LOS ANGELES (AP) – Los Angeles Dodgers and Major League Baseball agree to ‘court supervised process to sell team’

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Los Angeles, CA (Sports Network) – The Los Angeles Dodgers have hired the
first female head athletic trainer in major professional sports.

Sue Falsone was also the first female physical therapist in Major League
Baseball when she was hired by the Dodgers in 2007. She held the position
through the 2010 season.

“This is a very special day not just for Sue, but for the Dodgers and Major
League Baseball,” general manager Ned Colletti said. “The Dodgers have always
been an organization of firsts and this promotion for Sue continues in that
tradition.”

Falsone, 37, said in a statement that it was “a true honor” to work with a
progressive and historic organization.

“My work with the Dodgers over the past few years as well as my time with
[Athletes' Performance] will serve me well in taking this next step,” she
said. “I look forward to helping develop innovative and creative programs to
reduce injuries and keep our players on the field so that they can achieve
their potential.”

Jackie Robinson was the first African-American to play in the major leagues
when he debuted for the Dodgers in 1947. The Dodgers were also the first team
to have a Korean-born player and a Taiwanese player on their big league
roster.

Their signing of Hideo Nomo in 1995 paved the way for Japanese players to
compete in the majors.

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News Corp. (NWSA)’s Fox Sports sued the
Los Angeles Dodgers to prevent a possible sale of future media
rights as part of the Major League Baseball team’s bankruptcy.

By preparing to sell the television rights to future games,
the Dodgers’ violated its contract with Fox Sports Net West 2
LLC, which does business as Prime Ticket, Fox said in a
complaint filed yesterday in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in
Wilmington, Delaware. The contract requires the team to only
negotiate with Fox until October 2012 and gives the company
matching rights to any deal cut after that date, Fox said.

Fox also accused team owner Frank McCourt of using
bankruptcy to keep control of the team, not improve the Dodgers’
financial position.

The Dodgers’ “purported liquidity crisis has been resolved
and the only crisis facing the debtors pertains to the control
of the baseball club by present ownership,” Fox said in court
papers.

“The Los Angeles Dodgers have fully complied with all of
their obligations under the existing contract with Fox,”
Stefanie Goodsell, a spokeswoman for the team, said today in an
e-mailed statement. “The Dodgers look forward to the
opportunity to obtain court approval of its marketing process,
which will enable the Dodgers to emerge from bankruptcy on a
solid financial footing.”

The Dodgers filed for bankruptcy in June after Major League
Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig named a monitor to oversee the
team’s day-to-day operations and rejected a proposed television-
rights deal with Fox Sports. The team said it faced a temporary
cash crisis that would be resolved once it sold the future
television rights.

The Dodgers engaged in talks with unidentified parties
before filing for bankruptcy, violating Fox’s rights under the
telecast agreement, Fox said in its filing.

Major League Baseball said in court papers last week that
it won’t approve a new television contract reached by McCourt
before the current Fox negotiating period ends in 2012. Selig
asked the judge overseeing the bankruptcy case, Kevin Gross, to
strip McCourt of his exclusive right to reorganize the Dodgers
so MLB can try to sell the team.

The bankruptcy case is In re Los Angeles Dodgers LLC, 11-
12010, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, District of Delaware (Wilmington).

To contact the reporters on this story:
Edvard Pettersson in Los Angeles at
epettersson@bloomberg.net;
Steven Church in Wilmington, Delaware, at
schurch3@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editor responsible for this story:
John Pickering at jpickering@bloomberg.net.

There is the quick update of the day.

Updated Sep 24, 2011 2:52 PM ET

DOVER, Del. (AP)

Attorneys for Major League Baseball asked a Delaware bankruptcy judge on Friday to clear the way for a sale of the Los Angeles Dodgers, saying team owner Frank McCourt is driving the team to destruction.

Attorneys for the league argued in a court filing that McCourt is using the team’s Chapter 11 case to try to resolve his own personal financial problems. They said he has methodically stripped the team of its revenue sources and is now seeking to auction off the team’s television rights without league approval, which could lead to its expulsion from the league and leave it in economic ruin.

League attorneys declared the proposed TV rights sale ”dead on arrival.”

”Indeed, no one will pay the debtors to broadcast Dodgers games if the club is not part of Major League Baseball,” attorneys for Commissioner Bud Selig wrote. ”Consequently, the debtor’s path in this case is a dead end or worse.”

League attorneys argue that the only path for a quick and successful emergence from bankruptcy is a sale of the team. They said such a sale would benefit the team, the league, fans and McCourt himself.

”Mr. McCourt will likely receive hundreds of millions of dollars from the surplus, which will be available to solve his personal financial problems and leave him a very wealthy man (without continued harm to the team),” they wrote.

An attorney for the league did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment. The Dodgers issued a statement dismissing the league’s court filing as meritless and riddled with inaccuracies.

”It is another step in the commissioner’s continuing effort to cause the sale of the Dodgers notwithstanding that the Dodgers can and will be successfully reorganized as outlined in the recently filed media rights marketing motion,” the statement read. ”In United States bankruptcy reorganization cases, liquidation is the last resort, not the first option.”

The league’s filing came one week after the Dodgers filed a motion seeking court approval of procedures to auction off the team’s television rights for the 2014 season and beyond.

MLB argues that the proposed sale would breach the Dodgers’ existing contract with Fox Sports, leaving it subject to substantial legal claims, while also providing grounds for termination from the league.

The Dodgers sought bankruptcy protection in June, blaming Selig for refusing to approve a multibillion-dollar TV deal with Fox that McCourt was counting on to keep the troubled franchise afloat.

The league is now arguing that McCourt is trying to circumvent its authority, which could leave the judge in the position of determining whether the federal bankruptcy code trumps Major League Baseball’s constitution.

”Bankruptcy is not a vehicle for rewriting the rules of sports leagues like Major League Baseball,” league attorneys argued in Friday’s court filing.

A hearing on the Dodgers’ motion seeking approval of a television rights auction process and the league’s opposing motion seeking a sale of the team is tentatively set for Oct. 12.

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Sep 9, 2011 – Clayton Kershaw matches up with Tim Lincecum for the third time this season as the Los Angeles Dodgers open up a three-game series against the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park. The weekend series ends the Dodgers’ season-long four-city road trip which began as 11 games but will end as a 10-game trip thanks to Thursday’s cancellation in Washington D.C. against the Nationals.

Kershaw beat Lincecum in both matchups this season, as the left-hander did not allow a run on opening day in Los Angeles nor July 20 in San Francisco. In both games, Lincecum allowed one run in seven innings and got tagged with the loss. Kershaw could use a boost for his Cy Young candidacy, and two matchups against Lincecum in 12 days should provide that opportunity.

In addition to Friday night, both Kershaw and Lincecum will likely pitch against one another on September 20 in the opener of a three-game series in Los Angeles.

Kershaw is 17-5 on the season with a 2.45 ERA, and he leads the National League with 222 strikeouts, 10 behind Justin Verlander for the major league lead. Not to get too far ahead of ourselves, but with eight scoreless innings Friday night against the Giants, Kershaw would overtake Johnny Cueto of the Cincinnati Reds for the major league lead in ERA, 2.3588 to 2.3632.

The Dodgers beat the Giants in three of four games in Los Angeles to open the season, but the Giants have won six of the past eight meetings, including four of six in Los Angeles. The Dodgers have lost their last four series at AT&T Park, dating back to last season, and are 3-9 in their last 12 games in San Francisco. All three wins were starts by Clayton Kerhsaw.

Friday night’s 7:15 p.m. PDT game will be televised on Prime Ticket. For more Dodgers news and information, be sure to read True Blue LA.

Read More: Justin Verlander (P – DET), Tim Lincecum (P – SFG), Johnny Cueto (P – CIN), Clayton Kershaw (P – LOS), San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Dodgers at San Francisco Giants, Sep 9, 2011 7:15 PM PDT

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LOS ANGELES – Former Great Lakes Loons starter Nathan Eovaldi had another impressive start for the Los Angeles Dodgers Friday, throwing six shutout innings and allowing just two hits against the Houston Astros.

The Dodgers eventually won, 1-0, after Eovaldi left the game, but his performance took a little pressure off a Los Angeles Dodgers scouting department that is taking some hits for a perceived lack of talent in the farm system, including on the Loons.

But Eovaldi is the fourth member of the Dodgers’ class of 2008 who have reached the Major Leagues this season, following Jerry Sands, Dee Gordon and Josh Lindblom … all former Great Lakes Loons.

The 2008 class also includes two more former Great Lakes pitchers, Allen Webster and Ethan Martin, who could find their way to the big leagues.

espn.com: A little later, a pitcher named Nathan Eovaldi — the fourth member of that ’08 draft class to reach the majors along with Jerry Sands, Dee Gordon and Josh Lindblom — would make his second big league start a memorable one. He would toss six shutout innings and give up only two hits to an Astros lineup so young and inexperienced as to almost be complicit in Eovaldi’s effort — although in saying that, it isn’t my intention to diminish what was undeniably a masterful performance by the fireballing right-hander.

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DENVER – Jhoulys Chacin worked up more of a sweat pacing the clubhouse in the ninth inning than he did in tossing eight shutout innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Rockies finally put together outstanding pitching with prolific hitting when Chacin scattered three harmless singles and the Rockies pounded Chad Billingsley for 13 hits in a 6-5 victory Friday night.

Chacin left the game with a 6-0 lead, then watched nervously on TV as the Dodgers batted around in the ninth.

Nothing has come easy for Colorado this year.

“I was here on the couch waiting for the last out and then after the fifth run, I just starting walking,” Chacin said. “I was like, ‘C’mon, get the last out.’”

Huston Street finally did, recording his 19th save in 21 chances.

Chacin (7-4) stifled a Dodgers lineup missing slugger Matt Kemp (hamstring), and the Rockies scored five times in the fifth on six straight singles. The decisive rally was sparked by two uncharacteristic errors by the Dodgers, the best-fielding team in the major leagues.

The big lead was nearly frittered away in the ninth, and the genesis was a seemingly innocuous move to give first baseman Todd Helton a breather in advance of his day off Saturday. Manager Jim Tracy moved third baseman Ty Wigginton to first and put second baseman Chris Nelson at third.

After Kemp’s pinch-hit homer off Matt Belisle, his NL-leading 19th, made it 6-1, Dioner Navarro hit a two-out grounder to third that Nelson fielded cleanly. Wigginton couldn’t handle his low, off-target throw, and that opened the door for the Dodgers’ big inning.

Tony Gwynn hit an RBI double, chasing Belisle. Expecting to get the night off after Chacin’s outstanding outing, Street was called on to get the final out to secure Colorado’s fourth win in five games.

He got two strikes on Aaron Miles before giving up a two-run single and had two strikes on pinch-hitter Rod Barajas before his bloop RBI single made it 6-5.

Finally, Street froze Trent Oeltjen looking at strike three.

“The game goes in the left hand column,” said a relieved Tracy, who insisted pulling his fine-fielding first baseman wasn’t the wrong move.

“As much as we’ve been grinding on him, and the fact of feeling like at 6-0, you’re in a very, very good place … I just wanted to get him out of there,” Tracy said. “I don’t feel personally that’s the reason they ended up back in the game at 6-5.”

Pressed, Tracy acknowledged that Helton has a better chance to make the scoop on Nelson’s throw.

“Yeah, he does,” Tracy said. “He does. He does. But, we removed him from the game.”

And in entered the drama, and lots of it.

The Rockies collected 17 hits. The 13 allowed by Billingsley (5-5) over 4 2-3 innings were a career high. He’s allowed double-digit hits just four times in his 145 career starts and two of those have come in the last two weeks and both times against the Rockies, who tagged him for 11 hits over seven innings in a 7-1 loss at Dodger Stadium on May 30.

This time, they made the most of all those hits.

Billingsley matched Chacin’s effectiveness for four innings, save for the 90-mph fastball that Troy Tulowitzki deposited halfway up the left-field bleachers leading off the second inning for his 12th homer. But things went haywire in the fifth, when Billingsley allowed seven singles and his ERA against Colorado this season soared to 8.59 over three starts.

The Dodgers began the night with the best fielding percentage in the major leagues (.988) but they made errors on back-to-back plays. With one out, Carlos Gonzalez bunted his way on base and took second on third baseman Casey Blake’s throwing error. Nelson singled and Oeltjen bobbled the ball in left, leaving runners at second and third.

Helton slapped a single to right, scoring both runners. Tulowitzki singled and the runners moved up on a wild pitch before Seth Smith delivered a two-run single. Chris Iannetta’s RBI single made it 6-0 and chased Billingsley.

“Hit me hard? They had 10 singles,” Billingsley said.

The Rockies caught a break when Kemp was scratched a half-hour before the game. He’s been torrid on the Dodgers’ 10-game trip that wraps up this weekend, going 15 for 29 with six homers and 14 RBIs and he came up a single shy of the cycle Thursday night.

Kemp said he hurt his left hamstring legging out a double Thursday and it bothered him again during batting practice.

“I thought maybe I should back off a little,” he said. “I’ve never had a hamstring injury so I knew it wasn’t normal.”

Kemp said he plans on playing Saturday in his 270th straight game, extending the longest active streak in the majors.

“I’m trying to play every game of my career,” he said. “I never want to sit out a game.”

NOTES: Oeltjen replaced Kemp in the lineup and played LF with Gwynn moving to CF. … Nelson set a career high with three hits and is hitting .333 since being recalled from the minors May 29. … Gonzalez had four singles, giving him seven hits off the Dodgers from the leadoff spot over the last two games.

___

Arnie Stapleton can be reached at http://twitter.com/arniestapleton

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DENVER – Jhoulys Chacin pitched eight shutout innings and the Colorado Rockies pounded Chad Billingsley for 13 hits in a 6-5 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday night.

Chacin (7-4) stifled a Dodgers lineup missing slugger Matt Kemp (hamstring), and the Rockies scored five times in the fifth on six straight singles. The decisive rally was sparked by two uncharacteristic errors by the Dodgers, the best-fielding team in the major leagues.

Chacin allowed three harmless singles, struck out nine and walked three, handing over a 6-0 lead to a bullpen that nearly frittered it away. Third baseman Chris Nelson’s throwing error opened the doors for the Dodgers’ big ninth inning.

Matt Belisle allowed Kemp’s pinch-hit homer, his NL-leading 19th, and Tony Gwynn’s RBI double before getting yanked. Expecting to get the night off after Chacin’s outstanding outing, Huston Street was called on to get the final out to secure Colorado’s fourth win in five games.

He allowed Aaron Miles’ two-run single and an RBI single by pinch-hitter Rod Barajas before freezing Trent Oeltjen looking at strike three for his 19th save in 21 tries.

The Rockies collected 17 hits. The 13 allowed by Billingsley (5-5) over 4 2-3 innings were a career high. He’s allowed double-digit hits just four times in his 145 career starts and two of those have come in the last two weeks and both times against the Rockies, who tagged him for 11 hits over seven innings in a 7-1 loss at Dodger Stadium on May 30.

This time, they made the most of all those hits.

Billingsley matched Chacin’s effectiveness for four innings, save for the 90-mph fastball that Troy Tulowitzki deposited halfway up the left-field bleachers leading off the second inning for his 12th homer. But things went haywire in the fifth, when Billingsley allowed seven singles and his ERA against Colorado this season soared to 8.59 over three starts.

The Dodgers began the night with the best fielding percentage in the major leagues (.988) but they made errors on back-to-back plays in the sloppy fifth inning.

With one out, Carlos Gonzalez beat out an infield single and took second on third baseman Casey Blake’s throwing error. He was held up at third on Nelson’s single, but Nelson advanced to second when left fielder Oeltjen, making his first start of the season, bobbled the ball.

Todd Helton slapped a single to right, scoring both runners for a 3-0 lead. Tulowitzki singled and the runners moved up on a wild pitch before Seth Smith delivered a two-run single.

Chris Iannetta’s RBI single made it 6-0 and chased Billingsley. All six runs charged to him were earned.

Gonzalez had four singles, giving him seven hits off the Dodgers from the leadoff spot over the last two games. Helton singled twice, walked and was robbed of another hit by shortstop Dee Gordon’s leaping grab in the eighth.

Helton has reached in 12 of his last 15 plate appearances and is having a resurgent season at age 37, leading manager Jim Tracy to suggest before the game that he’ll be All-Star worthy if he keeps it up. Helton even looked harkened to his youth when he ranged far to his right to field Dioner Navarro’s ground ball for a putout in the seventh.

Chacin ran into trouble just once, in the fourth, when the Dodgers put runners on second and third with a single, a walk and a wild pitch. He struck out Juan Uribe to end the inning.

The Rockies caught a break when Kemp was scratched because of tightness in his left hamstring. Kemp is hitting .329 with 19 homers and 54 RBIs. He’s been torrid on the Dodgers’ 10-game trip that wraps up this weekend, going 15 for 29 with six homers and 14 RBIs.

He didn’t have to test his hamstring when he trotted around the bases in the ninth after sending Belisle’s 11th pitch halfway up the left-field bleachers.

NOTES: Oeltjen replaced Kemp in the lineup and played LF with Tony Gwynn moving to CF. Blake moved from the second spot in the order to Kemp’s cleanup spot. … In his first rehab start, Rockies RHP Esmil Rogers (strained side muscle) allowed one run and six hits with one walk and eight strikeouts in five innings for Triple-A Colorado Springs on Thursday night. … This is the Rockies’ first three-game winning streak since winning seven straight in early April.

___

Arnie Stapleton can be reached at http://twitter.com/arniestapleton

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LOS ANGELES – Former Breckenridge High School pitcher Garrett Bolt was taken in the 23rd round of the Major League Baseball draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Bolt, from Wheeler, began his college career at Muskegon Community College and then transferred to Western Illinois.

The 6-foot-4 junior at Western finished the season with 12 strikeouts in 17 innings.

Bolt’s fastball hit 95 mph during the season with a slider at 85 mph.

At Breckenridge, Bolt was first team Tri-Valley Conference West Division in baseball, basketball and football. He holds the high school record for strikeouts in a season with 122.

The Dodgers’ Single A affiliate is the Great Lakes Loons in Midland, a possible destination for Bolt.

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MIDLAND – The Great Lakes Loons have become an increasing presence on the Los Angeles Dodgers this season as the Major League team has gone through a rapid youth movement.

Former Loons Jerry Sands, Javy Guerra, Rubby De La Rosa, Josh Lindblom and Dee Gordon have joined Clayton Kershaw as Dodgers.

And when the Dodgers had the choice of sending down Sands or veteran Jay Gibbons, they chose to keep Sands.

latimes.com: Fifteen current Dodgers are under 30. At the moment, two rookies are semi-regular starters (Sands and Gordon) and another is in the rotation (De La Rosa).

The Dodgers are trying to crawl back into the race with five rookies on their roster. Tough road ahead.

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