Opener’s Not the Ticket for Pickets : Baseball: A group of disenchanted fans show displeasure with the ‘field of greed’ at Dodger Stadium’s main entrance.

Baseball returned to Dodger Stadium after a 234-day strike, but a group of fans have gone on strike to protest the greed of the owners and players, setting up a picket line at the main entrance before Friday night’s home-opening 9-1 victory over the Atlanta Braves.

“This isn’t a field of dreams, it’s a field of greed,” said Chris Dhaliwal, of Huntington Beach. “I’ve been a longtime baseball fan and I’ve gotten sick of this. These guys are getting paid very well to do something they love to do and they had no reason to strike.”

The 20 protesters, stationed at Stadium Way and Elysian Park, received thumbs-up signals and honks from most of the cars passing by.

“Vin Scully gave us a smile when he drove by,” said Dave Flateau of Huntington Beach.

“I came all the way out here from Orange County in rush-hour traffic to (picket). It seemed like such a good idea because the owners and players ruined the game for the fans. It’s been such a circus and it was unnecessary. I’m not going back until I see the owners and players give something back to the fans.”

Calling themselves Fans On Strike, they carried signs which read “Baseball Boycott, call 1-800-7-STRIKE” and gave away bumper stickers.

“I’ve gone to every (Dodger) opener since ’78 and the last three years I’ve brought a minimum of 70 people as a group and this year all 70 of them said ‘no way,’ ” said Brian Miller of Woodland Hills. “To show you how greedy the Dodgers were, they sent me three order forms in the mail this week trying to get me back because I order so many tickets. I’m not going anywhere near them. They messed up big time this time. Nobody won, the fans lost.”

Stuart Rawitt of Marina Del Rey, who organized the boycott along with Jim Sweeney of Calabasas, said he is trying to break his baseball addiction.

“This is a 12-step program. I’m an addict, addicted to baseball. I’m not going to take it,” Rawitt said. “This is a nationwide organization with over 1,000 members total and 300 locally. This is our first media stunt and it will not be the last. We’re going up to San Francisco to show Barry Bonds that we’re not going to pay for any more earrings.”

Dodger Executive Vice President Fred Claire doubts the team will have trouble winning its fans.

“We may have to get out there to them and give them a couple tickets to get into the ballgame . . . ‘Here’s a ticket, put down your picket,’ ” Claire said.

But several protesters said it will take much more than that.

“Why do I want free tickets?” Miller said. “Would you go to a movie if I told you that it was the worst movie I’d ever seen? I wouldn’t walk in there because that’s not a major league product, either. It’s time to show the owners that the people who pay everybody’s salary are sick of this. You could give me season tickets and I wouldn’t go.”

Friday night’s game attracted a sellout crowd of 51,181 after the Dodgers gave away free tickets to their 22,000 season ticket holders and children under 12.

The most expensive ticket cost $3.50.

By contrast, the protesters wouldn’t have filled one section of Dodger Stadium.

“People have short memories,” said Jamie Hunt of Pasadena as he entered the stadium. “People will be here. No matter how mad people get, people want to go to baseball (games).”