McCourts Settle Costliest Divorce in California History

After two years and over 20 million in legal fees it’s finally over. Per Bill Shaikin at the LA Times Frank and Jamie have finally reached a settlement in one of the longest and most public divorces in California history, it’s also allegedly the most expensive as well. Courtesy of your classic “anonymous” source the couple formerly known as the McCourts:

"Incurred $20.6 million in legal bills related to the divorce through July, according to Los Angeles Superior Court filings by each of the parties. To settle the outstanding dispute over whether the Dodgers were the sole property of Frank McCourt or community property could have added at least $14 million to those bills, based on estimates in a filing on behalf of Jamie McCourt."

1 major obstacle in returning the Dodgers to their former glory has now been cleared, the Dodgers divorce is finally settled. Jamie saw the writing on the wall, and rather than risk losing her legal claim to half ownership of a franchise that has already received an offer of $1.2 Billion dollars, she walked for $130 million. Plus the $225K Frank will have to continue to pay her monthly in spousal support, however I would imagine that in the coming days we will find out that figure has been adjusted downward as part of the settlement.

I mean even Jamie whatever he maiden name is former McCourt should be able to survive on $130 million, without the $225K per month, especially considering she has 7 homes in her name she still needs to sell. Whatever, she is gone from Dodger fans lives, hopefully for good, and hopefully she takes her bad karma and her Vladimir Shpunt good vibrations or whatever the hell they paid him for with her.

The stage is now set for Bud Selig and MLB vs. Frank McCourt and his army of lawyers. At stake is ownership of once one of the most storied franchises in all of sports. A franchise that was the model of all franchises, one that did things the Dodgers way and that was the envy of everyone who was not part of the organization.

That was until Frank and Jamie got their greedy hands on the controls, racked up approximately $700 million in debt, alienated fans, MLB and the rest of it’s owners and quite literally an entire city and national fanbase. So yeah I would say the bankruptcy courts decision regarding the Dodgers is somewhat important.

The Dodgers have arguably the best young hitter in all of MLB in Matt Kemp and the best young pitcher in all of MLB in Clayton Kershaw. The teams funds need to be directed into locking them up long-term, for the rest of their careers, just look at how terrible of a decision it was to let a young Adrian Beltre walk away from the Dodgers. A decision that not so coincidentally occurred under the watchful eye of one Frank McCourt.

All Beltre has done is continue to be one of the most productive and best all around third basemen in all of MLB since the Dodgers let him get away. A decision that had the domino effect of letting a budding young star in Carlos Santana also get away because the Dodgers haven’t had a legitimate third baseman since Beltre left, and they thought they were trading for one when they gave up Santana to get Casey Blake.

I realize Casey Blake is a super guy and was great in the clubhouse and all but seriously how much better off would this franchise be with Beltre and Santana in the fold instead of Juan Uribe, who at this point is the 2012 starting third baseman and a backstop combination of AJ Ellis and Tim Federowicz. Not to mention the fact Santana could fill in at first base against tough lefties.

But I digress, the point is the Dodgers have 2 once in a generation talents in Kemp and Kershaw, they better not  lose them because their owner is so fixated on trying to maintain control of an organization he has done everything imaginable to make such a mess of that it’s now bankrupt. Half of the problem IE Jamie is gone, there are serious buyers out there who are willing to give Frank a boatload of cash to leave town. Do the right thing for once, take the money and let’s get some real Dodgers running the show.

If not then let’s hope MLB and the bankruptcy court can save the Dodgers from Frank McCourt and in the process do him a favor by saving him from himself.