FORUM/LSP/1stjc/mark2nd
Peter O’Malley’s announcement that he will sell the Los Angeles Dodgers surprised and saddened many Angelenos. Sale of the Dodgers, which was the last major league baseball team wholly owned by a single family, marks the end of an era not only in the sports world, but also in Los Angeles history. So who will take up where this dynasty ended? The Business Journal Forum asks:
Who should be the new owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers?
Michael Rozbruch
Chief financial officer
Charles David (shoe retailer)
“It’s got to be a businessperson. What comes to mind is someone in the entertainment industry, such as an MGM. The owner must treat the operation like a retail business and entertainment companies have an understanding of the consumer market. I think it should be someone who is not necessarily emotionally attached to the sport but is financially astute. My gut feeling is that one of the entertainment conglomerates is going to get the team.”
Ted Bell
Attorney
Law Offices of Theodore M. Bell
“I think the city should buy the team. That will make it a real treasure. Unless it became a financial boondoggle, you could really develop a team identity with the city and you wouldn’t have owners pulling their teams out when they become unhappy. Other organizations are owned by or subsidized by a city, why not a baseball team?”
Joseph Beachboard
President and publisher
The Labor Letters Inc.
“If the Dodgers are to remain in L.A., it is logical and probably necessary to go from being a family owned organization to being owned by a corporation. The reaction has been that this is a terrible thing to see the O’Malleys sell the Dodgers, but it may be necessary to give L.A. the type of team it wants to have the resources to be able to withstand the ups and downs, get the players you need to get the fans out and thereby get the return on your money.”
Jane Netherton
President and CEO
International City Bank
“I’m not totally opposed to forming a corporation, selling shares in it and running it like any other corporation. I’m not sure if I would buy shares I would first have to see how it was structured. But I wouldn’t buy based on nostalgia. It would have to be a purely business decision.”
Douglas Bar
CEO
Goodwill Industries of Southern California
“You’re talking to a non-baseball man. I’m a Canadian and we grew up with hockey sticks between our legs, not running the bases. But I guess I’d sell it to Wayne Gretzky so at least we could get him back in town and get some excitement back into L.A. sports.”
