The world according to Jim:<\/p>\n
\u2022 I guess this makes L.A. what it is as a sports town: You\u2019re in the middle of the week figuring the Rams are the region\u2019s big story \u2013 and then all hell breaks loose. \u2026<\/p>\n
\u2022 First, the latest episode of \u201cAs The Lakers Turn.\u201d I guess it\u2019s peculiarly L.A., that one of the most successful franchises in NBA history on the court may also be the undisputed league leader in off-court drama.<\/p>\n
This time it\u2019s an exhaustively-reported story by ESPN\u2019s Baxter Holmes<\/a> digging into the recent sale of the team to Dodgers owner Mark Walter, and specifically the machinations behind the scenes that left Jeanie Buss as the only remaining family member still involved with the franchise. \u2026<\/p>\n \u2022 Dr. Jerry Buss\u2019 original vision was that he would leave the team to his children, but that blew up. The gist of this story is that Jeanie survived, and will remain the team\u2019s governor, but the other siblings involved with the franchise \u2013 Johnny, Jim, Janie and younger brothers Jesse and Joey \u2013 were essentially cut loose by Jeanie.<\/p>\n There\u2019s also a storyline suggesting that the actual sale of the club took place behind the siblings\u2019 backs, with some of them wondering if there couldn\u2019t have been a better deal. And there were suggestions that Jeanie wasn\u2019t enamored by, as Holmes reported, \u201cwhat she felt was (LeBron) James\u2019 outsized ego and the overt control that he and Klutch Sports, which represents both James and Anthony Davis, exerted over the organization at times.\u201d \u2026<\/p>\n \u2022 For the record, that\u2019s why James fielded those questions<\/a> after Thursday night\u2019s loss to the Clippers about possible friction with Jeanie Buss.\u00a0 And maybe it\u2019s worth noting at this point that he is now in his eighth season with the Lakers, longer than any previous stint in his 23 seasons in the NBA. (For the record: He had seven seasons in his first stint with Cleveland, four in Miami and four in his second term with the Cavaliers.) \u2026<\/p>\n \u2022 Meanwhile, Walter\u2019s other marquee franchise is again the eye of the baseball storm, with The Athletic\u2019s Evan Drellich reporting that other owners are \u201craging\u201d over the Dodgers\u2019 signing of Kyle Tucker enough that the pursuit of a salary cap in the next collective bargaining agreement<\/a> is an absolute certainty, \u201cno matter what it takes.\u201d<\/p>\n So enjoy the 2026 baseball season, folks. The small-market, small-payroll, small-minded owners are getting ready to blow the whole thing up, because the most organized players association in sports is equally determined that there not be a cap. \u2026<\/p>\n \u2022 And while that\u2019s top of mind, we are now less than 20 days away from pitchers and catchers reporting. The Giants, Red Sox, White Sox and Diamondbacks hold their first workouts Feb. 10, the Angels start Feb. 11 and the Dodgers on Feb. 13.<\/p>\n Enjoy that while it lasts, too. \u2026<\/p>\n \u2022 How about this compromise to avoid a shutdown: Full, expanded revenue sharing, with a pot that includes local TV revenue \u2013 maybe the biggest disparity between the sport\u2019s haves and have-nots \u2013 as well as a percentage of other revenue, for example a portion of the income the Dodgers earn from Japan, with the caveat that a significant percentage of the shared revenue must be spent on player payroll, no exceptions.<\/p>\n Reminder: A salary cap in this case won\u2019t make the game fairer. (For one thing, it won\u2019t govern the myriad other edges the smart, efficient teams have.) A cap will simply be a mechanism for putting more money in the bank accounts of the billionaires who own teams but don\u2019t care to spend enough to improve them. And I think most of us know which franchises fall into that category. \u2026<\/p>\n \u2022 As you might have guessed, I have little compassion for the super rich as a rule, especially those wealthy enough to buy a ballclub. If you can\u2019t run it efficiently and attempt to win, or at least get to October and give yourself a chance, maybe it\u2019s time to sell to someone who can. \u2026<\/p>\n \u2022 Now that we know Carlos Beltr\u00e1n and Andruw Jones will join Jeff Kent in Cooperstown this summer, I can reveal my Hall of Fame ballot: Jones, Felix Hern\u00e1ndez, Andy Pettitte, Manny Ramirez, Alex Rodriguez, Francisco Rodriguez, Chase Utley. \u00a0\u2026<\/p>\n \u2022 Today\u2019s quiz: When Jones played for the Dodgers in 2008, how much did he earn per hit in that season? Answer below. \u2026<\/p>\n