The circus continueth...
Jim Tracy was unfairly dismissed as the Dodgers' manager a few weeks ago. Now Paul DePodesta is out as their general manager. Yet the Parking Lot Attendant (aka, Frank McCourt) remains. That could be because he owns the team, but doesn't responsibility begin with him? Especially when you say you're going to spend a certain amount of money on team salary and then you don't? Listen, it's one thing for the Devil Rays to spend $30 million on team salary; everyone knows that's how much they're spending and so assumptions for their performance are set accordingly. But if McCourt says he's going to put at least $100 million towards his payroll but spends considerably less, how is it fair to judge manager or GM when they fail to meet expectations?
Folks, for the Dodgers to spend $83 million on total payroll is ridiculous. Simple economics dictate that a team in the country's second largest media market can afford to spend much more than that. And when McCourt took this team over, he said he was committed to winning and would pay what it would take to do so. But a quick look at the team's payroll from 2003 (the year before McCourt took over) to this year proves he's a cheap bastard who's stashing profits in his pockets and scapegoating anyone underneath him:
2003 - $105,872,620 (fourth highest payroll)
2004 - $92,902,001 (sixth highest)
2005 - $83,039,000 (eleventh highest)
McCourt needs to hold a press conference and admit he's made some mistakes but that he's going to rectify them. Then he needs to spend at least $100 million on payroll, remove his wife and son from their positions within the organization, buy Mike Scioscia away from the Angels, send Darren Dreifort to the firing squad and never read the L.A. Times again.
Speaking of the Times, I can't wait to see what T.J. Simers will have to say about the latest events in this soap opera. Whether he writes next tomorrow or Monday, here's a link to his columns page. I guarantee he will be quite giddy.
Folks, for the Dodgers to spend $83 million on total payroll is ridiculous. Simple economics dictate that a team in the country's second largest media market can afford to spend much more than that. And when McCourt took this team over, he said he was committed to winning and would pay what it would take to do so. But a quick look at the team's payroll from 2003 (the year before McCourt took over) to this year proves he's a cheap bastard who's stashing profits in his pockets and scapegoating anyone underneath him:
2003 - $105,872,620 (fourth highest payroll)
2004 - $92,902,001 (sixth highest)
2005 - $83,039,000 (eleventh highest)
McCourt needs to hold a press conference and admit he's made some mistakes but that he's going to rectify them. Then he needs to spend at least $100 million on payroll, remove his wife and son from their positions within the organization, buy Mike Scioscia away from the Angels, send Darren Dreifort to the firing squad and never read the L.A. Times again.
Speaking of the Times, I can't wait to see what T.J. Simers will have to say about the latest events in this soap opera. Whether he writes next tomorrow or Monday, here's a link to his columns page. I guarantee he will be quite giddy.
posted by Andy at
6:05 PM
