Ownership Committee Discusses Dodger Sale

Peter O’Malley met with baseball’s ownership committee Wednesday to discuss the sale of his Dodgers to Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp.

There was no official action by the committee, which is charged with sending a recommendation to the full ownership for a vote, but acting Commissioner Bud Selig said he probably will call a special meeting in February--before the next regularly scheduled owners meeting March 16-18 in Florida--to consider the sale and other issues.

“Our committee has no formal standing, other than to make a recommendation, and we should be in position to do that prior to the March meeting,” committee chairman Bill Bartholomay, board chairman of the Atlanta Braves, said Wednesday.

Bartholomay refused to speculate on how his committee might vote, but baseball sources said they expect the committee to recommend approval and the full ownership to support it.

The $311-million transaction requires majority approval of the 14 American League teams and three-fourths approval in the 16-team National League, where five negative votes could kill it.

In referring to the ownership of other clubs by media moguls and conglomerates, a high-ranking official said: “If you let Disney in and Ted Turner in and the [Chicago] Tribune Co. in, how do you say no to Rupert Murdoch? He’s the biggest single investor in baseball [through his national and regional TV contracts]. Do we risk alienating him by saying he can’t own the Dodgers?”

Said O’Malley: “I wouldn’t have [agreed to sell the team to Fox] if I didn’t think they would do a good job and wouldn’t be approved.

“Some clubs may have questions [about aspects of the sale and the Murdoch operation], but I know of no organized opposition. Absolutely not.”

O’Malley had been hopeful that the committee would also vote, but said he understood the process and wasn’t dismayed or frustrated by it.

“I was on that committee,” he said. “I understand that it takes time. I also understand the situation in the game today, where things take a little longer.”

That subtle knock at Selig was indicative of O’Malley’s disdain for the current leadership.

While it’s not clear how his relationship with O’Malley enters into it, Selig is known to support the Dodger sale. He would not discuss specifics of O’Malley’s appearance Wednesday but said it produced a candid discussion that would benefit the process.

Some owners have voiced concern about the amount of money the aggressive Murdoch might spend on players, his willingness to abide by baseball regulations governing international TV rights and his possible role in affecting the revenue stream of many of the teams he will be competing against through his conflicting hold on their local cable rights.

O’Malley said the unresolved ownership situation has not affected payroll or business decisions “despite reports otherwise” and has not and will not impede 1998 signings or preparations, despite the club’s strict adherence to the $43-million payroll of last year.

Asked about contract talks with Mike Piazza and Raul Mondesi, O’Malley said he wouldn’t negotiate through the media, but “the only issue is, do the contracts make good business sense or do they not?”

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The executive council, acting on a suggestion by the general managers, approved a format change for the opening round of the playoffs. Teams with the best record would get the first two games and a fifth game, if necessary, at home. The owners’ approval is needed.