Michael Norris (aka Bear) has written two excellent pieces the past two days on the history of the Dodgers, specifically, the O’Malley’s ownership of the team until it was sold to Fox Group in late 1997. It was approved in overwhelmingly by MLB owners in March 1998. Peter O’Malley said the primary reason for selling the Dodgers was “estate planning,” but Tommy Lasorda said the following:
“I think that Peter has just been unhappy lately with the situation, the direction the game of baseball is going.”
Peter O’Malley didn’t give a direct answer at a Dodger Stadium news conference when asked if his decision had anything to do with labor problems, but he did say his only regret in baseball was “the inability of the owners and the players association to work together for the good of the game.”
Peter went on to say this:
“It’s probably smart to plan for the future. That’s probably the main reason. I’m not a tax expert, but it’s a pretty good idea not to have all your eggs in one basket.”
I am going to suggest that Peter O’Malley’s decision to sell the Dodgers was somewhat of a “knee jerk reaction” by a person who really was not a great businessman and was disillusioned with the state of labor relations in baseball.
By all accounts, Peter O’Malley was (still is) a very nice man who does not like confrontation, unlike his bombastic father who was not afraid of a fight (but was very tactical in any fight he engaged in). Peter O’Malley took great pride in taking great care of his employees and having the lowest ticket prices in baseball. He did not like the labor strife and due to the low ticket prices and lack of vision he felt that the Dodgers could not compete with corporate ownership. Thus, he decided to sell the Dodgers.
HE WAS AS WRONG AS YOU CAN GET!
O’Malley sold the club to one of the world’s most ruthless, aggressive, and unsentimental businessmen – Rupert Murdoch and his Fox Group. Interestingly, the only owners who voted against Fox were Ted Turner and Jerry Reinsdorf. The Mets abstained because their owners, Neslon Doubleday and Fred Wilpon were split on the vote.
Fox traded away an LA Icon, namely Mike Piazza which immediately turned fans against them and Dodger fans began counting the days until they could rid themselves of the hated evil, corporate ownership. But you should be careful of what you wish for…
In 2004, Fox agreed to sell the Dodgers to Frank and Jamie McCourt, effectively without requiring much equity. Now, I have to admit that I was excited when McCourt took over. I have never been a fan of corporate ownership and rooted for McCourt who was a small businessman… like me (OK… he was a BIGGER small businessman).
I felt the ownership under FOX was were evil, hated, corporate suits and Frank McCourt represented a breath of fresh air. Well, it did not take long until that air developed a certain deplorable stench! The McCourt’s looted, plundered, pillaged and outright stole from the Dodgers. They did it with extravagance and panache. They simply did not care and thumbed their noses at everyone. Frank still is!
They could have plundered just a little… maybe just a mansion or two, but they wanted more than that. I won’t recount it all here, but they stole everything that was not nailed down and even if it was nailed down, they used a jackhammer. They were simply the worst of the worst!
The Los Angeles Dodgers underwent a period of turmoil in management in 2011 and 2012 that began when Major League Baseball seized control of the team from owner Frank McCourt on April 20, 2011 and ended when the team was sold to new owners on May 1, 2012. Of course, the new owners were Guggenheim Partners and the rest is history.
In 2012, the O’Malley group bought the San Diego Padres. The O’Malley Group was led by former Dodgers owner Peter O’Malley, his sons Kevin and Brian (whom he said when he sold the team were not interested in working in baseball), his nephews Peter and Tom Seidler, as well as a group of other members. Peter wanted to get back into baseball. He was and is a baseball guy!
What Could Have Been
Peter O’Malley could have opted to not sell the Dodgers to Fox. Maybe he would have had to run the Dodgers for a few years like Tampa Bay did, although he could have raised ticket prices and associated prices to help. He still might have had to trade Mike Piazza, but he could have operated until the big TV contract appeared and right about now, he would still own the Dodgers.
But, he doesn’t! He is part owner of the Padres with his two sons and two nephews. Peter O’Malley is a nice guy, but not a great businessman. Peter O’Malley had no vision – he only had sight! He saw labor woes and also did not think the Dodgers could compete with big corporate ownership. His lack of vision caused him to sell the Dodgers for $311 Million when he could now be sitting on an investment worth $3 to $4 Billion!
I do not like corporate ownership and was very much against Guggs and Company (I wanted Steve Cohen, who could be amazing for the Mets), but right about now, they can do no wrong, so who needs Peter O’Malley? Still… what if? Screw Frank McCourt! This has been the best run by the Dodgers in history, but still I miss the O’Malley’s! I just can never root for the Padres and I wish Peter O’Malley still owned the Dodgers!
Latest Dodger Reliever News
- Scott Alexander re-signed with the Dodgers for $1 Million (chump change). Remember that relief pitchers are fickle and Alexander could be lights out in 2021 after two injury plagued seasons. You never know.
- The Dodgers acquired right-hander Corey Knebel from the Brewers in exchange for a player to be named later or cash. The trade comes after Knebel was reportedly set to be non-tendered, but it appears that the Brewers instead found an eleventh-hour trade for the former All-Star closer. He’ll still be eligible for arbitration with the Dodgers. This guy was once an All-Star…
Knebal once threw at 97+ with great movement and is a classic Andrew Friedman move as this will be his second year recovering after Tommy John surgery. He will probably make around $5 million in arbitration, so this is a low risk, high reward type move.
As I said earlier, relievers are fickle and sometimes have two bad seasons to every good one, so if healthy, it is not crazy to think that Jansen, Alexander, Kelly, and Knebel could have good seasons in 2021. This will not be the last “Scrap Heap Pickup” by AF this winter.
COVID-19 Vaccine Watch
From today’s Wall Street Journal:
“The U.K. authorized a vaccine developed by Pfizer Inc. and Germany’s BioNTech for emergency use, the first clearance by a Western government of one of three promising vaccines that have recently been shown to be effective against Covid-19. Britain’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency said the vaccine was safe to use. The government expects to start vaccinating people within days.”
The FDA meets on December 10 of this month to discuss emergency use of this same vaccine and a few days later re-convenes to discuss the Moderna vaccine. Pfizer is so confident it will be approved quickly that they have already started shipping shots to distribution centers.
The strong early results for the two leading Covid-19 vaccines have implications that go far beyond the current pandemic: They suggest the time has come for a gene-based technology that could provide new treatments for cancer, heart disease and other infectious diseases. The unproven technology, named messenger RNA after the molecular couriers that deliver genetic instructions, has long eluded researchers. An mRNA vaccine has never been cleared by regulators. The mRNA vaccines are dramatically different. Again the Wall Street Journal reports this:
Vaccines normally take years to bring to market. With older technologies, researchers spend time developing and growing a virus or proteins from the virus, which generate an immune response when injected. Measles, shingles and other older vaccines use an inactive or weakened virus to coax the body to build up protection.
The manufacturing process, often in eggs or large bioreactors, is laborious and time intensive. Successful shots typically take more than a decade to develop, according to a 2013 study published in the journal PLOSOne.
Messenger RNA promises to cut that time by taking advantage of the body’s own molecular machinery, essentially teaching cells how to make a protein similar to one found on the virus, which then triggers the body’s immune response.
Messenger RNA, one type of RNA found in cells, is a naturally occurring substance. It is a kind of molecular worker bee, carrying instructions encoded in DNA for cells to follow. Given its role, scientists had long theorized it could be repurposed to turn cells into miniature drug or vaccine factories.
In the journal Nature Reviews Immunology last November, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases’ Anthony Fauci and John Mascola wrote, “MRNA has the potential to be a rapid and flexible vaccine platform. Starting from gene sequence, mRNA vaccines can be produced in a few weeks.”
I am sharing this with you all for two-reasons:
- LADT is a family and I want my family to understand this is unlike any vaccine ever in history – it has no bad side effects for generally healthy people, but it likely lasts a year, so it’s like the flu shot.
- This is the basis for great hope there will be baseball this year. I was on a conference call with the Water Quality Association (WQA.org) yesterday and the board was so confident that life would be back to normal that they scheduled their Annual Convention, which was cancelled last year for July 28 – 31, 2021 in Las Vegas where it will be cool that time of year! 😉
Since I had COVID-19 the first time, I have been fascinated with the science of the vaccine development and have followed it closely then. This is the fastest vaccine development in the history of humankind and it has the potential to do some amazing things in other areas of medicine! Tommy John Surgery was a game-changer. So is this!
This year’s Corey Knebel signing looks a lot like last year’s Blake Treinen signing, but at about half the price. Blake worked out pretty well, hopefully Corey will as well. I’m sure the pen isn’t a completed product just yet, so we will see what else AF comes up with. I would be more excited if Knebel wasn’t so bad last year. I know his velocity ticked up at the end of the season, but he only had a few clean innings all year.
As expected, there weren’t any sure things that were non-tendered yesterday. Certainly no one with JT’s upside. The Cubs cut bait with a big bat, but it wasn’t Kris Bryant. I guess Bryant still has some value and Schwarber was basically a high paid replacement level player with big upside in the power department.
The winter meetings start Monday. I’m looking forward to seeing something big, but I’m not anticipating anything.
Great follow up Mark. One thing I loved about Peter was that he kept the cost of watching a game affordable for so many years. I remember going in the early 90’s and it was still affordable. Now parking costs more than field level boxes used to cost. Guggenheim has brought the team back to prominence. And for that every Dodger fans should be very happy.
Looks like Anthony Davis is going to sign a 5 year 190 million dollar deal to remain a Laker.
Isn’t he the guy who kept Traveler running non stop in a USC / Notre Dame game?
Same name……
Saw that Bear. LeBron extended too. They intend to do it with 2 stars and 15 subordinates. Good luck.
Peter is doing just fine for a guy without business acumen. Hard to get a read on his net but since his main house in Malibu is worth over $17 million I figure his net worth is north of Orion.
McCourt sucked from the beginning. I tried to tell you about that guy but you wouldn’t listen.
I’m encouraged by the vaccine news. We all should be, but understand that this virus is different. It’s evolving. That said, let the injections begin! You first.
Got an evacuation alert at 6:30 this morning. Dammit. The wind has died down so hopefully they get this under control. Anyone see the state fire chief on 60 Minutes? He said California will continue to burn. Trump told a group of climate scientists “don’t worry, it will cool down”. They disagreed. Well, if the caps continue to melt, the herd will be culled. Might want to think about investing inland. After they all get inoculated of course.
Sorry to hear about the evac order Badger. Hope they get things under control quickly, but judging from some of the video I’ve seen this morning I’m not holding my breath. Have you actually evacuated?
I am also sorry to hear about the evacuation order Badger.
I don’t think the Dodgers would be where they are today- on top of mlb if Peter was still the owner. Guggenheim has not only poured big money into the Dodger organization but also into Dodger Stadium. Transforming it into one of the nicest stadiums in baseball! Peter didn’t have the capital to make all that happen to this degree. Guugenheim may be corporate but they have created a great environment in the organization with great success. I’m more than happy witho their ownership!
Peter was president but the family owned the team and most of the family members wanted to enjoy their financial assets in other ways than sitting in an owners box and watching baseball.
Off topic question for those more knowledgeable.
The Athletic has an article today about MiLB. Apparently 40 teams are being eliminated from the MLB team affiliations. With 30 MLB teams this seems to be accomplished mostly by eliminating the Rookie Leagues (in the Dodgers case, Ogden in the Pioneer League).
My question (s). What role do the rookie leagues play in player development? Can this development be accomplished as well or better in the complex leagues?
Yep, it looks like they are eliminating short season ball, but they are also adding a new league for newly signed short season draftees. Go figure. They are also adding a pre-draft league. So, are they really eliminating anything, or is this just a money grab by the league taking money from affiliates and moving it to these new MLB run leagues?
That’s what it looked like to me. I would think a team like the Dodgers would prefer to have more control of the development of their newly drafted players rather than sending them to a generic newly drafted league.
I’m not sure who will be coaching and instructing. But, it sure seems silly to let coaches and instructors not under your control do anything with players that you have control over. Weird stuff.
Regarding only the question about player development, it could actually enhance Dodgers rookie development. Training and playing games at Camelback (two teams) with all of the batting cages, bullpens, fields, dining, strength and conditioning equipment.
I like that Idea. Not sure that’s how it’s gonna work though. Ever been to Arizona in July and August? My son played in the “Junior Olympics” or JO’s for 4 years in a row. It was horrible. You can feel the skin melting off your face and your eyeballs turning to dust when they played afternoon games. I think I ruined a cell phone each of those years from overheating.
With reports of 180 MiLB players vs 150 initially suggested, 2 complex teams is still possible
Understanding dystonia
https://treadathletics.com/yips/
Also, it’s my opinion there is a plethora of baseball academies and opportunities for development exist at every level from Little League to AAA. I’m not the least bit concerned about an abundance of talent surfacing. The bummer is social not physical. Minor League teams filled with players going nowhere were a source of entertainment and social participation that was a vital part of many communities. Hopefully Independent Leagues will survive and flourish.
For sure we’ve turned the corner… Like Badger I’ll let the queue die down (no pun intended) a little before joining the vaccine rush…
Winter meetings… Be still oh heart of mine… Just getting closer to 2021 and what it will all mean..
The p/u of point guard Schroder from OKC is big… See ya’ll in the playoffs..
Mark,the scene from that movie really touched me. There is nothing in this world that compares to my love for my daughters.I never thought I could love anyone or anything this strongly. My girls are 19 and 21. My love for my wife is a beautiful,but different love.
Is t true that the MRNA comes from aborted fetus?
You could have Googled this instead of asking.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.catholicnewsagency.com/amp/news/what-connection-does-modernas-vaccine-have-to-aborted-fetal-tissue-20134
Peter O’Malley is a nice man who spent most of his time as owner complaining about how difficult it was for him, someone who had not amassed great wealth from some other enterprise, to compete with the richer owners. After making the one big try in 1991 with Strawberry and Butler, he indicated he would never do that again, and so the Dodgers basically stayed out of the free agent market,and ended up with a team of slow right-handed hitters with power, who needed four hits to score a run, unless a home run came in there somewhere. The Dodgers did not compete for any titles from 1992 until O’ Malley sold the team, and for years thereafter.. He hired Fred Claire as general manager, a nice man who was from the publicity side, and knew very little about how to run a club. He hired Bill Russell as manager to replace Lasorda when he was ill, and that was probably because Lasorda had always wanted Russell to replace him, and had pushed out Scioscia to accomplish that.
Had O’Malley kept the Dodgers, things would have c continued along, maybe Russell would still be the manager, and Claire the GM, since O’Malley believed in a Dodgers family. We would not have won anything, of course. O’Malley sold his family organization to, as you suggested, a cold and mercenary group which admitted that they only wanted to use it to have a wedge to compete against Ted Turner and his sports network. And when they had done that, they dumped the franchise to a career grifter. What would have been much better than all of this, is if Branch Rickey had kept control of the Dodgers in the 1950’s, although admittedly they might still have been in New York. It was Rickey who had built the incredible Dodgers minor league system. It is also very possible that Vin Scully would not been have the Dodgers broadcaster, and Walter O’Malley’s loyalty to and admiration for Scully was his best characteristic in his tenure. Scully’s unparalleled broadcasting ability and class was the thing which kept many Dodgers fans loyal, even through the mediocre seasons, and for that we must applaud Walter, who also had some less admirable qualities, including the idea to not have any water fountains in Dodger Stadium, so people would be forced to pay for a drink of something.
I have also believed that Lasorda wanted Bobby Valentine to replace him as Manager and that led to friction between Russell and Lasorda. I think Russell thought that Lasorda undermined him.
I liked Russell and I think he was a great baseball mind but did not have the temperament to manage as evidenced when I saw him physically push Ismael Valdez in the dugout.
Several years ago the Dodgers looked into trading Puig for Jackie Bradley Jr. Now that he’s a free agent wonder if they’re still interested. An outfield of JBJ, Bellinger and Brooks would be a defensive powerhouse.
nice, we resigned Hubie Brooks?
The question might be who would play CF between Bradley and Bellinger. I think most of Bradley’s value is as a CF.
I think Dahl would be a better signing to platoon in left with Pollock. I think Pederson could also return but not until he learns his worth as a free agent and to see if any team will let him play full time.
I was thinking about Rios playing the part of Joc in left and platooning with AJ but then I read something that said Rios had played 26 games at 3rd, 18 at 1st and 1 in left. Does anyone know? Was a 1 game tryout for Rios in left like playing Joc at 1st? Is Rios Schwarber II?
I think it was mid November there was talk we were going to sign a catcher (Galiz). Did that ever come about?
I think Rios could play LF, but it would take a full Spring Training.
Rios will continue to workout at first and third so I don’t think he will get a full spring training at left field.
We are supposed to be signing 2 of the top 10 international prospects , Galiz being one of them but the international draft has been pushed back to January 15th 2021 this year.
Is it better to be a small business or a corporation? Is there one that’s inherently more virtuous than the other?
Businesses, big or small, are just like people. They each have their own personality, or, in the case of a business, their own culture. Some are well run and have leadership that is ethical and inspires their employees, others not so much.
Walter was a loudmouth. He was combative. He was bombastic. He was ruthless. He was a cigar chomping larger than life personality. He maybe wasn’t the nicest guy or even well liked, but there may have been something about those traits that made him successful. Sometimes it helps to be an alpha male if achievement is a matter of sheer will. Now that I think of it, Walter wasn’t unlike another current businessman/politician. No one argues that there aren’t certain personality flaws, but an argument can at least can be plausibly made, rightly or wrongly, that those combative characteristics can be an asset in business.
Peter seems like he was the polar opposite: Nice guy. Gave his staff ice cream. Probably stopped to pet his dog a lot. I don’t think he was a great owner. He folded and sold the team when he first encountered any real adversity and setbacks and his attitude was that of a defeatist. Aside from sentimentality about a family owned business, it’s probably for the best that he sold.
With the Fox ownership, you have an example of the worst kind of corporate owner. Ruthless, controlling, possessing a short-sighted view of quarterly profit and willing to shred the brand equity of the team because they know nothing about and don’t care about baseball.
The McCourts are an example of the worst kind of private ownership. At least in a large, faceless corporation, individual personalities with awful character traits are less likely to have an impact. With the McCourt regime, the individual dysfunction of the Frank and Jamie was on full display and directly impacted the teams operations and its brand equity. With Fox, that ownership was destroying the team because it had ruthless profit and loss expectations. The McCourts were ruining it because they were just horrible people and they could.
I think we are lucky. The Dodgers ownership group have keep pockets. They are willing to allow the team to be successful with enough capital expenditure with certain clearly defined limits, and they hired the right GM to create a successful organizational culture. We are back to the Dodger Way with a modern twist, and it is done better now than it ever was under the O’Malleys. To the Guggenheim owners, they can do this and be hands off because they understand it is a long-term investment. Create a winning culture, build the brand, be successful and your investment will grow.
The Dodgers are the ideal vertical integration of benevolent ownership, a savvy GM who successfully implemented an organizational culture, and a manager that is the face of that culture.
It all worked out in the end.
Not evacuated yet. The Santa Ana winds died down so the fires here in OC are less likely to spread, but there’s still smoke everywhere and snowing ash.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/6dgYBeHe1G8cdThh7
https://www.jimcollins.com/concepts/level-five-leadership.html
For those who want to wait on getting a Covid vaccination, consider the alternative. Covid is out there and unless America decides to whole heartedly social distance, wear masks, and stay away from crowded indoor spaces, everyone will eventually get the virus. Those who won’t will have taken the vaccine. What do you think America will do?
I will take it but I am probably good until April.
“ What do you think America will do?“
Continue to get sick.
It is a risk:benefit decision.
If you are young and low risk you may decline. That is a rational individual decision. Whether that is a good decision from the perspective of the rest of society may be up for debate.
If you are elderly and high risk it is a much easier decision to take the vaccine. In that group probably the major question is how effective it is in that population.
It is a new type of vaccine that so far looks quite safe but this is uncharted territory so I understand the reluctance of many who do not want to be first in line.
I will likely take it when first offered unless I go back to retirement and defer until supplies are greater.
Masks or no masks, distancing or not, we are all likely to eventually get it in some form unless the vaccine is safe and effective.
Hey guys, I got an email from Jeff. He has not been feeling well. He said this happens about every five years or so. Anyway that is why he has not been on here much. So I am hoping he gets well soon. His contributions are part of the driving force of this site.
Jeff
Hope this passes quickly and you fell better. You are missed.
Not sure if Jeff is reading while he’s not feeling well Bear so please pass along best wishes for a speedy recovery if you communicate with him again.
I have his email and I will pass it on. He said he has not checked the site in a couple of days. He wrote me to let me know he was publishing my next article tomorrow.