More day games would be nice, he said, but better food is a must. The servers at Dodger Stadium are "masters of the cold hot dog and the warm beer," Casden complained.
Dodger Dogs should have more crunch, he said, and there should be kosher food stands for fans who are observant Jews. He also railed against crummy restrooms, lousy pizza and the lack of cup holders in all but the priciest seats.
"You're providing food and entertainment," Casden said. "It's got to be a better experience."
Another advantage to having a downtown stadium, Casden said, is the access it would provide. Dodger fans don't necessarily arrive late and leave early because they want to, he said; it's because nearly all of them arrive by car and must fight their way in and out of a few stadium entrances.
By comparison, many more wide streets -- especially east-west arteries -- lead to and from downtown. Plus, buses and light rail serve the area.
Casden, who grew up in L.A., used to take the bus and a trolley to see the Dodgers play in Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, where he sold programs before games to earn pocket money. As a youngster, Casden collected baseball cards and especially admired Yankee slugger Mickey Mantle and Giant Hall of Famer Willie Mays.
Today, he owns their rookie cards and other memorabilia including a baseball signed by Babe Ruth in 1924. He even has been keeping a Tommy Lasorda doll in his pocket; wind it up, and you hear the former Dodger manager talk about what great fans the team has.
Last month, Casden agreed to settle for $83 million a lawsuit brought by former investors who claimed he and his partners violated federal securities laws and misled them in a series of limited partnerships.
The settlement may improve Casden's standing with the Dodgers if Glazer can't close his deal to buy the club. Another possible contender for the Dodgers, should the team's negotiations with Glazer blow up, is former Seattle Mariners owner Jeff Smulyan.
Real estate sources believe Glazer also may want to build a new baseball park downtown -- and put a pro football stadium in Chavez Ravine.
But Casden is hopeful that, despite the competition, he has a good shot at buying the only franchise he really wants. "There are other baseball teams for sale," he said, "but I live here and I love the Dodgers."
He even has visions of passing the team to his offspring, as former owner Walter O'Malley did.
