For Direction on Air Base Dilemma, Look to the Angels

I have a friend who’s a bit behind on his current events. He’s heard vague rumblings about the county wanting to build a huge international airport on the El Toro Marine base site, but he’s not too hip on the details. He asked me to bring him up to speed.

A tall order, but since 1998 will be a big year for El Toro planning, I gave it a try.

“You follow the Anaheim Angels, don’t you?” I asked him.

“Sure,” he replied. “What have they got to do with it?”

“Nothing, really, but maybe it’ll help you sort out the airport issue if you think about the Angels. The two have a common thread.”

“Which is?”

“Philosophy.”

“Come again?”

“Simple,” I said. “The Angels are trying to figure out what kind of team they want to be. Orange County is trying to figure out what kind of county it wants to be. Both get conflicting signals from the public, because the public isn’t sure, either.”

“Whoa,” my friend said. “Start with something I understand--baseball. Walk me through this.”

“OK. The Angels have been around long enough to know what it’s like to play with the big boys. They’ve had a sniff at the playoffs the last few years, but they’ve fallen short. Remember all the talk last season about either trading for Mark McGwire or trying to sign him in the off-season? He was a big-ticket free agent who hit home runs and, in theory, drew lots more fans to the ballpark. The thinking was that he’d instantly make the Angels legitimate contenders and identify them as doing whatever it took to succeed.”

“Ah,” my friend said, “but the cost. It’s moot now, because McGwire signed with the Cardinals, but he cost them $28 million for three years. That’s

$9 million a year. If the Angels spent that, ticket prices would have gone up and probably concessions too. Other players would have wanted more money and, who knows, some favorites might have been unloaded. Either that, or their payroll could have gone sky-high.”

“That’s right,” I said. “The Angels had to decide what kind of team they wanted to be. Were they going to pay someone $9 million a year--with still no guarantee of winning a World Series--or would they try to win with less? Sure, it was dollars-and-cents, but the team also made a philosophical decision about what kind of franchise it wanted to be.”

“And you’ll notice,” my friend said, “that they just picked up Cecil Fielder as sort of a McGwire alternative. He isn’t in McGwire’s league, but he’s a pretty decent player and he only cost them $2.8 million for one year.”

“Right,” I said. “And the Angels also didn’t go after big-name pitchers, like Pedro Martinez, who were available, although that’s their biggest need. The Red Sox paid Martinez a king’s ransom because they’re going in a different direction. The Angels basically stuck with what they had and hope the fans are on the same page.”

“I see your point on the Angels situation,” my friend said. “And you’re saying the airport debate fits into the same framework?”

“Think of McGwire or Martinez as a big international airport,” I said. “Replacing John Wayne Airport would be like the county saying it wants to step into the big time. Obviously, lots of people are satisfied with John Wayne and don’t mind that it isn’t international. Other people say the county will always be second-rate if it doesn’t build a bigger, better model.”

“A ballplayer can’t guarantee success,” my friend said, “but wouldn’t a shiny new airport guarantee additional revenues and prestige for the county?”

“Its supporters think so,” I said, “but the other side says there are other factors to consider, just like the Angels had other things to consider. Is the middle of an urban county where you want to put an airport? What about priorities? Is an airport the best use for that property, given that we’ve already got an airport?”

“OK, we don’t know if the public wanted Mark McGwire, but didn’t the county already vote a couple times for a new airport?” my friend said. “Haven’t they said what kind of county they want to be?”

“You could make that argument,” I said, “but keep in mind that turnout for the last airport vote was 43% and it wouldn’t have been that big if the main anti-airport cities hadn’t inflated the figure. Plus, there hasn’t been a specific vote on a huge international airport. So, I’m not sure the public has spoken directly to the issue.”

“My head is spinning,” my friend said. “How is the average person supposed to figure out something like this?”

“Think philosophy,” I said. “Keep thinking about what kind of county you want and how you want it to look in the future. That should help you sort out your feelings.”

“Sheesh,” my friend said, “and I thought baseball was complicated.”

Dana Parsons’ column appears Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. Readers may reach Parsons by calling (714) 966-7821, by writing to him at The Times Orange County Edition, 1375 Sunflower Ave., Costa Mesa, CA 92626, or by e-mail at dana.parsons@latimes.com