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Bad news, good news: Frank McCourt will have "close to the final say" on who buys the Dodgers, according to Tony Jackson of ESPNLosAngeles.com, but only from a group of candidates approved by Major League Baseball.

McCourt's choice would then have to be approved by the other MLB owners, but since that choice would have been pre-approved by MLB already ... you get the idea. Writes Jackson:

... It also isn't immediately clear whether there is a minimum number of applicants that MLB must approve and submit to McCourt and Blackstone, but one source said it would be a "reasonable" number, meaning MLB couldn't simply handpick the next owner by approving only one applicant. Although several individuals and groups already have gone public with their interest in buying the club, that list of applicants figures to dwindle to no more than a handful -- perhaps five, one source estimated -- who actually file applications because of the tremendous amount of money that must be secured in order to submit a worthy bid. ...

Jackson has more detailing the intricacies of gaining MLB approval in this November 5 background story. Meanwhile, Ramona Shelburne addresses my issue of Dodger-based groups competing against each other in her latest piece, calling for them to work together as much as possible.

And then there's this from Bill Shaikin of the Times, who writes that McCourt will still seek to profit from the Dodgers' post-2013 TV rights, noting this Matthew Futterman report in the Wall Street Journal:

... In the auction, Mr. McCourt and his advisers at Blackstone Group, which is managing the Dodgers sale, will solicit separate bids for the team and its media rights, and then will try to arrange a partnership between the highest bidders for each before a final deal is struck. Ultimately, only the winning bidder for the team would have the right to execute a new media-rights deal.

If they prefer, bidders also will be allowed to submit a combined offer for both the team and its media rights. ...

The Journal also said that McCourt could "maintain a stake in the parking lots at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles that are leased to the team for use on game days."

I'm still of the hope that a clean break from McCourt will be a condition of any offer that MLB approves.

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• The Kansas City Royals are reportedly going to sell the naming rights to Kauffman Stadium. Will the new Dodger owners risk the wrath of public opinion and do the same?
• Talk of David Wright coming to the Dodgers should be ignored, writes Mike Petriello of Mike Scioscia's Tragic Illness.
• Roberto Baly of Vin Scully Is My Homeboy found a rare picture of Sandy Koufax in Palm Springs in 1964 with Donna Douglas, Andy Williams, Pat Boone and, would you believe, Don Adams?
• Dodger players spent over 400 more days on the disabled list in 2011 than Diamondbacks players, according to Baseball Prospectus.
• Learn more about "the jock tax," courtesy of Eric Seidman of Fangraphs.
• This Fangraphs chart shows the highs and lows of the 2011 Dodgers relative to the other 29 teams. Read more about it here.
• The defensive flaws of Jose Reyes and Aramis Ramirez are explored by Katie Sharp and Mark Simon of ESPN.com.
• The late, inimitable, Jim Healy got a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Monday. Here's a tribute page to Healy. (News via L.A. Observed.)
• Farewell, Joe Frazier.
• Update - The Hiroshima Carp have made an offer to Hiroki Kuroda.

I was disbelieving and disheartened, just like everyone else.

I was in the newsroom at the Los Angeles Daily News when the word about Magic Johnson came pouring through like lava 20 years ago. As the paper's sports media columnist at the time, I was sent home to listen to the radio coverage on various stations of his announcement and the aftermath, and can testify to the shock and sadness (not to mention the popping undercurrent of recriminations) directed his way.

As shocking as it was that he would be retiring, the thing we couldn't get past was that inexorably, we'd soon be getting news of his passing. We wanted to think that wasn't possible, but we had no right to. Johnson would be our Lou Gehrig.

Magic's survival and thrival all these years could be called the ultimate "you never know." So many tragedies in this life ... it is worth celebrating when one of them takes a U-turn into a happier ending.

Attention, attention: There is going to be a softball tournament on February 11 at Big League Dreams in West Covina for Dodger bloggers and their readers, organized by The Left Field Pavilion. Details can be found here. I am not sure yet I'll be able to go, because we haven't figured out what my kids' weekends in February will be like yet, but I do hope to make it. In any case, Dodger Thoughters are encouraged to sign up – it should be a lot of fun.

Elsewhere ...

• While interviewing with new executives Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer, potential Chicago Cubs managers are being asked to manage simulated games – you know, like you and me playing a game of Strat-o-Matic – to get a sense of their abilities, reports Gordon Wittenmeyer of the Chicago Sun-Times (via Baseball Musings). I would love to watch.
• Chad Moriyama took an interesting and revealing look at which Dodger pitchers and hitters were the most and least valuable relative to their salaries at True Blue L.A.
• John Lindsey, Corey Smith, Jon Link and Randy Keisler are among the many Dodger minor leaguers who have become free agents, according to Matt Eddy of Baseball America.

As we enjoy more recovery progress from Bryan Stow ...

• Juan Rivera's new Dodger contract is official, and it guarantees him at least $4.5 million including a $500,000 buyout if the Dodgers don't pick up a $4 million 2013 option. (That's right — same base salary both years, because apparently the Dodgers were worried they might not be able to overpay Rivera two years in a row.) There are also $500,000 in potential incentives each year. The contract is getting pilloried on the Internet, with Matthew Pouliot of Hardball Talk bringing a particularly hard pillory.
• There's $131 million changing hands in the binding divorce settlement between Frank and Jamie McCourt, according to The Associated Press, but the more interesting detail might be that Jamie ended up with three Southern California homes and Frank none. He might not just be getting out of the Dodgers — he might be getting out of Dodge.
• I did a radio interview with A Martinez of ESPN AM 710 on Thursday that made the same point as Ken Rosenthal makes in this column for Fox Sports: I get intellectually why it might be too complicated during this transition period to sign a player like Prince Fielder, but it's still not clear to me how it would lower the value of the Dodgers when you think of the appeal he would have for so many. If it's a good contract after ownership changes hands, it's a good contract before.
• My brother's childhood glove was a Matty Alou glove, so we exchanged sad e-mails over his passing Thursday.
• Another passing to lament: Cardinals pitcher Bob Forsch.

Nothing's guaranteed, so knock on wood, but this is as close as you'll get with something this important.

Thanks to the timing of the Dodgers' ownership transition, count on Clayton Kershaw remaining a Dodger for years and years and years — until at least the end of the decade or close to it.

Matt Kemp might get away (though hopefully not) because the next Dodger owner might not be in place in time to lock him up before Opening Day, and might not outbid other teams if Kemp becomes a free agent.

But there's no way new ownership, who will be properly vetted by the industry, backed by the next Dodger local TV deal and fully conscious of the import of retaining the closest the Dodgers have come in 45 years to reinventing Sandy Koufax, will not sign Kershaw to a long-term deal before November 2014, when Kershaw can become a free agent. He'll get a long-term deal, whatever it takes.

Kershaw is yours.

Update: Kershaw won the MLB Players Choice Award for outstanding National League pitcher, while Matt Kemp was voted NL outstanding player.

Above, a sneak peak at Matt Kemp's appearance Friday night on "Last Call with Carson Daly."

Kemp also talked to reporters today about, you know, this and that. Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com has more.

Steve Garvey and Orel Hershiser were never teammates, except perhaps in Spring Training. Garvey's last game with the Dodgers was October 3, 1982, while Hershiser's debut came on September 1, 1983.

As a San Diego Padre, Garvey came up to the plate against Hershiser 24 times from 1983-1987 and had a single, a double, a walk and 21 outs. Garvey's .087 batting average against Hershiser was his worst against any major-league pitcher he faced at least 20 times.

I bring this up only because I'm struck by the peculiarity of 1980s Dodgers being in competition with each other for post-McCourt ownership of the team. Garvey and Hershiser are united in their pursuit (though they never played together), yet at least for now, united against a potential ownership group that features former Dodger owner and president Peter O'Malley and still another that features former Dodger general manager Fred Claire, who worked under O'Malley for nearly 30 years. All of them played significant roles in at least one of the Dodgers' last two World Series titles.

Just feels kind of weird. But as far as Claire is concerned, the more the merrier.

"From my standpoint, I think it’s great that Peter is involved in seeking the team — as well as Steve and Orel," Claire said in an e-mail. "The reason for this is that my goal is the see the Dodgers end up in the best hands as possible, and I have great respect for Peter, Steve and Orel.

"I have been involved with our group headed by (biotech executive) Ben Hwang for four months because I share Ben’s views as to how the Dodgers need to regain their place in the community and in Major League Baseball. As far as competition, the only group I want to see win are the Dodger fans."

Claire was also interviewed by Max and Marcellus on ESPN AM 710 today.

"I'm not going to mislead anybody," Claire told them. "We have a lot of work to do as far as raising the capital. This is an enormous amount of money.

"The leader of the group, (who) is really going to be there at the owners' table when it comes down to one representative per club, is going to be a very significant person, and we're hopeful of identifying such a person and having the capital to be prepared to make our case."

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Former Times sportswriter Ross Newhan offers his latest take on the Dodger ownership situation at Newhan on Baseball.

From ESPN.com:

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. -- Gil Hodges, Jim Kaat, Ron Santo and Luis Tiant are among 10 candidates for the baseball Hall of Fame who will be on the Veterans Committee ballot next month.

Former players Ken Boyer, Minnie Minoso, Tony Oliva, Allie Reynolds as well as former Dodgers general manager Buzzie Bavasi and former Athletics owner Charlie Finley also will be on the Golden Era ballot, which will be voted on by the 16-member committee on Dec. 5 at the winter meetings in Dallas.

This year's committee will consider candidates from the so-called "Golden Era," from 1947-72.

An eight-time All-Star, Hodges helped the Dodgers win seven pennants and two World Series, then managed the New York Mets to their first World Series title in 1969. His 63.4 percent vote on his final BBWAA ballot in 1983 is the highest percentage for a player who didn't enter the Hall in a later year.

Those voting on their Hall of Fame chances include Hall of Famers Hank Aaron, Al Kaline, Ralph Kiner, Tom Lasorda, Juan Marichal, Brooks Robinson, Don Sutton and Billy Williams, executives Paul Beeston, Bill DeWitt, Roland Hemond, Gene Michael and Al Rosen (retired) and veteran reporters Dick Kaegel, Jack O'Connell and Dave Van Dyck.

Candidates must receive votes on 75 percent of the ballot to be elected. Those elected will be inducted on July 22 along with any players voted in by the Baseball Writers' Association of America on Jan. 9.

The pre-integration era (1871-46) will be considered at the 2012 winter meetings and the expansion era (1973-present) in 2013, when retired managers Bobby Cox, Tony La Russa and Joe Torre are likely to be on the ballot.

Everything you need to know about the current Dodger situtation, using true-to-life images, appears in this video from NWA TV.

Favoring us with a link-filled summary of all the potential ownership bids that emerged just in the first 24 hours following the Dodger sale announcement is Mike Petriello of Mike Scioscia's Tragic Illness.

... Maybe Peter O’Malley will come back. Former Dodgers Steve Garvey & Orel Hershiser are reportedly preparing a bid, which must mean that a competing bid from Chad Fonville & Wilton Guerrero is just around the corner. Former owners and players not enough? How about former GM Fred Claire, who says he’s putting together a group with former A’s exec Andy Dolich. We could hold out hope that Mark Attanasio wants to ditch Milwaukee to come back to Los Angeles. Or perhaps Dennis Gilbert, long thought to be a top suitor. Maybe Fox or Time Warner want to buy in order to get the television rights. We could see Mark Cuban try again for MLB approval. Or if not him, perhaps other billionaires like Alec Gores, Eli Broad, Ron Burkle, or Larry Ellison. Or maybe that Chinese money will find its way back around.

And that’s just in one day. The point is, over the coming weeks and months, you’re going to be hearing the names of every egomaniacal Angelino with a heartbeat and either a fat bank account or friends who do floated in rumors about possibly acquiring the team. It’s going to be fun, and more than a little bit crazy. ...

Here's more from Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com (and still more here). Bill Shaikin of the Times answers some questions you might have here.

The inimitable Matt Kemp was named a National League Silver Slugger award winner today. Unfortunately for Clayton Kershaw, the Diamondbacks' Daniel Hudson (.309 on-base percentage, .369 slugging) proved too tough at the plate to beat for a pitcher's Silver Slugger.

In the soothing quiet of a slow news cycle, the Dodgers have made two more roster moves. From The Associated Press:

The Los Angeles Dodgers added outfielder Alfredo Silverio and first baseman-outfielder Scott Van Slyke to their 40-man roster.

Silverio batted .306 with 16 home runs and 85 RBIs lastseason with Double-A Chattanooga, and earned selection to the All-Star Futures Game in July.

Van Slyke won the Southern League batting title with a .348 average and had 20 homers and 92 RBIs for Chattanooga. He was named the Dodgers' minor league player of the year. He is a son of former All-Star outfielder Andy Van Slyke.

I wrote in August about Van Slyke as an emerging 2012 roster option. The 25-year-old had a .427 on-base percentage and .595 slugging percentage in 2011 for Chattanooga, adding up to a 1.022 OPS that was second-best in the Southern League behind Paul Goldschmidt (who then had a 117 OPS+ for Arizona down the stretch) .

Silverio, 24, finished his year with a .340 OBP and .542 slugging, as well as this bizarre combination: 18 triples, 11 stolen bases, 12 caught stealing.

Fox said today that it has no plans to try to buy any portion of the Dodgers from Frank McCourt.

I woke up itching to compile a To Do list for the Dodgers' new ownership. I'll start it up, and if I've missed anything important, I'll update it with some of your suggestions in the comments.

In no particular order:

• Overall fiscal responsibility, which implies knowing when and where to spend as well as when and where not to spend. Responsibility means neither miserliness nor excess.
• Long-awaited renovations to the beautiful but aging Dodger Stadium, with particular attention to the medieval restrooms.
• Retention of the best personnel in the Dodger front office integrated with a pursuit of the best personnel outside the front office.
• An expert analysis of Dodger Stadium security and enactment of a forward-thinking plan.
• A reevaluation of Dodger food, parking and concession prices. No one's saying the place should become a 99 Cent Store, but there has to be some sense. Fans shouldn't have to pay for Prince Fielder with every hot dog.
• Matt Kemp. Clayton Kershaw.
• The post-2013 local TV deal, of course.
• A reevaluation of Dodger Stadium fan atmosphere, including signage and music (including a restoration of Nancy Bea to proper prominence).
• Anything Vin Scully wants or needs. If he wants coffee, you get it for him.
• Better wireless access in the stadium. In 2012, fans shouldn't be struggling to get a signal.
• Elimination of "Don't Stop Believin' " from the eighth inning and in "God Bless America" from the seventh inning except on the rarest of occasions. "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" will suffice.
• Remove the restrictions on routes for exiting the parking lot after games.
• Do not insult the intelligence of the Dodger community.

From CNBC sports business reporter Darren Rovell:

...I think Fox which sold the team, stadium and parking lots to McCourt for $421 million in 2004, could — and might have to — throw its name in the hat again.

Why? For the same reason they bought the Dodgers in 1998 for $311 million. They want the team's future television rights, which would begin in the 2014 season. A spokesman for Fox Sports could not immediately answer whether the speculation, which has been floated by some bankers, is rational.

What is clear is this: Fox Sports West and Fox-owned Prime Ticket is in a very tough position. After this season (if there is one) they lose the Lakers to Time Warner, which signed the team to a 20-year deal reportedly worth as much as $3 billion. And they lost USC and UCLA games to the upstart Pac-12 Network. If they don't get a deal for the Dodgers, the network is basically worthless.

The reason Fox sold the Dodgers is that they thought buying TV rights were a better financial move. They were reportedly losing tens of millions of dollars managing the team. But now, that just might be the cost of doing business in a marketplace that is much more competitive than it was just seven years ago. ...

Few in Los Angeles will be eager to see a return of the Fox ownership. At a minimum, the idea that the bidding of Fox could increase the money Frank McCourt receives in the sale would be ratified by the Irony Committee.

Perhaps what happens is this: Fox ends up a minority stakeholder in the team, as it essentially was when it helped finance the McCourt purchase nearly eight years ago, but working with a new, improved owner.