McCourt Finally Selling LA Dodgers

If you thought your divorce sucked, you need to hear about Frank McCourt's. While many splitting couples fight over the house and the cars, not to mention who gets stuck with gets to take the kids, Frank and Jamie McCourt had to figure out how to split a baseball team in half. And for years, starting with their financial troubles in 2009 and culminating in a public, nasty divorce battle, the McCourts have been in court, asking a judge to figure out which of them is the true owner of the LA Dodgers. After settling on Frank as the owner (with Jamie pocketing a cool $130 million), the Dodgers are finally free from this three year cloud of shame. With the McCourts finally finished feuding, the Dodgers can do what baseball commissioner Bud Selig and Major League Baseball have been asking them to do for years, and sell the team. The news that the team is for sale couldn't come soon enough for the Dodgers fans, who watched in horror as their team, loaded with young stars, sagged amid the soap opera of Frank vs Jamie vs MLB. Attendance dropped by 20 percent, and with it, the extra revenues that let the team keep its young stars and acquire additional talent each year. Playoff appearances dried up, and other NL clubs caught up to the Dodgers. Even now, there's no telling when the team will be back on top. Still, this is a good team in a good baseball city, with millions of fans willing to turn out for a good show. This, and the fact that owning a pro sports team has to be every billionaire's childhood dream-come-true, is why the Dodgers might sell for...wait for it...one billion dollars. A billion dollars. Not a bad haul for Frank McCourt, who paid $420 million for the club eight years ago. I don't know anyone who would be disappointed with more than doubling their money in eight years, particularly in this market! The list of potential buyers looks to be long and distinguished. One group, headed by former Dodgers Steve Garvey and Orel Hershiser, could be the favorites. NBA owner Mark Cuban, of whom I am a huge fan, would be another excellent choice — although Bud Selig seems to have a grudge against Cuban and his exuberant, passionate leadership style. Whatever the case, the sale will be managed by The Blackstone Group L.P. BX. If you've got a spare billion or two laying around (I'm looking right at you, Cuban), you might want to give them a call. Like my stories? You can subscribe for my free newsletter here. To comment on this (or any of my columns), visit my user page at Benzinga. You can also reach me by email john@benzinga.com or on twitter @johndthorpe.