Yesterday Mason and Ireland on 710 ESPN in Los Angeles had beleaguered Dodgers owner Frank McCourt on the air for a half an hour of questions being asked and calls from fans.
It should be noted that he will be beleaguered for a lot longer than he will be the owner of the Dodgers.
He of course painted himself as the victim, all the while saying "I take full responsibility." He pushed the blame elsewhere and made it clear that the $126 million he took from the Dodgers was NOT true (he said it was only about $100 million, most of it loans and it was cumulative.
I admire the guy to a degree for facing the music. But when he kept saying things like "I learned my lesson" and "I don't need all of those things anymore" which sounds a lot like someone saying "I swear this is my last cigarette."
One caller called in to ask why can't a marquee franchise like the Dodgers sign a Type A free agent. A good question.
McCourt dismissed it saying "What about Manny Ramirez?"
I so wish either Mason or Ireland pointed out that Ramirez was a trade. Manny wasn't on the open market and offered top dollar by the Dodgers?
He was in a trade with the Red Sox and Pirates of which the Red Sox picked up most of the contract. And yes he resigned with the Dodgers, but only after he received NO OTHER OFFERS.
The question was valid, especially when the likes of CC Sabathia could have been the difference between a trip to the World Series and an NLCS exit.
Ah well... the soap opera goes on as the Dodgers won't be able to meet payroll.
Look for the Chavez Ravine firesale coming soon.
Manny was still a type-A free agent. The fact that he was a bad signing doesn't negate the answer.
ReplyDeleteHe wasn't a free agent whose services were given the highest bid by the Dodgers. He was a free agent who received no other bids and went back to the Dodgers.
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