With Sale Due, O’Malley Era Ends

Spring training

Peter O’Malley stepped down Thursday as Los Angeles Dodgers president, ending 48 years of family control of the franchise and paving the way for the Fox Group’s takeover.

Bob Graziano, the Dodgers executive vice president, will assume control as chairman and CEO. O’Malley becomes chairman of the board, a post he is expected to keep through the end of the year before reevaluating the position.

The team also received permission to sign documents turning over the Los Angeles institution to Rupert Murdoch’s Fox Group.

The $311-million deal must be approved by owners meeting in St. Petersburg, Fla., next week. The deal must win approval from three-fourths of National League owners and a majority of American League owners.

While owners such as John Moores of the Padres have said they will vote against the deal, O’Malley said he isn’t worried. “My confidence level is high it will be approved,” O’Malley said.

The Dodgers and Fox executives talked only in generalities about what their deal means for the future of the Dodgers. Instead, they focused on the importance of a “smooth transition” from O’Malley to Fox.

O’Malley’s departure will end the longest continuing family ownership in baseball. O’Malley’s father Walter, the former lawyer for the team, purchased the Dodgers in 1950.

Quisenberry ready for chemo

Former Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Dan Quisenberry completed 33 rounds of radiation treatment and soon will begin chemotherapy, the team said.

Doctors removed about 80 percent of a walnut-sized malignant tumor in Quisenberry’s brain on Jan. 8. He began radiation treatments on Jan. 26.

Chemotherapy is scheduled to begin in two weeks, a Royals spokesman said.

Burba looks sharp

At Bradenton, Fla., Cincinnati’s Dave Burba took a perfect game into the seventh inning, but Pittsburgh rallied for a 3-2 victory.

Burba became the first major-league pitcher to pitch seven innings this spring. He allowed one hit, struck out six and walked none.

Stieb attempts comeback

Dave Stieb, who hasn’t pitched in the major leagues in nearly five years, is making a comeback at age 40 with his original team, the Toronto Blue Jays.

Stieb started training Wednesday at the Blue Jays’ minor-league camp.

Stieb was placed on waivers by the Chicago White Sox on May 23, 1993. He was 174-132 in 14 seasons with the Blue Jays, pitching a no-hitter against Cleveland in 1990.

Gant’s play improves

The quiet suffering apparently is over for Ron Gant.

The St. Louis Cardinals’ outfielder struck out 162 times last season, and a knee injury was partly to blame. Healthy again following arthroscopic surgery, Gant is reaching the low and outside pitch that frustrated him last year.

Gant is batting .429 with two home runs and a team-leading 13 RBIs - and only three strikeouts in 28 at-bats. He had a three-run double Thursday against the Baltimore Orioles.