IT’S BEEN TWO WEEKS, BUT I’M STILL IN a funk over UCLA’s loss to Florida in the NCAA basketball semi-finals. And today, I see that Aaron Afflalo won’t be coming back because he’s turning pro. My friends tell me I need to let go and move on. And they’re right. After all, it’s springtime, a time for renewal, a time when there’s hope in the air. (Not to mention pollen.) And more importantly, spring means it’s baseball season!
At this year’s opener in Washington D.C., I noticed President Bush didn’t throw out the ceremonial first pitch. The White House said he had a “prior commitment.” That’s political speak for he didn’t want to get booed off the mound. Last year, Cheney threw out the first pitch to resounding boos. If you ask me, the fans were living dangerously. Cheney could have sprayed them with bird shot.
Often the first few weeks of baseball season is filled with nostalgia about the greats of the past, like Ruth, DiMaggio, Mays and Mantle. You never hear pro basketball fans say,“Gee, I sure miss Dolph Shayes,” or football fans express a longing for Red Grange. And in hockey... well, who cares about hockey? (Sorry, hockey fans.) On paper, the Dodgers look good this year. Let’s hope so. Since 1988 they’ve won a grand total of one playoff game. But no matter how good the team is or isn’t, three million people go through the turnstiles. The Dodgers enjoy incredible fan support. If the Rams or Raiders had had anywhere close to that they’d still be here.
This year, Dodgers fans better bring a slightly thicker wallet to the stadium. Ticket prices are up 14 percent to 40 percent, and parking is up 50 percent! With 24 price plans, the Dodgers offer more options than a Chinese menu. Baseline seats range from $60 to $150, field level $30 to $70, loge $20 to $55 and reserved seats $8 to $20. The cheapest seats are $4. It’s ironic, you can get into the stadium for $4, but parking is $15!
Starting this season, in the right-field bleachers, fans can pay $40 for all-you-can-eat. This includes Dodger Dogs, peanuts, popcorn, nachos and sodas, but excludes... beer! (Always a catch, no pun intended.) Fans can order a single Dodger Dog and garlic fries or a dozen dogs and garlic fries for their friends. The Dodgers say that the food may be set up in a buffet section to expedite service. Even simpler, how about a trough?
Dodger Dogs are $4.75, or $5.25 for all-beef. (Makes me wonder what is in the $4.75 dogs?) A soft pretzel is $3.50 and peanuts are $5! Apparently, peanuts no longer cost peanuts. But Dodger prices pale compared to the Lakers.Dodger VIP seating is $250,whereas the most expensive Lakers ticket is $1,150!
Today, sports is such big business the average fan is practically priced out. The owners blame player salaries, players blame profit-obsessed owners. (Meanwhile, the fans get peanuts at $5 a bag!) When DiMaggio was playing you could leave your door unlocked. In the ’50s, a CEO made eight times the average worker. Last year, Occidental Petroleum CEO Ray Irani made $416,000,000. (A few years like that and he’s got some serious money.) But even in sports we can’t turn the clock back. If we could, I’d have Tom Niedenfeur walk Jack Clark. (If you get that reference you must be as old as I am.) On opening day at Dodger Stadium, things didn’t go too smoothly. Fighter planes executed a perfect fly-over before the national anthem. And one concession stand ran out of Dodger Dogs in the 4th inning! The much ballyhooed new parking system resulted in mammoth traffic jams. An hour after the game people leaving were still stuck in bumper-to-bumper. And I thought owner Frank McCourt’s expertise was in parking?
On the field, it wasn’t much better. The Dodgers lost 6-3 to the Rockies. (Though they’ve won two straight since, including 3-0 against Santa Monica-born Jason Hirsh.) But elsewhere for local sports, things are looking down. The Lakers are limping to the playoffs and the Clippers may be limping out. And Aaron Afflalo won’t be coming back to UCLA for his senior year. When I get depressed, I tend to overeat. At this rate, I may wind up buying the $40 ticket at Dodger Stadium. I wonder if that all-you-can eat deal includes a supply of Tums?
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on April 13, 2007. Read the original PDF.