One day before the much anticipated start of the NLCS with the Dodgers' 21 year old Clayton Kershaw starting his first ever playoff game, the team issued a statement announcing the marital split of its owner and CEO, Frank and Jamie McCourt.
Rumors of trouble in the relationship began, as noted by the Los Angeles Times after the McCourts were seen sitting apart in the owner's box during the recent division series between the Dodgers and the Cardinals.
Mrs. McCourt is not merely the wife of the club's owner. She has held the position of CEO for some time now. She headed up business and charitable initiatives and represented the team at many public functions.
Fans of the team need only look south to its Southern California neighbor, the San Diego Padres for an example of what might happen as the couple's property gets divided. The Padres suffered a painful financial contraction while its owner John Moores went through a divorce. It shed some $30 million in payroll and expenses prior to a sale of the club to a group headed up by Jeff Moorad.
The story line will be covered like a blanket, starting today when hundreds of media members storm the team's clubhouse and ask questions. That has already begun and Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports reports that the lid on this one is tight:
"Frank McCourt and Jamie McCourt confirm that they are separated," the McCourts said in a statement when asked for comment by FOXSports.com.
"This is a personal matter and they request that their privacy be respected. They will be making no public statements."
Frank McCourt's purchase of the club in 2004 for some $430 million has proven to be a winner and not just on the field. Forbes magazine recently valued the Dodgers at $722 million. The couple has not been afraid to make baseball moves and spend money when it was right in their opinion.
The owner made headlines this past off-season when he held his ground on what he believed was a fair and generous offer to Manny Ramirez and his agent, the infamous Scott Boras. When Joe Torre was available after his split from the New York Yankees the team's then current manager was shown the door and Torre was in Dodger Blue in a matter of days.
So today when all the talk should be about Kershaw vs. Cole Hamels of the Phillies, the team will be asked to speculate about its fate which might be severely impacted by the marital discord between its owner and CEO.
The McCourts' net worth has been estimated to be in the neighborhood of $1.2 billion as reported in the Los Angeles Business Journal. Obviously the bulk of that consists of the Dodgers' value. But it is unclear how leveraged the purchase is and if either spouse has the assets or credit to buy the other out.
Without a pre-nuptual agreement that contradicts the community property laws in California, the team's value is equally split between the McCourts. A team run by warring ex-spouses doesn't sound like a place that good players or execs will be anxious to be.