MLB Has Taken Over A Franchise Before

I probably don't even have to explain the Dodgers situation to any fan of baseball who has paid any attention in the last year and a half.  Frank McCourt got involved in a nasty divorce, in which his team's financial state has gone to shambles.  Bud Selig and MLB announced that they had to take over the club and its day-to-day operations earlier this season.

It was announced that the Dodgers had no chance of making their payroll for June.  It was also announced that MLB blocked the Dodgers from signing a television deal that would have given the Dodgers the much needed cash to continue on under Frank McCourt.

Rumors abound as to the reasoning of MLB's sudden stake in this great franchise.  Some people think Bud Selig is just a megalomaniac, bent on control of "his" league in every facet.  Others suggest that MLB is just doing their job, protecting their clubs and players for the goodness of the game.  One of the more far-reaching conspiracy theories is that MLB is trying to force out McCourt so that they can sell the club to an owner who will move the Dodgers back to Brooklyn.

Whatever the reasoning, MLB is currently in operation of the Dodgers.  I saw a sportswriter on ESPN's Sportscenter simply state that they have NEVER seen this kind of takeover of a club by a league ever.  I can see where a person would think this is an extraordinary circumstance that has surely never occurred before.  However, it has in a similar way and under similar circumstances.  Just ask the Phillies.

Coming into the 1942 season, the Phillies had been owned for the last ten seasons by Gerald Nugent.  It had been a rocky ten seasons, in which Nugent tried unsuccessfully to take the Phillies out of the NL basement.  He wanted to win more than save money, but didn't have the finances to do so.  After having to trade most of his talent to save the payroll, in 1941 his nightmare was fully realized.  The 1941 Phillies finished dead last, with a franchise worst record of 43-111.

When the 1942 season began, Nugent had to borrow money just to be able to go into Spring Training.  That was the last straw for MLB.  The Phillies were sold back to the league in February 1943.  The league later sold the club to William Cox, who would be banned from baseball before the 1944 season for betting on the team.

MLB has taken over a team before for lack of money to meet payroll and operating costs.  Although rare, the process by which MLB obtains a franchise to save it from insolvency has occurred in the past.  With McCourt's troubles, MLB was basically forced to intervene.  The divorce left McCourt in a bad spot, and the league has grown tired of his troubles involving the team.

In the case of the Phillies, their sale in the early 40's lead (eventually) to owner Bob Carpenter Jr. taking the Phillies to short-lived glory in 1950 with the "Whiz Kids" team that included future HOFs Robin Roberts and Richie Ashburn.  Carpenter Jr bought the team after Cox was banned for gambling.  MLB needs to find a good owner for the Dodgers, but in my opinion, an owner who will keep the Dodgers in L.A.

Well, Carpenter was responsible for this; but fans forgave him in 1950.

I think it would be as bad for baseball to move the Dodgers to Brooklyn now, as it was to move the Dodgers from Brooklyn in 1958.  Although the circumstances of the first move was about obtaining land for a new park, there are no such related issues with the team in 2011.  The new owner should keep the Dodgers put because they already have built a loyal fan base, which will probably turn on the team if relocated.

MLB has tried to downplay rumors that they would sell to an owner who would move the team, but the rumor still persists.  The Dodgers have something special in the City of Angels.  They have one of the largest markets in the country devoted to one team (Who are the Angels kidding?  No matter what their name says, they play in Anaheim) and one team only.  Notably, they have a large Hispanic population who will always buy merchandise and stick with the team, as long as they remain in L.A.

MLB got it right in the 40's with the Phillies (eventually), and hopefully MLB will get it right with the Dodgers.  They need a solvent owner, who will spend money to build a winner, and will keep the team in L.A.  A perfect candidate would be Mark Cuban.  He has stated that he would be willing to purchase the team "if they are fixable." He would be great for the game.  Give him a shot MLB, don't deny him again.

From Summit To Plummet & Back Again

Philip Humber was a star for the Big Three at Rice University.  After declining to sign with the Yankees after being drafted out of high school in 2001, he gave college a go.  There he pitched stellar baseball alongside Jeff Niemann, who you know from the Tampa Bay Rays rotation.

The third member, Wade Townsend, made up a trio of starters that went on to win the 2003 College World Series.  After winning the CWS, his hometown gave him a "Philip Humber Day" parade and event.  During his 2004 college season, Humber was 13-4 with a 2.27 ERA, and a 17 strikeout game against Hawai'i. 

Humber was drafted third overall in the 2004 MLB draft by the New York Mets.  He was drafted ahead of Jered Weaver.  He was immediately given a $3.7MM signing bonus.  He pitched in 2005 Mets Spring Training and was sent to Single-A afterward.  He went 2-6 with a 4.99 ERA before being moved up to AA.  He left his first AA game early due to injury, one that would require the dreaded Tommy John Surgery.

He made his comeback in 2006, and after a good start in AA, he was called up to the Mets in late September where he made his Major League debut from the bullpen.  He made his first start during the Mets epic collapse a year later in late September 2007, where he made a bland start in a no decision that would eventually be lost by the Mets.

Humber was traded before the next season to the Minnesota Twins as part of the blockbuster deal the Mets made for Johan Santana.  He only made five appearances for the Twins in 2008 and 2009, all from the pen.  He pitched poorly with a high WHIP and 6.09 ERA.  He was designated for assignment at the end of 2009.

Humber signed a minor league deal with the Kansas City Royals.  While pitching for Omaha in June, he got hit in the face on a line drive.  He was taken to the hospital, but was ok.  He got called up in August, and made a start on August 21, against the White Sox.  The Sox shelled him but the Royals won the game.  He would make all of his subsequent appearances out of the pen.  The A's would claim him off waivers in December 2010.  The A's waived him just a month later, and the White Sox claimed him.

So that brings us to this season.  Phil Humber really has come out of nowhere this year and it's a great story.  I did not really have good feelings about the guy, since I had known about his struggles throughout his career.  I felt that he was just another name on the long list of highly touted prospect busts.  So far, he has made me eat crow, but it is the best tasting crow of all.

Humber started the year pitching out of the bullpen but was quickly given a chance to start.  He started his first game on April 9th, and allowed just 1 run in 6 innings for the victory.  In his next start, errors combined with the Sox inadequate offense lead to his first loss; despite giving up only 2 earned runs.  In his next start, he allowed four earned runs and took another loss.  I was starting to believe he was evening out as his old self.

Then on April 25th, he pitched the best game of his career.  It was the first game he had ever thrown 7 innings at the Major League level.  He gave up no earned runs over those seven innings, and only allowed one hit on route to a 2-0 victory.  Did I mention this was against the Yankees at Yankee Stadium?  Eating crow.

Feathers And All

He has pitched very well over his last 7 starts, going 3-1 and lowering his ERA to 2.87.  Every time Humber goes out on the mound, I am excited knowing that we're going to get more than just a quality start, we're going to get a solid start.  He may not be the strikeout king that he was at Rice, averaging 3.9 per start, but he's very efficient.  He's not allowing base runners, posting a very low 0.95 WHIP in his 11 starts.

I was watching his first few starts saying "Okay, will this be the game where he falls apart and loses it?" but now I am watching saying "How great is this kid?!"  He has apparently remembered who he was from his Rice days, and pitched like a top prospect this season.  It's a good story, to fall off the mountain, and start that climb back up to at least the middle at this point.

I wish him all the best and hope he continues to pitch well for the rest of the season.  We need him to be a strong part of our rotation, especially if Peavy cannot stay healthy.  He will be vital to the success of our team this summer.  He's been so solid, that I have even picked him up in a few fantasy leagues.  It took him seven years to get here, but he's arrived finally.  Good luck Phil, keep up the great work and take it one start at a time.