PBHAK’S CORNERDodger fans, while proudly bleeding blue, have also been bleeding red when it comes to management of their beloved baseball franchise. The Dodgers organization has a rich history dating back to its Brooklyn era, a history shared with baseball franchises such as the Yankees and the Red Sox.
The Yankees are a great example of a well managed franchise. They are highly respected in the baseball community not just for their number of World Series wins, but also for the leadership of the Steinbrenner family. The Dodgers have suffered a massive amount of incompetent owners wasting years and seasons on issues on and off field, culminating in the tenure of current owner Frank McCourt and his messy divorce. All this has happened while cross-town rivals, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, won a championship in 2002, made the playoffs numerous times and have attracted multiple superstars to play for them—the latest being Albert Pujols.
Finally, there may be hope for Dodger fans; a Magic Johnson represented group has stepped up and bought the Dodgers for $2.1 billion. In fact, their offer is the highest cash paid for any professional team in the world. In 2009, the NFL’s Miami Dolphins sold for $1.1 billion and the popular professional soccer franchise Manchester United sold for $1.47 billion.
I personally think the Dodgers are not worth the $2.1 billion price tag offer, especially with the amount of work required to get this franchise back onto its feet after many seasons of neglect. The Dodgers have been playing in the same stadium since 1959 and on field success has been minimal with only four playoff appearances in the last 15 seasons. If the Dodgers are worth $2 billion, then how much would American premiere sport franchises like the New York Yankees or Dallas Cowboys be? $7 billion anyone?
