Franky, You Got Some 'Splaining To Do

Other Dodger blogs have already expressed their thoughts on the recent article by Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times. However, enough cannot be said about the outright disgrace Frank and Jamie McCourt have cast upon the Dodgers with their handling of the Derek Lowe situation. Take it away Dylan:

Dodgers General Manager Ned Colletti said many times this off-season that Lowe made it clear to the club that he intended to sign elsewhere.

Lowe's agent, Scott Boras, said the pitcher never told him anything of that nature.

"Derek told me he enjoyed pitching for [Dodgers Manager] Joe [Torre] and would have considered L.A.," Boras said. "But early in the process when I was collecting information from teams, I spoke to the Dodgers and they indicated they were going in a different direction."

Torre and his coaching staff wanted Lowe back but that sentiment wasn't shared by owners Frank and Jamie McCourt, with whom the pitcher had personality conflicts. Lowe's relationship with a Fox Sports West anchor who covered the team -- which resulted in the dissolution of their respective marriages -- did not help in the eyes of ownership.

Is that supposed to make us feel better about our most reliable pitcher of the past four years going south? Given who's left (Wolf, Pettitte, Sheets) why did McCourt suddenly decide to take the high road and spurn non-positive image players? Isn't this the same owner that signed Rafael Furcal to TWO deals after his multiple DUI's? Isn't this the same owner that signed Joe Beimel after he broke curfew and lied to his employers about his whereabouts during a playoff trip in New York?

Unless a player has a reputation for having one too many run ins with the law, his off-field behavior should not play a role in deciding whether to sign him or not. While it's certainly frowned upon by this website, cheating on your wife isn't against the law.

If you think Derek Lowe's unfaithfulness is an isolated incident then it's time to take your blinders off. After all, what do you think they talk about in those "players only" meetings at the beginning of each season? Why do you think certain road trips are deemed "family friendly" and others aren't?

This one hurts because Lowe would have gone a long way to ensure more playing time in October. Frank and Jamie McCourt should be embarrassed.