms.
SamAdams:Dennis Gilbert, with the proper financing, could be a great Dodgers owner. Wasn't he insturmental in building the field for the RBI effort in South L.A.? He's already qualified to take over Jamie's previous role as CEO, or whatever.
Seriously, ANYBODY with money and an interest in winning would be welcome with open arms.
I was always leery of an agent being an owner - figured they would be in it to line their pockets and run away in the night. But, after watching Moorad work with the Snakes and his latest venture, the Padres, I am less inclined to be distrustful of agents as owners. Given that we have had two very bad owners in a row, Gilbert would likely be a breath of fresh air. I would think he would have no problem putting together an ownership group that is well-heeled and actually likes baseball.
The only thing keeping this from happening is Frank actually thinking he can hack it as an underfunded owner of a big market team. The man has all the mental acumen of a snake. He knows how set himself up, but anything else he does turns to manure. Just check out his ability to finish any project he has started. He usually bails when the cost overruns start to hit. Hell, he couldn't even develop one of the great pieces of property in the western world and even though he has made a big show of "upgrading" Dodger Stadium, what has he really done that was earth-shattering?
I'll play the radio on Southern stations because Southern Belles are Hell at night...Dennis Gilbert sits in the front row behind home plate at practically every Dodger home game. I've seen him chatting with Larry King pretty often. Maybe Larry might be interested in being part of an ownership group. It might give him the opportunity to actually get to know Sandy Koufax.
Willie:Dennis Gilbert sits in the front row behind home plate at practically every Dodger home game. I've seen him chatting with Larry King pretty often. Maybe Larry might be interested in being part of an ownership group. It might give him the opportunity to actually get to know Sandy Koufax.
Is he the guy married to the frizzy blond lady? Always wears a suit? Except on weekend games. I always wondered who that was, and was impressed that he was pretty much there all the time. He didn't give his seats away much.
- Kyle... CrossRoads ChurchI always wondered also, until a commenter on Dodger Thoughts identified him as Dennis Gilbert a few months ago. I've often seen him sitting next to the frizzy blond lady.
Edit: Yes, he always wears a suit, except on weekends.
BLUEFAN:Apparently, former super agent and currently an executive with the White Sox, is part of a group interested in buying the Rangers. It appears that his group is on the outside, now that MLB has given the group headed by former player and current Ranger executive, Nolan Ryan a 30 day window to purchase the club from current owner Tom Hicks.
Rosenthal notes that Gilbert "possibly" be interested in purchasing the Astros or "his hometown Dodgers" if they are put up for sale.
Interesting.
It's nice to ponder a name who seems to have the $ and the interest to run an MLB team. Eli Broad has loads of cash but I never got the feeling that he was much of a sports, especially baseball fan.
Still, the sorta smart, savvy person we would want as an owner would probably be best served waiting for Frank to dig himself an ever bigger hole before making a serious move, and hope to get the Dodgers for under $600M instead of over $700M. Franko of course will try to hold out for $1B or so.
Every silver lining has a cloud.kennerbuggy:Interesting.
It's nice to ponder a name who seems to have the $ and the interest to run an MLB team. Eli Broad has loads of cash but I never got the feeling that he was much of a sports, especially baseball fan.
Still, the sorta smart, savvy person we would want as an owner would probably be best served waiting for Frank to dig himself an ever bigger hole before making a serious move, and hope to get the Dodgers for under $600M instead of over $700M. Franko of course will try to hold out for $1B or so.
If Frank has to end up giving Hot Lips half of the family net worth, he might need $1B for the Dodgers to have enough to pay their creditors, her, plus the capital gains taxes on the team. When he sells he'll have a big profit on the team and an even bigger taxable profit when you consider the depreciation he undoubtedly took. Uncle Sam and the State of California will be looking for mucho dinero from Frankie.
beefchopper:If Frank has to end up giving Hot Lips half of the family net worth, he might need $1B for the Dodgers to have enough to pay their creditors, her, plus the capital gains taxes on the team. When he sells he'll have a big profit on the team and an even bigger taxable profit when you consider the depreciation he undoubtedly took. Uncle Sam and the State of California will be looking for mucho dinero from Frankie.
You gotta think that their shell game will catch up to them eventually. Their history is full of huge gambles that have paid off for the most part, especially the more recent set of moves. I tend to think they were just a few years from trouble with their Bahstahn land with their ever more lavish lifestyle, expenses and deferred commitments. Had they still been holding that property when the real estate bust hit a couple of years ago, it may have tipped them over. Major sports franchises are about as recession proof as it gets.
Franko's MO is to commit to yet another big gamble as opposed to trying to lessen exposure when he gets in a bind. In the present case that would be trying to portray the value of the Dodgers as $1B or more to make a killing if he has to sell, as opposed to reducing the drain on team revenues to hunker down a bit. I don't know that there is any room left to increase revenues appreciably from baseball operations, and The Brand can't seem to constrain themselves in terms of sucking huge $ out of the club, so Franko needs to find a way to create more income from this asset, his only one.
If you are a potential buyer and Frank won't take your calls, about all you can do is sit back and hope he rolls snake eyes this time around. If Frank gets behind in debt payments and can't suck enough $ out of the club he could be forced to sell some highly leveraged real property - which apparently Hot Lips is in control of. He is gonna need some magic to manage a possible debt bomb, but he has pulled a rabbit out of the hat before.
Of course, this is all based on my speculation that The Brand has simply dug themselves into ever more debt as they sucked ever more $ out of the Dodgers. If they can't get by sucking less out of the team and many of those debt-burdened assets are now worth less than the debt, they could be in a real squeeze.
And then there is the divorce.
It could be the Perfect Storm for them.
Every silver lining has a cloud.Ever since this story broke I've been thinking about what I'm about to say and am surprised I haven't read it elsewhere. Maybe somebody has brought it up but I haven't seen it. If I was a businessman with enough money in today's banking environment and wanted to own the Dodgers on the cheap, I would go around the carpetbagger and buy the paper directly from banks that hold the paper and foreclose on Frankie. There is no way of knowing exactly what the paper would sell for but if you are to believe CNBC, maybe 60 cents on the dollar. There is no way in he!! Frankie is in compliance with all of his covenants either. The most glaring to me would be a liquidity covenant. Here's the greatest part, somebody can only get a note that size with pretty much all cash meaning the extinguishment of all debt. It's really a very common practice. Billionaire corporate raider Carl Icahn is doing the EXACT same thing in Vegas with the failed Fountainblue property. Too bad I'm a few hundred million shy. Anybody want to front me? I'll be able to turn this thing around in before game 1.