Dodgers Owner Frank McCourt Saturday "called it 'tragic' that a San Francisco Giants fan was beaten and critically injured in the Dodger Stadium parking lot on opening day," but said that he is "satisfied that the Dodgers have done everything they can to make the stadium as safe as possible," according to Bill Shaikin of the L.A. TIMES. McCourt: "It's very, very unfair to take what was otherwise a fantastic day -- everything from the weather to the result of the game to just the overall experience -- and to have a few individuals mar that. It's a terrible thing. ... I'm not making any excuses whatsoever. It shouldn't happen. I'm quite confident that all of our measures were in place. You could have 2,000 policemen there, and it's just not going to change that random act of violence." McCourt added, "Let's keep in mind: It's opening day. There's 56,000 people. That’s a lot of people. The incidents we had relative to that were very few. That said, one is too many" (LATIMES.com, 4/2). Dodgers VP/PR & Broadcasting Josh Rawitch, when asked if the team "put more security in the parking lot Friday night" after Thursday's incident, said, "We're not allowed to talk about security issues." In L.A., T.J. Simers wrote, "Shouldn't the Dodgers be talking their heads off about security issues, and whatever it takes to reassure fans they will have a positive experience?" (L.A. TIMES, 4/3).
NO CUTBACKS: In L.A., Dylan Hernandez reported the Dodgers' Opening Day payroll was "higher this year than it was in 2009, when the team made its last playoff appearance." Counting the five players who are on the DL, the Dodgers "will pay the players on their opening-day roster more than $95 million." They also are "on the hook for an additional $15 million-plus in salary deferments from previous seasons." The $95M figure "marks a significant increase from last season," when the Dodgers opened the season with an $83M payroll (L.A. TIMES, 4/2).
