When it was announced that the Dodgers would be sold at auction a few weeks ago, my initial choice for owner was -- absolutely anybody besides Frank McCourt.
I believe that McCourt had good intentions when he bought the Dodgers. He simply was too greedy, selfish, and underqualified to run a major sports franchise (unless you're talking about running it into the ground). Let's put it this way -- Donald Sterling of the Clippers is a better owner than McCourt (ouch).
McCourt bashing aside, it's time to turn our attention to the future. Initial bids were due today in the auction of the team, with the sale expected to be finalized by April 30.
My choice from the list of bidders? Like so many others, it's Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban.
I know that Major League Baseball and its fuddy-duddy commissioner and owners want nothing to do with Cuban. He's a hothead who has given NBA Commissioner David Stern countless headaches because of his penchant for speaking out. He's a thorn in the side of the NBA establishment -- but a shrewd, intelligent, highly successful thorn.
But Cuban would bring one thing to Los Angeles that we Dodgers fans haven't seen: true passion for winning.
I was always a Cuban fan, but my like for him grew even more in my five years living in Dallas in the early 2000s. Seeing him actually sitting among the fans and not in some luxury suite, wearing T-shirts to the game and just wanting to be a regular guy (albeit a regular guy with billions of dollars). He connects with the fans like no other owner I've seen. I even saw him work at a Dairy Queen one day to pay off a bet, and fans lined up down the street for the chance to meet him.
With his passion comes a positivity that younger guys like Clayton Kershaw and Matt Kemp could use. The Steinbrenner family has the same level of passion for the Yankees that Cuban possesses for his team, but they're more likely to bash a player to the media than ever heap praise. Cuban is just the opposite. Even this year, with the Mavs off to a slow start, Cuban said publicly that this year's team is better than last year's title squad. He's a master motivator but doesn't achieve it through constant public criticism.
And it's not all show. Cuban is smart and savvy. He recognizes guys that deserve to be rewarded, but he's not afraid to part ways with a guy, no matter how popular, who he believes doesn't fit into title plans (for example, Steve Nash). He's not afraid to pull the trigger on a big deal that could make the team better. Cuban is about winning championships, not just making money (although the Dodgers should present him with ample opportunity to do that, too). ... I can assure you that if Cuban were the owner, the Dodgers would have been camping on Prince Fielder's doorstep, waiting to talk to him one second after he officially became a free agent.
Cuban is exactly what the Dodgers need -- somebody who can take the franchise and not only make it fun to watch again, but turn it back into a consistent winner. The Mavericks were a flaming heap when he bought them; now they're a model of consistency and an annual title contender. The Dodgers are in much better shape, so just imagine what Cuban could do with them.
Although I know Cuban has been on record as saying he wouldn't go above a billion dollars for the Dodgers, I'm still sitting here with fingers crossed hoping somehow or another he can submit the winning bid.
He's exactly what the Dodgers need to bring home their first World Series crown in nearly 25 years.
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