BOB:  World Series share mix-up

MLB revises Yankees World Series share

It looks like when it came down to splitting the New York Yankees’ World Series share, a few people were forgotten. Originally, the $21.17 million pot was split into 46 full shares, 12 partial shares and two cash awards. Now it turns out that two trainers and one player weren’t properly accounted for, so that brings the per person share down to $350,030. In short, what was thought to be a record $365,053 share per person now drops down to third place behind the 2006 St. Louis Cardinals and the 2008 Philadelphia Phillies.

What made things even more interesting was that the original money was already distributed so now everyone has to pony up $15,023 and throw it into the pot so the three people who didn’t get their share ultimately gets paid. I couldn’t find a reason as to why the three people were left off the list, but you wonder why it took so long for this thing to play out. Then again, it doesn’t say when this all happened so it could be old news to the players.

Minor League ground crew struggles

With the Minor Leage Baseball season about a month away, many ballparks are preparing for the new season. Of course there are many that can’t because with the weather this winter, many ballparks are buried under a lot of snow. In another great piece by Ben Hill, we get to take a look at what some of the groundskeepers are doing right now to prepare for the season.

The things that happen range from shoveling the grass (which may or may not have a tarp over it) to mashing the snow down so it melts quicker. Another big problem is that supplies come in, but because of all the snow, the trucks can’t get in to deliver the equipment. Of course when the snow melts, it could become just as big of an issue if the field has drainage issues. This is particularly prevalent in the older ballparks.

The Score on the McCourts’ divorce

It looks like Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank McCourt and his wife Jamie are going to set a record. I know Dodgers fans wish it would be on the field but this one stings a lot more because rumors are circulating that the McCourts’ divorce could net their lawyers upward of $19 million in legal fees. As the article discusses, that’s more than the Dodgers’ starting infield heading into the 2010 season. And while the record has never been documented, many people believe the large amount is going to be a record in the state of California for a divorce.

Each party has retained multiple law firms and it appears that each one shows up with their own entourage when it’s time to go to court. Of course, if Jamie McCourt has her way, that entire amount will be paid for by Frank because she’s asking her estranged husband to pay for her legal fees. On the field, the party line is the same, and that’s everything is fine with the team and the divorce won’t affect it. Still, at $19 million, how can’t it?

Lansing Lugnuts sign new stadium sponsorship

The Lansing Lugnuts were one of the casualties of the whole General Motors bankruptcy. Since the team’s inception, their ballpark has been called Cadillac Field. GM didn’t renew their sponsorship with the team due to their financial difficulties. Fortunately, the team was able to find a new sponsor and the park will be called Cooley Law School Stadium. Cooley is a law school in Lansing, Mich. (and the largest law school in the nation) and the team and the city of Lansing will split the $1,485,000 that’s going to be paid by Cooley over an 11-year period.

Yankee Stadium’s demolition procedes

Progress continues to be made on tearing down Yankee Stadium and as Field of Schemes reports, the ballpark should be down by this summer. That would allow the team and the city to build the new park that was promised way back when the city provided financing for the new ballpark. It also looks like a portion of the stadium is still standing and there’s some hope that a memorial of some kind will be left of the old ballpark.