Author Eric Stone, just back from a book tour in China, took in his first game of the season at Dodger Stadium. He splurged on four loge seats behind home plate, discovered the $10 parking and $5.50 water, and lost an inning waiting in line. After dropping $322.50 on the day, he offers some suggestions to the McCourts for enhancing the experience and making enough money to cut a buck or two off the cost of a beer.

Find somewhere else for the Dodgers to play for a few years, then tear down Dodger Stadium.

In its place, recreate Ebbets Field - the Dodgers old homeground in Brooklyn - along with the old Brooklyn neighborhood around it. There's plenty of room at Chavez Ravine to do all that, and the Dodgers own the land. The new Ebbets Field will, of course, be one of these old-fashioned, new-fangled stadiums with better sightlines and all the mod-cons. Have it seat, say, 38,000 or 40,000 people - which is plenty. Stock the fake Brooklyn around the stadium with shops, restaurants, bars, a nice hotel or two, theaters, maybe a California baseball museum. Tack on some very high end condos. Build short, old-fashioned looking trolley lines to the stadium from all four different directions, from areas where there is available parking already and either don't allow any private cars into the area at all, or at least restrict them heavily....

Boosted by the proceeds from the sales and leasing of commercial and residential real estate - 24 hours a day, year round - and probably some cuts of the new businesses that are attracted to the area - the Dodgers could pay for their high-priced players, improve what's on offer at the stadium (Like get some decent food. Would anyone who really likes hot dogs possibly eat a Dodger dog if they didn't have to?) and probably lower prices.

By the way, last week the MTA decided that shuttles to Dodger games would be too expensive to operate. So there is still no public transportation up to the stadium—and even taxis are difficult to connect with to get out.

* And: Counterpoint from Jon at Dodger Thoughts

Photo: Ballparkwatch.com