Daily Clips April 12, 2016
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Daily Clips
April 12, 2016
LOS ANGELES DODGERS CLIPS
TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2016
DODGERS.COM: New address: Dodgers now on Vin Scully Avenue-Austin Laymance Urias excels with five scoreless in 2016 debut-Mike Rosenbaum Dodgers option Johnson to Triple-A-Ken Gurnick LA TIMES: Dodgers' iconic broadcaster Vin Scully captivates audience during speech-Dylan Hernandez After a lost weekend in San Francisco, Dodgers aren't planning any big bullpen changes ... yet-Andy McCullough Dodgers mailbag: Do the Dodgers need to trade for Sonny Gray or Jose Fernandez?-Andy McCullough OC REGISTER: Dodgers' Adrian Gonzalez steady as he goes-Bill Plunkett On deck: Diamondbacks at Dodgers, Tuesday, 1 p.m. -Bill Plunkett It’s official: Vin Scully Avenue is now a city street-David Montero DODGER INSIDER: Vintage sculpture joins Club Level artifact collection-Mark Langill Times and tips for Dodger Stadium Opening Day-Yvonne Carrasco Opening Day kicks off another big season for the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation-Erin Edwards Micah Johnson optioned to Oklahoma City-Jon Weisman Vin Scully Appreciation Day set for September 23-Jon Weisman Support Cindy Ellis in run for pediatric cancer research-Jon Weisman All avenues lead to Vin Scully-Jon Weisman TRUEBLUELA.COM: Julio Urias shines in his 2016 PCL debut, Dodgers win 4-0-Craig Minami Dodgers vs. Diamondbacks game times, starting pitching matchups-Eric Stephen Dodgers option Micah Johnson to Triple-A Oklahoma City-Eric Stephen Ken Burns' new documentary 'Jackie Robinson' begins Monday-Ryan Walton ESPN LA: Bros to pros: Seager brothers finding major league success-Jerry Crasnick Kenta Maeda 'honored' to take ball in Dodgers' home opener-Doug Padilla Vin Scully 'overwhelmed' by fan support at sign unveiling-AP LA DAILY NEWS: Kenta Maeda’s confidence high on eve of Dodgers’ home opener-JP Hoornstra 5 new and adventurous Dodger Stadium foods at today’s home opener-Steven Herbert USA TODAY SPORTS: Vin Scully embarks on final season, ready to 'squeeze the juice out of life'-Bob Nightengale Vin Scully's greatest calls: Kirk Gibson hits game-winning home run in 1988 World Series-USA Today Sports FOX SPORTS: Los Angeles Dodgers officially unveil 'Vin Scully Avenue'-Aaron Torres NBC LA: Dodgers Opening Day: Listen to the Walk Up Songs for the 2016 Team-Michael Duarte MYNEWSLA.COM: New food choices, stadium improvements at Dodger Stadium for 2016-Debbie L. Sklar THE WEEK: Why you should go to a baseball game alone-Jeva Lange
LOS ANGELES DODGERS DAILY CLIPS
TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2016
DODGERS.COM
New address: Dodgers now on Vin Scully Avenue By Austin Laymance LOS ANGELES -- Vin Scully may be stepping out of the Dodgers' broadcast booth this year, but his legacy will live on forever. The Dodgers and the City of Los Angeles on Monday dedicated Vin Scully Ave. in honor of the Hall of Fame broadcaster, who is in his 67th and final season as the voice of Dodgers baseball. The address to Dodger Stadium is now 1000 Vin Scully Ave. Ever humble, Scully initially resisted the honor when the idea was first mentioned to him. He eventually relented, and during Monday's ceremony in front of hundreds of Dodgers fans, Scully had nothing but thanks and kind words for a fan base that has adored his work for as long as most can remember. "In all honestly, if you asked me this very minute, 'How do you feel about what's going on?' I would honestly say to you, 'Overwhelmed,'" Scully said. "I really am." Dodgers broadcaster Charley Steiner, who emceed the ceremony outside Dodger Stadium, said Scully was his industry's Babe Ruth. "This is a very big day, not only in Dodger history, but in our city's history," Steiner said. "In a city of stars, we can make a pretty compelling case that Vin is the biggest and most popular star of all. No last name required. "How many people do you know, in any walk of life, who have held the same job for 67 years, and in most of those 67 years, has simply been the best who has ever done it?" Dodgers president and CEO Stan Kasten echoed those remarks. "Vin Scully used to talk baseball with people who had been playing baseball in 1905 -- and every year since," Kasten said. "Is there anyone on the planet who has been talking baseball with people who played in 1905 -- and yesterday? So when we say when there is only one Vin Scully, we mean that quite literally." The motion to change Elysian Park Ave. to Vin Scully Ave. passed Friday and was led by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and First District Councilman Gil Cedillo.
"All of us have this personal relationship with the Dodgers, and with Vin Scully," Cedillo said. "Vin, this is what you did, you united our city and the various communities and the various generations." Garcetti said Scully has "been the voice and the heart and the soul of this city." Scully thanked God and his wife, Sandra, before treating those gathered to tales of his early days growing up in Manhattan during the Great Depression. "When I was in New York growing up, I was a street kid," he began. "We did not have big parks to play in. We played in the street, with a broom handle and a tennis ball, and we had manhole covers and they were the bases. At one time, I was known in my neighborhood as 'Two-Sewer Scully.'" Scully delighted the crowd with a few funny remarks, too. "When you say, '67 years doing the same job,' I also think, 'Sure, sure -- no advancement?'" Scully mentioned that the thing he would miss the most after leaving the broadcast booth was "the roar of the crowd." "Which really is what I'm saying today," he continued. "I don't know you and I miss you. Believe me. Each and every one of you. You have been so kind and so gentle. I'm overwhelmed. Just to hear you, your enthusiasm, the voice that comes roaring out of the stands, there's nothing like it." Scully went on to explain that he fell in love with broadcasting as an 8-year-old in Manhattan, listening to college football over the radio and becoming entranced by the sounds coming from the crowd. "I would listen to the college football games, and I really wouldn't know anybody playing," he said. "It might be Tennessee-Alabama, and here's a kid in a fifth-floor walk-up apartment in Manhattan. But when the crowd roared -- when someone scored a touchdown, and that roar came out of the speaker head -- it literally and figuratively was like water coming out of a showerhead, and I would get goose bumps all over my head. All over. And then I thought, 'Wow, I'd love to be there.' And then I thought, 'Maybe I'd like to broadcast.' And it all came true, thank God. "But what happens is when you folks are at the ballpark and something happens and you let out a roar, I sit there in the booth and I don't say a word. For during that 40 seconds, whatever, I'm 8 years old again. "And when people say, 'Gee, you still have a little bit left at your advanced age,' I always think yes, but the crowd is a big reason. I mean, how many times can you go back to when you were 8 years old? And that's what you do to me with your enthusiasm. And I thank that so very, very much to you and each and every one of you. I'm surprised you're here today." As Scully neared his closing remarks, the crowd started chanting, "One more year! One more year!" "I've given it a lot of consideration, and no thank you very much," Scully said. "No, I have done enough. I have said almost everything. I still have this year left, again, God willing. "Maybe on the final day of my final broadcast, I'll somehow come up with the magic words that you deserve. As for now, I only have two magic words: Thank you."
Urias excels with five scoreless in 2016 debut By Mike Rosenbaum With starters Brett Anderson, Brandon McCarthy and Hyun-Jin Ryu beginning the year on the disabled list, the Dodgers surely liked what they saw from Julio Urias on Monday in his season debut for Triple-A Oklahoma City. Urias, making just the third Triple-A start of his young career, was dominant in a 4-0 win over Memphis as he struck out nine batters over five scoreless innings. The Dodgers' No. 2 prospect -- No. 3 on the Top 100 -- scattered four hits and did not issue a walk in the outing, throwing 49 of his 73 pitches for strikes. Urias allowed a pair of two-out singles in the bottom of the first inning but settled in after that and retired the next 12 hitters. The left-hander struck out at least two hitters in each of his final four frames and completed his outing by fanning the side in the fifth. Though he won't celebrate his 20th birthday until Aug. 12, this spring was already Urias' third in big league camp with the Dodgers. He struck out the side in the first frame of his spring debut but failed to record an out in the second, and then yielded one run on two hits in his second and final spring outing. Urias was off to an excellent start last year at Double-A Tulsa before electing to have surgery to remove a benign tumor from his left eye in mid-May. He returned after two months on the disabled list to make six more starts at Tulsa before moving up to Triple-A in late August. Urias scuffled in his first taste of the Minor League's highest level, allowing a combined nine earned runs in 4 1/3 innings over his final two regular-season starts. He put concerns about last year's performance to rest with his debut on Monday, however, and took another step towards making his likely 2016 big league debut. Dodgers option Johnson to Triple-A By Ken Gurnick LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers optioned infielder Micah Johnson back to Triple-A Oklahoma City on Monday in anticipation of activating infielder Howie Kendrick off the 15-day disabled list for Tuesday's home opener against Arizona. Catcher Yasmani Grandal also is expected to be activated on Tuesday and a corresponding move will need to be made to make room for him. Johnson was called up over the weekend when outfielder Carl Crawford was placed on the 15-day disabled list with lower back pain. Kendrick is coming off a left calf strain and Grandal a right forearm strain. Both completed Minor League rehab assignments.
LA TIMES
Dodgers' iconic broadcaster Vin Scully captivates audience during speech By Dylan Hernandez Vin Scully neared the end of his speech, his adoring audience started to chant. "One more year! One more year!" Scully smiled. "I've given it a lot of consideration," he said, "and, no, thank you very much." The crowd laughed. You can't blame the fans for trying. And you can't blame them when they try again, which they certainly will do this season, the last of Scully's Hall of Fame broadcasting career. Scully, 88, will call his final home opener Tuesday, when the Dodgers host the Arizona Diamondbacks. Scully's mastery extends beyond the calling of games. Who else could make something as disgusting as a Dodger Dog sound delicious? Who else could elicit laughter at an event as mundane as a street dedication ceremony, as he did Monday? Addressing a crowd that assembled for the official renaming of Elysian Park Avenue to Vin Scully Avenue, he said what he would miss most in retirement was the roar of the crowd. To explain why, Scully described himself as an 8-year-old boy in his family's Manhattan apartment. "I used to crawl underneath the radio … and the loudspeaker was directly over my head," he said. "And the only thing on the radio in those days was a college football game on a Saturday afternoon. There was no television. Heck, it was shortly after the discovery of fire." More laughs. "I really wouldn't know anybody playing," he said. "It might be Tennessee-Alabama. ... But when the crowd roared, when someone scored a touchdown, and that roar come out of the speaker head, it literally and figuratively was like water coming out of a shower head and I would get goose bumps all over. "When you folks are at the ballpark and something happens and you let out a roar, I sit in there in the booth and I don't say a word, for during that 40 seconds, whatever, I'm 8 years old again. … I mean, how many times can you go back to when you're 8 years old?" The crowd responded with a roar.
"I'm 8 again," Scully said. He smiled again. "Easy to go back, tough to go forward," he said. Fans will learn that, too. Many of them already have. The majority of households in the Los Angeles are have lost Scully to the Dodgers' television blackout. Scully on playing stickball as a boy: "We played in the street with a broom handle, a tennis ball and we had manhole covers and they were the bases. And at one time, I was known in my neighborhood as 'Two Sewer Scully.' " Scully on his longevity: "When you say 67 years doing the same job, I also think, 'Sure, sure, no advancement.' " Armed with a fastball that averaged only 82 mph, Angels right-hander Jered Weaver gave up only one run over six innings in a victory over the Texas Rangers on Sunday. What's it like to face major league hitters with that kind of stuff? "I don't think a lot of the league would go out there throwing 80 mph," Weaver said. Doing that requires courage. "Any time you take the mound with 80 mph, you have to have some kind of [guts]," he said. "Regardless of what sabermetrics say … it doesn't measure the size of your heart, the way you compete. It's one of those things where you have to go out there and feel like you're throwing like you used to." Major League Soccer teams have spent considerably more on attackers than defenders, which has created an imbalance in the league. It's common to see a center back on a $40,000 salary marking an established foreign striker being paid millions of dollars. The Galaxy's addition of defense-inclined midfielder Nigel de Jong was supposed to counter this trend. This would have been a positive development for the league, except for one thing: De Jong is one of the dirtiest players in the world. De Jong's reckless studs-up tackle Sunday night on Portland Timbers midfielder Darlington Nagbe was nothing out of the norm for the former Dutch international. De Jong apologized to Nagbe, but that doesn't excuse what he did. There's a line between dirty and hard-nosed, and De Jong is unquestionably on the dirty side of it. De Jong broke the legs of two players in 2010, including U.S. midfielder Stuart Holden. However, neither incident counted the hatchet man's most memorable act of savagery that year. That distinction went to
a play in the World Cup final, when he lifted his right leg and thrust his cleats into the chest of an oncoming opponent. Nagbe, 25, recently became part of the U.S. national team player pool. It's not as if MLS has a surplus of promising young players and the league doesn't need a butcher such as De Jong threatening their livelihoods the way he did Nagbe's. After a lost weekend in San Francisco, Dodgers aren't planning any big bullpen changes ... yet By Andy McCullough The agony of a lost weekend, one in which he faced six batters and saw all of them score, showed on J.P. Howell's face. But his voice conveyed why it is probably premature to attempt to evaluate the Dodgers after one shoddy series. "When you're here, you stay in the league for a long time because when you go through struggles, you stay the same," Howell said. "You don't adjust right away. You trust what you've been doing. And then when it happens a couple more times, then it's time to adjust." As the Dodgers (4-3) approach their home opener on Tuesday against the Arizona Diamondbacks, the relievers are eager to erase the sting of three losses in four games to San Francisco. Yimi Garcia played a role in Thursday's implosion. Chris Hatcher served up a game-tying homer Friday. Howell and Louis Coleman could not maintain a tied game on Sunday. So the series with the Giants placed a red flag on the team's bullpen. And the shortcomings of the rotation also place a burden on the relievers. Scott Kazmir absorbed a battering and blew a five-run lead Sunday. Alex Wood has yet to tame a lineup on the third turn through the batting order. Ross Stripling will operate on a strict pitch limit, as demonstrated by his early removal despite a no-hit bid Friday. Manager Dave Roberts saw little reason to panic after Sunday's defeat. Like Howell, Roberts looked weary after weathering the Giants' storm. He called their offense "a clinic." His own bullpen? "I think the 'pen's going to be fine," Roberts said. "We can't always be hitting on all cylinders." He added, "No concern." During the course of a season, bullpens do not just evolve. Sometimes they mutate. The group could have an entirely different hierarchy in September compared to the initial projections of April. In the eyes of rival evaluators, the Dodgers possess the talent to upgrade internally and the resources to pursue help as the trade deadline approaches. The quantity of quality arms in the organization persuaded the team, once trade talks for Aroldis Chapman fell apart, to avoid making many additions during the off-season. But already this season, the team has signed three relievers — Dale Thayer, Sam LeCure and Sean Burnett — to minor league contracts. The team is also hoping Luis Avilan can rebuild his confidence with triple-A Oklahoma City.
Hyun-Jin Ryu could return to the rotation by June. Brandon McCarthy could be back in July. August looks reasonable for Brett Anderson. With each return, the Dodgers could slot a younger starter, such as Wood or Stripling, into the bullpen. Other minor league prospects such as Jharel Cotton or Frankie Montas could contribute in relief. Even Julio Urias or Jose De Leon, the organization's top pitching prospects, could aid the major league club. Of course, the use of prospects would represent something of a strategic shift for Andrew Friedman's front office. So a more likely avenue for improvement would involve the trade market. Given the team's financial heft, finding additions would not be difficult, according to rival executives. But first, the Dodgers must get to the summer, when other clubs start to sell. Kenley Jansen dominated in two save opportunities last week. Hatcher rebounded Saturday with an encouraging outing. Pedro Baez struck out six of the 11 batters he faced. Howell is the lone left-hander in the bullpen. He will turn 33 later this month. His average fastball velocity has sat at 85 mph this season, down from 87 mph in 2015. He experienced some poor luck against the Giants, but he also struggled to finish at-bats against left-handed hitters. For now, the Dodgers will hope Howell and the rest of the relief corps can recover from one unfortunate weekend. This early in the year, the team has little other choice. "It's tough," Howell said. "It's a tough situation to start the season." Dodgers mailbag: Do the Dodgers need to trade for Sonny Gray or Jose Fernandez? By Andy McCullough e Dodgers went 4-3 during the first week of the season. If you extrapolate that .571 winning percentage across 162 games, you have a 92-win season. Sounds great, right? Where do you sign? Alas, the season is long, and the most seasons are full of terrors. After sweeping the Padres in the first series of the year, the Dodgers dropped three of four to the Giants. The Dodgers have won three division titles in a row, but the Giants are a formidable threat to end the streak. The weekend revealed reasons for concern with both the team’s rotation and its bullpen. The Dodgers took an early four-run lead on Thursday, scored six runs in all — and lost. The team received 7.1 innings of no-hit baseball from Ross Stripling on Friday — and lost. On Sunday, Scott Kazmir and the bullpen combined to blow a five-run lead for a third defeat. So there is plenty to discuss. This will be a weekly feature on Mondays, with questions submitted through my Twitter account (@McCulloughTimes). If you have a question, feel free to ask. Dylan Hernandez is willing to wager his public dignity, scant though it may be, that neither Sonny Gray nor Jose Fernandez nor any other big-name pitcher (Chris Sale? Tyson Ross?) dons Dodger blue this summer. I am more bullish than my esteemed colleague, as the Dodgers have already had plenty of
preliminary conversations with Oakland and Miami on these fronts, but consummating a deal would require more aggression and less aversion to risk than the front office showed in its first year. In the wake of Atlanta’s haul for Shelby Miller (generally viewed as a No. 3 or No. 4 starter, loser of 17 games in 2015, owner of a 8.18 earned-run average thus far in 2016), the asking price skyrocketed. The Dodgers may be waiting for those prices to fall. So “need” is an interesting verb. Given the generally placid temperament of this front office — consistently preaching the value of depth, refusing to acknowledge public panic, emphasizing the long-term sustainability of the organization while still competing in the present — it’s difficult to imagine Andrew Friedman feeling forced to push his chips into the center of the table at all costs. The front office would counter that Hyun-Jin Ryu, Brandon McCarthy and Brett Anderson are all expected to pitch at some point in 2016, and, all together now, “That’s like making a midseason acquisition!” There is some merit to that argument, as all three have been successful at the big-league level. Ryu especially is a quality pitcher. But it is hard to gauge how the trio will perform as each man returns from major surgery. So it is difficult to bank on any one of the trio. The organization could also argue about its horde of prospects. Perhaps this is the season that Julio Urias (who started the year with triple-A Oklahoma City) or Jose De Leon (held back in extended spring training to manage his innings) contributes in the majors. The Dodgers are going to ration out Urias’ innings so he’s an option later in the season. But his youth and relative inexperience also cast doubt on his effectiveness. All of this is to say that the Dodgers do not “need” to trade for a starting pitcher. But they certainly have the resources to do so, both in terms of money and in terms of prospects, and there will continue to be a public hue and cry for such a maneuver. Friedman did not bow to that pressure last summer, letting Cole Hamels and David Price land elsewhere. I am going to assume, when you write “SP 3 or 4,” mean a No. 3 or a No. 4 starter. In that case, the Dodgers would likely need to eat every single remaining dollar on Carl Crawford’s contract and throw in either prospects or a useful major-league asset in order to make the trade. Crawford does not have much value on the trade block these days. This looks suspect in retrospect, but I was asked this question well before Ross Stripling spun 7.1 innings of no-hit ball in his debut. And even given that knowledge, I still think the best choice of these four is a healthy Mike Bolsinger. He made 21 starts with a 3.62 ERA in 2015, which is a reasonable facsimile of the production required by a No. 5 starter. With Bolsinger out, though, the choice with the highest upside was Stripling. Zach Lee has stagnated in the upper levels of the minors. Carlos Frias profiles as a swingman. Scouts view Stripling as a No. 4 or No. 5 starter, with a useful curveball and a credible fastball. The only dilemma was if the Dodgers would trust Stripling, who had never pitched above double-A, to take the ball in San Francisco against the Giants. Stripling rewarded them for their faith. This is the fourth team I have covered since 2010. I covered the Mets from 2010 to 2012, the Yankees in 2013 and the Royals the last two seasons. The job is the same everywhere — you report on the team,
you search for stories beyond the diamond, you find new ways to antagonize people on Twitter — but each market and each team has its own quirks and its own history. It takes some time to learn that. It also takes a while to build relationships with players, executives, coaches and everyone else inside a new organization. There are a lot of choices: Luis Avilan would make the most sense, given his big-league track record, the organization’s investment in him and his status as a left-hander. In the last week, the team has signed Sam LeCure, Dale Thayer and Sean Burnett all as minor-league depth. The harder question is determining how the Dodgers would clear space to improve their bullpen. Both Yimi Garcia and Pedro Baez have options, but the team doesn’t want to punt on either. And Baez has looked excellent in a limited sample. The team still has faith in Chris Hatcher. Louis Coleman would have to clear waivers, which doesn’t seem likely. And it’s hard to see the Dodgers quitting on J.P. Howell after two rocky outings. After five or six? Then that’s a more complicated question. If I was a rabble rouser like Dylan Hernandez, I would have asked Kenta Maeda on Wednesday night where the Padres would finish in Nippon Professional Baseball this season. The Dodgers traded him to Atlanta along with Juan Uribe last April. He has yet to pitch in the majors since tearing his ulnar collateral ligament in 2014. It was terrible. I cannot imagine actually sitting through all four hours and 51 minutes of the broadcast, so I fast-forwarded through most of it. The ladder match was a solid spot fest. The rest of the card was a waste. It’s difficult to fathom the logic in paying A.J. Styles a sizable amount of money so he do jobs and let a 45-year-old part-timer no-sell The Styles Clash. Whatever. The Hall of Famer run-ins — Austin, Foley, Michaels, The Rock, Cena — provide limited value in a world where you can watch their actual career highlights on the WWE Network. Those moments tend to please the audience at first, but they mostly make me contemplate my own mortality. Brock Lesnar squashed Dean Ambrose, which would have been interesting if the company hadn’t mismanaged him for a year and if Ambrose was capable of throwing something that resembles a punch. The match with Shane McMahon ensures the Undertaker can never be taken seriously in a main event again. That is probably for the best. I hope he retires. I never saw Willie Mays fall down in the outfield, but I did watch the Undertaker huff and puff because he was actually winded by the botched triangle choke of a non-wrestler. I thought Taker’s performance two years ago against Brock Lesnar was sad, like Ali wilting in Larry Holmes’ wake. This was just embarrassing. The main event was bland. Hopefully Roman Reigns turns heel. He does not do much for me. The deflating part about how terrible this card was: The company has more talent in house these days than ever before. Think about this roster: Styles, Generico, Owens, Rollins, Lesnar, Samoa Joe, Nakamura, Balor, Triple H (who looked injured in the title match, but usually can still go), Cena, Neville, Ziggler and Cesaro. They should be able to tear the house down on the specials every month. Instead, in the biggest show of the year, in the largest house in history, you get this pabulum. Also, I’m 28 years old and I still care about professional wrestling. Keep me in your thoughts and prayers.
I’m going to go chalk on this one: “Boys and Girls in America.” “Separation Sunday.” “Almost Killed Me.” I’m not a huge Hold Steady guy. It’s all kind of one big jittery song. But that song sounds the best on their third record. I hope it’s “Nostalgia” by Doe Paoro. Who?
OC REGISTER
Dodgers' Adrian Gonzalez steady as he goes By Bill Plunkett LOS ANGELES – Consistency has defined Adrian Gonzalez’s career. Unless you ask Adrian Gonzalez. “Absolutely not. I really don’t care what defines my career,” the Dodgers first baseman said. “I know what defines me as a person and that’s God. “All I want people to say (when his career is over) is that he was a good teammate. That’s it.” There will be a lot more to talk about. Gonzalez has been as consistently productive as any player in baseball over the past 10 years. Since his first full season in 2006, Gonzalez has played more games (1,596 and counting) than anyone. He has appeared in at least 156 games in each of those 10 seasons. The only player with a longer streak of consecutive seasons with 155 games or more is Cal Ripken Jr. (12). Gonzalez has hit 20 home runs or more in nine of those 10 seasons, driven in at least 90 runs in each of the past nine and collected more hits (1,760) than all but three players (Miguel Cabrera, Ichiro Suzuki and Robinson Cano). He has four Gold Glove awards and two Silver Sluggers, at least one of each in either league. In the National League, no one has driven in more runs (333) than he has since joining the Dodgers in August 2012. Gonzalez will turn 34 in less than a month. So how much longer can this continue? “Well, there’s always attrition as a player,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “That’s just natural. I think it’s my job as the manager to make sure I give him time off. He knows his body very well. But it’s my job to make sure I give him a blow.
“It’s not easy as a player to recognize that maybe you can be just as productive by playing less because you’re fresher.” Gonzalez has the type of game that should age well – “I don’t depend on speed,” he says with a laugh – and already has, to some extent. He resists talking in specifics about any adjustments he has made to his swing as an accommodation to the aging process (and the increased use of defensive shifts against left-handed hitters like him). But Roberts was a teammate of Gonzalez with the San Diego Padres in 2006 and sees differences. “I’d say his game has evolved since I saw him as a young player,” Roberts said. “People always talked about that sweet swing. He’s always had that. But it was a little more loopy when he was younger. He’s shortened it up in order to catch up to velocity. That’s something you have to do in this game as you get older if you’re going to continue to be productive and he has. “He’s as smart as any player I know about having an approach to each at-bat. He hunts pitches more now but that’s because he studies pitchers so well and knows what they’re trying to do to him.” The youngest of three boys whose father, David Gonzalez, was an accomplished baseball player in Mexico, Adrian Gonzalez learned early the value of observation. He has always had that ability to play the game from the neck up, according to his manager that first season in San Diego. “Even then, he was beyond his years as far as his approach at the plate, knowing how guys were going to attack him,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. “He has a pretty simple swing. He’s patient. He’s smart.” Those are attributes that would serve him well as a DH, but Gonzalez said he has no desire to flee first base for the American League and a career-extending move to DH. Signed through the 2018 season (when he will be 36 years old), Gonzalez also has no desire to stick around just to pursue a championship. “Obviously, every day we play for a ring,” Gonzalez said. “But I’m not going to lose life over it or lose sleep.” Gonzalez’s teams have made the playoffs just four times in his first 13 seasons (including the past three in Los Angeles) and won just one postseason series in that time (the 2013 NL Division Series). Gonzalez has performed at his usual level on that stage – a .299 average and 15 RBI in 23 playoff games. But the father of two young daughters has other concerns. He finds it laughable to think a career without a championship ring could somehow be called unsatisfying. “I’m always going to be satisfied,” he said in a 2015 interview. “Things of this game are not fulfilling. Nothing about this game will ever fulfill me. The game is not fulfilling. It does not make you. Being a good person, being a good husband, being a good friend – that’s what life is about. It’s not, ‘I won the World Series. I’m cool now.’ That doesn’t make you cool. It just means you got a ring. You’re still the same person. “If I retired today, I’d be satisfied because I gave it my best. I had fun playing. People think that if you win a World Series or you win an MVP, all of a sudden you’re going to be happy? Come on. Seriously? This game means nothing.”
NOTES The Dodgers signed left-hander Sean Burnett to a minor-league contract and assigned him to Triple-A Oklahoma City. Burnett, 33, has not pitched since facing three batters for the Angels in May 2014. He underwent Tommy John surgery – the second of his career – a month later. At times during his career, Burnett was one of the best lefty specialists in the majors, holding left-handed hitters to a .228 average during his career. That has become an area of concern for the Dodgers with Luis Avilan and Adam Liberatore demoted to the minors this spring and J.P. Howell struggling in his first outings. … The Dodgers returned Micah Johnson to Triple-A Oklahoma City on Monday after just two games. That opens one roster spot. The Dodgers are expected to activate Howie Kendrick and Yasmani Grandal from the DL on Tuesday. On deck: Diamondbacks at Dodgers, Tuesday, 1 p.m. By Bill Plunkett Where: Dodger Stadium TV: SNLA, 1 p.m. Did you know? In his start at San Diego last week, Kenta Maeda became only the second pitcher in franchise history to hit a home run in his major-league debut. Dan Bankhead did it on Aug. 26, 1947 in his first major-league at-bat. THE PITCHERS DODGERS RHP KENTA MAEDA (1-0, 0.00) Vs. Diamondbacks: First game At Dodger Stadium: First game DIAMONDBACKS LHP PATRICK CORBIN (0-1, 5.14) Vs. Dodgers: 3-4, 4.09 At Dodger Stadium: 2-1, 3.74 Hates to face: Justin Turner, 5 for 10 (.500) Loves to face: Scott Van Slyke, 2 for 13 (.154) UPCOMING MATCHUPS
Wednesday: Diamondbacks RHP Rubby De La Rosa (0-1, 16.20) at Dodgers LHP Alex Wood (0-1, 9.00), 7 p.m., SNLA Thursday: Diamondbacks LHP Robbie Ray (0-0, 3.00) at Dodgers RHP Ross Stripling (0-0, 1.23 ERA), 7 p.m., SNLA It’s official: Vin Scully Avenue is now a city street By David Montero The way to get to the Dodgers has always been through Vin Scully. The city of Los Angeles literally made that so Monday. Elysian Park Avenue street signs came down and city workers replaced them in the morning with blue Vin Scully Avenue signs at Sunset Boulevard and, farther up the hill toward Dodger Stadium, Lilac Place. The honor was bestowed on the Hall of Fame broadcaster when the Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously to rename the stretch of road. Scully stood at a podium on his own avenue and said he was “overwhelmed” by the gesture that has come in the final of his 67 years as a Dodgers announcer. “I can’t believe you’re all here,” he said. A few hundred fans – some hoisting pictures and bobbleheads of the 88-year-old – cheered, laughed and chanted his name as Scully told them what he was going to miss the most. “The roar of the crowd,” Scully said. “Which is really what I’m saying today. I don’t know you and I miss you, believe me – each and every one of you.” Los Angeles City Councilman Gil Cedillo, whose district includes Dodger Stadium, had been key in pushing the name change – with Scully joking at the ceremony that the council, “despite my no, overrode it.” Cedillo said Scully brought the city together, telling how he used to listen on the radio with an earpiece. Then he heard how fellow City Council members had similar Scully experiences. “This is what you did,” Cedillo said. “You united our city and the various communities and various generations.” Charley Steiner, who also calls Dodgers games, said Scully’s influence on him was immediate. “You had me at, ‘Hi everybody, and a very pleasant good afternoon wherever you may be,’” Steiner said. “I happened to be in my mom’s kitchen.”
Sam Kane, a 67-year-old Woodland Hills resident, said he can barely consider the idea of a season without Scully and, with it being his last season as the team’s broadcaster, had to be present for the ceremony. It all felt bittersweet. “I really wanted to be a part of history,” Kane said. “He has been the communicator of history.” Some opposed the street change name, however. At the City Council meeting, some residents from the Echo Park and Elysian Park neighborhoods said the change was a greater move toward gentrification of the area. Luzia Padilla, who lives in the neighborhood, said she feared the street name was part of a larger plan to replace homes with a “restaurant row” and turn the newly named road into something similar to Universal City Walk – heavy on shopping and dining and light on housing. “I love Vin Scully, but I don’t love this action,” Padilla said. Scully began with the Dodgers in New York before the team moved to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in 1958. They started at Dodger Stadium in 1962. Dodger fans became famous for listening to Scully on radios as they sat in their seats in the stadium. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said there was a practical reason for that – as explained to him by his father. “I said, ‘Dad, we’re at the game. Why are they listening to the radio? They can see it.’ And my dad had a two-word answer: ‘Vin Scully.’ He said they understand the game more. They understand the players and the history and the context,” Garcetti said. “Vin Scully, you have taught us all baseball.” Scully plans to be there today for the Dodgers’ home opener against the Arizona Diamondbacks. It will be his last home opener – despite the crowd’s chants for him to continue on for one more year. “I’ve done enough,” he said. “I still have this year left again, God willing, and maybe on the final day of my final broadcast, I’ll somehow come up with the magic words that you deserve. As for now, I have only two magic words: Thank you.”
DODGER INSIDER
Vintage sculpture joins Club Level artifact collection By Mark Langill
Among the new historical displays in the corridor between the Club Level elevators and the Vin Scully Press Box that you can visit on Opening Day is a sculpture inspired by one of the first sluggers in Dodger Stadium history. Artist Daniel Gluck drew from his memories of Frank Howard when he began creating the California Championship Trophy, also known as the Governor’s Trophy, which was presented to the “best professional team in baseball” in California from 1971-94. The award was originally unveiled at a Southern California Sports Broadcasters Association luncheon, and Gluck received a congratulatory letter from Governor Ronald Reagan. The Dodgers received the award 10 times, followed by the Athletics (8), Angels (3), Giants (2) and Padres (1). Howard, who played for the Dodgers from 1958-64, was the only player between 1962 and 1996 to hit a home run on the Loge Level at Dodger Stadium. Howard’s blast occurred in Game 4 of the 1963 World Series against the New York Yankees. “I remember Frank Howard was so strong,” Gluck said of the 6-foot-7, 255-pound outfielder who won National League Rookie of the Year honors in 1960. “I wanted a powerful looking hitter at the plate.” Times and tips for Dodger Stadium Opening Day By Yvonne Carrasco Who’s ready for a sold-out Opening Day at Dodger Stadium? Ready or not, here comes some helpful information … Auto and stadium gates open Tuesday at 10 a.m., which is also when Opening Day pregame entertainment throughout the stadium begins. The Dodgers encourage fans to carpool, arrive early and utilize transportation alternatives that serve Union Station and will connect them to the Dodger Stadium Express which will operate starting at 10:10 a.m. Please note the advisory from the Dodgers and the Los Angeles Police Department about parking and respecting the neighborhood surrounding Dodger Stadium. For more detailed information about parking and alternate transportation, click here. Fans that arrive early will enjoy hours of entertainment throughout the stadium. DodgerVision will present Dodger features leading up to the start of on-field ceremonies. Live music will be offered throughout the stadium from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Angel City Dixie Band will entertain in the left-field Reserve Level, a Real 92.3 DJ in the right-field Reserve Level, DJ ADM in the right-field plaza, a 102.7 KIIS-FM DJ in the left-field plaza and a MYFM DJ on the Top Deck. The Budweiser Clydesdales will also make a special appearance beginning at 10:30 a.m., making stops around the inner parking circle throughout pregame. Dodger batting practice is scheduled to run through 10:55 a.m., with Arizona taking batting practice then running from 11 a.m. until 11:55 a.m. On-field pregame ceremonies begin at 12:15 p.m.
Sam Harris, lead singer of X Ambassadors, will perform the National Anthem at approximately 12:50 p.m.. Representatives from the U.S. Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force will present our nation’s colors. Members of the U.S. Armed Forces will unfurl a giant flag in center field. LADP Air Support Division will conduct a formation flight. Opening Day will then be highlighted by a special ceremonial first pitch honoring Hall of Famer Vin Scully, who is in his 67th and final season in the broadcast booth for the Dodgers. SportsNetLA Opening Day pregame coverage starts at 11:30 a.m. with “Lead-Off L.A.,” followed by “Access SportsNet: Dodgers” from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. “Access SportsNet: Dodgers” will include live coverage of Opening Day ceremonies at Dodger Stadium. AM 570 LA Sports will be broadcasting live in front of the Dodger dugout from 9 a.m. to 12 noon with Petros and Money and Leeann Tweeden. For the sixth consecutive season, the Dodgers will pay tribute to the men and women of our nation’s Armed Forces by honoring a “Military Hero of the Game.” Opening Day’s Military Hero of the game is retired U.S. Army/U.S. Coast Guard sergeant Eddie Arambula of Torrance. Arambula joined the U.S. Army in 2002 and in March 2004 was deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom II. Arambula later joined the U.S. Coast Guard as Maritime Enforcement Specialist. In 2011, he deployed to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Fan Service Stations are located in Field Level sections 52 and 53, Loge Level sections 152 and 153, Reserve Level sections 31 and 32 and Top Deck section 1 (between the Team Store and restrooms). Fan Services offers helpful information and services including first-game certificates, birthday buttons, the Anheuser-Busch Good Sport Designated Driver program, seat location wristbands to help prevent guests from getting lost, assistive listening devices, earplugs for guests and lost and found. Fan Service Representatives, uniformed in white polo shirts, will also be stationed at each gate throughout the season in order to assist guests with any questions. Fan Services can be reached on game day by calling (323) 224-2611 or by texting 69050 using keyword LADFAN followed by the guest’s location and comments. Opening Day kicks off another big season for the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation By Erin Edwards For Dodger fans, 2016 is promising to be an exciting year on and off the field. While our Boys in Blue battle for a title, the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation will launch and renew a number of fundraisers for the 2016 season, giving fans an opportunity to support programs that benefit children and families in Los Angeles. There are multiple ways that you can support programs that not only help kids stay active, but aid them in being successful academically. Take a look at what is taking place in 2016: Silent auctions — 34 in all — will feature more than 25 signed pieces of memorabilia from Dodger players, coaches and alumni. Auctions will take place in front of the Vin Scully Press Box on the Club
Level. (Opening Day items include a Clayton Kershaw autographed jersey, Corey Seager autographed baseball and Adrian Gonzalez autographed photo. That auction will end at 2:45 p.m.) For the first time ever, the Top of the Park and Left Field merchandise will carry a ’47 Brand LADF Logo Tee. Fans can also contribute by donating their RV, truck, motorcycle or car by visiting dodgers.com/VehicleDonation. Ribbon board messages will be available for all home games for a $75 donation. Finally, save the date for these LADF fundraising events. (Chart) Join us at Dodger Stadium, or online, as our players, front office and the best fans in baseball work together to positively impact our community. For more information on all of LADF programs and fundraising activity and to subscribe to the newsletter please visit dodgers.com/ladf and follow LADF on social media: Twitter (@DodgersFdn), Instagram (dodgersfoundation) and Facebook (LosAngelesDodgersFoundation). Micah Johnson optioned to Oklahoma City By Jon Weisman With the expectation of activating Howie Kendrick from the disabled list Tuesday, the Dodgers have optioned second baseman Micah Johnson to Triple-A Oklahoma City. Johnson went 0 for 3 in two games for Los Angeles. Kendrick and Yasmani Grandal are both expected to return to active duty in time for the home opener, though Grandal is not expected to start. Arizona is scheduled to throw left-hander Patrick Corbin against the Dodgers’ Kenta Maeda. Vin Scully Appreciation Day set for September 23 By Jon Weisman The final Friday home game of the regular season, September 23 against Colorado, will be Vin Scully Appreciation Day, the team announced today, honoring the legendary broadcaster in his final season. Individual seats for the game that night are not yet on sale, though you can get tickets for it now via a special 11-game mini plan at dodgers.com/miniplans. Any game after Opening Day is eligible for the 11-game plan.
Support Cindy Ellis in run for pediatric cancer research By Jon Weisman One week from today, A.J. Ellis’ wife Cindy will run in the Boston Marathon to raise money for research into the fight against pediatric cancer. The Ellis family will match all donations up to $26,200. RhyanThey have made the effort in honor of their family friend Rhyan Loos, who has stage 4 neuroblastoma, a rare form of pediatric cancer, but their hope is to make an impact far beyond one person. … We are desperate for a cure and have come to find how important yet underfunded Pediatric Cancer research actually is. Each year in the United States approximately 15,780 children between the ages of birth and 19 years of age are diagnosed with cancer. In the U.S., more children die of childhood cancer than any other disease —yet all types of childhood cancers combined receive only 4% of the U.S. federal cancer research funding – of over $5 billion. … Learn more and offer your support at the Ellis family site, teamellisfamily.com. You can also donate directly here. All avenues lead to Vin Scully By Jon Weisman At the end of the street formerly known as Elysian Park Avenue, we witnessed today what happens when an unstoppable force meets a moved city. In the driveway of his home away from home at Dodger Stadium, a broadcaster without equal acknowledged the formal dedication of Vin Scully Avenue, thanking the grateful fan base that has hung on his words since 1950. “In all honestly, if you asked me this very minute, ‘How do you feel about what’s going on?’ I would honestly say to you, ‘Overwhelmed,” Scully said. “I really am.” Broadcast colleague Charley Steiner emceed the ceremony under rich, unthreatening clouds, in front of one of the signs that marked the new address of the ballpark, and set the tone of appreciation that followed.
“Unlike most of you here, I grew up in Brooklyn,” Steiner began. “When I was 7 years old, on WMGM radio, the very first time I heard Vin’s voice, I immediately knew what my career path would be. Sixty years later, the path to my career is about to be renamed. “Vin, you had me at ‘Hi everybody, and a very pleasant good afternoon, wherever you may be,'” Steiner continued. “In a city of stars, we can make a pretty compelling case that Vin is the biggest and most popular star of all. No last name required.” Los Angeles mayor Gil Garcetti and city councilman Gil Cedillo, who helped spearhead the avenue renaming from the government end, waxed over Scully, not only for his brilliance but also his importance. “Vin, this is what you did,” Cedillo said. “You united our city, and the various communities and the various generations.” Dodger president and CEO Stan Kasten marveled at the breadth of experience that Scully represents. “In my first year on the job, I was discussing with Vin a nuance about baseball, a point about baseball strategy, and I was sure how I felt about it because I read about it in a book written by Branch Rickey, 70-80 years ago,” Kasten said. “And Vin said, ‘That’s exactly right. Branch and I used to talk about that exact thing.’ “Now before Branch was an executive, he was a Major League player. He broke into the Major Leagues with the St. Louis Browns in 1905. Vin Scully used to talk baseball with people who had been playing baseball in 1905 — and every year since. Is there anyone on the planet who has been talking basebaall with people who played in 1905 — and yesterday?” When it came time for Scully to speak, he began first by thanking God and second by thanking his wife Sandi, for her unwavering support during all the time he was at Dodger Stadium or on the road. Then, Scully told a short story about his own baseball background. “When I was in New York growing up, I was a street kid,” he said. “We did not have big parks to play in. We played in the street, with a broom handle and a tennis ball, and we had manhole covers for the bases. And at one time, I was known in my neighborhood as ‘Two-Sewer Scully.'” Scully also joked about his success, quipping that “when you say ’67 years doing the same job,’ I also think, ‘Sure, sure — no advancement?'” But then, at length and “from the bottom of my heart,” Scully sought to really articulate what the fans meant to him. Vin young“Someone asked me the other day, ‘What will you miss the most when you leave the job? And I thought a moment, and I said, ‘the roar of the crowd.’ Which really is what I’m saying today. “I don’t know you, and I miss you, believe me, each and every day. You have been so kind and so gentle, that again, as I said in my opening remarks, I’m overwhelmed. Just to hear your enthusiasm, the voice that comes roaring up out of the stands, there’s nothing like it.
“When I was about 8 years old, we had a big radio, on four legs, and I used to crawl underneath the radio, and the loudspeaker was directly over my head. And the only thing on the radio in those days was a college football game on a Saturday afternoon. There was no television. Heck, it was shortly after the discovery of fire. “But I would listen to the college football games, and I really wouldn’t know anybody playing. It might be Tennessee-Alabama, and here’s a kid in a fifth-floor, walk-up apartment in Manhattan. But when the crowd roared — (when) someone scored a touchdown, and that roar came out of the speaker — it literally and figuratively was like water coming out of a shower head, and I would get goosebumps all over. And then I thought, ‘I’d love to be there.’ And then I thought, ‘Maybe I’d like to broadcast.’ And it all came true, thank God. “But what happens is when you folks are at the ballpark and something happens and you let out a roar, I sit there in the booth and I don’t say a word. For during that 40-second whatever, I’m 8 years old again. “So when people say, ‘You know, Gee, you still have a little bit left at your advanced age,’ I always think this crowd is a big reason. I mean, how many times can you go back to when you were 8 years old? And that’s what you do to me with your enthusiasm. And I thank so very, very much to you and each and every one of you. I mean, I’m surprised you’re here today.” After that story, the crowd gathered at the front porch of 1000 Vin Scully Avenue began to chant, “one more year.” But Scully demurred. “I’ve given it a lot of consideration, and no thank you,” he said. “No, I’ve done enough. I’ve said almost everything. I still have this year left, again, God willing. Maybe on the final day of my final broadcast, I’ll somehow come up with the magic words that you deserve. As for now, I have only two magic words: Thank you.”
TRUEBLUELA.COM
Julio Urias shines in his 2016 PCL debut, Dodgers win 4-0 By Craig Minami Monday night saw the 2016 PCL debut of the Dodgers best pitching prospect, an expected offensive explosion by the Tulsa Drillers but from not the usual suspects and a solid start from a Dodgers 2015 draft pick. Player of the day Oklahoma City pitcher Julio Urias made his 2016 debut and did not disappoint. Urias pitched five innings and he scattered four hits and struck out nine. Oklahoma City continued their strong pitching performances, one pass through their rotation saw a 0.78 ERA in 46 innings pitched from starters and relievers combined.
Triple-A Oklahoma City As noted, the Dodgers have had great pitching in their first five games, on Monday night Oklahoma City blanked the Memphis Redbirds (Cardinals) 4-0. Julio Urias, Matt West, Sean Burnett and Chin-Hui Tsao combined to allow only six hits while striking out 16 with no walks. Rob Segedin hit his second home run of the season and Brandon Hicks got a key two-out double to drive in two runs. Double-A Tulsa The Tulsa Drillers batters had 17 hits which help lead to a 10-1 victory over the San Antonio Missions (Padres). Willie Calhoun had three of those hits (all singles) but it was catcher Kyle Farmer and shortstop Erisbel Arruebarrena that had the big days at the plate, each hitting two home runs. Farmer also tripled. Four Driller pitchers allowed eight hits but just one run. One other possible reliever to keep your eye on, 2010 second round pick Ralston Cash made 50 relief appearances in 2015 and so far this season, Cash has struck out eight in two innings pitched. Class-A Rancho Cucamonga Rancho Cucamonga took the first game of their series against Inland Empire (Angels) 2-1, scoring the go-ahead run in the bottom of the eighth. Josh Sborz made his season debut as starter for the Quakes and pitched 5⅔ shutout innings, Sborz struck out three, and allowed two hits and two walks. Andrew Toles continued his hot start, his lead off triple in the eighth and a sacrifice fly by Tim Locastro drove home the go-ahead run. Matt Beaty and Kyle Garlick joined Toles with each having two hits. Class-A Great Lakes The Fort Wayne TinCaps (Padres) scored two runs in the seventh inning to break a 2-2 tie and they went on to defeat the Great Lakes Loons 4-2. Luis Tejada hit the two-run home run that gave the TinCaps their winning margin. Isaac Anderson started for the Loons and he allowed two runs in five innings, the Loons had scored first to give them an early lead. But the bullpen gave up four runs after Anderson departed. The Loons did not have a great day at the plate, not only did they go 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position, the Loons struck out 12 times without a single walk. Transactions Triple-A: Infielder Micah Johnson was optioned to Oklahoma City, left-handed pitcher Sean Burnett assigned to Oklahoma City, first baseman O'Koyea Dickson placed on the seven-day disabled list, and right-handed pitcher Johan Diaz sent to extended spring training. ... Double-A: Right-handed pitcher
Dustin Richardson sent from Oklahoma City to Tulsa, and right-handed pitcher Logan Bawcom placed on 7-day disabled list. ... Monday scores Oklahoma City 4, Memphis 0 Tulsa 10, San Antonio 1 Rancho Cucamonga 2, Inland Empire 1 Fort Wayne 4, Great Lakes 2 Tuesday schedule 3:05 p.m. - Fort Wayne (Walker Lockett) at Great Lakes (Andrew Sopko) 4:35 p.m. - Oklahoma City (Zach Lee) at Memphis (Deck McGuire) 5:05 p.m. - Tulsa (Chase De Jong) at San Antonio (Fabio Castillo) 7:05 p.m. - Inland Empire (Jake Jewell) at Rancho Cucamonga (Trevor Oaks) Dodgers vs. Diamondbacks game times, starting pitching matchups By Eric Stephen LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers are finally home after a week on the road, and on Tuesday will be the final team in baseball to play its home opener. The Diamondbacks are in town, the third National League West opponent in three series for the Dodgers, and here is a look at the pitching matchups for the three-game series. Tuesday, 1:10 p.m. PT (SportsNet LA, MLB Network) No pitcher, at least dating back to 1913, has ever homered in each of his first two games, so Kenta Maeda has something to shoot for. No Dodger during that same time period, at any position, has done so. Patrick Corbin is 3-4 with a 4.09 ERA in nine career games against the Dodgers, including eight starts, with 26 strikeouts and 15 walks in 44 innings. Wednesday, 7:10 p.m. (SportsNet LA) Alex Wood since joining the Dodgers has a 2.41 ERA in five starts at Dodger Stadium, with 25 strikeouts and five walks in 33⅔ innings. On the road that dips to 6.26 in eight starts, with 27 strikeouts and 20 walks in 41⅔ innings. The Dodgers bludgeoned old friend Rubby De La Rosa in 2015, to the tune of .350/.388/.663 in four starts, including seven home runs, 22 runs and 28 hits in 17⅔ innings.
Thursday, 7:10 p.m. (SportsNet LA) Before Ross Stripling, the last major league starting pitcher to not allow a hit in his major league debut was Steve Adkins, on Sept. 12, 1990 for the Yankees. Adkins only lasted 1⅓ innings though, thanks in part to eight walks. Adkins' big league career lasted all of five starts, with 29 walks in 24 innings. Arizona's pitching staff is much-improved, but through seven games the only quality start came from Robbie Ray, who allowed two runs in six innings in his lone start of the year. But even that came with the caveat of more walks (four) than strikeouts (three). Dodgers option Micah Johnson to Triple-A Oklahoma City By Eric Stephen LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers on Monday optioned Micah Johnson back to Triple-A Oklahoma City after spending two games with the club in San Francisco. Johnson was called up Saturday when outfielder Carl Crawford was placed on the disabled list with lower back tightness. Johnson in his professional career had only played second base until Friday, when he played nine innings in left field, just in case he was needed in the outfield in the majors. He played in both games over the weekend, including two innings at second base on Saturday. Not bad for not even arriving at AT&T Park until the seventh inning. Johnson was 0-for-3 in the two games. This move clears one roster spot with a pair of rehab assignments completed on Sunday, as both Howie Kendrick and Yasmani Grandal are expected to be activated for Tuesday's home opener. The other move is likely reliant on the health of Scott Van Slyke's back, after the slugger left Saturday's game after three innings with back tightness. If Van Slyke is ready to go, then Austin Barnes is the likely other candidate to be sent out unless the club is intent on carrying three catchers. Ken Burns' new documentary 'Jackie Robinson' begins Monday By Ryan Walton If you're a fan of the game of baseball, it's impossible to ignore the impact Jackie Robinson left both on and off the field while with the Dodgers and beyond. Crossing the color line has been told and re-told so many times that the depth of Robinson has almost been lost on history. Documentarian Ken Burns tells a deeper story of Robinson's life in whole, starting Monday at 9/8c on PBS. The two-part, four-hour film directed by Ken Burns, Sarah Burns and David McMahon tells the story of an American icon whose life-long battle for first class citizenship for all African Americans transcends
even his remarkable athletic achievements. Robinson, Martin Luther King Jr. once said, "was a sit-inner before sit-ins, a freedom rider before freedom rides." Ken Burns recently sat down with Vox Media's Todd VanDerWerff about the film and the political landscape that surrounds it. The film is about so much more than simply a baseball player. "I think he is one of the most important people in American history. He's an extraordinary pioneer. He's hugely brave, very inspirational," Burns said about Robinson. Find out more about the two-part series at the PBS website.
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Bros to pros: Seager brothers finding major league success By Jerry Crasnick Several years before Kyle Seager established himself as one of Major League Baseball's elite third basemen with the Seattle Mariners, he was a jock for all seasons in his native North Carolina. The calendar flipped summer on the baseball diamond to fall on the soccer field to winter on the basketball court, where he spent most of his time launching jumpers from the perimeter and avoiding stray elbows in the lane. During a high school Christmas tournament about a decade ago, Seager and the Northwest Cabarrus Trojans crossed paths with the Charlotte Christian Knights and a spindly guard with dazzling shooting and ballhandling skills. "He won't remember me as much as I remember him, let's put it that way," Seager says. "He kept going further and further away from the basket, and I kept thinking I was doing a good job of defense making him shoot that far away, and he kept making them and they beat us pretty handily. "I guarded Steph Curry in high school. That's my claim to fame." Mariners fans and fantasy owners might beg to differ. Seager, an All-Star and Gold Glove winner with four 20-home run seasons on his resume, bats fifth behind Robinson Cano and Nelson Cruz for a Seattle team that's in turnaround mode. The Mariners placed a big bet on his future when they signed him to a seven-year, guaranteed $100 million contract extension in December 2014. The financial windfall set up Seager and his family for life. It also ensured he would be stuck with the tab whenever he went to dinner with his two younger brothers in the Cactus League this spring. Life brings a new adventure every day for MLB's burgeoning first family. Corey Seager, 21, is starting shortstop for the Los Angeles Dodgers, the National League Rookie of the Year favorite and a staple atop baseball's top prospects rankings. And middle brother Justin Seager plays first and third base for Seattle's Double-A farm club in Jackson, Tennessee. If Justin is able to shed his label as an organizational
player and reach the majors, the Seagers will join a list of nearly 20 MLB brotherly trios ranging from the acclaimed (the Alous, Boyers, DiMaggios and Molinas) to the obscure (Bob, Ed and Ted Sadowski). Bros will be bros, and the respect Kyle engenders as the family's elder statesman is tempered by jibes. Although his siblings love and respect him for the wisdom and experience he provides, they routinely remind him that he's the shortest of the group at 6 feet tall. "We gang up on him about the height thing," Justin says. "He doesn't like to hear that very much." Out of self-preservation, Kyle refrains from taking himself too seriously. Several times in spring training, he had finished taking his hacks in the cage and was en route to another destination at Peoria Stadium when an autograph seeker tried to flag him down with shouts of "Corey!" "I get it all the time," Kyle says. "Lots of people are looking for him, I guess. I'm like, 'You found the wrong one."' All-American upbringing Jeff and Jody Seager's three sons are 6½ years apart from youngest to oldest, but the age gap has done nothing to dull their competitive spirits. Most conversations inevitably drift toward which brother is the best at one non-baseball endeavor or another. Corey is the foremost pingpong player, golfer, and has the best head of hair of the three. Two years ago, in an interview at the All-Star Futures Game, he joked about his brothers' receding hairlines and immediately sent Kyle a heads-up. "You're going to like this," he texted. "Don't let Corey fool you too much," Kyle says. "That's the thing about the quiet guys. They sit in the background and don't say too much. Then they kind of zing you, so you've got to be ready for it." Justin, 23, played college ball at UNC-Charlotte and went to Seattle in the 12th round of the 2013 first-year player draft. He was the best basketball player in high school and is hailed by his brothers as the most sociable and outgoing of the group. "To be honest, I don't think it's very difficult to be the most social compared to those two," Justin deadpans. Kyle, 28, warrants respect as the repository of life lessons and the first to every signpost. He blazed the trail to professional ball and showed his brothers that anything was possible with talent and personal commitment. The Seager boys grew up about 20 miles from Charlotte in Kannapolis, North Carolina, an old textile mill town that's known primarily as the home of auto-racing royalty, the Earnhardts. Kyle played travel ball with future big leaguers Chris Archer, Lonnie Chisenhall and Alex White and is part of an impressive array of North Carolinians in the majors. Throw Madison Bumgarner, Josh Hamilton, Wil Myers, Seth Maness, Carter Capps, Chris Hatcher, Greg Holland, Alex Wood and Tyler White into the equation, and the state is more of a baseball hotbed than its reputation suggests.
Home turf for the brothers was a 10-acre farm, where they helped out with enough chores to appreciate the value of hard work and calloused hands. When they weren't playing sports, they picked the garden, trimmed the bushes and tended to a small menagerie of cows and pigs. As a little boy, Corey pestered his parents to add some chickens to the mix. The Seagers built a coop, and everything went smoothly until Corey discovered he was petrified of them. "They're cute when they're little, but when they grow up, not so much," Jody says of the chickens. Jeff and Jody Seager stressed the importance of academics and multi-tasking, and they decreed their sons would not be baseball robots who spent half their waking hours in a batting cage and burned out from overexposure. So Kyle played soccer, and all three played hoops, and they learned to love the outdoors while hunting on some family land in upstate New York during vacations. They became well-rounded athletes with a perspective beyond the baseball diamond. "I do think it's valuable," Corey says. "You get away from baseball and get that desire back. If you play one sport your whole life, you can get tired of it. Basketball was a fun sport that got us in shape and helped us kind of regroup." The boys could be rambunctious, and they collected their share of war stories. When Kyle was 11, he accidentally clocked Justin in the back of the head with a brick. Years later, when Kyle was playing for Northwest Cabarrus, Justin and Corey would gather with friends behind the fence, wad up paper drink receptacles and play impromptu games of "cup ball." The inevitable spats ensued. "They'd have what I call some 'exchanges' during games," Northwest Cabarrus coach Joe Hubbard says. "Corey would come off and say, 'Tell him to be quiet,' and Justin would say, 'He needs to do what he's supposed to do,' so you'd have to walk that fence. They're typical brothers. It's one of those things where they can pick on their brother, but you better not pick on their brother." Special families require the occasional accommodation, and Hubbard played a pivotal role in the boys' growth curve. With the school's blessing, he gave the Seagers a key to the baseball field and told him where a second key to the light box was hidden. Weather permitting, Jeff Seager spent many a December night throwing batting practice to his boys while no one was watching. After Kyle gravitated to Chapel Hill, his younger brothers bonded around the middle infield. Justin suffered a devastating injury as a high school junior when he broke his back lifting weights, and Corey was summoned to the varsity to fill the shortstop void as a freshman. The following year, Justin rejoined the team, and Hubbard installed him at shortstop while Corey moved to second base. "Corey was probably the better shortstop, but I think our coach let me keep the job because I was a senior and he was my little brother," Justin says. "He probably did me a little bit of a favor. But it still worked out pretty well." Once Justin went off to college in the fall of 2010, Corey became the sole focus of attention. Scouts flocked to Northwest Cabarrus games and (unsuccessfully) pestered Hubbard to let the kid skip his 2:30 p.m. English class to take some early swings in the cage. After the obligatory pre-draft machinations, the Dodgers chose Corey with the 18th pick in the 2012 draft and gave him a $2.35 million bonus to dissuade him from accepting a full ride to South Carolina.
Four years later, Corey Seager is turning double plays with six-time All-Star Chase Utley at Chavez Ravine, and manager Dave Roberts and the L.A. veterans marvel at his composure. The slow heart rate is a gift, and the opportunity to tag along with Kyle and Justin led to benefits he couldn't measure. "When you're always around older kids, you learn the game faster and mature faster in the game," Corey says. "They teach you at a faster pace. You're never playing with your peers. You're always playing with them, so you get comfortable being at a higher level." Sacrifices and rewards Justin Seager, shown here last season with the Bakersfield Blaze, has moved one step closer to the majors with a promotion to Seattle's AA ballclub in Jackson, Tenn. David Dennis/Icon Sportswire The Seager family living room in Kannapolis looks like a miniature version of the MLB replay command center in New York. One television rests on top of another in case Kyle and Corey are playing simultaneously, and a computer is at the ready to follow Justin's games on the internet. Jeff, who works for a Charlotte bank, and Jody, an elementary school teacher, take a tag-team approach to monitoring late West Coast games. Jody keeps a vigil while Jeff drifts off to sleep, then nudges him awake when one of the boys comes to bat. Or vice versa. Road trips are a constant part of the dynamic. On Friday, Jeff and Jody drove 16 hours round-trip to Jackson to watch Justin and the Generals play the Montgomery Biscuits in a weekend series. Atlanta is a convenient stop when Corey and the Dodgers head east, but the Seagers are just as willing to plan a 4,600-mile roundtrip excursion to see Kyle at Safeco Field. It's a more glamorous version of the life they lived when the boys were playing for the First Assembly Church team in Kannapolis or taking part in Dixie Youth Baseball, and everyone grew accustomed to eating meals on the fly in the family vehicle. "When Corey was a baby, he pretty much thought the car seat was his crib," Jody says. "He'd be at the other boys' games all the times. He slept there and he ate there." Baseball fame has its perks. The Seagers attended three College World Series in Omaha when Kyle was a UNC Tar Heel and traveled to the Pan-Am Games in Mexico with Corey in 2010. And many other indelible moments sprang from seemingly innocuous circumstances. In the summer of 2011, Jody Seager was lounging on the sand in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, when Kyle called to tell her he had been called up to the majors. After scaring her fellow beach goers with shrieks of joy, she regained her composure and scheduled a 6 a.m. flight to California the following day. Jeff, Jody, Justin and Corey Seager were all in the stands to watch Kyle go 0-for-4 against the Angels' Jered Weaver in his Mariners' debut. In the Seager family dynamic, it's more about mutual support than individual glory. Justin Seager has a .230 batting average in four minor-league stops and is realistically a long shot to reach the majors. But he's free from any resentment or jealousy in the Mike Maddux-Chris Gwynn-Billy Ripken "other brother" role.
"A lot of people ask me that question, but I really don't look at it like that," Justin says. "If I get compared to those two, it's a compliment in my eyes. My older brother is the starting third baseman and an All-Star and a Gold Glover for the Seattle Mariners. My little brother was a first-round draft pick and he's now the starting shortstop for the Los Angeles Dodgers. It's surreal." If that attitude sounds selfless, it reflects Justin Seager's faith in his brothers and his sense of personal security. When Kyle and Corey have productive days at the plate, he is usually among the first to call or text with congratulations. "Justin is very proud and happy for his brothers," Jeff says. "He hasn't gotten the same level of recognition, and I'm sure he wants some. But he's absolutely remarkable. He's been like that for a very, very long time." During the offseason, the three brothers continue to push each other in group workouts at home in Kannapolis. Jeff throws batting practice, just like in the formative years, and Kyle's 2-year-old son, Crue, tags along to keep things interesting. Crue has a sweet swing from the right side, and by all accounts, he's turned his two uncles into complete pushovers. The family workouts feature games within a game and little side wagers to make things interesting. The Seager brother who hits the most line drives into the back of the net gets a free lunch, the loser has to buy lunch, and the innocent bystander fends for himself. "Corey's philosophy has always been, 'I don't have to be the best, just as long as I'm not the worst,'" Jody says. Amid the sound of bat hitting ball, laughs and reminiscences abound. Replace the bats with pingpong paddles or nine irons, and the love of competition for competition's sake would be the same. In the evolution of an American baseball family, every day brings a new memory to share. Kenta Maeda 'honored' to take ball in Dodgers' home opener By Doug Padilla LOS ANGELES -- As the Los Angeles Dodgers throw their annual spring introductory party, Kenta Maeda not only is appreciative of the invite, he is humbled to be a main attraction. One of the newest members of the organization has the honor of pitching the first home game of the season, a Tuesday afternoon tilt against the Arizona Diamondbacks that Maeda is savoring. And in typical Maeda fashion, the right-hander is keeping things in proper perspective. “I feel honored to start in the home opener,” he told about a dozen members of the media from Japan before Sunday’s game at San Francisco. “I just need to do my job and if I do, the results will come.”
If his first effort is any indication, the Dodgers are feeling pretty good they can give fans the victory they are savoring the first time the curtain will be drawn at home this season. Madea not only fired six scoreless innings against the San Diego Padres on Wednesday, he also hit a home run in his second career at-bat, completely stealing the show in the team’s third consecutive team shutout to open the season. “I was aware there were no runs the first two games and [Clayton Kershaw and Scott Kazmir] both won, so I was feeding off that momentum,” Maeda said through an interpreter after Wednesday’s start. “But at the same time knowing that there were no runs scored, there was pressure for me too.” So apparently he does feel the magnitude of the moment; he just doesn’t show it. The home opener arrives with its built-in intensity, but there was plenty at stake for Maeda on Wednesday too when he faced the Padres. Maeda helped the Dodgers become the first team since the 1963 St. Louis Cardinals to deliver three consecutive shutouts to open a season. The right-hander was pitching in his first regular-season game as a professional outside of his home country in Japan. He pitched eight seasons for Hiroshima in the Japan Central League. The better he does, the more he gets paid. Because of irregularities in his physical exam, Maeda was signed to a heavily incentive-laden contract that becomes more lucrative the more he pitches and the more he has success. “I think it’s great for us to have him pitch that day and I think it’s great for baseball to have him pitch the home opener for us,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “It’s even better for the fans in Los Angeles to see Kenta Maeda make his Dodgers debut in the home opener. “He’s excited, and we’re all excited for sure. It seems like we haven’t been home in a long time so I think we’re all looking forward to getting back to Los Angeles.” After a rocky spring training filled with injuries and uncertainty, it was Maeda who was one of the rare low-maintenance members of the roster this spring. Who would have thought that, since he was the one with the questionable physical? But a 2.35 ERA in six Cactus League starts eased minds, especially Roberts', and then there was his scoreless regular-season debut. Maeda’s spotless ERA is the lowest among the Dodgers’ starters, even lower than Ross Stripling, who hasn’t allowed a hit. Stripling’s fourth walk of Friday’s game scored one batter after he was removed from the game. Everything told Roberts that Maeda was ready for his regular-season challenge last week, but there was nothing like seeing it first-hand. “You know what’s funny is that until you see it, you don’t know what to expect,” Roberts said. “But I wasn’t really surprised because he is a pitch-maker. He makes pitches. He can throw different pitches to different parts of the plate. He’s athletic. Any time a pitcher can field his position, hold on runners, execute a game plan, you have a good chance to win a baseball game.”
The Dodgers will take those chances into the home opener any year. Vin Scully 'overwhelmed' by fan support at sign unveiling By AP LOS ANGELES -- On their way to Dodger Stadium, fans can now take Vin Scully Avenue into the main gate. The city of Los Angeles renamed a section of roadway running from Sunset Boulevard to Stadium Way in honor of the 88-year-old Hall of Fame announcer Monday. Signs replacing the old name of Elysian Park Avenue were already posted when Scully appeared before a few hundred fans to accept the honor. He drew cheers when opening with his familiar greeting of "Hi everybody, and a very pleasant good afternoon to all of you." Scully is set to broadcast the final home opener of his 67-year career on Tuesday, when the Dodgers host the Arizona Diamondbacks. He plans to retire at season's end after having called games since the team's early days in Brooklyn. "I have to thank almighty God to be this old and continue to do something I love and have done all my life," Scully told the crowd. He had resisted previous efforts to change the street name. "I didn't want it to be there and me coming to work for five years or whatever with that sign," he said later inside the stadium before a luncheon. "This way, it can go up and at the end of the year I can make the great escape." City Councilman Gil Cedillo, whose district includes the stadium, said the team spruced up Scully's street by planting more than 40 trees and repairing sidewalks. Fans showered him with affection, chanting his name and that of his wife, Sandi. "I don't know you and I miss you," Scully told them. "You have been so kind and gentle, and I'm overwhelmed." They shouted their love for him -- someone suggested "Vinny for president" -- and tossed out a hopeful plea of "One more year!", causing Scully to throw his head back and laugh. No chance, he said. "I know it's the perfect time," he said inside the stadium. "I kept thinking, 'I'll be 89 when the season ends. If you go one more year, you'll be 90.' I don't think that's fair to the listeners. This will be it and I'll be grateful."
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Kenta Maeda’s confidence high on eve of Dodgers’ home opener By JP Hoornstra SAN FRANCISCO >> The phrase “happy wife, happy life” is not common in Japanese. Maybe it should be. Dodgers pitcher Kenta Maeda read through more than 100 text messages, emails and congratulatory words after his first major league game Wednesday. By the weekend, he’d answered them all. None meant more to the pitcher than what his wife, Saho, said. “She was especially happy with the way it turned out,” Maeda said through his interpreter. “I’m glad she was happy with the way everything worked out in the first game.” Maeda, who will start the Dodgers’ home opener today against the Arizona Diamondbacks, still hasn’t allowed a run in six major league innings. His debut in San Diego was only the second-best by a Dodgers rookie last week; on Friday, Ross Stripling threw 7 1/3 no-hit innings in San Francisco. But unlike Stripling, few people are asking Maeda to set aside tickets to watch him pitch. His family and friends are still almost entirely in Japan. That probably won’t change, he said, since it isn’t easy to fly across the Pacific Ocean to watch a baseball game in the middle of a work week. Saho is in Los Angeles, so she’ll be there today. In Japan, they can and will tune in to watch Maeda’s second major league start at 5 a.m. local time. (The NHK broadcast of his first game, which began at 11 a.m. local time, attracted a 2.1 percent rating, about twice as high as an average MLB broadcast.) Maeda’s fans back home are nothing if not well-informed. He didn’t pitch in the Dodgers’ last series against the San Francisco Giants, but no fewer than eight reporters — five with cameras — interviewed him Sunday after Maeda played catch with his interpreter, Will Ireton, at AT&T Park. The novelty of Maeda in America wears off a little every day, but his omnipresent media contingent testifies to his popularity back home. More than every game of catch, every team’s home opener is a big deal in Japan too, so he gets the importance of Tuesday. His fans get it. “I’m very honored to be starting in the stadium opener,” Maeda said. “I’m looking forward to pitching well and hopefully contributing to a win.” Maeda’s debut set a high standard. Even though he didn’t allow a run against the Padres, his dominance was true to the form he flashed in spring training. San Diego made plenty of contact, but all five hits he allowed were singles. Of the 14 balls the Padres put in play against Maeda, their average exit velocity was a relatively harmless 79 mph; only three left the bat at 90 mph or more. He walked none and struck out four.
None of that, however, is what anyone will remember about Maeda’s first major league game. Batting in the fourth inning against Andrew Cashner, Maeda powerfully pulled a pitch into the left-field stands for a home run. It was only the third home run he’d hit on any continent as a professional. Confidence, then, will not be an issue for Maeda against the Diamondbacks. “I’m relieved that I was able to get the first win right away,” he said. “Being able to pitch well was important for me.” When he was contemplating the order for the Dodgers’ starting rotation in spring training, manager Dave Roberts considered his second, third and fourth starters — Maeda, Scott Kazmir and Alex Wood — “interchangeable.” So Maeda effectively drew Tuesday’s start by chance. But Maeda has proved himself worthy of the home opener. Roberts and pitching coach Rick Honeycutt have been impressed by Maeda’s command of all four of his pitches (fastball, slider, curve ball, changeup). His home run impressed everyone. In general, Maeda’s transition to America has been smooth. Pitching every fifth day as opposed to every sixth hasn’t been an issue, though he’ll have an extra day of rest between his first and second starts by virtue of an off-day Monday. The options for good Japanese food in Los Angeles aren’t lacking, he said. An eight-year contract, worth a guaranteed $25 million, wasn’t Maeda’s only incentive in coming here. “Here I found it surprising that family can ride on the team bus,” he said. “That’s not allowed in Japan.” Behind closed doors, Maeda continues to observe two quirky traditions that he brought over from Japan. One has been the subject of gifs and Vines for months now: An arm-waving exercise dubbed the “Maeken dance” that Maeda performs before every game. He does it indoors now, after performing the ritual on the field in Japan. The other tradition is common among Japanese players, one Maeda says he picked up a couple years ago. In his locker is a hard black Mizuno bag with his name stitched on the outside in Japanese. His custom glove goes inside. “If I don’t put it in that glove case, if I just put it in the bag, it’s squished on top of other peoples’ bags,” he said. “It just flattens out.” Not many major league players have their own glove case, but then Maeda’s way of doing things seems to be working pretty well here. If it doesn’t, at least people know how to reach him. K-POP When Dodgers pitcher Kenta Maeda homered in his first game Wednesday in San Diego, he became: • The third starting pitcher since 2000 to hit a home run in his major league debut. • The first starting pitcher to do so since Washington’s Tommy Milone on Sept 3, 2011.
• The first Dodger to hit a home run in his major league debut since Jose Offerman on Aug. 19, 1990. • The first Dodgers pitcher to do so since Dan Bankhead on Aug. 26, 1947. 5 new and adventurous Dodger Stadium foods at today’s home opener By Steven Herbert LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Dodgers will play their home opener at a sold-out Dodger Stadium today against the Arizona Diamondbacks with changes to the concession stand menus and stadium. New food items include: • The Gouda Kobe Burger, Kobe beef, topped with caramelized onions, pickle, smoked Gouda and special dressing, available at Elysian Park Grill • Dodger Dog topped with Pulled Pork available at the smokehouse stand at the Think Blue Barbecue • King’s Hawaiian Dog, an all-beef quarter-pound hot dog topped off with a pineapple salsa, served on King’s Hawaiian bread • Pastrami Burger, a quarter-pound beef patty on a potato bun topped with hot pastrami, drizzled stone-ground mustard served with Kettle Style home chips and a pickle spear • Shock Top Bratwurst, spicy pork bratwurst link infused with Shock Top beer served on a buttered-grilled lobster roll with caramelized onions and spicy brown mustard • Cast Iron Corn Bread and Fried Chicken available at the Stadium Club Bar with limited quantities per day Changes to Dodger Stadium include more standing room tables and stools at the top of the park to give all fans an opportunity to take in picturesque Dodger Stadium. More memorabilia is now on display throughout Dodger Stadium, including added exhibits on the top deck, in the Press Box gallery on the club level and on the field level at the entries near the right and left-field bullpen bars and at the baseline clubs. Several upgrades to the electrical infrastructure throughout Dodger Stadium were also made, increasing lighting throughout the stadium. Improvements were also made to guide fans safely through the parking lots and along the routes used when fans take the Dodger Stadium Express to and from the stadium. New merchandise available includes “Star Wars”-themed pennants, cups and lanyards and a Marvel movie series lanyard. A New Era store is now at Loge Section 150.
A dedicated Uber Zone has been established in Lot 12 for fans to meet their drivers after the game. Fans using Uber to come to Dodger Stadium can be dropped off at any of the five entry gates. Auto gates and stadium gates will open at 10 a.m. Pregame entertainment will begin 10 a.m., pregame ceremonies at 12:15 p.m., with Kenta Maeda throwing the first pitch at 1:10 p.m. Live music will be offered throughout the stadium from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The Angel City Dixie Band will play in the left field reserve level, a disc jockey KKRL-FM (92.3) will be in the right field reserve level, DJ AM in the right field plaza, a disc jockey from KIIS-FM (102.7) in the left field plaza and a disc jockey from KBIG-FM (104.3) on the top deck. The famed Budweiser Clydesdales will make stops around the inner parking circle beginning at 10:30 a.m., continuing throughout the pregame activities. Sam Harris, lead singer of the alternative rock band X Ambassadors will perform the national anthem. Representatives of the U.S. Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force will present the colors. Members of the U.S. armed forces will unfurl a giant flag in center field, a display in the shape of the United States. The Los Angeles Police Department’s Air Support Division will conduct a formation flight. The ceremonial first pitch will honor Dodger broadcaster Vin Scully, who is in his unprecedented 67th and final season with the team. Pregame ceremonies will celebrate many of the great moments in Scully’s career. Retired U.S. Army and U.S. Coast Guard Sgt. Eddie Arambula of Torrance will be honored as the Military Hero of the Game. Arambula joined the U.S. Army in 2002 and in March 2004 was deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom II. Arambula later joined the U.S. Coast Guard as maritime enforcement specialist. In 2011, he deployed to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
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Vin Scully embarks on final season, ready to 'squeeze the juice out of life' By Bob Nightengale Did you know that Arizona has a Socrates on the team? Excuse me? Yes, Socrates Brito. He’s an outfielder for the Arizona Diamondbacks. Can you imagine? Socrates, who drank the hemlock, is playing baseball.
It’s Vin Scully, the voice from the heavens, already gathering his material for the Los Angeles Dodgers’ home opener Tuesday against the Diamondbacks. Really, he’s preparing us for the last opening game of his exquisite, eloquent and extraordinary career. This is Scully’s 67th and final season as the voice of the Dodgers, and never again will baseball sound the same. Once Scully signs off after his final game, Oct. 2 against the Giants at AT&T Park in San Francisco, one of sports' greatest legends will finally recede into silence. There’s one difference between Scully closing his scorebook a final time and Babe Ruth in his last at-bat, or Muhammad Ali in the ring for one more round. Scully, even at 88 with 16 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, is still in his prime, still the greatest of all time. "His calls are so embedded in our brains," said Dodgers broadcaster Charley Steiner, entering his 49th year in broadcasting, "they will live forever. We are all reporters in the booth running real fast. He’s a poet that glides. "He’s the best who’s ever done it, and the best who will ever do it. He’s the poet laureate of baseball." Hi, everybody, and a very pleasant good afternoon to you, wherever you may be. "People ask me what my favorite call for Vin is," said Dodgers broadcaster Rick Monday, who has been in the booth for 23 years after a 19-year playing career, "and that’s it. His opening. He owns the English language to begin with, and how he finds words, and presents the words to perfectly fit the occasion, is phenomenal. "You can talk all you want about the great Dodgers in history. Jackie Robinson. Sandy Koufax. Gil Hodges. There’s been no one greater than Vin Scully." Scully, a private and religious man of Catholic faith, is embarrassed by all of the accolades and tributes that started in earnest Monday when they re-named the road leading into the main entrance of Dodger Stadium: Vin Scully Avenue. A throng of fans showed up for the midday ceremony, reluctantly accepting Scully’s refusal that he go one more year beyond 2016. "It’s very humbling," Scully told USA TODAY Sports. "I was a street kid in New York. We didn’t have Little League. The only place to play after school was on the streets. We played stick ball. We grabbed a broom handle and a tennis ball, the manhole covers were the bases, and we played every day until midnight.
"I was a rabid Giants fan. The Polo Grounds was about 20 blocks from our grammar school. I would get out of school during the week at 2:30, walk a mile, get in free, and watch the Giants play. My idol was Mel Ott. I would hit like him, raise my leg above the ground like him, everything. "So for a street kid from New York to have a street named after me, it’s so overwhelming." Scully, who rarely watches baseball broadcasts, preferring to fall asleep with a book by his bedside instead of TV, and hoping one day to visit Niagara Falls for the first time, and maybe Lake Louise in Alberta, Canada, too, reflected on his career last week in an exclusive two-hour interview with USA TODAY Sports. As Scully takes stock of six very special decades, it’s the people and the moments away from the diamond that resonate. Scully said he’ll always be grateful to the late Red Barber for giving him his start out of Fordham. He’ll cherish an impromptu Christmas Eve invite for drinks at the home of President Ronald Reagan and Nancy Reagan, will remember a stranger by the name of John Wooden opening the gate to his apartment complex when he moved to Los Angeles, ice skating with Jackie Robinson, and playing golf with President George H.W. Bush. "I actually played baseball (in 1947) against President Bush when he was at Yale and I was trying to play center field at Fordham," Scully said. "I told him, 'Mr. President, as long as you’re in the White House, you can say anything you want about your baseball career.' "But remember, the day you step out of the White House, we both went 0-for-3 in that game.' "He howled." Scully, who began broadcasting Brooklyn Dodgers games in 1950, has seen it all. He was the youngest person to ever broadcast a World Series game in 1953 and was behind the microphone for the Dodgers’ first title in 1955. He called Don Larsen’s perfect game in the 1956 World Series. Three of Koufax’s no-hitters and perfect game. Twenty no-hitters. Hank Aaron’s historic 715th home run. And Kirk Gibson’s dramatic homer in the 1988 World Series. Perhaps nothing was ever more poignant than his call the night of April 8, 1974. "I have never prepared verbally for a call," Scully said. "I remember George Plimpton was in Atlanta. He was going to write a book on Aaron’s home run. He interviewed everyone, and got to me, and said, 'Do you have anything prepared?' He told me (Atlanta Braves broadcaster) Milo Hamilton had the whole thing prepared. I said, 'Well, good for Milo, but I can’t broadcast like that.' "When Henry hit it, I described it: 'It’s a high drive into deep left center field. Buckner goes back to the fence. ... It is gone.' Then I just shut up. For a long time. "I always let the crowd roar. It was like when I was 8 years old and we had this big four-legged radio in the living room, and the only sports on Saturday was a college football game. I would crawl under the radio, put my head under the speaker with saltines and a glass of milk. And when someone scored, the
crowd would go crazy, and that crowd noise would come down and wash over me like water out of a shower head. "To me, it is absolutely a symphony. I was completely enamored by the crowd noise. "So I waited, and it gave me time to think, and then I said, 'What a marvelous moment for baseball. What a marvelous moment for Atlanta and the state of Georgia. What a marvelous moment for the country and the world.' " 'A black man is getting a standing ovation in the Deep South for breaking a record of an all-time baseball idol.' " Vintage. "It was the most IMPORTANT homer, and you can put that in capital letters, that I ever saw," Scully said. "It was more than just a home run. More than a game-winning home run. What it did was provide a lift to the whole country." While Aaron’s home run was the most historic of Scully’s career, the most famous in Dodgers history belonged to Gibson. He was hobbled before Game 1 of the World Series and wasn’t even on the bench during the game. During a commercial break, Scully — working the national TV broadcast for NBC — asked the producer to show the Dodgers dugout when they returned. "As the camera panned the whole thing," Scully said, "I said, 'He’s not there. Obviously, he’s not going to play tonight. Gibby is sitting in trainer's room with bags of ice on his leg.' " Gibson, watching the broadcast, jumped off the trainer's table, grabbed a bat and told the batboy, Mitch Poole, to tell manager Tommy Lasorda he could pinch hit. "And look who’s comin' up," Scully said. Gibson stepped to the plate with two outs in the ninth against Oakland Athletics Hall of Fame closer Dennis Eckersley, swung at a backdoor 2-and-2 slider, and: "High fly ball into right field, she is gone," Scully said, the final word coming with an incredulous emphasis rare for the veteran broadcaster. Silence. "In a year that has been so improbable," Scully said a minute later, "the impossible has happened." Scully, 28 years later, still calls it the most theatrical home run he’s ever called. "In all of my years with the Dodgers," Scully said, "that was my greatest contribution, getting Gibson off the trainer’s table." Scully laughs. He hasn’t sat down and figured out his all-time team, but easily calls Willie Mays the greatest player he’s ever seen, and quickly determines his outfield: "Mays, Aaron and (Roberto) Clemente. Anybody want to argue? Oh, and I’ll put Stan Musial at first base."
Certainly, of all of the tens of thousands of players Scully has covered with the Dodgers, no one has come close to the historical significance of Jackie Robinson, who broke the color barrier in 1947. Scully was aware of the enormous stress Robinson endured during his career and vividly remembers a whiskey bottle being thrown from the upper deck in St. Louis, nearly hitting Robinson and first baseman Gil Hodges. "You were always aware," Scully said, "there was more going on than just a baseball game." His most favorite memory of Robinson has nothing to do with him on the ballfield, but in New York’s Catskill Mountains. They found themselves at Grossinger’s Resort in the dead of winter, 1951. Scully happened to bring along his ice skates. "Well, Jackie sees my skates," Scully said, "and his eyes get real big. He said, 'Oh, you’re going ice skating? I would love to skate with you.' Rachel, who’s probably five or six months pregnant, says, 'I want to go ice skating, too.' "Well, we go back to the dressing room, Jackie gets a pair of skates, and he says, 'Vinny, when I go out, I’ll race you.' "I said, 'Wow. Race me? I know you’re a great athlete, but I didn’t know you ice skate.' Robinson: "I’ve never been on skates in my life." Scully: "Jack, I’m not a great skater, but there’s no way you can beat me racing." Robinson: "That’s the way I learn." "His competitive spirit was such, just by competing," Scully said, "he would learn how to skate. Well, he fell down immediately, and when he got up, he was walking on his ankles. It was hysterical. "I still have a picture of Jackie and me lined up like we were at the Olympics and the gun was going off." Scully has kept little memorabilia over the years, saying if he were a serious collector he would need two houses. His favorite piece may be the 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers World Series ring. Dodgers owner Peter O’Malley, who Scully calls "as nice a man who’s ever been put on this earth," had it produced from the original mold when he discovered nearly 35 years later that Scully never received the ’55 ring. It was only given to the players at the time. Now, Scully has rings from all four of the Dodgers’ World Series championships. "That was the most amazing day when the Dodgers won it in ‘55," Scully said. "I went to the Lexington Hotel, picked up my date, and we go through the tunnel into the borough of Brooklyn. It was like V-J Day. Thousands of people were dancing in the streets. It was unbelievable. "My date, the poor girl, was just shocked. I guess she got over it. She went on to invent Sesame Street. Joan Ganz."
His favorite pictures in the house are the ones with him and his wife, Sandi, and the six kids they raised together. Vin and Sandi still hold hands when they go out to dinner together, close friends Dennis and Cyndi Gilbert say, calling the couple "America’s greatest love story." "He lives his life," Dennis Gilbert said, "to please his wife." Vin and Sandi would travel together over the years, but this season Scully will do only home games. Yes, games that most of Los Angeles won’t see due to Time Warner Cable’s dispute with other TV providers, now going on three years. Scully, wanting to make sure Sandi could at least watch his final season, ordered an additional TV provider for their home, but stays out of the nasty dispute. He cringes when his name is used as reasoning for the games to be shown on other TV providers. "Gee whiz, come on, that embarrasses me," Scully said. "I don’t belong in that. That’s a discussion between powerhouses, not me." Besides, Scully says, he’s got enough to take care of in this new era of technology. He still prefers newspaper clips and computer printouts for his broadcast research. He has no Twitter account, Facebook, Snapchat, or any social media. Want proof? How about the uproar Scully caused when he informed the audience that outfielder Shane Victorino broke the news on his Twitter account that he was being traded from the Philadelphia Phillies to the Dodgers. "I was saying on the air," Scully said, "Victorino used the Twitter and he sent a twit to tell the fans he was coming. Well, the city went hysterical. The sky nearly fell down from laughter. "I always thought that if you are going to use Twitter, it’s going to be a twit. Why would it be a tweet?" Oh, and the fans still love the kid in Scully when he broadcasts Dodgers games against the Los Angeles Angels. Whenever first baseman Albert Pujols comes to bat, Scully can’t help but call him Prince Albert. "Every time I see his name, I think of Prince Albert, the chewing tobacco when I was a kid," Scully said. "A bunch of us in the neighborhood would call up our local tobacco store and we’d say, 'Do you have Prince Albert in a can?' "They would say, 'Yes, we do.' "And then we’d say, 'Well, will you please let him out?' "We thought that was hilarious. As dumb as it is, every time I say Albert, I think of Prince Albert when I was 11 years old. It brings the 11-year-old out of me." Scully’s voice brings the youth out of all of us, and although Scully was taught by Barber to be careful getting close to the players he covers for fear it would cloud his judgment, every player in baseball is his friend.
If you don’t know Scully personally, you certainly know the voice. The umpiring crew even points up to Scully’s broadcast booth before every game when they gather at home plate, and Scully always stands up and salutes them right back. Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon, in full uniform, even came up to Scully’s booth before a game last August simply to introduce himself. "I had never met him before," Scully said, "and was blown away. He must have stayed with me for 20 minutes. He’s as nice a man as I read. I was broken-hearted to see what happened when their left fielder, (Kyle) Schwarber, got hurt. Just like when A.J. Pollock, who’s such a wonderful player for Arizona, got hurt sliding head-first into home plate in an exhibition game. "I thought, 'Oh my gosh, life can be so cruel.' " Scully has had his own heartbreaks. His first wife, Joan, died in 1972 when she took an accidental overdose of medication for bronchitis and a severe cold. His eldest son Michael, 33, a supervising engineer, died in 1994 in a helicopter crash while inspecting oil pipelines. He lost one of his best friends last year when Billy DeLury, the Dodgers’ long-time traveling secretary who joined the team one year after Scully, died at the age of 81. The four of them, Scully, DeLury, Monday and Steiner, would have dinner together in a private room before every game, talking about anything and everything in life, a time Scully said that he’ll use to catch up on the latest baseball news. "I don’t watch other teams on TV," Scully said, "and I watch the Dodger games sparingly. I like to refresh my mind at night, so I like to read. "For me, watching baseball at night, it would be like an insurance man reading actuary tables. I like to escape." So what will our escape become without Scully, his golden voice coming over the airwaves during those summer evenings, and the man who introduced baseball to Southern California when the Dodgers moved in 1958 from Brooklyn? Scully is six months away from saying farewell, and there will never be another like him — a broadcaster whose grace and excellence will forever be identified with one franchise, yet somehow transcended his market to become the voice of his sport. "It’s been a marvelous journey," Scully said. "Now I want to share everything that I can with Sandi. That’s one of the reasons I have no regrets leaving baseball. God willing, when the season ends, I would like to cherish each day that I’m left with. "There’s that old saying: Squeeze the juice out of life before life squeezes the juice out of you. "I will try to squeeze the remaining juice out of life." Vin Scully's greatest calls: Kirk Gibson hits game-winning home run in 1988 World Series
By USA Today Sports Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully, 88, has embarked on his final season with the Dodgers, for whom he’s been broadcasting games since 1950 – when the club was in Brooklyn. Known for his dulcet voice and poetic touch, Scully is the longest-tenured broadcaster – 67 years - with a single club in professional sports history. He’s also lent his voice to iconic moments beyond Brooklyn and Los Angeles, from World Series calls to a dynasty-launching Catch on the gridiron. Throughout 2016, USA TODAY Sports will share some of Scully’s greatest calls. April 1, 2013: An Opening Day to remember: Clayton Kershaw's home run. April 8, 1974: Scully calls Hank Aaron's historic 715th home run to break Babe Ruth’s all-time record. TODAY: Scully calls Kirk Gibson’s pinch-hit, walk-off home run off Dennis Eckersley in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series Date: Oct. 15, 1988, Dodgers vs. Athletics -- World Series, Game 1 The call: “The tying run is on second base with two out. "Now the Dodgers don't need the muscle of Gibson, as much as a base hit. "And on deck is the leadoff man Steve Sax. "3-and-2. Sax waiting on deck, but the game right now is at the plate. "High fly ball into right field, she is gone! "In a year that has been so improbable, the impossible has happened. “And now the only question was, could he make it around the base paths unassisted.”
FOX SPORTS
Los Angeles Dodgers officially unveil 'Vin Scully Avenue' By Aaron Torres Vin Scully is a Los Angeles icon, a man whose legacy will live on long after his 67th and final season calling Dodgers games ends later this year.
On Monday, the Dodgers held a ceremony to officially change the name of the street leading up to Dodgers Stadium from "Elysian Park Avenue" to "Vin Scully Avenue." The move had been approved by the Los Angeles City Council in January, with a savvy Twitter user first noticing the unofficial change late last week. Thankfully the move is now official, with several local dignitaries in attendance for Monday's ceremony, including the man of the hour: Vin Scully. Scully spoke to the crowd, and when he was asked what he'll miss most about calling Dodgers games, well, Scully gave the most Vin Scully answer possible. "The roar of the crowd," was his response. Thankfully Scully has a few more months to enjoy that roar, and fans still have a few more months to enjoy Scully as well. The Dodgers' home-opener is set for Tuesday against the Diamondbacks.
NBC LA
Dodgers Opening Day: Listen to the Walk Up Songs for the 2016 Team By Michael Duarte The Los Angeles Dodgers will host their first home game of the season on Tuesday, and while many fans in attendance will come to watch their favorite players take the field, there will be one part of the game that everyone can enjoy: the music. In baseball, the walk-up song can be just as important as the player's performance itself. Whether it's stepping into the batter's box, or heading to the mound for the first time, the right music is key to get a player amped up. The 2016 Los Angeles Dodgers are no different, and thanks to the team's resident disc jockey, DJ Severe, this year's edition of the boys in blue can be assured to have the right music to go with all the memorable moments of the season. DJ Severe has been the Dodgers in-game DJ since 2009 and has also spun for the Los Angeles Kings and LA Galaxy, respectively. He started as a Dodger fan in the bleachers, and knows what the fanbase wants to hear between innings. In the meantime, Severe shared with us what songs the Dodger players chose for their walk out songs for the home opener of the 2016 season. The list is below, and you can enjoy the tunes yourself when you head out to Chavez Ravine to catch a game. 2016 Los Angeles Dodgers Walk Up Songs:
Stripling Pulled From No-Hitter, Dodgers Lose Chase Utley – "Kashmir" by Led Zeppelin Corey Seager – "Night's On Fire" by David Nail Justin Turner – "Turn Down for What" by Lil' Jon Adrian Gonzalez – "El Mariachi Loco" by Mariachi Vargas Yasiel Puig – "La Gozadera" by Gente de Zona Joc Pederson – "White Iverson" by Post Malone Carl Crawford – "New Level" by ASAP Ferg / "Moolah" by Young Greatness Scott Van Slyke – "When the Man Comes Around" by Johnny Cash A.J. Ellis – "Long Cool Woman" by The Hollies Yasmani Grandal – "Trap Queen" by Fetty Wap Kiké Hernandez – "Shaky Shaky" by Daddy Yankee / "Pony" by Ginuwine Howie Kendrick – "Dey Know" by Shawty Lo Kenta Maeda – "Hula Hoop" by OMI / "Bang Bang Bang" by Big Bang Clayton Kershaw – "We are Young" by Fun Chris Hatcher – "Let Me Clear My Throat" by D.J. Cool Kenley Jansen – "California Luv" by Tupac *Songs subject to change throughout the season at player's request.
MYNEWSLA.COM
New food choices, stadium improvements at Dodger Stadium for 2016 By Debbie L. Sklar The Los Angeles Dodgers will play their home opener at a sold-out Dodger Stadium Tuesday against the Arizona Diamondbacks with changes to the concession stand menus and stadium. New food items include: — the Gouda Kobe Burger, Kobe beef, topped with caramelized onions, pickle, smoked Gouda and special dressing, available at Elysian Park Grill; — Dodger Dog topped with Pulled Pork available at the smokehouse stand at the Think Blue Barbecue; — King’s Hawaiian Dog, an all-beef quarter-pound hot dog topped off with a pineapple salsa, served on King’s Hawaiian bread; — Pastrami Burger, a quarter-pound beef patty on a potato bun topped with hot pastrami, drizzled stone-ground mustard served with Kettle Style home chips and a pickle spear; — Shock Top Bratwurst, spicy pork bratwurst link infused with Shock Top beer served on a buttered-grilled lobster roll with caramelized onions and spicy brown mustard; and
— Cast Iron Corn Bread and Fried Chicken available at the Stadium Club Bar with limited quantities per day. Changes to Dodger Stadium include more standing room tables and stools at the top of the park to give all fans an opportunity to take in picturesque Dodger Stadium. More memorabilia is now on display throughout Dodger Stadium, including added exhibits on the top deck, in the Press Box gallery on the club level and on the field level at the entries near the right and left-field bullpen bars and at the baseline clubs. Several upgrades to the electrical infrastructure throughout Dodger Stadium were also made, increasing lighting throughout the stadium. Improvements were also made to guide fans safely through the parking lots and along the routes used when fans take the Dodger Stadium Express to and from the stadium. New merchandise available includes “Star Wars-” themed pennants, cups and lanyards and a Marvel movie series lanyard. A New Era store is now at Loge Section 150. A dedicated Uber Zone has been established in Lot 12 for fans to meet their drivers after the game. Fans using Uber to come to Dodger Stadium can be dropped off at any of the five entry gates. Auto gates and stadium gates will open at 10 a.m. Pregame entertainment will begin 10 a.m., pregame ceremonies at 12:15 p.m., with Kenta Maeda throwing the first pitch at 1:10 p.m. Live music will be offered throughout the stadium from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The Angel City Dixie Band will play in the left field reserve level, a disc jockey KKRL-FM (92.3) will be in the right field reserve level, DJ AM in the right field plaza, a disc jockey from KIIS-FM (102.7) in the left field plaza and a disc jockey from KBIG-FM (104.3) on the top deck. The famed Budweiser Clydesdales will make stops around the inner parking circle beginning at 10:30 a.m., continuing throughout the pregame activities. Sam Harris, lead singer of the alternative rock band X Ambassadors will perform the national anthem. Representatives of the U.S. Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force will present the colors. Members of the U.S. armed forces will unfurl a giant flag in center field, a display in the shape of the United States. The Los Angeles Police Department’s Air Support Division will conduct a formation flight. The ceremonial first pitch will honor Dodger broadcaster Vin Scully, who is in his unprecedented 67th and final season with the team. Pregame ceremonies will celebrate many of the great moments in Scully’s career. Retired U.S. Army and U.S. Coast Guard Sgt. Eddie Arambula of Torrance will be honored as the Military Hero of the Game. Arambula joined the U.S. Army in 2002 and in March 2004 was deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom II.
Arambula later joined the U.S. Coast Guard as maritime enforcement specialist. In 2011, he deployed to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
THE WEEK
Why you should go to a baseball game alone By Jeva Lange The sun is setting behind the San Gabriel Mountains, turning California's mid-spring hillsides to gray and then, steadily, to black. The Dodgers have just earned the tying run against the Angels and I am making healthy progress on my garlic fries and souvenir-size Sprite, my Dodger Dog a distant second-inning memory. To my left, two fans — one in an Angels cap, the other in Dodger blue — argue about their team's upcoming seasons. In front of me, a group of friends take selfies and bicker over the best Instagram filters. And me? I have empty seats to both sides, and no one to defend my garlic fries against. I am at the game alone. I am aware this is a little bit unusual. When my friends found out I was spending the evening at a baseball game by myself, they were cautiously concerned. "You're there alone?" one texted me for clarification after I said I was heading to the game. It was the weekend before opening day and the Los Angeles Dodgers were hosting the Los Angeles Angels for a freeway series exhibition game. I was in L.A. for the week, attending a literary conference that ended around 5 p.m. every evening; the nights were mine. While I'd gone with friends to dinner in Venice Beach the evening prior, on the way back I spotted a billboard advertising cheap tickets to the game. I hadn't known the Dodgers were in town (and hadn't bothered to look, it being the preseason), but I'd always wanted to see their stadium. As soon as I got back to my room, I purchased my lone ticket and downloaded it to my phone. That was my first delight — games are so much cheaper when you are only buying for yourself. But economic advantages or not, I wasn't entirely immune to the social embarrassment of going to a baseball game by myself. Nevertheless, I tried to shake it off. We are, after all, living in the golden age of going-it-alone: There are entire manifestos written on the joys of drinking alone, traveling alone, and living by yourself. But when it comes to taking yourself out to the ballgame, things apparently get a little harder for people to accept. Maybe it is because ballparks are supposed to be social — when the dance cams and kiss cams turn on the crowd between innings, how often do you see a 20-something girl scarfing garlic fries by herself or soliloquizing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" during the seventh-inning stretch?
It is hard to beat the deeply ingrained stigma of doing things solo. A Google search for "going to baseball alone" pulls up a handful of forums with people asking if it would be "weird" for them to get a ticket to go by themselves. "Is it weird for a girl to go to a baseball game alone?" one user wrote on the Social Anxiety Support forum. "There happens to be a Twins game playing at the Target Field…and I really want to go watch, but I think it's weird for a girl to be at a sports game alone." While some users wrote back their encouragement, others were brutally honest. "You might do better just watching it on TV this time. I think going 'out' to games is supposed to be a social thing that you do with friends or family. But that's just me, though," one user replied. Another said that while it wouldn't be weird to go to a game by yourself, "If there was someone sitting beside me attending the game alone I would feel kind of bad for the person lol." In a post explaining what it is actually like to go to a baseball game by yourself, another woman wrote that, "Since it was summer and every girl in school already thought of me as weird, creepy, and every other adjective used to describe going to a baseball game alone, I went to a baseball game alone." Weird, creepy, and every other adjective used to describe going to a baseball game alone. Oof. It seems as if solo baseball attendance is only "allowed" for the uber-fans, like author and baseball collector Zack Hample. "I've attended more than 1,100 MLB games, and I've probably been to three-quarters of them by myself," he wrote in a Reddit thread last year. "I prefer it that way, but that's because I have my own routine/agenda that would drive most people crazy... The way I see it, baseball is baseball and friends are friends; there's no need to force a combination." Hample (who has now been to more than 1,300 games) added in an email to me that, "I've been going to games by myself for such a long time that it seems normal to me. The only thing that strikes me as weird is people's concern about being perceived as weird. If you love baseball — or hell, anything else — just go and enjoy it. Who cares if you're with someone or not?" I am a much more casual fan, but I have to agree. First of all, I wanted to go to a game at Dodger Stadium. Missing out on experiences — movies, museums, concerts — because you don't have someone to drag along is what seems "sad" to me. But, as it has been said before, there is a certain happy thrill to doing something by yourself. Stepping out of the cab at the stadium's entrance gates, I was free to wander the grounds as I pleased, fully soaking in the unfamiliar L.A. crowd. Once inside I didn't miss any of the game because someone was distracting me with stories about their annoying coworker or bad Tinder date — and I even like hearing about those things from my friends. There was a meditative peace to being in a crowd by yourself. I was alone with my thoughts and observations, noting that Yasiel Puig seemed to be back in full form and not having to argue my case to anyone. I'd save that for when I got home. And while at first I felt hyper-aware of any eyes that turned on me, I soon settled into the game, cheering without reservation as Puig drove Corey Seager home. By the time the wave appears in the outfield bleachers, I am on my feet with my hands stretched to the sky as it cascades into my section. I notice all at once, and with a bright and unfamiliar delight, that I truly enjoy my own company. I have even maybe missed it.
Even the Angels' win doesn't deflate my buoyancy. Leaving the stadium, I stumble onto a plaza that looks out at the whole of downtown Los Angeles, like a reverse sky spangled with sparkling lights across the valley floor. I realize that I am standing at the heart of one of the largest urban agglomerations in the world. Streams of blue and the occasional triumphant red filter out of the gates alongside me: fathers holding sleepy children, couples with linked hands, daughters dragging their plastic baseball bats along the ground. I feel a soft nag of responsibility, the reminder that I need to call a car to take me back to my hotel, where my roommate will be in bed with her laptop, chatting with her family in San Diego. But for that long moment, I just stand in the crowd. For that long moment, under the lights of the stadium, I am entirely and perfectly alone.
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