6-4-2 — an Angels/Dodgers double play blog: 24 Questions for Frank McCourt

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Saturday, February 07, 2004

24 Questions for Frank McCourt

I originally posted these in the Dodgers fan forum the day before the press conference announcing the sale, but I thought I would resurrect them for the blog.

Do you plan on selling your Boston property? At this point, it appears a sale may in fact be near.
~~If so, on what timeline?~~
~~If not, are you planning on developing it?~~
Given that you have owned your Boston property for 25 years and no material progress toward development (aside from relatively low-return parking lots) has been made, what makes you think developing your property will happen any faster now that you have the Dodgers?
Why did you go so heavily into debt to buy a team widely known to be losing money (according to Forbes estimates for 2001, $30M per year)?
What will the Dodgers' 2004, 2005, 2006 payrolls look like?
When will we know the status of Dan Evans and Jim Tracy?
Were newspaper reports of Bud Selig's interference in the team's pursuit of free agent Vladimir Guerrero accurate?
What are the actual terms of the sale?
Will the team start the McCourt era in violation of the debt service rule?
If so, has the commissioner's office granted a waiver?
If yes, what is the duration of this waiver?
If there is no waiver, how could you, in good conscience, apply to buy a team whose every move can be second-guessed by the commissioner thanks to the debt-heavy nature of the purchase?
What was the role of News Corp in the sale of the Dodgers? More specifically: according to a January 1st story in the Times, one anonymous baseball executive said, "I think the ownership committee would have already thrown out the McCourt proposal if any other entity than News Corp. was involved." Don't you think that you're the beneficiary of a special relationship between Fox and baseball, and that this ownership is thereby tainted?
Given reported last-minute contractual changes preceding the sale's approval, is it fair to characterize the delay in the sale's approval as hinging on the debt service rule?
The reported terms of the deal have News Corp retaining a minority ownership. Will they continue to have a say in operations? Will they continue to fund operational deficits?
Is it true that a clause in the contract requires you to take on another partner? If so, what happens if you do not or cannot? Does News Corp take the team back?
Former owner Peter O'Malley offered his services to you early on in the purchase process but nothing was ever reported of his involvement in your bid after November, though he was prominently mentioned in Eli Broad's "backup" bid. Are you still working with him? If not, will you work with him in the future? If so, what kind of a role do you foresee for him in the Dodger organization?
Looks like Peter's on the golf links. However, Dodger fans can take solace from the fact that McCourt gave perennial hanger-on Corey Busch a ceremonial job rather than President. Busch's tenure with the pre-Magowan Giants should not give anyone reason for optimism, but the minimization of his role in the Dodgers should.
What are the payback terms of the debt (years, debt service)?
News Corp didn't have heavy debt service, but you will. Obviously, the big club's payroll is the first concern most fans have with McCourt ownership, but there are other issues as well. What effect will debt service have on other aspects of operations? Will we see cuts or closures in the Dodgers' Dominican academy? Scouting? Minor league signing bonuses?
Speaking of minor leagues and scouting, will the Dodgers draft philosophy change as a result of your ownership, i.e., are we liable to follow the A's in pursuing primarily college players rather than high-ceiling high school players in early rounds because of cost considerations?
Will you live in LA? Will LA be your primary residence now? What effect will this have on your ability to sell, develop, and/or operate your Boston properties? One problem you reportedly had with the failed Baltimore development was doing things by remote control. Yes, it looks like they're moving out here. Good.
What plans do you have for Dodger Stadium? Many fans are concerned you might try to demolish it and build on it in a land swap. At least for the moment, Dodger Stadium per se appears safe. The name might change, but condos won't pop up in Chavez Ravine. On the other hand, they said they'd bring a championship to LA, so who knows what to believe?
25 words or less: Why will Frank McCourt be a good owner?