More evidence of Dodgers' decline: SI poll of major league players finds they would rather be Angels

Ah, the love that once was.

Back when the Dodgers were the jewel of the National League. A winning and respected franchise. The one NL team other players wanted to play for.

No more. Gone with yesterday’s divorce news and shrinking payroll.

The Dodgers are no longer the destination of choice for players, according to a poll of 284 major leaguers conducted by Sports Illustrated.

Players were asked: Which other team would you most like to play for?

The top five included two National League teams:  the Braves at No. 1 and the Cubs at No. 5. Coming in at No. 4 was one Los Angeles team: the Angels.

But no Dodgers. Not the team in the second-biggest market in the country. Not Hollywood’s team.

Players would rather play for the Cubs, a team that hasn’t won a World Series since Henry Ford introduced the Model T, than for the chaotic organizational mess that is Frank McCourt’s Dodgers. Or Frank and Jamie McCourts’ Dodgers.

Would rather play not only for the Yankees (No. 2) or Red Sox (No. 3), but the team that has traditionally been the No. 2 in the L.A. market.

This should be disturbing news to the Dodgers, though in reality, not really news at all.

Players want to be paid properly and have a chance to win. Which L.A.-area team now gives a free agent that best chance?

-- Steve Dilbeck

Comments

[Labeldude]

Frank lives in a vacuum... what poll?

[Frank McCourt]

...and in other breaking news Pearl Harbor has been bombed.

[Scott from Marina Del Rey]

Oh come on now, Steve- this is a bit much. Not the article itself, but this line: "Players want to be paid properly and have a chance to win. Which L.A.-area team now gives a free agent that best chance?" really seems like you're starting to pile on now. The Angels, for all the talk about how they do things "the right way" as opposed to those awful Dodgers, had exactly ONE MORE WIN than the Dodgers. I am no fan of McCourt (who is at this point?), but this is still a team that almost made the World Series two years in a row, and even with all their on-field and off-field problems, would have been in contention all year, if not for some shocking second-half meltdowns from Kemp, Ethier, Loney, and most of all, Broxton. It happens. Even with all the off-the-field nonsense, if these guys can just get back to July 2008-June 2010 form, the Dodgers very well could surprise a lot of people next year. Not saying it WILL happen, but this "woe-is-us" mentality is not necessarily warranted. A disastrous two and a half months doesn't wipe out two and a half years that were, for the most part, more good than bad.

[Since '58]

This should please Frank. No top rated player wants to play here. No Scott Boros asking for ridiculous contracts. No ball players under contract holding him up for big money to stay. Just a steady steam of mediocrity. To Bud Selig: You get what you paid for. To the fans of Los Angeles: The Dodgers could still turn a profit as long as you're stupid enough to show up. To Fox: You can still sell commercial time until the sponsors get wise. Donald Sterling has worked this ruse for years.
Why not Frank and Bud and Fox?
I hope you all got a chance to read T.J.Simers' recounting of Colletti's Monday news conference. Colletti's hands are firmly tied. He has no money. He had no answers. Happy off season.

[Steve Dilbeck]

Scott from Marina del Rey: True, both teams were great disappointments this year. But the Angels won their division in four of the previous five seasons, won a World Series in '02 and have a payroll at least $10 million higher than the Dodgers and it's not in retreat. Also, the owner isn't known to be $330 million in debt. That's not piling on, just the facts.

[Jim McVeigh]

Hey(come on now Steve) You are just what Doctors frank and bud ordered along with nurse jamie and don`t forget their ancestor PTBARNUM.....

[Mike Scioscia, Ron Roenicke, Mickey Hatcher, Alfedo Griffin and Orlando Mercado]

We thought the REAL Dodgers were now running the Angels.

[socal mil]

for the record theirs only one Los angeles team in the world of baseball that would be the dodgers please be accurate in the article.

[Done AsAFanUntilMcCourtCollettiTorreRussellMartinAreGone]

Scott from Marina Del Rey: You on McCourt's payroll? Sounds like it. Hopes he pays you as well as the psychic dude sending good vibes through his television. FYI: this franchise is a hot mess.

[68elcamino427]

Angels are easy to love
Especially when they have lots of money for players

[These Dodgers Suck!!]

At the risk of being redundant - again ....

These Dodgers Suck!!

[Johnny Depp]

I wouldn't want to play for the 2011 Los Angeles Pirates either.

[68elcamino427]

Angels have money to spend
Dodgers not so much ...

[Joe the Plumber]

The ML players know that Dodger ownership does not really want to win and provide the horses to make it happen! Over 20 years without a ring! Even if this Dodger team were to play as well as last year, it is still not an elite team and will only get into the World Series with an enormous amount of luck- the wish, hope, and pray Dodger business model for success.

[Stan]

To Johnny-Come-Lately Dodger fan Scott, I have been a huge Dodger fan since the 1949 WS and since then and up to the time the McCourts have owned the team, the Dodgers, like the Yankees, were the face of MLB just like the Lakers and Celtics are the face of the NBA. A Dodgers and Yankees WS was tops. For you to compare this present day Dodger organization to the previous one shows that you have bought into the McCourts way of operating them. Over the years, I never, ever thought that the Angels would be preferred over the Dodgers. I very much respected and admired The Cowboy and honestly could say that I would of liked to see him get to a WS.

I am still curious about one thing. Seeing as how McCourt is not independently wealthy, where did he get the money to buy into the LA Marathon? If he is actually an owner of the marathon, shouldn't this be part of the divorce according to CAL law? I know the decision is based on the Dodger ownership but shouldn't all money be a factor?

[skyharbor]

We don't need a poll to tell us 95-100% of MLB would choose Moreno/Scioscia over McCourt/Mattingly...that's players and fans. As far as Steve piling on Frank McCourt...the pile will never...could never...be high enough.

[Rene De La Cruz]

At least the Dodgers are making the people in Rancho Cucamonga happy. Check out our Videos from the Dodger Quakes Celebration.

HighDesertPeople.com

[Native Angeleno]

All of this, these comments, are adding pressure on the McCourts, if not directly, thru others, who read or are just aware of these sentiments, it all creates a blanket falling down on them, they are not immune to this awareness, i know they watch their backs in this city.

I do believe that as this divorce trial ends, our trial will be nearing its. I believe that McCourt will have to add up his losses, the cost of the divorce, the cost he has to cough up for his ex, the season tix shrinking, the team crumbling, with no remedies in sight, the possible forced sale of a mansion or two, and hanging over him like smog the very angry stewards of the team, the fans. I'd like to think every banker he goes to to beg for a loan is a silent Dodger fan who will continue to say, "No". I do believe he will have to surrender, and sell, and vanish, and, relatively, soon.

[whamo]

Angels stadium is close to Disneyland. L.A. is close to gangland.

[Steak]

Im in jury duty now and all i got to say is leeeetttsss goooooo dooooodgers........

This is our town!!!!

[Whitneymuse]

For the fan, it's still the premiere ball park, to see, and still the premiere radio broadcast to listen to the team's on-the-field-antics; but, that too will go the way of reality when Vinny hangs up his "spikes" as the mortal ones do.

Then we will have what we have; a better looking stadium on TV than any other park in the Major leagues. As long as the neighborhood doesn't go nuts over not having Graffiti on its pristine walls and scoreboard.

I actually enjoy watching games on the TV because of the stadium; the team, not so much.

Even cutting the audio off of the television broadcast is disconcerting because the audio on radio is ahead by a second or so, so the game is known ahead of the action on the tube; but, it's Vin's voice and description still.

LA, remember it well; want to know what it will be like? The Lakers without Chick Hearn's staccato.