LOS ANGELES – Former Great Lakes Loons shortstop Dee Gordon was named to the Topps Major League Rookie All-Star team after hitting .304 in 56 games for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

His .304 average was the second-highest for major league rookies with at least 200 at-bats. He also was second among major league rookies with 24 steals. He hit .345 in his final 34 games.

He is the first Dodgers shortstop and 20th Los Angeles player to be picked for the Topps Major League Rookei team in the 53 years of the award.

Gordon played for the Loons in 2009 and was named the Midwest League Most Valuable Player after hitting .301 with 73 stolen bases.

(Reuters) – Fox Sports stepped up its battle with Frank McCourt, the owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, saying he needed to “get out of the way” and let the bankrupt team return to the business of baseball.

Fox, which broadcasts Dodgers games, has vigorously opposed the team’s plan to sell its future media rights earlier than expected as part of a plan to auction the team and exit bankruptcy.

In documents filed on Thursday, Fox asked Delaware’s bankruptcy court to reject the team’s request to sell its future broadcast rights, saying such a sale was unnecessary to bring the team out of Chapter 11.

“Moreover, Mr. McCourt is not necessary to this process. He should get out of the way and let everyone return to the business of baseball,” said Fox in court papers.

Fox, a unit of News Corp, also said that for the Dodgers to maximize the value of the team, they should include the land under the Dodger Stadium in the team’s sale.

McCourt, who made his fortune on real estate, owns the land through a company that is not part of the bankruptcy.

The Dodgers said in a statement on Thursday that recognizing the full value of the future media rights in conjunction with the sale of the team would be in the best interests of the team, fans and Major League Baseball.

“The fact that Fox thinks it should now opine on real estate is just plain foolish,” said the statement.

The Dodgers filed for bankruptcy in June shortly after baseball’s commissioner, Bud Selig, rejected a plan by the team to sell the future media rights to Fox for a reported $3 billion.

Baseball and McCourt spent months battling for control of the team. Earlier this month, McCourt agreed to sell the team and baseball agreed to allow the sale of the media rights.

Fox and the Dodgers have been ordered by the court to try to settle their dispute through mediation that is scheduled to begin Monday in Los Angeles, where Fox is based.

The team sales process is expected to be wrapped up by the end of April, in time for the start of the 2012 Major League season, sources familiar with the process have told Reuters.

The case is In re: Los Angeles Dodgers LLC, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, District of Delaware, No. 11-12010.

(Reporting by Tom Hals in Wilmington, Delaware and Sue Zeidler in Los Angeles, editing by Gerald E. McCormick)

After the last few years with owner Frank McCourt, Los Angeles Dodgers fans have thought it just couldn’t get any worse. Now after a long battle with the fans, his wife and MLB, McCourt has surrendered and agreed to work with MLB to sell the team. I thought it was a good time to take a humorous look at the top five worst possible replacements for Frank McCourt as Dodgers’ owner:

Donald Trump

I could see “The Donald” changing the Dodger hats to look like blue versions of his famous hairdo. Also, I think they would become the “Trump Dodgers” and drop the whole L.A. name completely. One good thing, I think he would renovate Dodger Stadium to look like one of his fancy apartments and hotels, and I personally would enjoy seeing gold-plated urinals in the restrooms.

Larry Flynt

Although some fans would probably enjoy an on-site gentlemen’s club and Hustler Store right at Dodger Stadium, I think it would go against the Dodgers’ longtime family values reputation. Having Larry Flynt as an owner could present some interesting, and very adult items for fan giveaways, none of which I’ll mention here.

Time-Warner

This one is a serious possibility and just as bad as the joke suggestions. Time-Warner would treat the team purely as a business asset, with no personal pride of ownership. The broadcasts would be most likely moved to Time-Warner cable and become hard to watch for people without cable.

Charlie Sheen

As the star of the great baseball film “Major League” and sitting on a huge pile of cash from his tv series and post-firing settlement, Charlie Sheen could be the new face of the Dodgers. The first pitch of each game could be thrown out by one of his girlfriend “goddesses” and Sheen could contribute his personal “white chalk powder” for lining the bases.

Bill Gates

Super-rich super-nerd Bill Gates would be another poor choice for Dodgers’ owner. The team roster and trades would be based on complicated computer analysis, like “Moneyball” on steroids. Fan giveaways would be pocket protectors and useless Microsoft software, which would install itself automatically on your digital devices as you enter Dodger Stadium and then be almost impossible to remove.

Freddy Sherman grew up in Philadelphia, which didn’t make being a Los Angeles Dodgers fan easy. He has lived in Los Angeles for twenty years, now able to follow the Dodgers openly and attends games frequently. You can follow him on Twitter: @thefredsherman .

More from this contributor:

MLB Will Get HGH Testing Before NFL: Fan’s Opinion

Top 5 Crazy Moments in Los Angeles Dodgers History

Are Dodgers Spending Too Much Money? Fan Opinion

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List of National League Cy Young Award
winners following the naming of Los Angeles Dodgers starter
Clayton Kershaw as the 2011 winner. [ID:nN1E7AG1D1]

2011 – Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers

2010 – Roy Halladay, Philadelphia Phillies

2009 – Tim Lincecum, San Francisco Giants

2008 – Tim Lincecum, San Francisco Giants

2007 – Jake Peavy, San Diego Padres

2006 – Brandon Webb, Arizona Diamondbacks

2005 – Chris Carpenter, St. Louis Cardinals

2004 – Roger Clemens, Houston Astros

2003 – Eric Gagne, Los Angeles Dodgers

2002 – Randy Johnson, Arizona Diamondbacks

2001 – Randy Johnson, Arizona Diamondbacks

2000 – Randy Johnson, Arizona Diamondbacks

1999 – Randy Johnson, Arizona Diamondbacks

1998 – Tom Glavine, Atlanta Braves

1997 – Pedro Martinez, Montreal Expos

1996 – John Smoltz, Atlanta Braves

1995 – Greg Maddux, Atlanta Braves

1994 – Greg Maddux, Atlanta Braves

1993 – Greg Maddux, Atlanta Braves

1992 – Greg Maddux, Chicago Cubs

1991 – Tom Glavine, Atlanta Braves

1990 – Doug Drabek, Pittsburgh Pirates

1989 – Mark Davis, San Diego Padres

1988 – Orel Hershiser, Los Angeles Dodgers

1987 – Steve Bedrosian, Philadelphia Phillies

1986 – Mike Scott, Houston Astros

1985 – Dwight Gooden, New York Mets

1984 – Rick Sutcliffe, Chicago Cubs

1983 – John Denny, Philadelphia Phillies

1982 – Steve Carlton, Philadelphia Phillies

1981 – Fernando Valenzuela, Los Angeles Dodgers

1980 – Steve Carlton, Philadelphia Phillies

1979 – Bruce Sutter, Chicago Cubs

1978 – Gaylord Perry, San Diego Padres

1977 – Steve Carlton, Philadelphia Phillies

1976 – Randy Jones, San Diego Padres

1975 – Tom Seaver, New York Mets

1974 – Mike Marshall, Los Angeles Dodgers

1973 – Tom Seaver, New York Mets

1972 – Steve Carlton, Philadelphia Phillies

1971 – Ferguson Jenkins, Chicago Cubs

1970 – Bob Gibson, St. Louis Cardinals

1969 – Tom Seaver, New York Mets

1968 – Bob Gibson, St. Louis Cardinals

1967 – Mike McCormick, San Francisco Giants

 

By City News Service, on November 13, 2011, at 6:15 am

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 2 (UPI) — Former Los Angeles Dodgers great Steve Garvey said Wednesday an investment group he heads is preparing to make an auction bid for the bankrupt team.

Garvey and fellow former Dodgers star Orel Hershiser are part of a prospective ownership group that is said to include other ex-players and deep-pocketed backers.

He told ESPN Radio in Los Angeles he and his group are seeking pre-approval from Major League Baseball for their bid, which will be made to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court after embattled current owner Frank McCourt agreed Tuesday to sell the team.

“We feel we’re capitalized to be in the game,” he told the broadcaster. “We don’t know what the final number will be. We have to be able to look at the books, look at future potential revenues and make a sound business decision.

“With that said, this is a baseball deal for us.”

Asked if billionaire Los Angeles supermarket magnate Ron Burkle were among his backers, Garvey neither confirmed nor denied it.

“We met with Ron, I like Ron. He is a quality individual. I can’t go any farther than that right now,” Garvey said.

The Los Angeles Times said the sale, which must be approved by a bankruptcy court, will involve the team and its media rights as well as Dodger Stadium and its parking lots. McCourt purchased the assets in 2004 for $421 million.

“The Los Angeles Dodgers and Major League Baseball announced that they have agreed today to a court supervised process to sell the team and its attendant media rights in a manner designed to realize maximum value for the Dodgers and their owner, Frank McCourt,” the Dodgers and MLB said in a brief written statement.

The Blackstone Group LP will manage the sale, the statement said.