Team Makes Money as Fans Take Field.

Martinis in the dugout.

In an effort to at least partially offset the ever-burgeoning cost of fielding a baseball team, the Los Angeles Dodgers are selling their field to corporate America as a place for parties and other gatherings.

In recent months, Dodger Stadium has been host to a huge party during the Democratic National Convention, another for the worldwide Young Presidents Association and events thrown by local corporations such as Pacific Bell. Participants are taking batting and fielding practice, getting hitting tips from Dodger legends and being wined and dined in the brand-new Dugout Club behind home plate, at a cost of up to $75,000.

Dodger Stadium; of course, has been rented out for years for musical concerts, hosting The Three Tenors, Simon and Garfunkel and Ricky Martin. And the parking lot has been and continues to be used for game-day promotional events, as well as used-car auctions. But what hadn't been done, until now, is the renting out of the Dodger Stadium's playing field for corporate meetings and events.

"Obviously, the business of baseball is changing, and the business of driving revenue is more and more important," said Kris Rone, executive vice president and chief marketing officer for the Dodgers. "Big companies and nonprofits are always looking for retreats and event places with some cache involved. There are other places that have that, like the (movie) studios. Being at Dodger Stadium, being on the field, adds something. It really is an effort on our part to create a new revenue stream."

And new revenue streams are clearly needed because player salaries are soaring and club profits falling. The team, owned by Rupert Murdoch's Fox Entertainment Group, is expected to lose more than $20 million this year. But the Dodgers are one of several teams expected to pursue free agent shortstop Alex Rodriguez, who is believed to be seeking a 10-year, $200 million contract. That would probably help the Dodgers' World Series chances after several disappointing seasons, but also would boost a payroll that at $98 million is second only to the New York Yankees in spending.

So on days when Gary Sheffield, Kevin Brown and Eric Karros aren't on the mound or running the base paths, Chavez Ravine is increasingly a venue for pricey corporate meetings and events, part of a determined strategy to find additional revenue streams. While it's not expected to make the difference of being in the red or the black, the team hopes to host more than 100 events and raise more than $1 million in the upcoming year.

The strategy seeks to exploit the $50 million renovation the stadium got last spring, which involved the installation of 33 luxury suites -- at lease prices between $150,000 and $300,000 a year -- and more than 500 premium seats behind home plate -- costing either $195 or $295 a game. Those come with access to the new Dugout Club built behind them.

Also included in the facelift was the remodeling of the Stadium Club in the right field upper decks, as well as corporate meeting facilities behind the suites. All of the areas are now being touted as attractive and unique alternatives to the more-staid meeting rooms offered by hotels.

"Companies get a kick out of holding meeting's at the stadium, in rooms surrounded by pictures of (Sandy) Koufax or (Jackie) Robinson," said Lisa-Daniella Johnson, senior manager of event and season sales for the team.

In September, the Los Angeles Sports & Entertainment Commission put together a weekend promotional tour for the Young Presidents Association centered around the Emmy awards. Some 80 people were honored at Dodger Stadium, at an event that included welcoming remarks by club president Bob Graziano, lunch in the Dugout Club, batting practice on the field, instruction from former Dodger third baseman Ron Cey and playing cards with photos of the attendees in Dodger uniforms. Price: around $40,000.

"These are CEOs, young, from all over, just the kind of people we want to bring their business to L.A.," said Commission President Kathryn Schloessman. "A lot of these guys said they'd have come just for this. We are so darned jaded here. But Dodger Stadium is world famous. It was a major hit, no pun intended. Guys we're saying, 'God, Ron Cey is giving me batting tips!' It was good exposure for the Dodgers."

Team management is well aware that the selling of the stadium as a corporate attraction is a major departure from the traditional way the team was run before Peter O'Malley sold it to Murdoch in the spring of 1998. Rone recalls that, before she joined the Dodgers, she was working at a marketing firm in the early 1990s when she came to shoot a promotional film with first baseman Eric Karros.

"We weren't even allowed on the grass," she said.

Management clearly is sensitive to any perception that they are turning their backs on their traditional fan base by touting corporate promotions. Dodger officials point out that the addition of luxury boxes and premium seats were done in such a way that didn't dramatically change the look of the stadium, and stress that the revenue from the suites and the new corporate events enables the team to keep ticket prices stable. No price increases are planned for the upcoming season.

"We're trying not to pass on costs to the general customers," Rone said.