I Sense Some Surprise

Maybe its me, but with yesterdays story regarding the potential insolvency of the Dodgers- i.e. their inability to meet payroll and other obligations over the next couple of months- does not strike me as revelatory. I saw it as nothing more than what we should be expecting to find from MLB's investigation of the Dodgers.

Look at it this way, if McCourt needed to take out a $30Mil loan from Fox to cover payroll for that month, then it stands to reason that the same will need to be done for subsequent months. This is one of the reasons why McCourt has been pushing so hard for MLB's approval of the new cable TV deal. After all, that deal would provide significant cash up front for the purpose of meeting immediate payroll obligations. I see this as being no different that what I saw one afternoon while watching the show "Pawn Stars." A guy came in wanting to sell a tricked out motorcycle and stated to the proprietors that he needed to cover payroll for his employees. It's a certain act of desperation that, unless there is an immediate influx of cash at the ready, always leads to the insolvency of that business. It's par for the course, and unfortunately our Dodgers are right in the middle of it.

Right now, McCourt is between a rock and a hard place. He is trying to put on a straight face with the ever diminishing hope that he can gather up the cash to remain in business. I believe this will not be the case.

At this point I would expect the league to take over the Dodgers, expend league funds to meet immediate obligations, bill those funds plus interest to the Dodgers, and sell the team to a owner more desirable to MLB. And as I stated before, it will sell not at the highest price, but at a level that allows the new ownership group to operate the team at a efficient and effective manner.

Sure, McCourt and his ex-wife will ultimately get less than if they sold the team themselves, but at least they'll still come out economically better off then when they first came into town. And we Dodger fans can finally (hopefully) get an owner we can be proud of. Hopefully, being the operative term here.

2011 Topps Attax Dodgers

Topps just released their 3rd annual Attax Baseball game card set. Here are the Dodger players from the set. What I found interesting are some of the "facts" found on the cards. Other than that, I have no idea what the numbers refer to. Anyone know how to play this game?

13 Andre Ethier

56 Clayton Kershaw

Here's something interesting. According to this card Kershaw is the grand nephew of the guy who discovered Pluto- Clyde Tombaugh.

103 James Loney

128 Juan Uribe

152 Matt Kemp

173 Rafael Furcal

239 Dodger Stadium

Who could have figured that after nearly 50 years of its existence Dodger Stadium still hold more fans than any other Baseball stadium.

eBay: Vintage French Canadian Magazine

Here is an interesting sports magazine made for the French Canadian sporting fan in 1972 featuring short-lived Dodger, Frank Robinson. It is called Sport Illustre, or Sports Illustrated.
(eBay Auction Link)

Collectible Classics: The Tommy John Collection

It's always interesting to see the massive personal collection of a former Major League star. It's even better when it's a former Dodger player who helped change the game. Sure, Tommy John is not a Hall of Famer, but he sure was a trailblazer. As you know, he became famous for being the first ballplayer to undergo a revolutionary surgical procedure- removing the injured ulnar collateral ligament from his arm and replaced it with a tendon from his right forearm- now known as Tommy John Surgery.

Collectible Classics Auctions has over 100 lots from Tommy John's personal collection up for sale. Check out some of the items that caught my eye.

Below is his 1978 All-Star ring held in San Diego as a member of the Dodgers.

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(Auction Link)

Here is a game-used ball from his 20th win in 1977.

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(Auction Link)

Dr. Frank Jobe, the surgeon that performed the groundbreaking procedure, writes in John's favor for a Freedoms Foundation Award. It says in part,

“Even though the operation was a good one, the results wouldn’t have been successful without his long hours of work and, most of all, his optimistic attitude. Many athletes take their physical prowess for granted and, when they sustain a serious injury, are unable to apply themselves to the tedious work of rehabilitation necessary if they are to reattain their previous level of competence. This is not true of Tommy John; he never wavered in his determination.”

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(Auction Link)

Presented by a Dodger fan club I've never heard of, the Go-Go-Dodgers Fan Club of Los Angeles," this trophy memorializes Tommy John as "the most improved player" in 1973.

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(Auction Link)

In the freeway series between the Dodgers and Angels they routinely gave awards to the best players during exhibition play. Here John won the Lefty Phillips Memorial Trophy as the "most outstanding pitcher" in the 1976 series.

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(Auction Link)

From Philadelphia With Style: God Bless America

Philly is quite a place. They have some of the most notorious fans, but as with anything can often surprise. From the chants of "USA, USA, USA" at the Phillies game last night to this evenings hockey opening, I guess I'll have to rethink my hate at their fanbase.


YouTube Link:

Hat Tip: Kuklas Korner:

Service Members Watch Free in May

What a great month May is turning into. In celebration Tommy has just announced that our military can watch games for free in the month of May. Go here to find out more.

MAY TICKET OFFER

All members of the joint services with a valid military ID, including active, reserve and retired veterans as well as their dependents, can show their military ID at any Dodger Stadium ticket booth day of game to receive two complimentary tickets courtesy of the Dodgers.

Again, go here to find out more.