Who should be the new owner of the Dodgers?

[Kilroy]

So at the risk of this thread just being me... Who do you want to own the Dodgers...

Gotta admit, I'd kinda like to see Cuban do it, even though I'm not a huge fan. I think he'd at least be adamant about creating a winner.

Then again, the Garvey/Hershiser is kind of a feel good story.

O'Malley didn't really do much with the team last time so for me, I'm not feeling it.

Thoughts?

[LLcoleJ]

I voted Garvey/Hersh. I am against Cuban for 1 reason. The Mavericks. After what happened with the last ownership, the owner needs to be LA friendly. I am sure Cuban would say and do all the right things, but I can't see him going against the Lakers in LA while owning an LA team. Clearly LA is a Laker town with 1b being a Dodger town.

It would annoy me if he is rooting against the local teams, for his own benefit.

[Kilroy]

Yeah... I respect Cuban in that he approaches the ownership of the Mavs as a fan and does what it takes to create a winner. But as a fan, he's spent a lot of money on duds and hasn't always been the most level headed and respectable owner. I really think the Dodgers need a more traditional, stable, behind the scenes owner that can provide a little continuity to the franchise...

And Garvey/Hersh would be a hell of a feel-good story...

I'm just not sure they have stability factor, or the willingness to stay out of the way and let their Manager do their job... Someone like Steinbrenner... Oh, wait...

[LLcoleJ]

Magic Johnson? Yes please!

[LLcoleJ]

http://www.latimes.com/sports/basketbal ... 186.column

[Kilroy]

I'll never vote against Magic...
But has anyone ever seen him at a Dodger game?

Maybe Magic and Cuban can get into a bidding war...
A best of seven bidding war... And Magic sweeps him... Yeah that's it.

[Kilroy]

Stumbled on this tidbit about Steve Cohen bidding on the Dodgers...

Billionaire Steven Cohen is bidding for the Dodgers, according to Bill Shaikin of the LA Times. Agent Arn Tellem and former deputy commissioner Steve Greenberg are allies with Cohen, who has already met with some MLB owners, according to Shaikin.

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2011/12/quick-hits-theriot-smith-athletics-vizquel.html

[Kilroy]

Torre in!
With Caruso...

Torre managed the Dodgers from 2008-10, then retired and joined MLB last February as a top aide to Commissioner Bud Selig. He is joining a group headed by real estate developer Rick Caruso.

David Stern
FOR SALE BY OWNER
The Dodgers are on the block. Who are potential bidders for the team?

''I have made this decision because of a unique chance to join a group that plans to bid for the Dodgers,'' Torre said in a statement. ''After leaving the field, this job was an incredible experience, one that I enjoyed very much.''

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/Joe-Torre-quits-MLB-to-pursue-Los-Angeles-Dodgers-ownership-010412

[LLcoleJ]

I think the bid process is under way. Do we have a list of those groups that are in for bidding. The public ones, atleast?

[Kilroy]

- Magic Johnson/Stan Kasten
- Rick Caruso/Joe Torre
- Steve Garvey/Orel Hershiser
- Mark Cuban
- Steve Cohen
- O'Malley's family (w/ Peter and Robert Seidler)

http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/mlb/story/_/id/7425262/six-groups-los-angeles-dodgers-pass-first-step-sources-say

Those are at least the official, public bidders.

There's bound to be some others that try to weasel in. But I think it'll be someone off that list...

My gut tells me Magic and Cuban aren't going to be there at the end. I'm betting either Cohen or Caruso/Torre will walk away with the team at about $2B.

Here's a collection of Huffington articles on the bidding.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/dodgers-bids

[Kilroy]

Well I'm already half right... Cuban's out.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-0128-dodgers-bidders-20120128,0,1060031.story

But we've obviously picked up a few newbies too... I wish someone would do some digging and come up with a list.

[TyCobb]

Aw, wack. I was kind of hoping Cuban would be the next owner.

[Kilroy]

And the narrowing continues...

http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/mlb/story/_/id/7512176/source-blackstone-group-begins-cutting-los-angeles-dodgers-ownership-bids

ESPNLosAngeles.com has identified, through conversations with various sources, five groups which are known to have advanced:

• The group headed by Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson and largely funded by Guggenheim Partners chief executive officer Mark Walter.

• The group headed by Steve Cohen, the billionaire hedge fund manager and founder of SAC Capital Advisors in Stamford, Conn.

• The group headed by Los Angeles real estate developer Rick Caruso, a group that also includes former Dodgers manager Joe Torre.

• The group headed by Stanley Gold, the chief executive officer of Shamrock Holdings, a private investment company founded by the late Roy E. Disney, with several of Disney's surviving family members also involved in that group.

• The group headed by former Dodgers owner Peter O'Malley, which reportedly has discussed joining the Gold/Disney group but thus far hasn't done so.

Bidding is now north of $1.2 billion, and rising, a source told ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney.

The Dodgers issued a statement confirming that the first round of bidding is officially complete, but that statement offered nothing in the way of specifics.

"The Los Angeles Dodgers today confirmed the round of preliminary bidding has been completed successfully,'' the statement read. "The preliminary round of bidding has underscored the robust nature of the sales process, the significant purchase opportunity which the Dodgers represent and the enormoous value that the sale of the Dodgers, including their media assets, will generate.

"Each of the preliminary bids has been reviewed carefully by the Dodgers and its financial advisor Blackstone. Blackstone is notifying all of the bidders as to which ones will and which ones will not advance in the sales process."

[Kilroy]

Looks like Magic's Group might be emerging as the favorite.

http://www.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/33714192/34643399

At least eight groups advanced to the second round of the big Frank McCourt Dodgers sweepstakes. Several of them look like powerhouses. But one of them looks like a winner of the Dodgers from here.

That would be the Magic Johnson-Stan Kasten group.

For one, that group has Magic Johnson. For another, that group very likely will have Patrick Soon-Shiong.

Soon-Shiong isn't Magic in terms of jump shots, fame or even local cache. But in terms of moolah, Soon-Shiong blows everyone in L.A. away.

Soon-Shiong is reported to have $7.2 billion, and sources suggest to me he will very likely join the Magic-Kasten group. I mentioned this on twitter recently, and the Los Angeles Times, which has been all over this story, wrote soon after that Soon-Shoing is mulling over which group to join. That's very likely the way Soon-Shiong or someone close to him wants it played. But he is a close friend of Magic's, bought Magic's 4.5 percent stake in the Lakers (and is believed to be pleased with that purchase) and is a basketball junkie. It's possible he's holding out like Bill Clinton's buddy Ron Burkle, who appears to be waiting to see who's leading before committing. But if the Magic-Kasten group is in it to the end, and they should be, expect Soon-Shiong to join them.

The article also says there are 8 or more 'finalists'... The names are mostly the same as our previous list.

[Kilroy]

http://network.yardbarker.com/mlb/article_external/mccourt_chops_potential_bidders_to_eight/9680086

So here's what we know so far, Mark Cuban and Dennis Gilbert are out. Cuban is no surprise, for all the reasons previously mentioned here. Selig was never going to let Cuban into baseball, he has no baseball experience, he lacks the billions and billions to finalize the deal, and Bud Selig hates his guts. A little bit of a disappointment, but it really shouldn't be because he's been the odd man out from the very beginning. Gilbert on the hand comes as a bit of a surprise, but after failing now for the third time to buy himself a baseball team, I am doubting that this guy is the real deal anyway. My guess is he was eliminated due to the selling price skyrocketing, but Peter Gammons is speculating McCourt chopped him because of his tight relationship with Bud Selig. That seems utterly childish and ridiculous, so it's probably true. Also officially out is the Garvey/Hershiser duo, so that becomes very interesting. Perhaps these two pair up with one of the below eight to get back in this thing.

So ladies and gentlemen here are your eight finalists, ranked in my order of preference.

1. Magic Johnson/Stan Kasten/Mark Walter
2. The Disney Family/Stanley Gold
3. Peter O'Malley (still not sure if he is doing this thing on his own)
4. Rick Caruso/Joe Torre
5. Stan Kroenke (current Rams, Avalanche, Nuggets, and Arsenal owner)
6. Steven Cohen
7. Mark Utay/Leo Hindery
8. Josh Macciello

[Neddy]

diehard dodgerfan here.

best owner from those who remaining in the run, i think should be none other than the former owner himself, peter o'malley. i know he is backed up by some south korean conglomerate, but from what i understand they will only be financially involved, not the decision making process. peter knows this team and knows how to win on a tight budget. i believe the company behind him is E-Land and they are not cheap. it would be well worth the risk than any of those hedge fund billionaires who can easily become Donald Sterling of the yester-years or whatever his name is that owns the warriors. i want track record of winning more than shear dollar worth of the new owner.

oh yeah and **** the McCourts. never buying another ticket until his ass is gone

[Neddy]

just realized that everyone else who voted were mods, lol. this place sure can use real dodger fans who bleed blue.

[Kilroy]

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-0224-dodgers-caruso-torre-20120224,0,3383712.story

Los Angeles developer Rick Caruso and former Dodgers manager Joe Torre have withdrawn a joint bid to buy the Dodgers.

Caruso and Torre cited owner Frank McCourt's refusal to include the Dodger Stadium parking lots in the sale, according to a letter, dated last Friday, that the men sent to Major League Baseball. The Times obtained a copy of the letter Thursday.

Caruso and Torre would reenter the bidding if McCourt would agree to sell the parking lots, people familiar with the sale process but not authorized to publicly speak about it said. McCourt has told people he has at least one bid in which the buyer would let him retain ownership of the parking lots.

Caruso and other bidders thought the purchase of the lots would be negotiable. However, in a recent meeting with Caruso, McCourt said he intends to keep the lots and develop them, according to the people familiar with the sale process.

[Kilroy]

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/list-of-potential-buyers-for-los-angeles-dodgers-narrowed-to-seven-022712

Michael Heisley, who owns the Memphis Grizzlies, and Tony Ressler, a minority investor in the Milwaukee Brewers, were reportedly eliminated from the bidding.

Previously, a group headed by former Yankees and Dodgers manager Joe Torre and LA developer Rick Caruso dropped out of the bidding.

Magic is still in though along with these guys...

According to the Los Angeles Times, a group led by Magic Johnson and former baseball executive Stan Kasten remains in the running for the iconic franchise, along with the team of billionaire hedge fund manager Steven Cohen and sports agent Arn Tellem.

The additional five bidders are media executive Leo Hindery and billionaire Tom Barrack; St. Louis Rams owner Stan Kroenke; Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of Donald Trump; developer Alan Casden; and a group that includes Stanley Gold and the late Roy Disney's family.

[Kilroy]

Mandalay CEO Guber Said to Join Magic Johnson’s Dodgers Bid

Peter Guber, chief executive officer of Mandalay Entertainment Group and co-owner of basketball’s Golden State Warriors, joined Magic Johnson’s contingent trying to buy Major League Baseball’s Los Angeles Dodgers, a person with knowledge of the situation said....

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-03-14/mandalay-ceo-guber-said-to-join-magic-johnson-s-dodgers-bid.html