How About Dem Dodjas

[Kalalau]

There is now a $1.2 billion offer on the table to buy the LA Dodgers. Kind of an icon of America. The organization represents buyers from...The Peoples Republic of China. Add to the list of things I never expected to see during my life. Everybody knows my political/economic take on a story like this so I won't bother.

[Frankie's Market]

Re: How About Dem Dodjas...

There is now a $1.2 billion offer on the table to buy the LA Dodgers. Kind of an icon of America. The organization represents buyers from...The Peoples Republic of China. Add to the list of things I never expected to see during my life. Everybody knows my political/economic take on a story like this so I won't bother.

Just to clarify.... the $1.2 billion bid comes from a group headed by Dr. William Burke, a longtime physician and civic leader in Los Angeles. He was one of the founders of the L.A. Marathon. If Dr. Burke doesn't qualify as a hometown bidder for the L.A. Dodgers, then I don't know who does.

$1.2 billion is a lot of money. So it's not surprising that Burke has taken on partners. According to the L.A. Times, the bid is funded "in part" by Chinese investors and others.

Strange how the simple mention of partial involvement by someone who is Chinese sets off the xenophobic alarm.

[salmoned]

Re: How About Dem Dodjas

If only we could pawn off all our degenerate sports teams on the Chinese . . .

[Kalalau]

Re: How About Dem Dodjas

"represents"

It isn't 'Chinese' ownership I find noteworthy, its "Communist". The fact that a group from a Communist economy has the money to participate in ownership of one of the definitive American icon institutions does make a statement about the state of the capitalism as now practiced here. It doesn't have anything to do with xenophobia. It is also alarming that Levis has not manufactured a pair of their iconic American jeans in this country for many years, and that Chrysler is owned by Fiat, and that either the Illinois or Ohio or Indiana turnpike is owned by, well...China.

There is the issue of economic soverignty. Of course you want the political decisions of the country decided by Americans, we do not want to be a colony of another country subject to foreign political dictation. For the same reason, as much as possible we should want our economic decisions made by American corporations in American cities, by American corporate officers, we should want the profits flowing to American stockholders, being deposited in American banks, lent out to American corporations and individuals. Profits going abroad get deposited in foreign banks that lend them out to corporations that compete with American corporations, that hire workers who undercut the wages of American workers.

Isn't the irony delicious? I mean how many times have you been told Capitalism Works, Communism Fails, and yet here we have a brutal repressive Marxist Leninist Communist regime able to afford to buy the Dodgers. Could they have been lying to us all these years? What does this deal suggest?

[Mahi Waina]

Re: How About Dem Dodjas

What does this deal suggest?

The sound of capitalism burying itself?

[salmoned]

Re: How About Dem Dodjas

. . . they may become better Americans than we are!

[Leo Lakio]

Re: How About Dem Dodjas

The fact that a group from a Communist economy has the money to participate in ownership of one of the definitive American icon institutions does make a statement about the state of the capitalism as now practiced here.

Hey, China owns so much of America's debt now, it's almost as if they are using our money for the investment anyway. It sure beats having our tax dollars fund the buildup of the Chinese military (oh, wait...too late to stop that one...)

[Frankie's Market]

Re: How About Dem Dodjas

There is the issue of economic soverignty. Of course you want the political decisions of the country decided by Americans, we do not want to be a colony of another country subject to foreign political dictation. For the same reason, as much as possible we should want our economic decisions made by American corporations in American cities, by American corporate officers, we should want the profits flowing to American stockholders, being deposited in American banks, lent out to American corporations and individuals. Profits going abroad get deposited in foreign banks that lend them out to corporations that compete with American corporations, that hire workers who undercut the wages of American workers.

LOL!

All your talk about "economic soverignty" [sic] and how you apply it to the institution of baseball all sounds very quaint in light of some 21st century realities.

1) Nintendo (yeah, that Japanese company that gave us Super Mario) has owned a majority stake in the Seattle Mariners for almost 20 years now. The sky didn't fall, did it?

2) The percentage of non-Americans gracing the rosters of MLB teams has been growing, with most of the imports coming from Latin America, Asia, and Canada. Heck, the Dominican Republic (not the United States) produces the most major leaguers on a per-capita basis.

3) This might comes as a shock to you as well, but there's an actual team that plays its home games outside the United States!!! You lead the protest, Kalalau. BOYCOTT DEM BLUEJAYS!

4) The MLB-sanctioned World Baseball Classic has already been placed twice now. It's no secret that baseball commissioner Bud Selig has aspirations for this international tournament to be on the same level as the World Cup. And get a-hold of yourself, Kalalau. This tournament includes teams from Chinese Taipei (Taiwan) and mainland China!!! Oh, the horrors!

The bottom line is this: The institution of MLB has gone international. Your concept of MLB is stuck in the 1940s Cold War era.

Isn't the irony delicious? I mean how many times have you been told Capitalism Works, Communism Fails, and yet here we have a brutal repressive Marxist Leninist Communist regime able to afford to buy the Dodgers. Could they have been lying to us all these years?

Ain't American propaganda a bitch.

What does this deal suggest?

That when a country holds more than a trillion dollars in U.S. debt, they must be doing somethin' right.

[Kalalau]

Re: How About Dem Dodjas

I guess I was aware there were Dominicans and Mexicans playing baseball. I had heard of Fernando Valenzuela and Roberto Clemente among quite a few others. No problem with that. I even went to an Expos game in Montreal once. Nintendo Corp of America does indeed control the Mariners. The only point I am trying to make is that business decisions should be made as close to home as possible. Ideally, the Dodgers would have an owner and control in Los Angeles. There are probably quite a few billionaires in California who could run the Dodgers at least as well as a non American business person from a foreign country. There are billionaires in Russia now, how far do we want to take this, and why, if we can keep control of American institutions in America rather than in Moscow or Beijing, why not do it. Sure its an international world wide economy now, but it is better for US owners to control companies abroad than for foreign owners to control things here. Business decisions have direct impact on the lives of our people, and on the economic future of our country.

[Frankie's Market]

Re: How About Dem Dodjas

Okay. Here's my perspective of the situation, which is that of someone who actually visits Dodger Stadium to watch 2 or 3 games each year, on the average.

Forget the mediocre performance of the Dodgers on the field, for a moment. The entire Dodgers operation has suffered from neglect that goes way back before Frank McCourt's divorce woes.

Traffic before and after the game around Dodger Stadium is a horrid mess. Fans are restricted to entering the stadium through only one particular entrance, depending on your seating location. Wait in line at the wrong gate, and you'll only be turned away by the ticket taker. This problem is compounded by the fact that parking lot attendants don't give a rat's okole about your seating location, telling you to park in a stall that might force you to walk half-way around the stadium to get to your entrance gate.

If any of you kama'ainas are thinking about taking in a Dodgers home game, make sure you have a rental car or a friend who can drive you there. There's no permanent fan transportation service that will drop you off at Dodger Stadium. There has been a gameday express bus shuttle service from LA Union Station the last couple of seasons, but funding for that has come from a special federal grant that expires at the end of this season. Nobody has any idea on whether or not that shuttle service will continue in the future.

The Dodgers have refused to chip in even a single penny towards providing mass transportation for their fans, which would ease the traffic crunch for Angelinos and help out the out-of-town spectators. This was true of Frank McCourt, but also true under the O'Malley family. So much for "local" owners caring about the fan experience.

A "local" Dodgers owner. Bahhh!!!! Give me an owner from anywhere who actually cares about the fans. A person (or group) who will shell out the money to improve the parking/traffic/transportation situation around the stadium. An owner who will overhaul the dated aspects of Dodger Stadium and add the fan-friendly amenities that Giants and Padres fans enjoy in their ballparks. And, oh yes, an owner who will actually open their wallets to rebuild the Dodger farm system back into being the best in all of baseball, as was the case up until Walter O'Malley's death.

Doesn't matter me to where someone was born, what skin color they have, what their first language is,.... I just want an owner who bleeds Dodger Blue and cares about each and every one of the fans,.... from a luxury suite owner to the blue-collar guy sitting in the outfield bleachers.

[Kalalau]

Re: How About Dem Dodjas

Cares about the fans, excellent! The true bottom line! Also very good business in any business to care about the customers. Dodgers expected to be moving to KLAC which has a better signal over all of So. Cal. than KABC.


I have often wondered if baseball could go truly international. How could a major league team in Mexico City possibly fail? Other Mexican and Latin cities could probably support major league teams too. Some day maybe a team in Havana. There is sure the interest and talent and given some political and economic changes, it could be huge. Maybe add a third major league competing in Latin America and work out inter league play, exhibition games, world series appearances, etc. And somehow add more exposure and play for the Japanese teams. I have never seen a Japanese team play, I'd love to.

[Leo Lakio]

Re: How About Dem Dodjas

I just want an owner who bleeds Dodger Blue and cares about each and every one of the fans

Cares about the fans, excellent! The true bottom line!

Oh, you crazy dreamers. Don't we wish pro sports were all about the players & fans, rather than about the $$$? Not gonna happen, though.

[Frankie's Market]

Re: How About Dem Dodjas

Oh, you crazy dreamers. Don't we wish pro sports were all about the players & fans, rather than about the $$$? Not gonna happen, though.

You're right about pro sports teams being a business, first and foremost. But you better believe that not all sports franchises are the same when it comes to customer service.

I mentioned all the things that the Dodgers do wrong. This is in sharp contrast to the operations of their AL counterpart, the LA Angels.

Angel Stadium is located right next to an Amtrak station, which makes it easy for the out-of-towner to attend a game. Traffic flow after each and every game in Anaheim (even soldout games) is always faster than at Dodger Stadium.

No matter what tickets you have, you can enter through any gate and freely walk around the stadium, which is a complete 180 from a Dodger game. The Angel's guest service agents are a lot friendlier. The concession choices are much more varied in Anaheim, while over at Chavez Ravine, it's mainly the Dodger Dog and little else.

And I'm not the only person who feels this way. Check out what these sportswriters have to say about the two stadiums.

Bill Plaschke

Chris Erskine

For much too long, the Dodgers have been relying on their team's history and tradition in order to draw in the fans. Less storied franchises like the Angels work quite a bit harder to make the fan experience an enjoyable one. I swear, if the Dodgers put in even a tenth of the effort that the Angels and Giants expend in the customer service area, it would make a noticeable change in the atmosphere at Dodger Stadium.