Dodgers Owner Frank McCourt Meets With MLB Execs

Los Angeles - A defiant Frank McCourt said today he has no intention of being forced out as owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, and he accused Major League Baseball of trying to take control of the team to sabotage an estimated $3 billion media-rights deal between the team and Fox.

A league official, however, sharply denied the allegation.

Speaking to reporters in New York, McCourt said he worked hard to earn the money to purchase the Dodgers and had negotiated a viable deal with Fox that was comparable to those reached by other teams.

"I am a self-made guy. Every dollar I've made I've earned the old-fashioned way," McCourt said. "... Nobody handed the Dodgers to me and nobody's going to take it away. I'm not going anywhere."

In his most extensive comments since the league appointed a monitor to oversee operations of the franchise, McCourt said he had not yet decided whether he would file a lawsuit against Major League Baseball. He insisted, however, that the league's appointment of former Texas Rangers President J. Thomas Schieffer as a monitor over the team "makes no sense to me."

"The Dodgers have been and remain completely compliant with all of Major League Baseball's rules and regulations, including financial rules," McCourt said. "We are current on all of our obligations, all of our payments. We have not asked for a penny of emergency funding from (baseball) and as I've just indicated, we just put a multibillion-dollar media transaction on the table ... with only Commissioner (Bud) Selig's approval standing in the way," he said.

McCourt said "calling for an investigation, I think, is not right. Sending in somebody to seize control of the franchise is absolutely wrong."

Schieffer, speaking with reporters in Los Angeles, said he looked forward to meeting with McCourt.

"I'm the commissioner's representative, and I look forward to talking to Mr. McCourt and hopefully we can have a nice visit and see exactly what it is that he's concerned about," Schieffer said. "What the commissioner's concerned about is the health of this franchise. He recognizes that the Dodgers are a huge part of baseball and he wants a successful franchise. That's the only reason I'm here. And I'm here as his representative and a representative of Major League Baseball."

McCourt, who has owned the team since 2004, met with league officials today to discuss the proposed $3 billion media deal with Fox -- a 17-year pact that he said would result in an immediate infusion of $300 million to the team.

Dodger fans "want to hear about winning championships, and that's what this deal gives us the wherewithal to do," he said.

McCourt said league officials told him at today's meeting that Selig had vetoed the deal between the Dodgers and Fox, despite McCourt's insistence that he was willing to amend the proposal to earn league approval. Selig did not attend the meeting.

McCourt said Selig won't return his phone calls, and he said the commissioner's decision to take over day-to-day operations of the team was "designed to interfere with our ability to close this transaction."

Rob Manfred, vice president of labor relations for Major League Baseball, issued a statement criticizing McCourt's public airing of his grievances against the league.

"It is even more unfortunate that Mr. McCourt's public recitation was not accurate," he said. "Most fundamental, Commissioner Selig did not `veto' a proposed transaction. Rather, Mr. McCourt was clearly told that the commissioner would make no decision on any transaction until after his investigation into the club and its finances is complete so that he can properly evaluate all of the facts and circumstances.

"Equally important, there has been no seizure of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Mr. Schieffer has been appointed as a monitor, and a multi-page written directive from the commissioner describing his role has been provided to Mr. McCourt. In our meeting, no one from the Dodgers asked a single, specific question about the terms of the document setting forth the monitor's role," he said.

Selig said last week he was appointing a monitor "because of my deep concerns regarding the finances and operations of the Dodgers and to protect the best interests of the club, its great fans and all of Major League Baseball."

Selig said MLB was conducting a "thorough investigation into the operations and finances of the Dodgers and related entities during the period of Mr. McCourt's ownership."

McCourt said he would be willing to work with Schieffer if he is in place solely as a "monitor," but not as a "receiver."

"We don't accept that premise. We don't believe that Commissioner Selig has the right to jump the gun and send a receiver in to take control of the Dodgers," he said.

Schieffer said he was appointed as a monitor, and he will have final approval of any team expenses more than $5,000.

"I think the commissioner has the right under the agreements that we have to, in the best interests of baseball, take control