You don’t see family members go at each other in a high-profile court case like this in Los Angeles since the Chandlers gave up the LA Times. So nostalgic. Yes, the epic struggle for control of the Dodgers begins on Thursday, as Frank McCourt and Jamie McCourt square off to contest assets in their divorce. “Who needs two? Got tickets in the second row, middle, right opposite the bailiff. Who needs tickets?” “Red hots! Get your Dodger Dogs!”

Of course Jamie McCourt is attempting to get back her job as Dodger CEO after being fired by club owner and husband Frank. The plot thickened when Frank accused Jamie of secret naughty Paris hi-jinks with her “security advisor,” Jeff Fuller. The court will hear arguments from Jamie as to why she should be reinstated, and why the Fuller accusations should be withheld. Frank will contend that Jamie is a detriment to the team, and the entire National League. Vin Scully will call the action. Read more…

Finally, we have the big breakthrough in the McCourts divorce case. With Jamie McCourt attempting to get her job as Dodger CEO back after she was fired by club owner and husband Frank, the Dodgers filed legal documents today against Jamie’s claim that are akin to an atom bomb.

(Frank: Jamie McCourt had affair with Jeff Fuller (middle))

The Dodgers attorneys claim that among the reasons Jamie was fired was a secret trip she took with “her bodyguard” to France - when she was supposed to be representing the Dodgers in Israel. She also billed the team for all her expenses in France.

The trip happened in July. The date of separation in the divorce proceeding is July 6.

Next question: Who was the “bodyguard” that accompanied Jamie to France? Read more…

TMZ gets its hands on Jamie McCourt’s official divorce filing today, and it’s a doozy.

(We all had the same reaction)

First off, Jamie lists the date of separation as July 6, 2009. Here are some of the things Jamie is demanding in the settle with husband Frank:

- travel by private jet
- 5 star hotel accommodations
- travel expenses - Unlimited
- business dinners 5 nights per week
- business lunches 5 days per week
- making Dodger Legends available for events without charge
- access to team doctors for McCourt family members
- access to the owner’s suite for Dodger home games and non-baseball events at the stadium
- Tickets to All-Star games and playoff games — even if the Dodgers aren’t playing
- a pass to all National League games

That’s not even the best part. Read more…

More fun with the McCourts’ freakshow divorce today, as TMZ reports on the events following a 911 call Jamie McCourt made to police about Frank.

(Oh god no. This guy.)

Frank’s version:

Mr. McCourt was living alone at the residence in West Los Angeles and his wife was residing in Malibu. That morning, Mr. McCourt left the house and went jogging. When he returned home to the West Los Angeles residence, he found his wife (Jamie) swimming in the pool and her personal “security assistant” Jeff Fuller, was also at the residence.

Jeff Fuller? The same Fuller who is now romantically involved with Jamie, but only started seeing her after the McCourts’ breakup?

Meanwhile, Jamie’s side has a very, VERY different account of the events. Read more…

TMZ posted photos today it claims are of Jamie McCourt and her new boyfriend, a gent named Jeff Fuller.

(Jeff on the left)

We got these pictures of Jamie yesterday, lunching in Malibu with Jeff Fuller — the new guy in her life. Now, in the awkward department, until recently Jeff was the Director of Protocol for the Dodgers.

We’re told Jamie and Fuller began seeing each other after she split with Frank. Fuller was fired from the Dodgers in omid-October.

So Fuller just “recently” left the Dodgers and only started “seeing” Jamie after her split with Frank McCourt? Their timing is uncanny!

Read more…

UPDATE: SI is now reporting Jamie McCourt has been officially fired, within the last two days. (LA Times confirms.)

LAT also offers:

Jamie McCourt is believed to be lining up investors for a possible effort to buy out her husband and gain sole control of the team. In addition, she is believed to have started calling prominent baseball figures, with the intention of arranging meetings to discuss the direction of the team.

This is getting good. A week after the news hit that the McCourts were divorcing, SI reports today that “Frank McCourt is seriously considering firing his wife Jamie as CEO.”

Frank McCourt is chairman of the club and highest ranking officer of the franchise. Jamie is the second-highest ranking officer.

More: “Both McCourts have expressed an interest in owning the Dodgers separately.” Read more…

It’s been fun following the media coverage of the McCourts’ separation today. Ken Rosenthal of Foxsports.com broke the breakup while adding that Jamie McCourt is “better positioned” to buy the team outright than her husband Frank.

(#F—ME)

That put Frank’s lawyer Marshall Grossman, who is also Erin Andrews’ attorney, on the defensive with the L.A. TIMES:

“Frank McCourt is the owner of the team. He has always been the owner of the team,” Grossman said. “There should be no change at all with respect to anything the public is used to.”

(Let the Dodgers’ inter-office cold war begin!)

Grossman said Jamie McCourt remained the Dodgers’ chief executive officer for now but could not say whether that would continue.

“That is up to the Dodgers organization,” Grossman said.

Wait, didn’t Grossman just say Frank owned the team? So with that, wouldn’t he decide if Jamie stays or goes?

And why didn’t the Times get Jamie’s lawyer’s side?

Answer: In the Dodger press release about the separation, all reporters were directed to contact Frank’s lawyer about the case.

 (Only time I approve of two natural-born boobs being reduced)

So we didn’t get Jamie’s spin until hours later. But it was just as delightful. Read more…

The McCourt family (makers of fine decisions like hiring Ned Coletti and treating Manny Ramirez like dirt but still feeling violated when Manny earned a suspension) have recently discovered that women are an untapped market that should be nurtured, just like Spanish-speaking peoples and others with disposable cash.

(At least one woman figured out Dodger fandom without pressing the ’sports-to-woman’ translation button on her remote)

Therefore, in a kind-hearted and sensitive fashion, Jamie McCourt has fired up a special women-centric broadcast for Wednesday home games for the rest of the season. Jeanne Zelasko and Mark Sweeney will break down baseball because “as a mother, (Jeanne) will be able to bring a unique perspective.” What does that mean? Do wombs break down the infield shift better?

Read more…

We all know that Los Angeles Dodgers owners Frank and Jamie McCourt are business visionaries, using maverick techniques to lead the team to a few games over .500 an NL West title. We also know just where they stand on charity service versus selfishly hording money. Now they’ve found a way to combine both into one giant mess: the AP is reporting that they are making charitable donations by players mandatory in future contracts.

And they are being thoughtful, too. Instead of forcing players to make a decision on which of their own personal favorite charities to “donate” a percentage of their salary to, they are making it easy by only giving them one option. As it turns it, this just happens to be the Dodgers Dreams Foundation, which just happens to be the official charity arm of the team. Looks like the buffet at the annual bowling night just got upgraded from nachos to chicken wings!

Read more…

Frank and Jamie McCourt have done the impossible. They’ve made Scott Boras look like a sympathetic figure.

(HUGE BOOBS! And an attractive model)

The McCourts embarrassed themselves, their family, their friends, and even Tommy Lasorda’s Friday night rendezvous at Jumbo’s Clown Room with the memo circulated to the media last night that gleefully touted Boras turning down their fake $45M offer to Manny Ramirez.

It turns out that half of the money in the offer was deferred, and those future payments were to be made without interest.  A fact the memo neglected to mention. (On the bright side, after they drive the Dodgers into the ground, F & J have bright futures as lending officers!)

So what does Ramirez does now? Exactly what I told you last month he would be - sit out the season.

Read more…