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Dodger Stadium
Experience
Los Angeles, CA
by: Anthony Lorenzo
Since opening its’ gates on April 10, 1962 Dodger Stadium has
welcomed more National League baseball fans than any other National
League ballpark. In 1978 Dodger Stadium was the first ballpark to
draw over 3 million fans. Since then the Dodgers have set numerous
attendance records. Mike and I were 2 of the 3.8 million record
setting patrons to enjoy a ballgame at Dodger Stadium during the
2006 season. The popularity of the Dodgers has never been greater;
under new ownership the Dodgers have created a LA image that appeals
to their fans. Prior to the 2006 season the Dodgers replaced every
seat in the stadium with seats reminiscent of the 1962 color
scheme. The Dodger organization also paints Dodger Stadium every
year to complement the aesthetics of the stadium.
Before becoming the Los Angeles Dodgers they were the Brooklyn
Dodgers, my family’s team of choice. The proverbial Brooklyn “Bums”
were second-class citizens in New York, losing the World Series six
times between 1941 and 1956, winning only in 1955. These defeats
did not dissuade Dodger fans across the borough. My father told me
he would cut class to attend Dodger games. Visiting Ebbets Field
and being a Dodger fan was part of the fabric of Brooklyn. It was a
patch of honor showing that you were someone who could fall down and
pick yourself up again and again. Brooklyn Dodger fans admiration
could not overcome the greed of the O’Malley family, who owned the
team. After being turned down for a new ballpark to replace Ebbets
Field the Dodgers moved to Los Angeles.
Broken hearts on the east coast equaled elated ones on the west as
baseball came to California for the first time. The O’Malley family
was given 300 acres of land in Chavez Racine, at the time a Los
Angeles ghetto. Dodger Stadium was to be built to blend into its’
surroundings, which after my visit can say it was accomplished very
well. Entering Dodger Stadium is unlike any other in Major League
Baseball. Fans enter the stadium at the level their tickets show.
There are no north – south concourses, only a series of elevators
and escalators. Having been built in 1962 most would think this
would be copied, but surprisingly it has not. This design controls
traffic and deters seat hopping to those not interested in making
the extra effort.
September 2006: The Dodgers were in the midst of a run that brought
them out of the cellar in the National League West and into the cat
seat. It was the final day of a long home stand so Dodger manager
Grady Little decided to keep some veterans out of the lineup and
display some of the Dodgers young prospects. The 2006 Dodgers were
a disjointed team; they had veterans like Nomar Garciaparra and Jeff
Kent, but also sporadically infused young players like Matt Kemp,
James Loney, Russell Martin, Andre Ethier, and Chad Billingsley into
the lineup. They would end up the regular season as National League
Wild Card winners before being eliminated by the New York Mets in
the National League Division Series.
After making our way up the Pacific Coast Highway and visiting a LA
original Philippe’s, home of the best French Dip sandwich on the
west coast, Mike and I settled in at Dodger Stadium to watch veteran
Aaron Sele face the enigmatic Byung-Hyun Kim of the Colorado
Rockies. The 44,895 in attendance were treated to a slugfest as the
Rockies defeated the Dodgers 12-5 on the shoulders of Matt Holliday,
2-4 2 RBI and a 481 foot home run, Garret Atkins 3-4 2 Runs 2 RBI,
and rookie shortstop Troy Tulowitzki 4-4 2 runs scored.
Located in the image capital of the United States, the ethos of Los
Angeles has been transferred to the Dodger organization. Outside
the left field fence sits a sign atop a hill “Think Blue”. This
sign is reminiscent of the “Hollywood” sign, which symbolizes the
glitz and glamour associated with Los Angeles and the movie
industry. As I look back at my time at Dodger Stadium I cannot
help, but think how things would be different if they were still
playing in Brooklyn. Go Bums!
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