LOS ANGELES -- One of baseball's proudest franchises is in tatters, its future to be decided more in the courtroom than on the field.
The Los Angeles Dodgers filed for bankruptcy protection in a Delaware court Monday, blaming Major League Baseball for refusing to approve a multibillion-dollar TV deal that owner Frank McCourt was counting on to keep the troubled franchise afloat.
McCourt, upset that commissioner Bud Selig rejected the proposed TV deal last week, hopes a federal judge will approve $150 million in financing to be used for daily operations, which would give him more time to seek a more favorable media contract. A hearing is set for today.
"The action taken today by Mr. McCourt does nothing but inflict further harm to this historic franchise," Selig said in a statement.
The team is bleeding red ink instead of Dodger blue, with former players owed millions. Even beloved Hall of Fame announcer Vin Scully is owed more than $150,000 as part of his contract, court documents show.
The filing by a cash-starved McCourt comes just days before he was expected to miss a team payroll Thursday and possibly be confronted with an MLB takeover.
CLEVELAND: Rookie third basemanLonnie Chisenhall was promoted from the minors, hoping to spark a stagnant offense. Chisenhall, 22, considered the top prospect in the organization, batted .265 with 14 doubles, seven homers and 44 RBIs in 65 games for Triple-A Columbus. He's hitting .303 with runners on base and .360 runners in scoring position. He was scheduled to make his major league debut Monday night at third and bat seventh against Arizona. The club designated infielder and ex-Tiger Adam Everett for assignment. ... Outfielder Shin-Soo Choo's broken left thumb won't be examined until today, when he likely will undergo surgery, and might miss six weeks.
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