Steve Lopez: Lots of security, few fans at Dodger Stadium [Live blog]

  I just got to Dodger Stadium, and my buddy Nathaniel Ayers is confused.

"There's nobody here," he said, which isn't far off the mark.

There might be more cops, security guards and stadium employees than fans.

But if you saw Wednesday's news, the employees might not get paid next month. Owner Frank McCourt has houses next door to each other in Holmby Hills and Malibu, but The Times reported that he might not be able to make payroll. 

It's becoming more like a minor league operation every day, but at least the food is half price at the ballpark Wednesday.

Plenty of seats available folks, roughly 50,000 or so.

Come on out to the park and say goodbye to the McCourts.

WITNESSING HISTORY?

[Updated at 12:23 p.m.: I may be witnessing history.

Dodger fans are notorious for late arrivals, but today's game has begun and I've seen more people at Tommy's Burgers on Beverly Boulevard than I see in the ballpark. Is this the end -- a new low for the Dodgers under McCourt?

Help me out, folks. What was the lowest attendance in Dodger Stadium history? When you figure that out, please come to the ballpark.

This is embarrassing.]

THOSE UNIFORMS

[Updated at 12:42 p.m.: The Dodgers are wearing some vintage uniforms today with no names on the back. Three possibilities:

-- McCourt couldn't afford to send the regular uniforms to the laundromat.

-- They actually wanted to wear these uniforms but the person who stitches names on the backs was busy installing new curtains at one of Jamie McCourt's mansions.

-- The Dodgers figured that even with names on their backs, we still wouldn't know who these players are, so why bother?]

IN THE SUN TOO LONG

[Updated at 1:10 p.m.: So this guy comes out of the sun to sit next to us in the shade and says he almost gave up his piece of a season ticket plan after last year's lousy Dodger season.

The quality of the team went down and ticket prices went up, says screenwriter Tom Ropelewski. He and his mates intended to drop out, but the Dodgers offered a deal on some cheaper seats.

Ropelewski said he actually likes the looks of this Dodger team, so obviously he was in the sun too long.]

MINOR LEAGUE BALL

[Updated at 1:19 pm.: To begin the third inning, the Dodgers just flubbed an easy-out pop-up to short left field. A guy named Russ Mitchell is playing third base for the Dodgers. Aaron Miles is at second and Dioner Navarro is the catcher.

Andre Ethier, the only Dodger anyone wanted to see, is not in the lineup. My guess is he quit.

On the bright side, there could be as many as 15,000 fans here now. You know, I've always wanted to see minor league baseball in Southern California, but Rancho Cucamonga and Lake Elsinore are too far.

Thank you, Dodgers. Now I can see minor league baseball without leaving L.A.]

B for Brooklyn

[Updated at 1:26 p.m.: Oh, now I get it. The Dodgers have a "B" on their hats today, so I thought they sent the B squad onto the field. Gibbons, Mitchell, Miles, Navarro, Gwynn. But the B is for Brooklyn Dodgers.

I was going to wear my Brooklyn ballcap to the park today but feared I'd be savagely beaten by idiot fans who thought the B stood for Boston, as in Red Sox. Fifth inning. Guy named Soto, with two homers all season, just hit his third. Cubs 1, Dodgers 0.]

SLIPPING INTO COMAS

[Updated at 1:45 p.m.: Now a guy named Pena, batting eighth in the Cubs lineup and hitting .162, just hit a home run that nearly landed in Eagle Rock.

Cubs 2, Dodgers 0.

A fan threw the ball back onto the field; probably someone worried that Frank McCourt can't afford any new ones. Now Marlon Byrd, a Cub with no homers, just launched a three-run blast into orbit.

Cubs 5, Dodgers 0.

All the fans near me have slipped into comas, much like the Dodgers themselves.

DODGER RALLY

[Updated at 1:57 p.m.: Dodger rally! Runners on first and third, no outs. Sacrifice fly and the Dodgers are on the board. My buddy Nate Ayers is awake and cheering.

I think I just saw Frank McCourt buy a half-price ice cream. He handed the vendor an IOU.

Matt Kemp is up. The best player on the field. Go Dodgers! NO! Weak ground ball. To second for one, back to first, double play.]

FANS LEAVING

[Updated at 2:04 p.m.: Memo to Dodgers: Fans are beginning to leave, but Nate Ayers and I are still here. He brought his glove along with him.

We occasionally take swings at the batting cages on Sepulveda, and we are not much older than shortstop Juan Uribe, who I see is now out of the lineup due to lack of interest or perhaps an arthritic condition.

Translation: We are available for pinch-hitting or relief pitching duty. Today. Right now. You could do worse, and in fact you are.]

DREAM WAS ALIVE

[Updated at 2:44 p.m.: Top of the eighth and I'm starting to feel some sympathy for bumped-aside Dodger owner Frank McCourt, who can't make payroll. Why should he?

If the Dodgers were paid based on merit, maybe three or four players would be getting paychecks.

Meanwhile, some fans along the first base line are trying to start a wave to break up the boredom. But it doesn't work when there's no one sitting on either side of you.

The Dodgers are so weak, a 3-2 count qualifies as a rally. Now Tony Gwynn just walked. The dream is alive!

But Aaron Miles, showing no patience, swings at a pitcher's pitch and hits a lazy flyball for an out. It's up to Jay Gibbons, hitting .000, to keep the rally alive. He swings. He connects.

The Cubs first baseman catches a feeble foul pop, and I'm wondering, can you hit lower than .000?]

SILVER LINING DEPARTMENT

[Updated at 2:50 p.m.: There won't be much traffic leaving the stadium. My Dodger Dog was half price. We didn't get beaned by a foul ball and carried out on a stretcher, though that might have been preferable.

"This is about as bad as it gets," says disgusted die-hard Tom Ropelewski, the screenwriter, who waited 'til the bitter end for something to happen.

Final score: Cubs 5, Dodgers 1. But it wasn't that close.

One last thought: I have tickets to eight more games this year. Anyone interested in a really good deal?]

-- Steve Lopez

Photos from top: Empty seats at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday; Frank McCourt; Lopez and Ayres.  Credits: Steve Lopez / Los Angeles Times; Reuters

Comments

[Brian L.]

What do you expect? Weekday afternoon game, at the beginning of the season which seems to take a generation to complete, who would expect anything more than a handful of people there?

I'd be curious to see the attendance stats from past years midweek afternoon games in early May to see if they're anything different from today's game.

[Bill McConnell]

Go Cubs!

[CB]

dodgers will always suck. move them back to ny

[Espinoza43]

Single out the cause. Forget your opinion. All this is is opinion.

[Al Bondigas]

You can get all the security they want, but if they don't get a real closer soon, none of it will matter.

[Chuck Clavin]

You got it right Mr. Lopez. I used to be a Dodger season ticket holder but I will not attend another game as long as Frank McCourt is the owner.

[BogeyFreeRound]

Wow, I guess now we know why McCourt can't make payroll. He has driven this franchise right into the ground!
Selig is going to make this guy sell this franchise, it looks like all out war now.

[Tim]

This is old news. Attendance went down right after those 2 runners up in the Uncle Fester look-a-like contest beat up the San Francisco fan.

[bkl]

Is anyone taking a waiting list for sales of post-McCourt Dodger tickets? We need 1 million people to sign up and promise to buy tickets as soon as he is gone.

[brianguy]

"No matter, they'll give the 'today's attendance' which will be the number of tickets sold and compped which will be a respectable number for a mid-week day game with temps in the 90's and the kids still in school. "

what, they'll lie and say 13,000? oh yes, impressive.

[rails]

viva los doyers

[Hans Laetz]

I was at the Dodger day game 2 weeks ago. There was a tiny crowd, but the lines at the concession stand that were open were 11 people deep. About half the stands were closed.

At the seventh inning I wanted a soda. By then, ALL the stands except one were closed.

This is what Frank McCourt thinks of his fans. Cut the concession prices in half for afternoon games, and close as many stands as possible so no one can buy anything.

I work weekends and would LOVE to go to the afternoon games. FORGET IT.

[NickInLA]

Ok, first off, it is a game that started mid-morning on a weekday, and it's almost 90 degrees outside. How many fans are at a Yankees game at 10:30 a.m. on a Thursday morning in 90 degree heat? What is your point? The only point I can gather is that you don't know much about baseball.

Also, what is with all the McCourt bashing? Yeah, he's not the greatest owner, but his problem with making payroll is because he hasn't been able to finalize the deal with Fox Sports West. How do you people think these team owners pay their bills? TV deals are revenue, just like a sold bag of french fries is revenue to McDonalds. If he were allowed to sign the TV contract, he could pay his bills, including salary. The payroll problem is completely the fault of Bud Selig and MLB. Sign the TV contract, get the revenue, pay your bills. It's that simple. McCourt isn't doing anything different than any other ball club. How do you think the Yankees make so much money? The TV deal is a major part of that.

[MadMooby]

OMG Steve, you really cracked me up.....sadly. 15k in attendance...it really might be fewer than the number of employees at the stadium. Does this mean everyone gets a personal escort back out to their car?

[Zac]

Some guy named Steve Lopez is writing for the LA Times. He appears to think it's funny to troll about like a spoiled brat. He's wrong.

[GarveyCey]

Boycott the Dodgers . . .

Until McCourt is Gone.

Come on, it's working! Join us.

[Zac]

I can't help but notice that there are exclusively positive comments below. I also noticed that "Comments... will not appear until approved by the author". Do you discuss your self-esteem issues with your therapist?

[brianguy]

reported 28,419! lol... so, 1419?

[Bob]

thanks Steve. that's funny stuff.
i'm feeling bad about turning kids into dodger fans. they keep begging me to take them to a game this year and all i can say is, sorry, i'm not going to any dodger games this year.
why would this year be any different than last year?
they will struggle to be at 500 all year.
so long blue dodgers!

[William S.]

Steve...the sports section and YOU are the only reason I subscribe to the Times. I feel bad never really reading your column until you met Mr. Ayers and the Soloist was made. Now I can't get enough. You are so good it's scary. Mary and I would have been at the game today, but we turned in our season tickets this year when Mr. McCourt raised our seats 50% in one fell swoop. My guess is those seats and probably the entire section was empty.

[ricardo]

I gave up my season tickets 2 years ago and haven't been to a Dodger game ever since. I can't wait to get new owners so I could go back to the ballpark but for now the McCourts are not getting any of my money...

[Oldtimer]

It was almost a 100 degrees today! The Dodgers would have had to pay me to go to a game today and give me free food! This team lacks heart..that's why I have been to very few Dodger games over the past few years. I'd rather go see college and high school level games, where kids play more for the love of the game. Once they get a new owner and players with more heart, then the fans will return...as long as the "Uncle Fester" fans stay away.

[Sunny Smoothe]

Dodger stadium is a mess. It takes about an hour to leave the stadium. You can't tail gate. Parking prices is ridiculous. I rather take my kids to Anaheim stadium and enjoy quality MLB.

[Vincent Bonner]

I'm an Angel fan, but this is sad, sad, sad.

I remember when the Dodgers used to easily fill a midweek day game and several friends would freely admit to calling in sick to work.

After the debacle that was the Fox ownership, the MLB should have never approved the sale to the McCourts - they are not the only ones to blame for the pitiful state of what was once a premier MLB franchise.

As an Angel fan, it used to be fun to mock and make fun of the Dodgers when they stumbled (Imagine my current feelings toward the BoSox.) It is no longer fun. The state of the Dodgers organization is pitiful. And as a baseball fan in general, it is sad to see.

May the Dodgers be sold, and may they return to past glory. The sooner the better.

To the McCourts: You blew it.

[TJ]

That's Los Angeles. Take away the thugs, and there isn't many people left.