[Stardust]

At a time when Major League Baseball wants to restore the Los Angeles Dodgers' brand following years of damage under the ownership of Frank McCourt, Earvin "Magic" Johnson -- arguably the most popular athlete in the city's history -- is a major player in a group that wants to buy the team.

"I'm a big baseball fan," Johnson said by phone Friday, "and you think about what the Dodgers have meant to baseball and to Los Angeles, and that part's a no-brainer. ... I've been to that place [Dodger Stadium] hundreds and hundreds of times."

http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/mlb/story...es-dodgers