LOS ANGELES — Even the most demoralized fan of the Los Angeles Dodgers must understand it’s likely going to get worse than this – and soon.
Not just the end of a quest to win a third straight World Series championship. Those hopes further dimmed when the Dodgers lost to Milwaukee Brewers, 6-2, in Game 3 of the National League Championship Series and fell behind 3-0 in the best-of-seven series.
The season figures could come to an end Thursday, Oct. 15, or soon after. And for those who think the Brewers are scary, let’s not forget about something else – the Department of Justice and Securities Exchange Commission.
rBoth are conducting parallel investigations of Mark Walter, controlling owner of the Dodgers, for potential financial improprieties at two insurance companies controlled by Walter and at Guggenheim Partners, where Walter is chief executive officer, Bloomberg has reported. The Department of Justice has not disputed the investigation and Walter's companies have said they're working with the government.
And the sales have begun.
In August, Walter agreed to sell his controlling stake in the Los Angeles Lakers for a valuation of $12.5 billion. In September, Walter and business partner Todd Boehly sold their share of approximately 13% in the Chelsea soccer team for more than $1 billion, according The Financial Times.
Dodgers CEO Stan Kasten adamantly denied the Dodgers are for sale. But Will Walter and his parters still be in positions to build teams with massive payrolls?
Other financial troubles loom
Let's say Walter and his companies are right. They did nothing wrong. The Department of Justice and Securities Exchange Commission gave them a clean bill of health and a note of apology for all of the aggravation.
Trouble still looms.
Major League Baseball is pressing for a hard salary cap that would rip away a massive advantage for Los Angeles. So hard that it's likely the sport will suffer from a strike or a lockout. Understandably, baseball fans must relish watching Los Angeles, the league's second biggest market, losing to Milwaukee.
Things figure to get tougher for the Dodgers if they're forced to give up one of their biggest advantages – economic power.
But the concerns extend further for Los Angeles.
After the Dodgers beat the Atlanta Braves in the NLDS, manager Dave Roberts lavished his team with praise.
"There's no more talented team than the Los Angeles Dodgers," the three-time World Series-winning skipper boasted. "It's the best organization in sports, top to bottom. We're smarter, we're better, and we're tougher."
Interjected outfielder Teoscar Hernandez, “And we're dinosaurs!"
Hernández is 33 and part of the undeniable reality. They might not be dinosaurs, but their age has begun to expose them.
That includes Ohtani, who at 32 is facing concerns about his own durability. Issues with his left knee forced him to stop pitching in early July and issues with his right bicep and neck left him on the injured list for 12 days in September.
He failed to recover power at the plate, and it largely was more of the same in Game 3. He singled in two at-bats and also reached base after being hit by a pitch and drawing a walk. But scrutiny over Ohtani masks larger problems.
What's wrong with the race car
The Dodgers are a race car with a broken clutch. They lose 2-1 in Game1 after failing to seize on Jacob Misioroski’s struggles. They took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the sixth of Game 3, then immediately gave up three runs in the top of the seventh on back-to-back homers.
There have been no public appearances by Walter during the playoffs, which now look like one of the most disappointing Octobers since he and Guggenheim Partners bought the Dodgers in 2012. And about that purchase…
The Pablo Torre Finds Out podcast reported instances of alleged self-dealing when Walter and Guggenheim Partners bought the Dodgers in 2012 for $2.15 billion.
Walter and his companies have denied any allegations of wrongdoing.
On stagger the Dodgers, against daunting challenges beyond the Brewers as their remarkable reign is about to end.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dodgers' problems may soon extend far beyond a Brewers sweep | Opinion