Finished my Quest: Dodgers Stadium

 Success achieved! I went to all 30 MLB parks as of 2024.  I visited Dodgers stadium (1962), the 3rd oldest behind Wrigley (1914)  and Fenway (1912), on May 2-4, 2024.  This cathedral of baseball  is located in  the Elysian Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. Traffic to go to this park is horrendous for it is surrounded by freeways and there is no easy way to get there by public transit unless you wait for Dodger Express. Dodgers have a no tailgating rule as well.

The stadium is considered a pitcher’s park (eg. 13 no hitters happened here, 2 of them were perfect games) and is the  largest baseball stadium in the world by seat capacity (56,000 seat capacity).  Anytime you put seats in; you have to remove equal amount of seats. This stadium is the home ballpark of the Los Angeles Dodgers, a national league team in NL West. The LA  Dodgers are a highly lauded franchise. Most teams have not been as successful at developing talent, paying highly talented players, and winning games  as much as the Dodgers.

Tommy Lasorda, Hall of fame manager, called Dodgers stadium “Blue Heaven on Earth”  and said he would bleed Dodger Blue if cut. Famous dodgers include: Jackie Robinson, Sandy Koufax, Mike Piazza, Oral Hershiser, Fernando “El Toro” Valenzuela, Clayton Kershaw, Steve Garvey, Don Drysdale, and Don Sutton.

 Vin Scully, the voice of Dodger baseball for 67 years, was known for his play by play commentary (1950 to 2016). His iconic phrase, “It’s time for Dodger baseball” starts every Dodgers home game.  The street  where Dodgers stadium lies, was renamed after him. 

On this trip, I went to 2 games, Dodgers vs Braves, from 2 vantage points ( in field near 3rd base and in upper reserve section overlooking 1st base) and fit in a comprehensive ballpark tour.  I happily saw the Braves lose (3-4 Dodgers,  2-11 Dodgers). As a Phillies fan,  it is good when  any NL team beats your hated rival soundly. That team is your friend until you play them head to head,  then you are back to being foes.

The first night was one in which the game had to go to extra innings, until the Dodger rookie hitter Andy Pages hit a single winning the game in the 11th. The second night was a pitching masterclass by Tyler Glasnow, Dodger pitcher, with an offensive explosion by Dodgers lineup (eg, Max Muncy hit 3 HRs that night, Shohei Ohtani hits too). 

On the tour of the stadium, I learned that Dodgers was named after the fans that had to dodge trolleys as they attended games.  Dodgers name fits on the jersey, rather than Trolley Dodgers.  This team started in 1883 in the American League, then renamed Brooklyn Bridegrooms (as of 1890) switching to National league, until finally settling on the name Dodgers in 1932. Once upon a time, the Dodgers had a bitter rivalry with Yankees (for they were in same city), for Dodgers have played in World Series 7x against Yankees.  The Yanks beat them 5 in a row in the 1950s, until Brooklyn Dodgers finally won against the Yanks in 1955.

In Brooklyn, Dodgers  only won one World Series in 1955. In LA, Dodgers have won 6 times (1959, 1963, 1965, 1981, 1988, 2020). They have won National  League  pennant 24 times. The present day rivals are the San Francisco Giants and the San Diego Padres. They are inner state rivals so when these teams play there will be a battle.

Of interest, outside the stadium there were two notable statues, Jackie Robinson and Sandy Koufax, in  centerfield. Also, because of location, stadium was designed to be earthquake resistant and was built into a natural ravine.  It is the only stadium that I know of in which you enter from the top and head down to the field. The awesome view of downtown LA and San Gabriel Mountains gives those who attend Dodgers games amazing views. On a clear day, you can see the Hollywood sign.  Dodgers stadium is the only stadium in the National  League with symmetrical outfield dimensions.  If you like symmetry, the field is noteworthy for all baseball fans.

 No matter which team you route for, baseball is fun when the fans are invested.  I like when fanatical fans show up in Dodger gear, in this case.  Win or lose the home fans cheer for a win. Because of the long baseball season, you need to marvel how a hitting/non-hitting streak, great or poor defensive play, or a pitcher dealing (meaning the pitcher has his good stuff rather than throwing meatballs over the plate) or not,  can change the game. 

There are 9 innings with  27 outs per team for a regular game. How the team does  and which team has scored more would decide whether the fans go home happy after a win or disappointed after a loss.

Play ball. I will be watching as a baseball fan. It is only May.  There is lots of baseball to see.

My last thought to ponder:

“There are three types of baseball players: Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen and those who wonder what happens.” – Tommy Lasorda

Is this not the case for life in general? You choose to be a player in your life, an observer, or a person oblivious.  Choose wisely.

Boston Red Sox: my trip to Fenway

 Boston baseball fans have a home. In Boston, it is called Fenway Park. This ballpark, built in 1912, is the home of the Boston Red Sox, one of American League’s original eight charter members. The Boston Red Sox have won the World Series nine times. 4 of these championships came in the 21st century (2004, 2007, 2013, 2018). Fenway has hosted World Series 11 times.   This team, founded in 1901,  has a proud baseball history. They had players like hall of farmers, Babe Ruth (traded to Yankees, “curse of bambino”), Ted Williams, and David Ortiz. The biggest rival for Red Sox is those New York Yankees.

When I visited Fenway Park on June 24, 2017, I was impressed by how much Fenway is right in the city. I am used to ballparks being outside the neighborhood. Due to its age and constrained location in Boston’s Fenway-Kenmore neighborhood, those in Boston love their ballpark.

This is the oldest active ballpark in MLB.  The park has unique attributes. The park has the “Green Monster” in left field (37, 167 ft wall, scoreboard manually updated during game, picture of green monster is above), “the Triangle”(quirky part of center field),  and “Pesky’s pole” (foul pole in right field). It is the 5th smallest MLB ballpark by seating capacity: 37, 755 seats. Fenway has been renovated multiple times in its history, but it remains a Cathedral of Baseball. It is also on the National Register of Historic Places. 

Being there to watch a game, you feel close to the action.  The short right field fence (302 ft), narrow foul ground (smallest of any active MLB park), and closer than normal outfield fences make this a hitter’s park.  I enjoyed the game at Fenway.

NY Yankees at Yankee stadium

 

Yankee stadium  is the one of the most famous  ballparks, situated  at 1 East 161st St, Bronx, NYC. It is the current home of the New York Yankees.   This is a franchise, founded in 1903, that has been World Series champs 27 times. The last one 2009 really hurt, for they beat my Phillies.  

The original Yankee Stadium was built in 1923 and demolished in 2010.  That one (which I visited prior to demolition) was often called the “Cathedral of Baseball” and the “House that Ruth Built.”  The new Yankee stadium, built a block away, does not have the history of the Old Yankee stadium (85 yr history).  The present Yankee stadium does though pay homage to that old ballpark and has lots of baseball nods to Yankee greats ( eg Babe Ruth).  

As you walk in to Yankee stadium, it reminds you of a Roman Colliseum. The sheer magnitude of the imposing structure let’s you know that you are in Yankee territory. The Yankees know how to celebrate their history. The baseball fan could spend hours looking at the pictures and taking in Monument Park in centerfield. Monument Park is an open air museum honoring the greatest Yankee players.  All the retired numbers, plaques, and honors are there for any baseball fan to view.  Think of it as seeing a slice of baseball history without having to go to Cooperstown, NY for MLB Hall of Fame.

The food is expensive (eg. Draft Beer = $20) and the tickets are pricey, but you expect that in NYC.  I was not surprised. Viewing the game in July 2018 was enjoyable for I  was able to see the big screen and had a clear view of the field from my seat in the outfield.  At the game, the Yanks beat the Braves (6-2).  The Bronx is a fun place to go, if you have the funds. 

The present Yankees in 2023  are not in the playoff hunt and are fighting not to have a losing record. This team though can act as spoilers to prevent a rival, Toronto Blue Jays, from getting into the post season. This time of year, it is fun to watch the final games of the regular season for each game determines who gets in and who is outside contention looking in.