Harvey Schiller A Heavy Hitter

According to the LA Times, one of the power brokers in American sports has aligned himself with former Dodger stars Steve Garvey and Orel Hershiser in their effort to buy the team, according to two people briefed on the matter.

Schiller formerly was the chief executive of YankeeNets, the onetime parent company of the New York Yankees, New Jersey Nets and New Jersey Devils. That entity spawned YES Network, the kind of team-owned cable sports channel that the new Dodgers owner would have the option to launch. Schiller also is a former president of Turner Sports and executive director of the U.S. Olympic Committee. Schiller, would provide Garvey and Hershiser with expertise in the business side of sports, particularly in television.

The Dodgers' contract with Fox Sports expires after the 2013 season. A new owner could expect to reap about $4 billion in a new deal with Fox or Time Warner Cable -- or could start a Dodgers cable channel in the hope of making even more money. Outgoing owner Frank McCourt, according to the LA Times, hopes that media companies will try to secure the Dodgers' television rights by buying the team outright, which could push the sale price above $1.5 billion.

Let the games begin.