McCourt Hits Talking Points

Improved dialogue with fans. Better explanations for the reasons behind free-agent signings and trades. A clearer message about Dodger goals and expectations.

Frank McCourt sat in his second-floor office directly above the clubhouse here Thursday and pledged to improve communication during his second year as Dodger owner.

During an interview on a one-day visit to Dodgertown, he also expressed deep disappointment in not re-signing third baseman Adrian Beltre.

But for the most part he was upbeat and forward-looking, saying, “I come from the vantage point that the Dodgers should be world champions every year.”

McCourt began the day by addressing the team before the first full-squad workout, outlining goals for the season while invoking the spirit of a World Series champion 50 years removed.

Saluting the anniversary of the 1955 Brooklyn Dodger victory over the New York Yankees is a major public relations thrust this year. McCourt used the heroics of Duke Snider, Jackie Robinson, Roy Campanella, Don Newcombe, et al., to light a fire under the current Dodgers.

“I’m very proud of what the organization accomplished in a short period of time,” McCourt said. “We are the stewards of a beloved franchise, a civic treasure.”

Modern-day players don’t often respond to rah-rah speeches, but several Dodgers said this one made an impression.

“You use anything you can for inspiration in this game,” said second baseman Jeff Kent, who was putting on a Dodger uniform for the first time. “I’m aware of Dodger tradition, growing up in Southern California. Frank tapped into that.”

McCourt, whose critics have questioned his commitment to financing a winner, spent $144 million on free agents during the off-season -- Kent, infielder Jose Valentin, catcher Paul Bako, outfielders J.D. Drew and Ricky Ledee and pitchers Derek Lowe, Odalis Perez and Wilson Alvarez.

McCourt said he was trying to infuse a winning culture in an organization that has not been to the World Series since 1988. The Dodgers won the National League West last season and lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in the first round of the playoffs, though they did win a postseason game for the first time since ’88.

McCourt characterized the achievements as a first step.

“Nobody on the club is satisfied with one playoff victory,” he said. “Our goal is to win it all.”

He said he noticed a difference in the intensity of spring training workouts compared with last season, echoing a sentiment that Manager Jim Tracy has expressed.

“It feels very different this spring,” McCourt said. “There is a sense of purpose. It is crystal clear this year to everyone in the organization. The work starts right now.”

McCourt said fans deserved to know the reasoning behind off-season moves.

“Now that I’ve been here a year, it’s important we do an increasingly good job,” he said. “Now that we’re on a more solid footing, we can communicate with fans and tell them what we are doing.

“We could have done a somewhat better job bringing our fans along with us. There were times we could have done a better job of explaining philosophically what the reasons were for moves we made.”

He said he still has a hard time reconciling one move the team failed to make -- re-signing the popular Beltre, who finished second in NL most-valuable-player voting after hitting 48 home runs. Beltre signed a five-year deal with the Seattle Mariners for $64 million; the Dodgers offered $60 million over six years.

“The biggest disappointment of the off-season was not re-signing Adrian Beltre,” he said. “If you had asked me right after the season whether we would have signed him, I would have said yes. In fact, I did say that. It was a priority of mine. But it wasn’t meant to be, and we’ll move forward.”

He said the Dodgers did not know details of the Mariner offer until after Beltre signed.

Despite the failure to retain Beltre, McCourt expressed confidence in General Manager Paul DePodesta, the architect of the current roster. McCourt hired DePodesta soon after buying the team and has given him free rein to retool the roster.

“Balancing the ability to win now with winning in the future is quite a task,” McCourt said. “We have put together a team that can clearly compete this year, and not only did we not raid the farm system, we added prospects.”

The owner spent the morning watching the team practice on the multiple fields at Dodgertown. Fans lined the walkways, and after an early thundershower the sun came out.

McCourt surveyed the scene and smiled.

“My gut feeling is, as a fan first, as someone who loves baseball, I want the organization to bring the fans along with us on this ride,” he said. “The first year, I had a lot to learn. I had to do a lot of listening. This time here, it feels like I’m coming home.”