The Dodgers have asked a Delaware bankruptcy judge for permission to gather evidence on how Major League Baseball has dealt with other teams as lawyers prepare for a court showdown that will determine the ball club's fate. Judge Kevin Gross last week scheduled four days of hearings starting Oct. 31 to consider dueling motions by the Dodgers and MLB. The team is seeking court approval of a process for selling television rights to future games, saying a media rights sale is the best path out of bankruptcy for the Dodgers. The league, which is providing bankruptcy financing to the Dodgers, wants permission to file its own reorganization plan, which calls for owner Frank McCourt to sell the Dodgers.