Dodgers: Remembering Frank McCourt, the Most Hated Man in Los Angeles
When the history books look back on the Dodgers’ franchise, it’s safe to say that Frank McCourt may have been the worst owner of all time. Just uttering the name around Los Angeles can get you enough dirty looks to know you need to shut your mouth unless of course, you’re bad-mouthing him.
McCourt purchased the Dodgers back in 2004 knowing very well that his finances were in trouble, and anything he could do with the team’s roster would be limited. Things went from bad to worse when he had to pay out his wife over $100 million in a divorce settlement in 2011, bankrupting the Dodgers and moving team control over to MLB.
Frank McCourt
FOX
Manny Ramirez
Yu Darvish
Josh Reddick— Tom (@la4052101) April 16, 2020
Dodgers fans loathe the years that McCourt reigned over the team’s finances, especially when he let superstars in the making walk. Adrian Beltre is a prime example of why fans in Los Angeles hate the man so much. The Dodgers let him sign a free-agent deal with the Mariners for $64 million, and he would never return to Los Angeles. Beltre is, of course, a sure-fire hall of famer when he becomes eligible.
It wasn’t just who McCourt would not spend money on though that pissed off fans for over seven years. Under McCourt, the front office wasted $36 million of Jason Schmidt, $44 million in Juan Pierre, $36 million on Andruw Jones, and many more terrible contracts. Just those three guys alone accounted for over $100 million in commitments to guys who did not help the team win…like at all.
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But finally, after years of frustration and below-average performance, the Magic Johnson-led Guggenheim bid came through and swooped the Dodgers up for a large sum. The rest of the story is history, as the Dodgers would go on to make the playoffs every year after the sale aside from that first year of rebuilding. Free agents want to play here, the farm system is booming, and all is right in Los Angeles baseball.
So what’s McCourt up to nowadays? He purchased a soccer franchise not too long ago, and we’re hoping he stays in Europe forever. Let’s not forget the time that McCourt also said that he felt he brought a lot of value to a franchise that he ended up selling for $2 billion.
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