Frank McCourt loses round in bankruptcy court.

Frank McCourt cannot use a loan he arranged to run the Dodgers for the rest of the season, a bankruptcy judge ruled Friday.

The embattled Dodgers owner suffered a significant setback when he was ordered to negotiate with Major League Baseball for a loan.

McCourt had argued he should not have to accept financing from Commissioner Bud Selig, who he feels is intent on stripping him of his ownership of the Dodgers.

Round 1 to MLB, but this fight’s just getting started ...

Pirates: Will they or won’t they??

The atmosphere should be electric this weekend when the Pirates host the St. Louis Cardinals in a three-game series between National League Central contenders that begins tonight at PNC Park.
Only a few tickets remain for games tonight and Saturday night. Sunday afternoon’s series finale is also likely to sell out. There is no doubting that the Pirates are not only the hot story on the Pittsburgh sporting scene but in all of baseball as they continue to be surprise contenders following a run of ...

Brad Pitt’s Moneyball gets new poster

(throws corn across room)

More posters have been revealed and this time for some interesting films. First off is the baseball dramedy MONEYBALL, starring Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill and Philip Seymour Hoffman and directed by Bennett Miller. Pitt stars as Billy Beane, the General Manager of the Oakland A’s back in 2002 most known for using a modern analytical system to draft players. The poster is actually pretty lame and reminds me a little too much of FIELD OF DREAMS. However, the basic point ...

Hoffarth: Blyleven’s Hall of Fame route went from old to new school

Congrats to long time pal, Rich Lederer!...oh, and you too Blyleven.

“You look at the new age that we are in with the Facebook and (Twitter) and the online, all that stuff is very important, because I think, as writers that do vote, that is your job to look at numbers,” Blyleven said. “And that is what I think Rich Lederer brought out. He brought my numbers out a lot more.”

Jon Weisman of the DodgerThoughts.com blog called Lederer’s achievement “the most effective grass-roots campaigns for ...

Tigers’ Hank Greenberg should share RBI mark with Gehrig, statistician says

Sorry. Steve Hirdt says you didn’t produce enough RBI evidence. Nothing we can do about it. Tough (%$^!).

Herm Krabbenhoft presented his findings to the Elias Sports Bureau, the official statistician for Major League Baseball, but thinks Elias hasn’t amended the record because Gehrig is an icon.

“They do not want changes, especially in significant records involving icons,” Krabbenhoft said. “Getting things changed by Elias is difficult.”

But Steve Hirdt, executive vice president of Elias, ...

Souhan: Bert Blyleven could be the final old-time Twin to get the Cooperstown call.

Sorry, I never actually read the complete “Dwight Siebler for the HOF!” petition pledge when I signed it.

Bert Blyleven, entering the Hall of Fame at the advanced age of 60, will represent more than his body of work when he enters the Hall of Fame on Sunday. He will represent ghosts and friends, the injured and the ailing, the legacies of a foregone era.

“I look at the guys in the Twins Hall of Fame, and I played with all of them,” Blyleven said. “That’s pretty special.”

Blyleven chafed ...

Primer Dugout (and link of the day) 7-22-2011

Regina Morning Leader, July 22, 1911, immediately to the left of the linked article, Rube Waddell drops some early 20th century smack talk on…Toledo?

Yep, Toledo.  Of all places.

Mr. Rube Waddell opines that there must have been some mistake about a Toledo fan assaulting [umpire] Gerald Hayes on a street car in the silent city.

...

“Fight in that town?” queried Mr. Waddell.  “Why, they haven’t got the heart and courage in that town to stick a fishworm on the hook.  They tie ‘em on with silk ...