Not really a tough choice for fans

Dear Jamie and Frank,

I didn’t think it was possible for you to reach new lows, but you proved me wrong. Are you really going with the “It’s the fault of the fans” excuse for not signing free agents? Is this the best option you came up with in your weekly spin meeting with your marketing consultants?

Why don’t you try something new -- like the truth? Try something like, “We can’t afford this team, never could. But now that the real estate market has gone into the dumpster, we’re scared our parking lots aren’t worth anything.” Or, “As long as we can charge $90 a ticket for spring training games and $250 a ticket behind the plate at Dodger Stadium without improving the team during the off-season, why should we treat this like the large-market team it is?”

I guess in your family’s case, the truth will set you up for life, instead of free.

Shawn Donaldson

Los Alamitos

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I have a question for the McCourts. You buy a Malibu beach house for, say, $33 million. Then six months later you buy the neighbor’s house for $20 million. Does that seem a little weird to you? That’s what we’re trying to figure out. We’re really trying to see it through the eyes of our owners.

Brian Greene

Rolling Hills Estates

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What’s the big deal? Of course I’d rather see money pumped into new ball fields for the inner-city kids of L.A. than spent on contracts for overpriced and underperforming athletes.

Which is also why I’d rather see Jamie and Frank McCourt working for social services than running the Dodgers.

Dan Rosenfeld

Altadena

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Once again, Bill Plaschke has lost his grip on reality. After the Dodgers picked up the tab for Jason Schmidt and Andruw Jones, I can understand why Jamie McCourt would question guaranteed contracts.

Mr. Plaschke, this is not “fantasy” for owners, it’s cold hard cash, and lots of it. Maybe you would like to pony up your salary to pay for these monumental busts?

Michael Nese

Newbury Park

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So, Frank McCourt doesn’t want to spend millions of his dollars on a bunch of free agents because it might offend Dodgers fans during these tough economic times. Of course it is just fine to charge $90 for a seat to a spring training game and an arm and a leg for a Dodger Dog and a beer. I have a much better idea. How about cutting back on those shopping sprees for the Screaming Meanie?

Ralph S. Brax

Lancaster

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After reading Dylan Hernandez’s article about how, in these tough economic times, the McCourts are weighing whether L.A. needs youth baseball fields more than a high-priced free agent, I had to take a shower.

Sure, pouring $30 million into youth programs would do more good than using it to pay for a dozen more mansions for Manny. But it would also net the McCourts an immense tax break -- something they fail to mention -- while giving that money to Manny wouldn’t.

Bennett Cohen

Los Angeles

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The McCourts remind me of the shady owner in the Robert Redford film “The Natural.” Redford’s character sweeps into town, turns the home team around, fills the stadium and the owner’s pockets and wears No. 9 (like Ramirez’s 99). But like in that film, whether Dodgers management really appreciated what their Natural has done and want to field the best possible team next season is clearly debatable.

Ricardo Delgado

Sylmar

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The idea to charge fans $500 to take batting practice at Dodger Stadium is brilliant. And it means that after 36,000 batting practice sessions, Andruw Jones will have paid for himself.

Darren Pollock

Los Angeles