No Breaks in Brooklyn

  • Share
  • Read Later
LOS ANGELES: When owner Peter O'Malley announced that he was putting the Los Angeles Dodgers up for sale, old-time Dodger fans in Brooklyn saw their first ray of hope in the 40 years since O'Malley's father Walter moved the Bums out of the city. Could the Dodgers return? "Bring 'Em Back!" the New York Post shouted on page one. Columnist Jack Newfield, who ranks Walter O'Malley as the third worst person of this century behind Hitler and Stalin, said the decision to sell could mean an end to what he called "40 years lost in the desert." Brooklyn borough president Howard Golden sent letters to Governor George Pataki and Mayor Rudolph Giuliani asking them to set up a commission to lure the team back. Despite the delirium, cold reality soon set in when city officials reminded everyone that the Mets have a right to block any team from moving into the city. And at a time when both the Mets and Yankees are making noises about moving to greener swampland facilities as New Jersey dangles a Meadowlands site for a possible new stadium, the city is unlikely to do anything to antagonize those team's owners. But for Dodger hopefuls, the worst news is this: Giuliani, who grew up in Brooklyn, is a Yankees fan.