Dodgers crack down on outside alcohol
Club to enforce rule, already in place, more strictly
By Doug Miller / MLB.com
04/22/09 9:33 PM ET
The Los Angeles Dodgers are working harder to prevent fans from bringing their own alcohol to the stadium.
According to The Associated Press, the club announced Wednesday that it is increasing the amount of signs and parking-lot security staff to enforce the policy of not allowing alcohol to be brought onto stadium grounds, which already has been in existence. Violators are subject to ejection from the stadium.
Beginning April 30, when the team's next homestand opens, more signs in English and Spanish will be put up by the entrances to the parking lot and in the lots themselves, the AP wrote.
"The responsible use of alcohol, which is what is overwhelmingly adhered to, is fine," Charles Steinberg, Dodgers executive vice president, told the AP.
"In the isolated cases of fan behavior that isn't OK, alcohol abuse is often the issue. Sometimes it's the degree to which people have consumed alcohol before coming to the game."
One example of the abusive behavior came after the Dodgers' April 13 home opener, when a man was repeatedly stabbed in a parking-lot confrontation.
"More than 99 percent of the fans act responsibly; we will be unrelenting in our pursuit of 100 percent," Dennis Mannion, the club's president and chief operating officer, told the AP.
Pedro's already in demand
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Alex Rodriguez began post-hip surgery rehabilitation work this week.
Alex Rodriguez began post-hip surgery rehabilitation work this week.
AP
Jon Heyman's Mailbag
Free-agent pitcher Pedro Martinez has fielded calls from several teams in the 10 days since the season began, which is no surprise considering the pitching woes many teams have already experienced.
But Martinez remains in Santo Domingo, working out every day and waiting for the right call. Though friends say it isn't only about money, he's thought to be waiting for a $5 million-plus call.
"He's very patient,'' his longtime agent Fern Cuza said.
The Dodgers (who placed Hiroki Kuroda on the disabled list) and Indians (who have experienced steep first-week pitching problems) would appear to be prime candidates to sign Martinez. Other possibilities include the Phillies, Brewers, Pirates, Diamondbacks and Mets. The Orange County Register reported Cuza also called the Angels. There have been no serious talks with the Phillies or Angels to this point, but they are among the contending teams with pitching concerns.
