LOS ANGELES - The inability of Frank and Jamie McCourt to settle their divorce case and the prospect of several more years of litigation has prompted Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig to consider intervening on behalf of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Selig has remained virtually silent on the issue since the McCourts filed for divorce 11 months ago, saying only that the legal proceedings needed to play out.
However, according to four people who have spoken with him, Selig is dismayed at the public spectacle surrounding the divorce and concerned about the potential for lasting damage to the league and its flagship West Coast franchise. He has told those people he wants the Dodgers’ ownership situation resolved long before his scheduled retirement in 2012.
The trial to determine who owns the Dodgers is set to resume Monday and end by Sept. 30, after which Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Scott Gordon has 90 days to rule.
Yet, with both sides openly discussing possible appeals and additional legal maneuvers, a final decision on whether Frank McCourt is the sole owner of the team or Jamie McCourt is a co-owner could be two to three years away, according to attorneys involved in the case.