Business as Usual? Not Now

The Dodger front-office officials got their e-mail early in the morning, walked into a stadium conference room at 11 a.m., but had absolutely no idea of the bombshell that was about to drop.

They watched Peter O’Malley start to address them, but as the words came out of his mouth, they were too numb to hear. They couldn’t immediately comprehend the meaning. They were in shock.

Peter O’Malley was selling his beloved franchise.

“I couldn’t believe what I was hearing, none of us could,” said traveling secretary Billy DeLury, who has been with the Dodgers since the O’Malleys purchased control of the franchise in 1950. “It felt as if a big apple got stuck in my throat. It was quite a shock.

“I mean, over the years you hear the ballclub is up for sale, but then you think, ‘No, not this one. How could it be?’ But it’s happened. It’s happened. It’s reality.

“You just hope the new owner will be like Peter O’Malley or Walter O’Malley, but I really don’t think there’s another one out there.

“It’s a dark, dark day in Dodger history.”

The Dodgers, considered perhaps the model franchise in all of baseball, suddenly could be like everyone else on the block.

This is an organization that has had only three managers since 1954. This is an organization that fired General Manager Al Campanis for insensitive racial remarks on national TV, but invited him to all of their news conferences, including Monday’s. This is an organization that created a vice president’s job when Tom Lasorda was removed as manager.

“Let’s face it,” center fielder Brett Butler said, “the L.A. Dodgers are not the L.A. Dodgers without the O’Malley name attached to it.”

Said Charlie Blaney, Dodger director of player personnel: “We’re losing an ideal owner. It’s sad not only for us, but for the game and for the city.

“The O’Malley family is a class act. That’s why none of us wants to leave the Dodgers, because of how we’re treated.”

Butler, who said he is leaning toward retirement rather than returning for a final season, listened to O’Malley during a 30-minute conference call with the rest of his teammates. O’Malley thanked the players and told them there will be no changes. It will be business as usual.

Still, Butler couldn’t resist the urge to call O’Malley after the conference and thank him for his support.

“I have sadness in my heart,” Butler said. “This just blows me away. I’ve played for five organizations, and this was the classiest organization. I thanked him for letting me play for him.”

While O’Malley insists that business will be run as usual until a sale is complete, doubts remain. Since O’Malley hopes to sell his franchise by the season’s conclusion, what’s the incentive of reaching a long-term contract with catcher Mike Piazza and first baseman Eric Karros?

Then again, perhaps the incentive for Piazza and Karros to stay has changed.

“It’s definitely going to affect us,” said Dan Lozano, Piazza’s agent. “We’re not sure we want to sign a long-term deal not knowing who our employer will be. And I’m not so sure the Dodgers would want to lock him up with all of the uncertainty.

“Mike enjoys L.A. and the city, but if they don’t step up now and do what’s right, you’re almost forcing him to test the free-agent market [in two years].”

Piazza is seeking a five-year contract in excess of $50 million. Karros, who’s eligible for free agency after this year, would like a four-year deal in excess of $15 million.

“My job and our responsibilities don’t change,” said Fred Claire, Dodger executive vice president. “It will be business as usual. We’re going to do the things we normally do. Our goal is for this to have as little effect as possible.