Selig sends security task force to Dodger Stadium [Updated]
With the Dodgers opening their first homestand since the brutal attack on a San Francisco Giants fan in the stadium parking lot, Commissioner Bud Selig has dispatched a task force to Dodger Stadium to review security procedures there.
John McHale Jr., executive vice president of administration for Major League Baseball, is the leader of a six-man delegation that will remain on site through the weekend and report back to Selig. The delegation includes MLB experts in security and stadium operations.
In the wake of the beating of Giants fan Bryan Stow, the Los Angeles Police Department has essentially taken over Dodger Stadium security in the short term, with the Dodgers footing the bill for the increased police presence. The Dodgers also have retained former LAPD Chief William J. Bratton to develop a long-term security plan.
"We're not trying to duplicate anything they're doing," McHale said. "We're trying to act as the eyes and ears and feet of the commissioner, and to use our presence to demonstrate to the Dodgers how much he is concerned about what happened and how eager he is to help."
McHale said he and other MLB officials had met with Selig "on a daily basis" since the attack. Selig ultimately decided he wanted an on-site analysis when the Dodgers returned home, McHale said.
McHale said it is important that the Dodgers promptly hire a full-time head of security, a position that has been vacant for four months.
"I think it is," McHale said. "I think they know that it is."
[Updated at 2:25 p.m. "We welcome the input of Major League Baseball on all issues and are working very closely with them," said Dodger spokesman Josh Rawitch.]
-- Bill Shaikin
Photo: The LAPD is out in force at Dodger Stadium as a zero-tolerance policy gets underway. Credit: Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times
No rush, Bud! Seriously, you should have been out here after the beating happened.
Posted by: Shutomei | 04/15/2011 at 11:36 AM
Oh, so they come out here to see the status of Dodger Stadium security during the one weekend when the LAPD will be crawling over it, rather than visiting it during a typical week?
I'm sure that will give them all kinds of meaningful data. *rolleyes*
Posted by: Blueeyedgal | 04/15/2011 at 11:58 AM
It took Bud 10 years to admit there was a steroid problem, so he's actually quicker this time. I'm actually surprised nobody is reprting just how bad this makes McCourt and the front office. They are so inept LAPD and the commisioners office have to take over.
Posted by: Colorado Dodger Fan | 04/15/2011 at 12:19 PM
You want to help, Mr. Selig? How about MLB paying Mr. Stow's medical bills? That would show class and concern for what happened. I won't hold my breath.
Posted by: Luther | 04/15/2011 at 12:21 PM
It's an absolute joke that it took over a decade for this to occur.
This criminal element garbage pre-dated Frank McCourt, pre-dated Bryan Stow, pre-dated the triple-digit arrests on Opening Days of yonder, pre-dated the 2009 stabbing incident, pre-dated every Dodgers fight video on YouTube and COUNTLESS fights that never made it to the internet, pre-dated Marc Antenorcruz, pre-dated 9/11.
Worst fans ever.
Posted by: WestCoastMets | 04/15/2011 at 12:21 PM
All this attention & more so 'action' is great and requisite - but long overdue. Was just a few short summers ago the Giants fan was killed (also parking lot dudger stadium, wasn't it?) Better late than never, huh... poor choice words but you get the not so thinly veiled sarcasm/disgust.
All due consideration to Mr. Stow, but I'm not certain why this more recent calamity resulted in this rush nee flood of cavalry coming to the rescue. Not sure that it wasn't more so an accumulation of all the bad PR McCourt & his missteps & foibles over the past few years since he arrived in LA brought the unbridled scrutiny.
Now that Bud Selig has (appears) been awakened from his slumber, perhaps he- correction, perhaps his "I'm a BUD MAN" crew will evidence something more than rubber-stamping the current 'dudger way' management like Bud et al did when McCourt somehow a found to own this (once upon a) storied franchise.
_________________
Loudspeaker (i.e, speaking loud & clear) "ATTENTION. Mr. McCourt, paging Mr. Frank McCourt... please pick-up the white courtesy phone."
McCourt: "Hello"
Imploring mob: "Hi - can you hear us now? GOOD!" (we're talking to you too, Budrick.)
Posted by: 16blows | 04/15/2011 at 12:53 PM
No Kidding. Every one should be concerned with the guy in the hospital. In fact, why don't the dodgers cancel a game and go visit the guy in the hospital.
Posted by: Charles | 04/15/2011 at 12:55 PM
Why dispatched a task force now! All Dodgers fans have taken a beating ever since the McCourts were given the team...
Posted by: beat-down fan | 04/15/2011 at 01:10 PM
Too much & too late.
B/C the trouble is ALWAYS on Opening Day!!!
sheesh ~
Posted by: These Dodgers Suck! | 04/15/2011 at 01:40 PM
The task force presence is just one more small thing to help Bud put that little rat Frank under his thumb. I read this as Bud saying to Frank, We Don't Trust You and We're Watching. Closely.
Posted by: Ms. McCourt | 04/15/2011 at 01:45 PM
Now just get rid of MCourt and we'll all be happy!
Posted by: McCourt blows | 04/15/2011 at 01:56 PM
The Chief of Police thinks it's a perception problem. Now THAT'S scary!
Posted by: LoveYaVin | 04/15/2011 at 02:46 PM
Usually Bud gets moved by Congress. But only so much.
Agreed, there's little to report back on a weekend when LAPD is all over the place.
And one more thing. If you erect 43 lighting standards, how on Earth can you have said - and not yet retracted or said perhaps you were mistaken or a 'little' off - that you were confident all security measures were just fine and dandy? Included would be a vacancy of four months relative to said security?
frank, you are a little man, you have no integrity, and you have no confidence of the people. none. and among all the dilemmas in your life, this is a major one and you are failing in it very miserably and it affects so many others. if you really want to help the team, and you say you do, then its real simple.
go away frank. just go away.
Posted by: alanw19 | 04/15/2011 at 02:48 PM
After the savage beating of Bryan Stow at Dodger Stadium...Frank McCourt said "he was satisfied that the Dodgers have done everything they can to make the stadium as safe as possible."
MLB, fans and certainly Bryan Stow and his family are entitled to know if that was true. On the surface it appears to many that Frank McCourt was negligent in providing a reasonable level of security for the 56,000 (sell out) fans at Dodger Stadium on March 31, 2011. Everyone involved should insist on an exhaustive investigation of the facts regarding the security measures in place...or not in place....on this now infamous day in Dodger Stadium history. Whether it is MLB VP John McHale Jr. or 60 Minutes or a government agency...there is a compelling need to uncover all the facts.
Posted by: skyharbor | 04/15/2011 at 03:18 PM
Frank McCourt should have never released his former V.P. of Security, Ray Maytorena. Ray had all the skills sets, actually over qualified for the he had with the Dodgers.
Hopefully Chief Beck and Bratton are asking Frank what he was yhinking when you let Ray go? I know we are asking.
Brining in Bratton as a consultant and with this title it is costing Frank some bucks, poor business decision on his part. It is damage control at this point.
As for last nights game against the Cards, did they really anticipate the rowdy crowd? Not against the Cards.
Historically they know that the Dodger vs. Giant rivalry is the a tuff crowd, day game and the the beers are flowing.
Security should have been high profile, before and after the game.
Alcohol is at the root cause to the unfortunate beating of Bryan Stow at the hands of two criminals, what ever color or nationality they were.
Good to see something happening to ensure safety at the park.
Go Dodgers!
Posted by: Mark | 04/15/2011 at 04:58 PM
Just add Segig's name to the season ticketholders class action suit against Dodger management.
Posted by: swf | 04/15/2011 at 06:47 PM
As an loosely related aside, does anyone else wonder why Selig was so gung-ho in engineering the move of Manny to LA for nothing? Given the allusions that Manny has failed tests prior to his time in LA, did MLB, meaning Selig, want Manny out of a major fan center in Boston and the east coast in general, moving him as far west as possible so in a few months Selig could drop the hammer on Manny and the Dodgers.
Look Selig turned a blind eye to the move of the Drewish Princess as he claimed he was staying only to opt-out and take a deal done far too rapidly for a contract negotiated by that anti-keyryst in Scott Boros. The guy does not negotiate deals that rapidly. The deal was already in place before Her Highness opted out of her Dodger contract. My money is on that Selig knew about this as well, but given the whole 'roid Era mess being very fresh in the minds of fans no way baseball could have handled the equivalent of insider-trading and collusion at the same time.
Selig does not like Mccourt because McCourt actually out flanked Selig in order to buy the team. But Selig needs to remember McCourt also did the same to the banks backing the sale with credit.
It might not make total sense the way I wrote it out, but I imagine if a person gleans the bullet points then things on them for a week, it will come together.
The Dodgers are DONE for the next decade now. The Dodgers are actually worse than KC or the Marlins. Honestly it might be another two decades before this franchise can recover and even then it will never be the jewel it once was...at least there is that memory.
So, this UN Inspection team is here to look for not security improvements but rather to make sure MLB is not liable for any damages AND to find valid reasons to force McCourtCo out. But I don't see that as possible since likely Fox could throw in legal resources to pretty much force Selig to approve the Dodgers-Fox TV deal. I say the Dodgers existing security people better pat these "observers" for throw-downs they got from the 'bangers somewhere in Elysian Park while kicking back with a tallboy 40 outside the gates into the stadium.
I've had it and have only watched in the remote hope I would get to see one last team with heart and enough talent to make a run. But the gawds are against that one.
So long Dodgers it was fun for a while.
Posted by: grumpy3b | 04/16/2011 at 01:27 AM
Maybe Bud, you should have come sooner rather than now?
Posted by: CoachKennyBuford | 04/16/2011 at 11:44 AM