Disney's in talks

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

LOS ANGELES -- The family of the late Roy E. Disney is in talks with other investors about making a bid to buy the Los Angeles Dodgers out of bankruptcy.

The talks were confirmed Monday by Clifford Miller, managing director of the Disney family's investment vehicle, Shamrock Holdings.

Roy Disney was the nephew of Walt Disney, but the family's investments are not directly tied to the operation of The Walt Disney Co., which controlled the Angels from 1998-03.

Miller said Stanley Gold, the chief executive officer of Shamrock, is seriously exploring investing in the team along with the Disney family and other investors, including several in the Los Angeles area.

Gold has gone through the process of qualifying the investor group to make an initial bid by the Jan. 23 deadline, and the group is examining the team's financial records.

Dodgers owner Frank McCourt, who put the team in bankruptcy last year, agreed with Major League Baseball to sell the team by April 30, which coincides with the deadline for McCourt to pay former wife Jamie a US$131 million divorce settlement.

Among other potential bidders are:

-- a group that includes former manager Joe Torre and is headed by real estate developer Rick Caruso.

--Steven Cohen of the hedge fund SAC Capital Advisors.

--a group that includes former Los Angeles Lakers star Magic Johnson, former Atlanta Braves and Washington Nationals president Stan Kasten and Guggenheim Partners chief executive officer Mark Walter.

--a group that includes former agent and current Chicago White Sox special assistant Dennis Gilbert, talk show host Larry King and Jason Reese of Imperial Capital.

--a group that includes former Dodgers general manager Fred Claire, former Oakland Athletics president Andy Dolich and former Dodgers batboy Ben Hwang, who brought in the financial backers.

--former Dodgers owner Peter O'Malley.

--a group that includes former Dodgers stars Orel Hershiser and Steve Garvey, and Joey Herrick of Natural Balance Pet Foods.

--Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban.