It’s Frank McCourt to be seen, not heard

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

Dodgers owner Frank McCourt made a rare appearance on the field during Wednesday’s batting practice, stopping to chat with players, coaches, club officials and a group of fans from El Salvador.

Talking to just about everyone … but the press.

Approached by Times beat writer Dylan Hernandez and myself during batting practice, he shook hands and said hello. And then had a conversation with the team vice president of communications, Josh Rawitch.

That’s when Howard Sunkin, McCourt’s advisor who became infamous last month when it was learned he drew a $400,000 salary of the team’s $1.6 million 2007 charity budget, announced to us:

‘He’s not speaking right now.’

Funny, his lips were moving and everything.

I don’t know, guess Sunkin meant speaking to us.

Not that we’d have anything to talk to Silent Frank about, like his team’s underachieving, stud pitchers traded elsewhere, the team payroll, Russian soothsayers, income taxes or chances of a settlement before the Aug. 30 court date with his soon-to-be ex-wife, Jamie.

Frank then moved on to the fans from El Salvador. Hernandez asked Sunkin if he was talking, and he simply said: ‘Nope.’

And this guy made his mark as a lobbyist? I thought those guys were always talking.

Call it coincidence, but McCourt’s very visible, if silent, stadium appearance came on the same day Times columnist T.J. Simers ragged him for going into hiding.

-- Steve Dilbeck