Former Texas Rangers president appointed to run Dodgers

Major League Baseball appointed J. Thomas Schieffer, a former president of the Texas Rangers, on Monday to oversee day-to-day operations of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig announced that Schieffer would run the Dodgers saying, “Tom is a distinguished public servant who has represented the nation with excellence and has demonstrated extraordinary leadership throughout his career.”

Schieffer was an investor in an ownership group that bought the Rangers in 1989. He also was U.S. ambassador to Australia from 2001 to 2005 and to Japan from 2005 to 2009 when George W. Bush was president.

Selig said he was grateful that Schieffer accepted the role.

“The many years Schieffer spent managing the operations of a successful franchise will benefit the Dodgers and Major League Baseball as a whole,” Selig said.

Last week, Selig said the league was taking over operations of the Dodgers after saying he had “deep concerns regarding the finances and operations of the Dodgers.”

Dodger owner Frank McCourt did not issue an immediate response, but the day Selig announced the take-over by the MLB, McCourt said he believed the team was on strong financial ground.

“Major League Baseball sets strict financial guidelines which all 300 teams must follow,” McCourt said in a statement last week. “The Dodgers are in compliance with these guidelines. On this basis, it is hard to understand the commissioner’s actions today.”

McCourt recently took a $30 million loan from Fox to cover the team’s payroll.

McCourt said last week he may file a lawsuit to regain control of the Dodgers.