Frank McCourt needs to consider how lowering payroll hurt Padres

All is not lost. It can seem like it at times, with the losing and brain-dead decisions making a Dodgers follower almost numb to the possibility of a turnaround.

Yet, baseball is rife with tales of teams that hovered near the cellar one season, only to forge a remarkable rebirth the next.

The Times’ Kevin Baxter chronicled two of note as a beacon of hope to Dodgers fans: the bankrupt Texas Rangers and the even more apropos San Diego Padres, whose ownership went through a divorce and was forced to sell.

If fans can find encouragement in their stories, however, Frank McCourt should look at the Padres as a cautionary tale.

When it became clear that the payroll was going to be cut -- the Padres trading Jake Peavy and letting all-time saves leader Trevor Hoffman leave to free agency -- attendance took a huge dip.

And despite the surprising Padres leading the National League West for much of the season, fans have yet to return.

The Padres have a terrific new ballpark, located in a happening area of downtown San Diego and a winning team.

And they’re averaging 26,268 tickets sold per game.

When Petco Park opened in 2004, the Padres averaged 37,531 per game. Three years ago, they were still averaging 34,445.

Now no doubt it costs more to attend a game at Petco than it did at Qualcomm Stadium and the economy the last few years hasn’t helped, yet I don’t think it’s a stretch to believe the fan base began to dissipate when it felt ownership wasn’t about to put its best effort into winning.

The divorce proceedings of Frank and Jamie McCourt have revealed all kinds of unsavory news about their ownership of the team, including that they have reportedly taken more than $100 million from the club for their personal use while intentionally reducing payroll.

At first blush, there has been no dramatic response at the gate. The Dodgers will finish with their lowest ticket sales in five years, but it won’t prove a significant drop. The club will still finish at more than 3.6 million.

Yet, those figures are misleading because baseball announces tickets sold and not actual attendance. Despite club comments to the contrary, no-shows appear up dramatically, particularly in the second half.

The Dodgers fan base is historically loyal, and taken for granted, but those no-shows could translate into diminished future tickets sold -- which naturally means less income for the McCourts.

And the Dodgers are their only true business source of income. That could create a nasty spiral, further battering the payroll, further hitting attendance.

A spiral of their own doing. Or undoing.

-- Steve Dilbeck

Comments

[BlueOrf]

I favored Frank and Jamie as Georgetowners. I still favor Frank, and have sympathy for him, but he was weak and capitulated to his wife's greed. The best thing that can happen in a horrible situation is that Bud Selig step in and force a sale. Or Frank is coaxed to give it up with some smaller role in a sale. Surely there are Angelenos out there to rescue this cultural treasure of our city!

[Labeldude]

I guarantee that even if payroll were $150 million this team would still be in shambles because Ned wouldn't know talent if it came up and bit him in the ass. There's so much broken on this team from ownership to GM to coaching to players to farm system (another one of Ned's doings), it's going to take the biggest 180 the world has ever seen to turn this franchise around.
.
And it will NEVER happen if Frank retains ownership.

[Michael E Brwon]

Unless the McCrooks sell, I'm not buying into this team...

[alanw19]

Excellent points Steve, but ....

To borrow a quote from Dan Rather, here's what we know.

Frank McCourt is going to consider Frank McCourt. That's it. Not the Dodgers, not Jamie, not the fans, not anything. He has one stated goal - sole ownership of the Dodgers and hand if off to his sons.

I honestly don't think he's thinking about what he's going to be handing off to them. If he did, he'd probably remove himself, catch a nice windfall with the sale and split of it with Jamie, be done paying the lawyers, and go after and give them something else that won't be as big of a mess.

[68elcamino427]

Hasn't McCourt already started lowering the player payroll?
Geez, look what we have now, less the deferred payments.
Doesn't seem to buy much, viewing the results.
Numb to next year, this year stinks too much.
Good luck.
Poor Dodgers.

[Jim McVeigh]

The Padres were so successful because frank did not spend money on any front line pitchers. The guy is so cheap that this is what makes him drool, a team being successful without a large payroll. This is what he wants for the Dodgers and it can happen if the rest of the division complies and does the same thing. But World Series appearance with that kind of payroll is about as rare as 50 carat(sic) diamond. You can blame bud for this. He wants as many people in the playoffs as possible. I`m only surprised that there are only eight. bud would probably want 16. frank and Bud want this just like the other sports where the regular season was just a waste of time they want that second (MONEY)season.

[skyharbor]

Nice try Steve...but offering Frank McCourt sound and ethical business advice...is like offering Jack the Ripper a book on dating etiquette.

[Dodger Tony]

The loss of parking, concessions and merchandise is the only way to offset the steady attendance. If the attendance and season tickets go "poof" as well, then not only will the McCourts ownership be untenable in spirit, but in practice. That is the only way to force these people out.

[Since '58]

Personally, I can't wait until Sunday. After that, we can concentrate on how this team is going to be pried lose from these miscreants. It isn't going to be easy as long as Frank and Jamie are still under the delusion that they are loved by the fans of Los Angeles. As long as fans stop Frank to shake his hand or ask for an autograph, he's going to be as delusional as Donald T. Sterling. As T.J. Simers pointed out in his column on Sunday, fans have go to stop this idol worship. Simers says Franks gets supportive ads from people like Steve Soboroff and Frank believes everybody feels that way.
If, God forbid, Frank still owns the team next season, it would be great if fans would stops kissing his ass during spring training when he walks around glad handing everybody.
A tip o' the Dodger cap to alanw19 for his perceptive post, and to skyharbor for
another budda-boom!
And, no, Colletti did not ruin the farm system. McCourt cut off scouting funding in the US and Latin America.

[Labeldude]

I guess that must have been someone else that came in to a well stocked farm system 4-5 years ago and systematically traded it away for worthless vets. Coulda swore that was Ned...

[Since '58]

Just name a couple of prized prospects traded away by Colletti that have made an impact. It's not like he stripped the farm system. But go ahead and give me some significant names.

[Brian]

I can guarantee that I will not spend a dime next season on any Dodger tickets as long as McCourt continues to own the team.

[The Fans]

See 'ya.

[Native Angeleno]

Stop praying for Bud Selig to swoop in and save LA! Bud STUCK US with this piker, intentionally, to avoid creating "a Yankees of the West" in the NL.

I dream of Bud and Frank in a car, stuck in traffic, and suddenly recognized by fans of the team all around them. Let your imagination run wild.

As far as the poor Dodgers go for next year, sometimes the patient needs the sickness wrung out of them. Bad team = lower attandance = McCourt sells. Watch how steep the season tix sales will fall, Steve. With this payroll and this managment, this team is just not attractive.

[Depressed Dodger Fan]

Using the San Diego model, actions of this year will impact the Dodgers 2 years from now.

If somehow McCourt maintains control of the Dodgers, it will require his leveraging himself and the team even further. His costs just to maintain status quo will rise significantly.

McCourt and the Dodgers will be financially strapped. People will stop coming in droves to Dodger stadium and his revenues will be hit considerably. Lower revenues, higher expenses = Failure.

McCourt, get out while you can. SELL THE DODGERS.