McCourt Decides to Send a Message

Dodger owner Frank McCourt fired two high-ranking executives and began the restructuring of the organization’s top end Friday afternoon after becoming frustrated by what he said were numerous communications failures, both within the organization and with the public.

Team management was notified in a noon meeting at Dodger Stadium that McCourt’s wife, Jamie, would assume responsibility for all business operations, Chief Operating Officer Marty Greenspun would oversee the marketing department and that Lon Rosen, executive vice president and chief marketing officer, and Gary Miereanu, vice president of communications, would be let go. Jamie McCourt will retain her title as vice chairman, serving as advisor and confidante for her husband.

As part of the general reorganization, McCourt promoted his 23-year-old son, Drew, to director of marketing, and will hire two new senior vice presidents, for marketing and communications. Baseball operations, headed by executive vice president and General Manager Paul DePodesta, are largely unchanged; DePodesta will continue to report to Frank McCourt on matters of baseball, though now to Jamie McCourt on the business side of baseball operations.

In other moves, John Olguin, director of public relations, was promoted to vice president of public relations and Josh Rawitch succeeded him as director.

Four days before the Dodgers would open their second season under his ownership, McCourt said he had hoped his long-term vision and philosophies would have become more apparent, and that the organization would be better at responding to its fans’ needs and complaints.

Rosen and Miereanu held their positions for about a year. They were fired six weeks after McCourt hired the consulting firm Sitrick and Co. to address the organization’s communication deficiencies, and McCourt said he agreed with the firm’s recommendations.

“They certainly made some contributions while they were here,” McCourt said of Rosen and Miereanu. “I wish them the best. But we’re making the changes to address the problems we have. It’s no secret we’ve had some issues in terms of communicating effectively. I’m taking the steps to address that. I’m taking full responsibility for it....

“What really concerns me most is how we interact with our fans, how we treat our fans. We need to do better there. At the end of the day, sure it’s about winning. But it’s also about making sure we treat our fans in the proper manner.”

Instances of fan displeasure periodically appeared in local newspapers, and the team was widely criticized during an off-season in which it failed to re-sign National League MVP runner-up Adrian Beltre, the heaviest blow in a series of unpopular player transactions beginning in the middle of last season.

The Dodgers won the National League West last season and a postseason game for the first time since 1988. McCourt has just completed a $20-million stadium renovation project, the first of three phases. It is further evidence, he said, that he intends to rebuild and maintain the Dodgers as one of the major leagues’ signature franchises.

“On the one hand, so many positive things have happened,” he said. “And yet we weren’t necessarily communicating as well as we should with the fans, our constituents. We’re entitled to make changes.... But what’s incumbent upon us is to bring the fans along. We need to share our thinking, at least talk philosophically about what we’re doing.

“I’m really pleased with what we’ve achieved in a short period. It’s an indication of something headed in the right direction.”

McCourt said there was no particular incident that caused him to reconsider his management structure and that he approved of DePodesta’s decisions. He continues to fight the perception that he lacks the financial means to run the Dodgers effectively and that the team is simply an extension of his contracting and real estate empire.

To that end, he said, Greenspun’s responsibilities will expand to include the marketing department. He will report to Jamie McCourt. Sitrick and Co. will maintain an advisory role.

“The fundamental reason is, although I’m very proud of what we have accomplished in the first year ... I recognize we have some issues in the communications area,” Frank McCourt said. “I’m not in denial about that. I recognize that and I want to fix it. In the other aspects of the business, in terms of winning baseball games, so far, so good. I think we’ve made a lot of progress. To me, good simply isn’t good enough. This is the Dodgers. It’s about being great. It’s about being major league. It’s about being the best.”

He added, “This isn’t simply a response to a piece of bad publicity or some bad press. My job as a steward of the Dodgers is to fulfill the promises I’ve made, to build a winner and provide the best possible experience for our fans.

“When I hear a phone call hasn’t been returned or something hasn’t been done the right way, that’s unacceptable for me.... This is a big enterprise. We all have to be communicating and clear and have the necessary follow-through. We’ve all been working very, very hard. It’s been a year.... It’s long enough to make some judgments.”

Said one person familiar with the restructuring: “When phone calls don’t get returned, there’s just no excuse for that. An enterprise like a baseball team, which is almost a public trust, if it doesn’t have a good relationship with the public ... “

A fixture in Los Angeles since becoming promotions director for the Lakers in the 1980s and later as Magic Johnson’s agent, Rosen has a five-year contract. Among other responsibilities, Rosen implemented many of the recent in-game changes, including the infusion of popular music and graphics. He also oversaw the turnover in the broadcast booth; Ross Porter was not re-signed and Charley Steiner and Steve Lyons were hired.

“I have no hard feelings,” Rosen said. “The Dodgers are a great organization, becoming greater, and it was a privilege to work with the McCourts.”

Miereanu, a former sportswriter who left the Walt Disney Co. for the Dodgers, has a two-year deal.

Said one Dodger employee: “He is one of the nicest individuals I’ve ever met. This is too bad.”