Admit it. You thought today was Christmas. Or perhaps April Fool's Day.
Either way, the news of Frank McCourt finally agreeing to sell the Dodgers had to put a smile on your face. It did mine.
And with recent news that Peter O'Malley is interested in running the Dodgers again, well, that has me beaming too. Sure, O'Malley is an owner of a time gone by. But what a time it was! I find his goal a bit lofty, but I'm guessing it would be welcomed by some three million fans.
However, as with any official agreement with Frank, the sale of the Dodgers is probably not going to happen smoothly, despite the pledge from MLB that the process would be expedited. The courts be damned, Frank will hold on tooth and nail to squeeze every last dime into his pocket. To think that this was a complete white-flag surrender would be folly.
Going forward, I expect Ned & Co. to operate this winter business as usual. A Juan Rivera signing here. An aging starter there. He'll grab a reliever or two. And sign a Jamey Carroll-type. At best, Ned might pull a rabbit out of his mustache via an unheralded trade. But alas, there will be no Prince Fielder - or the like - coming to the Ravine in 2012, unless it's to the visitor's dugout.
With all of that, I don't think the 2012 Dodgers will be constructed significantly different than they were towards the end of last season. I hope I'm wrong, of course.
For now, I'll look forward to 2013 - when the Dodgers can be "THE DODGERS" again. For real.