Free the Dodgers from McCourts

When you think of baseball history, you think of the Dodgers.

This is the ballclub that in 1947 integrated MLB with the signing of Jackie Robinson. In 1958, along with the Giants, the Dodgers left New York and moved to California, spearheading baseball's move west.

Since the Dodgers franchise joined the National League in 1890, it has won 12 MVP awards, nine Cy Young awards, 16 Rookie of the Year awards and six World Series championships.

All that being said, it's a shame to see that the storied Los Angeles Dodgers are quickly becoming the laughingstock of Major League Baseball.

This is not necessarily the result of the play on the field, although the Dodgers have been mediocre as of late.

Rather, it is the fallout from the many outlandish actions by owners Frank and Jamie McCourt, who are now involved in a messy divorce.

Although Jamie is technically co-owner of the Dodgers, she has not been employed by the ballclub since October 2009 when Frank fired her from her position as CEO.

The situation has gotten so bad that MLB Commissioner Bud Selig has appointed special representative Tom Schieffer to take over the ballclub's day-to-day business operations.

Schieffer was the Texas Rangers president from 1991-1999 under the George W. Bush and Rusty Rose ownership.

Although Selig's actions have been praised by many Dodger fans, part of the blame for this mess belongs to him. After all, Selig is the one who signed off on the deal for McCourt to purchase the Dodgers in the first place.

Selig should have waited until a viable candidate for ownership emerged. The McCourts were never viable candidates.

To purchase the team from Rupert Murdoch's News Corp., Frank had to take out a $200 million loan from Fox, using his parking lot properties in Boston as collateral. He defaulted on the loan, and Fox took control of the lots.

Meanwhile, the IRS and the California Franchise Tax Board are looking into disclosures that have come out in the McCourts divorce case.

Several news media organizations have reported that the McCourts have paid no taxes since acquiring the team.

As a life-long Dodger fan and current season-ticket holder, it saddens me to see the team come to this.

Fans across L.A. are fed up with this mess.

Attendance is down an average of 635 fans per game across MLB. The Dodgers are down 7,268 fans per game, according to the Los Angeles Times. This is the biggest drop-off of any team.

For a team that has consistently been first or second in attendance, the Dodger fans are sending a clear message to McCourt, Selig, and MLB.

Luckily for us, it appears the McCourts days may be numbered.

AP is reporting that MLB believes Frank does not have the funds to meet the May 31 payroll for the team.

McCourt already took a $30 million loan from FOX last month to pay the April and the first May payrolls.

If he fails to meet payroll, the Commissioner's Office would pay the team with the option to seize control of the Dodgers.

In addition to that, Jamie is asking Superior Court Judge Scott Brown to order the sale of the team to prevent MLB from taking over.

Brown was the judge who ruled on the McCourt divorce trial.

Former Dodgers owner Peter O'Malley also called for the McCourts to sell the team in September 2010.

O'Malley sold the team to News Corp. in 1998.

Mark Cuban. Steve Garvey and Earvin "Magic" Johnson have all expressed interest in purchasing the team when and if they go on the market.

Everyday fans are even getting in the conversation. The website ownthedodgers.com is calling for public ownership of the team, similar to the way the NFL's Green Bay Packers are run.

I'm still a Dodger fan, always will be, but the situation is unlikely to improve and the fans won't return to Dodger Stadium until both McCourts are gone.