Dodgers future unclear even after presidents defense of Mark Walter

A little more than a week after declaring that owner Mark Walter wouldn’t have to sell the Dodgers, team president Stan Kasten repeated the claim over and over again on Friday.What made him so certain?Walter told him so.Of course, former owner Frank McCourt once said the Dodgers were his and his alone, only to have a judge disagree and grant his estranged wife a stake in the franchise, starting a chain of events that resulted in its sale to a group led by Walter.“I think that is a wildly inappropriate comparison,” Kasten said.Kasten refused to explain why, however.“That’s all I’m going to tell you,” he said.That more or less characterized Kasten’s latest effort to calm the growing suspicions that Walter could have to divest himself of the Dodgers. With a series of evasive responses and contradictory statements, Kasten raised more questions about the Dodgers’ future than he answered.His vision of continued stability for the franchise, he acknowledged, was based on what he was told by Walter, who is under federal investigation for loan fraud, according to numerous news reports.So Kasten’s trust in Walter was absolute?“It’s very, very high, yes,” Kasten said.Absolute or very, very high? Kasten tried to ignore the question.Were Water’s ethics unimpeachable? Was Kasten certain Walter would never commit fraud?“You have evidence of some kind?” Kasten snapped.

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By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.Never miss a story Kasten was reminded that he knew Walter better than any of the dozen or so reporters standing in front of him.

This was an opportunity for him to share insights into Walter’s character.“I think Mark has done an extraordinary job as an owner, and all he’s ever cared about is providing the best experience in order to make more m...