They said Murdoch had no understanding of the game and saw it only as a strategy to boost his TV company Fox.

Rupert Murdoch: On song for the Dodgers

Mr Murdoch's reported deal with English football giant Manchester United has sparked similar fears and there are many similarities to the deals.

Mr Murdoch bought the Dodgers for £350m - a record for a baseball team - despite strong opposition from media arch-rival Ted Turner, vice chairman of Time Warner Corp.

As chief of Fox, Mr Murdoch holds contracts for local television rights with all but a handful of top-flight Major League Baseball's 30 teams.

Conflict of interest

But as an owner, Mr Murdoch received access to financial details of other teams with which he negotiates TV rights.

Such conflict of interest was the main argument against him owning the Dodgers.

The deal with Manchester United - again for a record figure of £575m - would give Mr Murdoch the whip hand in both domestic TV football rights and over the proposed European Super League.

And with Manchester United and the Dodgers, Mr Murdoch is seen by some fans as the interloper with no particular interest in the sport, buying up a legendary sports club for his own financial interests.

Dynasty

The Dodgers are an American icon, having moved to the West Coast from Brooklyn.

Mr Murdoch's purchase also ended baseball's oldest family dynasty.

The O'Malley family had controlled the team since Walter O'Malley bought a majority interest in the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1950.

As the LA Times reported at the time: "The vote puts one of baseball's most storied ballclubs in the hands of one of the world's most unsentimental and pragmatic businessmen."

But unlike the deal with the LA Dodgers, the deal with Manchester United will need no green light from other Premier League managers.

The sale from LA Dodgers owner Peter O'Malley to the Fox Group needed approval from three-quarters of National League team owners - including Ted Turner - and a majority of American League team owners.

In the end Murdoch won by a landslide as owners felt the deal would help the game in the long run.

Beer and dogs

There could be major new signings for the club in the future as Murdoch digs into his deep wallet.

But in the short term, Dodgers fans were more concerned at their opening game this season with the higher prices for beer and hot dogs.

Fans could also ruminate on some changes at the stadium. A 3ft-tall robot wobbled around the car park greeting fans.

Dressed in a blue Dodger shirt with a Dodger hat on top and looking like R2D2 from Star Wars, he told fans in his electronic voice to enjoy the game.

And when asked if he would help the team out in a pinch, he replied: "I have a pretty good curve ball."

Also new were 50ft murals of several star players painted on the sides of the stadium.

Murdoch himself showed up and watched avidly as one of the great Dodger pitchers of the 1950s, Carl Erskine, threw out the first ball.

He listened intently as organist Nancy Bea Heflin batted out the hallowed strains of Take Me Out to the Ball Game.

During the traditional seventh-inning stretch Mr Murdoch could even be seen standing in the owner's box enthusiastically singing the refrain.