Frank McCourt Defiant At Press Conference

Frank McCourt met with Major League Baseball officials Wednesday afternoon in New York, and afterward held a press conference.

McCourt essentially made two points.

First, he’s got a “fully drafted, fully negotiated [television] deal, ready to be signed,” which he presented to Major League Baseball. Commissioner Bud Selig, who was not present at the meeting, vetoed the deal.

According to McCourt, the deal would “immediately invest $300 million in equity” and “provides complete stability for the Los Angeles Dodgers for the next two decades.”

When asked about the total value of the deal, which includes a renegotiation of the next three existing years, and adds another 14 years, McCourt replied, “It depends on how you calculate the different components, but I’ve seen a valuation in excess of [$3 billion].

Second, McCourt sounded defiant about MLB’s takeover. In his initial statement, he said, “In 2004, I took my life savings and invested it in the Los Angeles Dodgers. Nobody handed the Dodgers to me, and nobody’s taking them away.”

When asked if he would sue Major League Baseball, McCourt said, “I am very committed to my position. I’m not going anywhere. This is a team that I love, and a community that I love. I am going to protect my rights, obviously.”

Later, McCourt said, “It’s just un-American to me, to be sitting here having this conversation, the thought that your private property, it’s susceptible to being taken away from you because you’re going through a nasty divorce or whatever.”

And regarding Tom Schieffer, the Commissioner’s designated “trustee” of the Dodgers, McCourt said, “We don’t believe that Commissioner Selig has the right to send in a receiver to come in and take over the Dodgers.”

It sounds like there might be some uncomfortable moments in Chavez Ravine over the next few days.

Update: Following McCourt’s press conference, MLB issued statement denying that TV deal has been vetoed, but that decision won’t come until investigation of Dodgers’ finances is completed.