by Ken Rosenthal

Comment

Frank McCourt, the Los Angeles Dodgers' owner, and his wife, Jamie, the team's CEO, are in the middle of divorce proceedings, according to multiple major-league sources.

"Frank McCourt and Jamie McCourt confirm that they are separated," the McCourts said in a statement when asked for comment by FOXSports.com.

"This is a personal matter and they request that their privacy be respected. They will be making no public statements."

The divorce will not be amicable, one source said.

"They've already 'lawyered' up," the source said. "They're trashing each other terribly. It's going to be World War III."

At stake: The future of the Dodgers, a team valued at $722 million by Forbes magazine. In May 2009, the couple's estimated net worth was $1.29 billion, according to the Los Angeles Business Journal.

The McCourts, married since 1979, are living in separate houses, sources say. They attended the Dodgers' recent postseason games, but did not sit together.

Jamie McCourt, the highest-ranking woman in Major League Baseball, became the team's CEO on March 17. Prior to that, she had been club president since Aug. 12, 2005.

Earlier this year, a divorce between San Diego Padres owner John Moores and his wife, Becky, helped prompt the sale of that club.

Together, the Moores had owned 90 percent of the Padres.

The Dodgers' team Web site states that the McCourts purchased controlling interest in the club on Jan. 29, 2004.

Community property laws in California would give Jamie McCourt a 50 percent share of the McCourt's share of the Dodgers and any of her husband's other assets.

Any uncertainty in the team's future ownership could be resolved if one McCourt buys out the other. Jamie McCourt would be better positioned to make such a move, sources say.

Frank McCourt reportedly financed more than half the purchase price when he bought the Dodgers from FOX Entertainment Inc. — owner of FOXSports.com — for a reported $430 million.

It is not known whether a pre- or post-nuptial agreement exists between Frank and Jamie McCourt that would allow for an orderly ownership transition.

The Dodgers, under the McCourts' ownership, reached the postseason four times in six years.

The McCourts also have invested $140 million in upgrades to Dodger Stadium since 2007, and last spring opened Camelback Ranch, a state-of-the-art spring training facility for the team in Glendale, Ariz.

It has been a busy week for the Dodgers, who open the NLCS Thursday against the Philadelphia Phillies.

On Tuesday, Dodgers manager Joe Torre, who is in the middle of a three-year deal, said he doesn't plan to manage the team after his contract expires.

"I have one year on my contract and I don't anticipate it being more than that," Torre said.