Slow start for Dodgers could be devastating for Frank McCourt

Scoreboard, baby.

That’s basically the response Frank McCourt and his representatives have given in recent years when criticism has been directed at the cash-strapped Dodgers owner.

Though McCourt’s detractors argue that the Dodgers should spend like a West Coast version of the New York Yankees, his response about fielding winning teams has some merit: The Dodgers have reached the playoffs in four of the last seven seasons, including National League Championship Series appearances in 2008 and 2009.

McCourt has said his divorce hasn’t and won’t affect the Dodgers. But as his personal life publicly unraveled last year, the club slashed payroll, collapsed spectacularly in the second half of the season and staggered to a fourth-place finish.

Another losing season could be devastating for McCourt as he fights to remain in control of the Dodgers, whose pitchers and catchers will report to their spring training facility in Arizona on Thursday.

McCourt has lost the backing of Commissioner Bud Selig, who once endorsed McCourt’s highly leveraged purchase of the team. Former owner Peter O’Malley has called for McCourt to sell a team that is a public treasure.

With pressure mounting and attendance declining, there are fears within the organization that if the Dodgers start slowly this year, sweeping changes could cost some employees their jobs.

The schedule is not favorable.

Of their first 28 games, 22 will be against teams that won at least 83 games last year.

The Dodgers head into what could be a make-or-break season for McCourt with a player payroll that is higher than last year’s. But they will also have a rookie manager in Don Mattingly, a closer in Jonathan Broxton who looked like a batting-practice pitcher toward the end of last year and a lineup that doesn’t feature an established middle-of-the-order hitter.

What has changed

Joe Torre is gone as manager, as are his top lieutenants, third base coach Larry Bowa and bench coach Bob Schaefer. Taking Torre’s place is his former hitting coach, Mattingly, a New York Yankees icon.

Manny Ramirez was waived toward the end of last season and Russell Martin was let go. Martin was the first player from the Dodgers’ core group of young players to depart, a move that leaves Rod Barajas as the most likely starter at catcher.

The Dodgers spent $91 million on 10 free agents, including infielder Juan Uribe, pitcher Matt Guerrier and outfielder Marcus Thames.

Reasons to be excited

The rotation is significantly deeper than it was a year ago, when the Dodgers went into camp with only four starters. This year they have six, counting Vicente Padilla, who is slated to be a long reliever.

Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp figure to improve on their numbers from last season. Ethier’s triple-crown bid was derailed by a broken pinkie and Kemp, for whatever reason, didn’t perform at the level that he did in 2009. Both have shown they have the potential to be among the best hitters in baseball.

Reasons to be worried

Mattingly’s only managerial experience has been in the Arizona Fall League, where the emphasis is on player development, not winning.

The lineup has some holes, most notably in left field, where the likes of Thames, Jay Gibbons and Xavier Paul are being considered.

The bullpen is full of question marks, the biggest one being at the end. Closer Broxton was so out of whack in the second half of the season that he lost his job. If Broxton can’t recover his All-Star form, the team could be in trouble. Hong-Chih Kuo’s medical history won’t allow him to be a full-time closer. Kenley Jansen is short on experience. Padilla is being looked at as an emergency option, but he has never been a closer.

Keep your eye on

Tony Gwynn Jr. He might be the son of one of the greatest hitters in baseball history, but he batted .204 last season. What he is, according to advanced statistical measures, is a top defensive center fielder.

The Dodgers are hoping he hits enough to warrant being an everyday player. If that happens, Kemp could move to right field, where he is more comfortable, and Ethier could shift from right to left.

dylan.hernandez@latimes.com