Author Topic: StanK Is At It Again - This Time With The Dodgers  (Read 863 times)

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Offline Minty Fresh

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July 10, 2012

Dear Dodger Fans:

I wanted to take this time during the All-Star break to send you a note of thanks and also share with you the improvements we are making here at Dodger Stadium.

First, I want to thank you for believing in your Los Angeles Dodgers. Dodger pride is back, thanks to your loyalty, your support and the incredible energy you demonstrate night in and night out here at Dodger Stadium. Our players deserve enormous credit for an exciting and successful first half of the 2012 season, but it could not have been done without you.

When Magic Johnson, Mark Walter and I were introduced as the new ownership team two months ago, we made bold commitments to you and to all of the Los Angeles community. Since then, we have conducted surveys, focus groups and town hall meetings. In addition, we've engaged in countless conversations with many of you each night at the ballpark. We will continue to listen to you and your suggestions regarding the improvement of your Dodger Stadium experience and we have already begun to act on your recommendations. Some have been achieved already, some are in progress, and still others are being planned. But they all represent a no-excuses culture that we are creating throughout the Dodger organization.

This Dodger ownership continues to look for ways to make a game at Dodger stadium the best value for your entertainment dollar. On day one, we reduced the price of general parking from $15 to $10, making your entry into Chavez Ravine and picturesque Dodger Stadium an even more enjoyable moment.

Our players love to see you in the stands and we want to make it easy for you to come out to the park to root for the home team.

Here are some other areas that we have addressed in our first 60 days:

-- We have shortened concession lines by adding staff and operating more efficiently, enabling you to enjoy more of the game with friends and family.

-- We have created more pre-game opportunities for you to meet players at the entrance gates and receive autographs during batting practice. Personal contact between fans and players has always been one of baseball's most enduring attractions, and we will do everything we can to maintain that important and historic connection.

-- We are working with the LADOT, the LAPD and the MTA to improve traffic flow into and out of the stadium area. We also have assigned ambassadors to all parking gate entrances to guide those in need of assistance and speed the transaction times, all in an effort to get vehicles through the gates more easily and quickly.

-- We have moved forward with a more aggressive strategy in scouting and signing international players, a hallmark trait of this organization, to strengthen our player development system. This strategy has already paid dividends in the recent signing of Cuban outfielder Yasiel Puig and others.

-- Most importantly, as demonstrated by the recent signing of Andre Ethier to a five-year contract extension that will keep him a Dodger playing alongside Matt Kemp through at least 2017, the signing of the aforementioned Puig and the signing of Corey Seager, our No. 1 draft choice, we have the resources to assure the Dodgers are contenders year in and year out.

-- We are celebrating Dodger Stadium's 50th anniversary and we realize there are a number of areas that we can improve upon to make the fan experience most enjoyable. We have already begun to engage and hire experts in architecture and engineering to assist us in improving one of baseball's most beautiful stadiums.

And we have only just begun.

Some of you may have seen me, and some have even stopped to talk to me, as I visit different levels throughout the stadium every game. I do this because I want to learn - from you. I have asked my entire staff to be more active and visible to assist you and to get your feedback. Please come and talk to us. Your honesty and your enthusiasm will help make this organization serve you better.

And, expect us to continue asking you what you think over the coming weeks and months. We want to include you in surveys, focus groups and other discussions to help improve your experience at Dodger Stadium. But you don't have to wait for a formal invitation; please continue to send your ideas to fanbox@ladodgers.com. Your thoughts and suggestions truly make a difference.

Some of your ideas can be implemented quickly, others will take more time. But we will keep you informed more frequently on everything we are doing to strengthen Dodger pride, to preserve yesterday's traditions, and to create tomorrow's memories.

When you visit Dodger Stadium, I want you to experience an even stronger culture and community among Dodger fans. We're going to create that experience together - and visiting teams will always know when they're playing in our town. We all love this team, and I want our fans to be able to show their pride together.

This is YOUR team, now and always.

Our goal is to deliver to YOU a World Series championship and to restore the Los Angeles Dodgers to their rightful place as a leader in Major League Baseball.

Thank you again for your loyalty to the Dodgers. You have our commitment that we will never take that for granted.

Sincerely,

Stan Kasten
President and CEO
Los Angeles Dodgers

I got this in my e-mail this morning.

Offline JCA-CrystalCity

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What, is he pushing cross country trips to old nats fans to fill his park?  Maybe the playoffs . . .

Offline PowerBoater69

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How is he going to recruit international players when the embassies are in DC?

Offline OldChelsea

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How is he going to recruit international players when the embassies are in DC?

Many countries (including all Latin American countries that serve as major sources of baseball players, except of course Cuba) have consulates-general in LA.

Offline KnorrForYourMoney

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Always cared more about the so-called "ballpark experience" (which never really improved under him) than fielding a winning team.

Offline RobDibblesGhost

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Did Dodger Stadium open a Build-A-Bear store yet?

I will say that at least StanK delivered us a real offseason Fan Fest every year.  After he left, we got a crappy weekday afternoon event right before opening day one year and then no event at all the following year.

Offline JCA-CrystalCity

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Interesting read on StanK's role in the big deal.  Basically, he negotiated it with John Henry at the owners' meeting.   The LAD had been looking at Beckett in July, then he hurt his back.  At the owners' meeting, StanK approached Henry, said they were still interested in Beckett, but really wanted A-Gon.  Henry said A-Gon was not on the block.  StanK said what if we pick up Lackey's contract.  Henry said no.  Then StanK said what if we pick up Crawford's contract (even after it was known that he'd be having TJ). That's what got the deal into high gear.
http://bostonherald.com/sports/baseball/red_sox/view/20220826anatomy_of_a_megadeal_once_crawfords_name_entered_the_equation_it_all_added_up/

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Gonzalez was not available, Kasten was told.

Kasten pressed on, inquiring if the Red Sox’ stance would change if the Dodgers were to take on the remaining contracts of both John Lackey and Beckett. The answer was still no at that point. Then Kasten added the name of Carl Crawford, still owed $102.5 million beginning with next year through 2017, to that list.

The Red Sox were caught by surprise, to say the least, to hear that Crawford, who just underwent Tommy John surgery on his elbow, was of interest.

“As soon as Crawford entered the conversation, then there was something to talk about,’’ said one baseball source.


A few of us wanted the Nats to pick up some overpaid players on expiring contracts back before StanK left in order to have a more competitive team on the field at that time while also continuing to develop the system.  Basically, the it's only money approach that is easy for fans and tough for owners.  Looks like StanK would not have been the obstacle to that approach.

Offline PowerBoater69

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  Basically, the it's only money approach that is easy for fans and tough for owners. 

Tough on the owners only in the sense that it isn't a money grab, raking in revenue sharing and tv money while spending at the league bottom. Old man Lerner said that owning the club was a public trust, but for five years all he did was profit from the ballpark the city built for him while padding his bank account. With all the money flowing in and the additional income from increased ticket sales the Nats could have spent big and still been in the black, just maybe not I will the top three for operating profits. Meanwhile the franchise value was kept low as Lerner bought out minority partners like Kasten.