The Dodgers "have shelved plans to renovate Dodger
Stadium and are struggling to find other ways to generate
revenue to compete" with the four other NL West teams that
have or are moving to new stadiums, according to Robert
Kuwada of the ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER. The Dodgers have
already announced a $10 to $15 increase for some tickets
next season, and said that they will televise more home
games and have more ad signage inside the stadium. But
Kuwada wrote that those measures "are not considered to be a
long-term fix" for the franchise. The team "studied the
possibility of adding luxury suites and club seating" to the
36-year-old stadium, but found that construction costs,
which could reach $200M, "would be so high ... that any
additional revenues would go to pay off the renovation
project and not player payroll." Dodgers President Bob
Graziano: "The question we're struggling with is how do you
generate additional revenue streams without using every
penny to pay off the cost of construction? We would love to
have luxury boxes and ... club seats, but it makes no
sense." The Dodgers' Opening Day payroll in '98 was $47.8M,
while its Opening Day '99 payroll is "expected to be" $70M
-- "one of the highest in baseball." Graziano said that the
team "had not considered selling naming rights to Dodger
Stadium, but it might soon become an option." Graziano: "We
haven't ruled it out yet, but we know it would be a major,
major step. It's not something we're currently focused on"
(Robert Kuwada, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER, 11/24).
