McCourt Will Explore Ways to Boost Revenue

BOSTON — While ticket prices are likely to go up and the player payroll is likely to go down at Dodger Stadium, new co-owner Frank McCourt said Friday he was committed to keeping lower-priced tickets available and said he was exploring how to convert space beneath and adjacent to the outfield pavilions into a promenade similar to the one outside Fenway Park.

“Call it Dodger Way instead of Yawkey Way,” he said.

On game days, the Red Sox close a street outside their cramped ballpark, providing a gathering place for fans and enabling them to buy food, drinks and souvenirs there. McCourt said he would like to create a similar area within Dodger Stadium, perhaps with music, to enhance the family experience there and give fans a meeting place and an incentive to come early and beat the traffic.

Fox reported losses of as much as $50 million during its final years of ownership and reported $150 million in revenue last season. McCourt, loaned much of the money for his $430-million purchase price, said he believed he can boost revenue to the range of $200 million to $250 million within three years. The New York Yankees are the only major league team that reported revenue over $250 million last season.

“The business was not functioning at anything close to its potential,” McCourt said.

McCourt said he planned to break even by 2006. The Dodgers opened this season with a player payroll of $93 million.

“I don’t see huge reductions in the player payroll,” he said. “I don’t see us trying to outdo the Yankees, but I don’t see our payroll ever going down to $80 million, either.”

The Dodgers’ average ticket price of $16.92 ranks 20th among the 30 clubs, according to Team Marketing Report. McCourt noted the Dodgers offer $6 seats in the top deck and outfield pavilions and said he would maintain low prices in those areas, although he would not commit to the $6 figure for next season. However, he added, the Dodgers’ average ticket price should be above the major league average -- $19.82 this season -- and indicated that he anticipated raising prices for the most desirable seats.

He also defended the spring remark of his wife Jamie, the Dodgers’ vice chair, that the team ought to shoot for 4 million fans.

The team has drawn 3 million in each of the last eight years and regularly in the last 20 years. He notes that population has increased markedly over that time, and the Dodgers have not won a playoff game in 16 years.

“I think there’s another half-million fans just by making people aware of how great it is to come to Dodger Stadium and another half-million who will come when they’re convinced we’re going to win,” he said. “If we don’t do 4 million in the next few years, does that mean we’re failing? No. It’s an aspiration.”

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The Dodgers agreed to terms with their two first-round draft picks, pitcher Scott Elbert and third baseman Blake DeWitt. The Dodgers awarded signing bonuses of $1.575 million to Elbert, drafted 17th overall, and $1.2 million to DeWitt, drafted 28th.