Chavez Chronicles

At Season's End

2008-10-30T19:52:22Z

I'd like to take this time to congratulate the Philadelphia Phillies on winning the World Series over the surprising Tampa Bay Rays, four games to one. This is their first championship since 1980, and only their second world series title in franchise history. How about that? They proved to be a formidable opponent in the NLCS by beating my Dodgers, four games to one. They finish with an 11-3 mark in postseason play, losing one game in each of their three series (at Milwaukee, Los Angeles, and Tampa Bay). As much as I would have liked to see a different outcome, the Phillies definitely deserve to win after their incredible season they put together. Congrats to Jerry Manuel and his coaching staff, and his team for playing some excellent ball down the stretch.

After the Phillies beat the Dodgers at Chavez Ravine, I was still proud of my team for making it to the NLCS for the first time in two decades. That was a major accomplishment to me. Hopefully, Manny Ramirez will come back next year, and be a cornerstone in the batting lineup for years to come. Heck, he may steal some more bases! This offseason could turn into a swift-moving whirlwind of trades, deals, and some heartbreak, perhaps. I just hope for a great offseason followed by a fantastic 2009 campaign.

With that, I will end this post for now, but come up with a season in review post when I have the time. Again, congrats to the Phillies. Enjoy this one, Philadephia. You've been waiting for this moment for a long time. Enjoy it.

Keep thinking blue!
-JD

Putting the Fight in the Phillies and Dodgers

2008-10-24T01:46:06Z

I know this post is coming a week late and a dollar short, but I wrote this out about a week ago, but never had the time to finish the post and put it up. This is how it was written a week ago. Enjoy!

So with a soft autumn breeze in the air, the Dodgers were behind two games to none, and I was arriving at the stadium about four hours before the game. I wanted to get a good parking spot out on the streets, and decided to blast the Dodgers music I brought, and bring some sandwiches. It was fun for a little over an hour, and then my friend, Matt, and I decided to get in the stadium early to see what was going down. Unfortunately, there was no early entry for batting practice down in the field level, but it was good for my friend who had never met Sweet Lou Johnson before. He got that special treat in autograph alley. As soon as we got to the front of the line, he recognized me from the last time I was there at the stadium (I had been there for the one NLDS game, as well as the Dodgers' home season finale when they won the NL West title). Of course, who could mistake a Mexican Dodger fan with an easily recognizable orange Wheel of Fortune bag? That's besides the point. After saying hello to Sweet Lou, Matt finally got his autograph and a picture with the former Dodger. After taking some batting practice along the outfield warning track, we made our way to our seats and sat back with a Dodger Dog, a drink, and the pregame ceremonies beginning shortly. It was nice to just sit back and watch all of this as the afternoon came to a slow and beautiful close.

The player introductions of the whole team was awesome, but there is nothing quite like seeing that enormous American flag waving in the outfield with the national anthem being sung so well. Yes, it was great last time in the division series... but this was with the sun setting on the third base side, and a bit of that golden sun shining on the flag. Moreso, this was the National League Championship Series! It was the first time the Dodgers had seen the NLCS in twenty years, the feelings were pretty overwhelming.

One of the best parts of the pregame festivities was the first pitches. The four star infielders from the Dodgers for nearly a decade in the 70s and early 80s came out for the first pitch. How awesome is that? We had Ron Cey at third, Bill Russell at shortstop, Davey Lopes at second, and Steve Garvey at first. Catching the first pitches from the legendary infielders were the current starting infielders for the NLCS: Casey Blake at third, Rafael Furcal at short, Blake DeWitt at second, and Nomar Garciaparra at first. What's funny is that I've met three of the four legends this season and have all of their autographs in the same book! (I still haven't met Davey Lopes yet) Fun times!

After all of that, the game finally started and so did the Dodgers' offense. Right away, the Dodgers put up a run with Manny Ramirez driving in Furcal, followed by an RBI single by Casey Blake, and then a huge three-run triple from Blake DeWitt to put the Dodgers ahead 5-0 in the first. Talk about a quick start! So with the moon slowly rising up and the sun slowly setting, it was getting a little testy when Russell Martin nearly got hit by a pitch in the second inning, after he already got hit by a pitch in the first frame. He didn't appreciate that inside pitch in the second, so we knew he would get even later.

In the top of the third inning, Shane Victorino came up to the plate, and he got an inside pitch that HE didn't appreciate. At this point, both benches were warned. Shane and Russell were exchanging some words with each other, and then Shane and Hiroki Kuroda got into it a little bit. Shortly after that, Victorino slammed a 1-1 pitch towards first base. While Garciaparra easily got the force out at first, Kuroda went over to cover first base... and right after the play, Kuroda and Victorino crossed paths... and then it began.

They exchanged pleasantries, got into each other's faces, and then right before any fists went flying, or any leg kicking occured, the benches began to clear. First, the players on the field came to their team's defense. Then the players from the dugout came out and tried to make peace, but that wasn't going to work. So then, finally, both bullpens emptied and the pitchers also charged down the field. Players had to be restrained to stop the pushing and shoving. No punches were thrown, but it looked like it was about to happen if people didn't get in the middle of things. Also, the umpires did a great job of breaking up the fracas pretty quickly before it escalated. Of course, there were now six umpires instead of the usual four. At the time, this needed to happen. The Dodgers needed to show that they had a little fight in them, and they weren't going to back down easily.

After that whole scene happened, Hiroki Kuroda really got in a groove and got Phillies retired left and right! He put on a masterful pitching performance that evening and deserved the standing ovation he got when he was finally pulled late in the game. Those final three innings were fun to watch because we knew that the Dodgers had this game. Finally, the final out was recorded and Angel Berroa caught the final ball of the game. Dodgers win!

Since I didn't have tickets for the other two games of the NLCS (and was hoping the Dodgers would pull off the NLCS victory so I could go to the World Series), I had a feeling that this may be my last time at Chavez Ravine for a Dodger game, so I decided to take a bunch of pictures down in the loge level, and finally of that famous club level entrance. It looked pretty nice that night!

After the game, my friend was really in a celebratory mood since the Dodgers won. Even though I told him it was only one game, he still wanted to celebrate and I ran with it. So I finally gave him the idea to head out to Canter's restaurant on Fairfax because I wanted some good dessert. When we got there, I quickly noticed a mural of one of my favorite all-time Dodgers, Sandy Koufax. I said at the end of the night, I would get a picture with the mural. When we got inside, that's when I saw the poster that said "Canter's Celebrates 60 Years on Fairfax." On Tuesday, they would be offering 60-cent meals of corned beef sandwiches, and other little goodies! I knew I had to go back on Tuesday. After having a delicious Chocolate Napoleon dessert, I decided to have my friend take the picture outside with Sandy Koufax.

Pretty nice way to end the evening, I thought. It was quite the game, and a great memory etched in my mind. With that, I bid you all adieu, and I will post again soon!

-JD

PS: More pictures to come soon! (EDIT: Updated with pictures on 29 Oct. New post tomorrow!)

'Twas the Night Before the NLCS

2008-10-09T01:37:27Z

...and all through Chavez Ravine,
not a creature was stirring,
you know what I mean.

Wow... that was lame, I'll admit. But it is definitely nervous time. I'm sitting here the night before the biggest series for the Dodgers in two decades, and I'm like most other loyal Dodger fans. I get very superstitious.

I grew out my playoff beard, and have not even shaved my playoff goatee since the regular season ended ten days ago. Fun times! Meanwhile, I'm looking at the matchups, and I think this is a very even matchup that could easily go six or seven games. Will the Dodgers power pitching snuff out the potent offensive firepower of the Phillies? What about the Phillies pitching? So many questions to be answered all in the matter of a week. Which team will make the World Series? My prediction: Dodgers in SIX.

To end this short blog, I love the postseason at Dodger Stadium. The grass is a little greener, and painted on with an always-marvelous logo signifying which series is being played. For the past two decades, the only thing we've seen painted on the grass during the postseason has been for a division series. How exciting will it be to see "NLCS 2008" painted across from the dugouts? Also, I love how dressed up the awnings are for the postseason. They are always adorned in those cool red, white, and blue banners that make the stadium look so... majestic. Beautiful, isn't it?

I'm off for the night. Feel free to comment away, and let's go Dodgers! At least get a split in Philly!

Think Blue!
-JD

How Sweep It Is! (aka: Dodger Clinch Day part 2)

2008-10-06T19:34:00Z

Wow, my voice is pretty much gone at the current moment, and I think I may need to rest all day tomorrow to recover... but it was all worth it.

In three very exciting games, the Dodgers completed an improbable sweep over the cursed Chicago Cubs, winning game three, 3-1. This NLDS has been a thrilling one, and if you were there for that game.... you were among the lucky ones!

As you may have read from the previous post, the day started off with me meeting former Dodger, Bill Russell, and him being very excited that the Dodgers were about to sweep the Cubs. It was an omen... a sign, if you will. That early meeting in the morning was like a foreshadowing of just how great of a day it was going to be.

After taking a short and well-deserved nap, I had to leave the house early so I could visit my cousin, who was having his going-away party. The reason he was having a going-away party is because he's off for military service. He's in the Marines.... and he will be in Camp Pendleton for a short stint before... being shipped... overseas. Yeah. =/ Please wish him well. This picture I took before the game is for him.

Right after that, I headed off for the game. After darting my way around the packed freeways through the surface streets and taking shortcuts, I got slammed right as I was making my way through the gates. The way I look at it, if I had stayed on the freeway, I may have gotten to the stadium at 6:50pm, instead of around 6pm. Next time, I'm not taking any chances and getting there MUCH earlier. So we get to the stadium, and my buddy, Matthew, brought out his broom and waved it around like crazy before we headed to the stadium. We got in there with rally towels, got settled in, and saw an amazing introduction with the huge flag that you see above. Simply incredible.

I know that Dodger fans get a lot of crap about arriving late and leaving early. When I walked inside the stadium before the game, our section was almost full already! Before the game even started, there were already about 50,000 fans in the stadium watching the pre-game festivities. These are the true fans. The passionate fans. The fans that will always be behind their Dodgers through thick and thin. Through the victories and heartbreaks (notice that heartbreaks is underlined), they showed up.

Throughout the night, we had some drizzle here and there, but nothing too significant. But when the Dodgers took an early 2-0 lead thanks to our awesome offense, the fans didn't seem to care.

By the way, I'd like to send a thank you note to Jim Reynolds for giving the Dodgers that close call at third base when Russell Martin slid into third while trying to avoid the tag. On the replays, it looked like it was a bang-bang play, but when I got home and looked at that play even closer... Martin was out by just an eyelash. But at full-speed, it looked like Martin was safe, and that call really could have gone either way. It's not as obvious as the play from the Rays/White Sox game earlier this week, or the 1985 World Series. But let me say this one more time.
THANK YOU, Jim Reynolds!

Those two runs seemed to be all we needed because we have awesome starting pitching. I've been saying this all season, but I love seeing Hiroki Kuroda starting at home because at any given home game, he can pitch a shutout. Last night, he had pretty much everything working for him. With every pitch, the crowd cheered, and with every strikeout, there was a definite roar across our section. Once it got into the fourth inning, the crowd could see Kuroda really settling down, and every Dodger fan there was behind him 100% of the way. At the end of each inning, when Hiroki had a two-strike count, everybody was standing up hoping for a strikeout, and he got it three innings in a row... all of them swinging! I've never heard the crowd so pumped up in all my years at Dodger Stadium. It was amazing.

That's when I started counting down the number of outs for the Dodgers to advance to the NLCS.

Eight. Huge ovation for Kurdoa. Seven. Six.

With a three run lead, and Wade and Broxton closing the game out, there were at least two people that left the game early. The two Cubs fans that sat next to us during the game had enough, and one of them had that same sad look when they lost the NLCS in 2003, and the NLDS last year. Even though I was a little happy to see them leave, I couldn't help but feel a bit sympathetic towards those fans. They haven't seen a World Series title in over a century and counting. I felt for them. The countdown was back on.

Five. Four. Run scored... crowd gets a little tense. Broxton enters for Wade. Three outs to go!

The excitement level is rising very quickly throughout the stadium as the Dodgers are that close to clinching their first NLCS appearance in two decades. The Dodgers get out of the 8th inning very quickly, and the countdown is on!

Ryan Theriot up to bat. He quickly gets the count against him... he strikes out swinging. Two outs to go.

Now it's Kosuke Fukudome's turn to try and turn this thing around. He fouls one off.... and then he grounds out to Furcal. Oh man, only one out away! The place is going berzerk!

Alfonso Soriano is the Cubs' last hope. He swings and misses for strike one. The dugout is looking on in anticipation. Almost everybody is on that front step!

Swing and a miss! Another strike! The Dodgers are now one strike away! Everybody is on their feet waving their towels. Almost everybody. I wasn't waving a towel.... I was taking this picture.

STRIKE THREE! The Dodgers sweep the Chicago Cubs! The celebration is on!

I will admit this right now. I shed a couple tears. I could hardly contain myself. Imagine if they make it to the World Series? If they win the whole thing, I will probably lose it. I laughed, I jumped for joy. I high-fived everyone around me. Heck, I even hugged a few people. We were all united as a legion of Dodger fans. It was an amazing feeling. The last time my Dodgers made it this far was twenty years ago. Even though it's been over a century since the Cubs won it all, 20 years is still a long time!

After watching some of the celebration, I was pretty adamant in my wanting to get a closer look of the celebration before all of the players came out from their locker room. We raced our way down the stairs from the top deck, to the reserve level, and finally arriving at the loge level since the ushers wouldn't let us go down any further. That's fine, I was totally okay with that.

Right when we got there, several players came out, and we heard a couple speeches from Joe Torre, and one from the legendary Tommy Lasorda. Overall, it was an amazing day that I will never forget.

*chuckles* ...and to think, it all started when I met Bill Russell earlier that day. I told you it was an omen!

Once again, much congratulations to your division series winners, the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Bring on the Phillies!
-JD

Meeting Bill Russell (aka: Dodger Clinch Day part 1)

2008-10-04T21:51:05Z

So as I wrote on my last entry, Bill Russell was signing autographs and meeting people around town this Saturday morning. To say the least, it was an amazing experience. My mom got there pretty early, and there were only a few people in front of her, including a fellow Dodger blogger who happens to be among the top fan MLBloggers here! Anyway, my mom saved a spot for myself and my friend, Paul, and we got there around 9:40, with only a small handful of people behind us. It wasn't until about 10am that the crowd started to form (and by crowd, I mean about 20 people).

Fortunately, where the signing took place was literally down the street from where my mom works, and she was very excited to meet one of her favorite former Dodgers. Here is that picture after he signed the '81 World Series poster.

Yes, it was very cool indeed, and he was very excited to see the Dodgers ready to sweep the Cubs. This was a very fun morning, and now I'll be headed to see my cousin, and then off to Dodger Stadium to see the boys in blue clinch their way into the NLCS!

Good luck to the Dodgers tonight, and I'll see you guys at the stadium, perhaps!

Think Blue, and beat those Cubbies!
-JD

Deuces Wild!

2008-10-04T06:43:46Z

How about these playoffs we are having this season? For the second year in a row, the four division series all start off with a 2-0 lead. Before I talk about my boys in blue, I feel like I should give some attention to the other three series first.

Who could have ever imagined that the Tampa Bay Rays would be one win away from making their first trip to the ALCS? After being a perennial sub-.500 team for the better part of this decade, the Rays have transformed into a solid offensive and defensive team with a wacky stadium. I have to give props to Evan Longoria for being the man in this series, thusfar. This kid is a freakin' stud, and his star will continue to rise for years to come. I think Tampa Bay will finish off the White Sox in 4, only because Ozzie Guillen won't let his team get swept out of Chicago like that other team from the Windy City will.

As for the Angels-Red Sox series... how disappointing is this?!? I expected better from the Halos. I really did. If a team wins 100 games in a season, they should not lose their first two games of a playoff series at home! I'm sorry, but that performance was pretty pathetic. Now they are in serious trouble and should probably start making plans for next week in Cabo San Lucas. Boston should sweep this series only because I don't think the Rally Monkey will work at Fenway Park.

Now on to the Fightin' Phillies. They look tough... very tough. Philadelphia is about to sweep the Brewers and they are looking primed and ready for the Dodgers.

Speaking of LA... how about that stunned crowd at Wrigley Field? Manny Ramirez.

Manny Ramirez.

What else can be said? Oh yeah, Chad Billingsley.

Chad Billingsley.

I expect a party-like atmosphere in the drizzling rain after the Dodgers sweep the Cubbies out of town. As always, I'll be there early!

Before I head off into Dream Land, and on the off-chance that those of you reading this are in or near the Inland Valley, there will be a former Dodger making an appearance and signing autographs Saturday morning!

Former Dodger infielder, Bill Russell, will be signing free autographs (only one per person) at Honabach & Sons, 3857 Schaefer Ave. #G, Chino, CA 91710. This is taking place Saturday, October 4th. Lucky for me, that's only five minutes from my house! He will there from 10am to noon, so be sure to get there early! That's all from me for now. Have a great night, and let's wrap it up at home with a sweet sweep!

Think Blue!
-JD

This Grand Ol' Game

2008-10-02T08:31:26Z

How about that first game of the NLDS between the Cubbies and our Dodgers? In any ballpark, a sinkerball pitcher like Derek Lowe should be able to win and flourish against seven free passes. With that 7-2 victory in game one, the Dodgers have come to Wrigley Field and swiped away the homefield advantage from the hapless Cubs.

What went right for the Dodgers was definitely the pitching. Even though the major networks like ESPN and TBS will harp about the grand slam (which I will get to in a moment) and Manny's solo golf-shot bomb, pitching was the key. Derek Lowe only made one mistake in his six innings of work. He gave up a home run that was given a very generous boost thanks to that famous Chicago wind. Only a few feet to the right, or a few feet short, and that would have either been a long fly out or a foul ball. I actually thought Lowe's pinpoint accuracy with some of those sinkerball pitches were quite masterful throughout the first six innings, including that inning-ending double play in the bottom of the third. He induced another double play in the fifth, this one off D. Lee... with great control all around. If it wasn't for that one pitch, he may have stayed in the game for another inning and hurled seven shutout innings. As it is, he gets credit with a nice quality start, and more importantly, his team up 1-love in the series.

I also must give a ton of credit to the excellent bullpen of the Dodgers. Where in the world did Cory Wade come from? This kid is a stud pitcher, and if he continues pitching the way he has been, Wade could become a very formidable set-up man for Jonathan Broxton, the closer. (Wade is only 25, and Broxton is only 24) I know I should be thinking about the current situation, but I smile when I think about what the future could possibly hold for the Dodgers with that pitching duo closing out games. Heck, imagine if Wade was the setup to the setup? What a trio of closers! Wade in the 7th, Broxton in the 8th, and Saito in the 9th. Of course, I could be getting way ahead of myself, but can you blame me? While I'm still going on about the pitching, big ups to Greg Maddux for coming in and shutting the door in the 9th. When it comes to big games, he's still got it.

Now a brief snippet about the offense. James Loney is the man. That's all that really needs to be said. He is the man. It takes moxy to step back into that batter's box and either be the grand hero, or the grand goat. With a two-strike count and the bases loaded? Ryan Dempster was one pitch away from getting out of another bases loaded jam. Then James Loney lowered the boom and cranked one into left field for the grandest of grand slams. Wrigley Field went silent. It was the best sound ever. Those three walks finally caught up with Dempster and ultimately cost him. How sweet it is.

...and now the Dodgers are two games away from making their first NLCS in twenty years. Let's hope LA can steal another game in Chicago and come back to Chavez Ravine with a 2-love series lead. Game 2 is later today!

Think Blue!
JD

Postseason Anticipation

2008-09-30T02:27:34Z

"If summer is for the boys, then fall is definitely for the men." ~Steve Garvey

It's now that time of year. With the regular season over, it is now time to focus on that wonderful month of October where eight teams vie for their ultimate goal, the championship trophy. While the Cubs possess the best record in the National League to give them home-field advantage, and they are hugely favored to win the series, I don't think the Cubs can overcome their century-long curse in a five-game series. Even with Brad Penny out of the lineup, Los Angeles still has a solid one-two punch with Lowe and the surprising Chad Billingsley. Earlier this season, Billingsley had a quality start going six frames and only giving up two earned runs. However, the Dodgers ended up losing that game by a score of 3-1.

But that was all in the past. The Cubbies have not faced the Dodgers this season with Manny Ramirez, Casey Blake, or Angel Berroa. Those three players have made such a phenomenal impact on the Dodgers that I don't think any National League team can stop them right now. But, that's why they play the game.

As for the other National League Division series, I have the Phillies actually winning this one in five games. C.C. Sabathia can only pitch twice this series, and those will be the two wins in the series for the Brewers. Without the seemingly unstoppable Sabathia pitching for the Brewers, they may not win another game, and therefore it will go five games. That's my take on that series. Which means I think it will be the Dodgers and the Phillies in the NLCS. Yeah, I can't even begin to predict what a series that would be. Of course, I could actually be very wrong on my predictions, but I hope not. =)

I'm going to leave this blog shorter than all the others, but I will end with this final word. If you guys remember my post from last week about the Tuesday game versus the San Diego Padres, you'll know how much of a blast I had with my friend, Paul. Here is a video of why we love Dodger Stadium.

With that,

I bid you all adieu and let's root our Dodgers on all the way to the end!

Think Blue!
JD

Celebration at Chavez Ravine (aka: Best Loss Ever)

2008-09-28T20:37:35Z

Good day, fellow Dodger fans! Sorry for the delay in posting this, but it has been craziness ever since the Dodgers won the division. One thing or another has kept me busy and away from my laptop for the past couple days, but now I'm here ready to blog about what a wonderful season this is, and our boys in blue making it to the postseason!

First off, congratulations to the Los Angeles Dodgers, your 2008 National League West Division Champions! Since the Dodgers had the division won before they took the field, it became obvious that Joe Torre wouldn't be in it to win it on Thursday evening. It would lead to an awesome celebration, though.

Sweet September Breeze

As my girlfriend, Sarah, and I closed in on Dodger Stadium, I could hardly contain my excitement that the Dodgers were going to celebrate their playoff spot in style. Usually before every game, there is someone signing autographs and it is all cool. For the final game of the season, Sweet Lou Johnson would be signing, and he was such a cool guy! After that, we decided to muck around and take pictures around the ballpark. Batting practice was pretty cool that day, but it was crowded with fans. I had no chance of getting a baseball with the warning track being that crowded. Since I didn't want to go to our seats yet, I decided to take an awesome shot of my lovely girlfriend. Doesn't that look cool? (I love that blurry background effect, for some reason) I also decided to check out the shops, and saw that they ALREADY were selling stuff to commemorate their NL West crown, and decided that it needed its own picture.

Dodgers on the Field

When we finally took our seats in the loge level for the first time all season, we decided to check out the section, and loved the setup there! They even had Wii baseball for fans to try. Granted, I already own a Wii, and I absolutely love Wii Sports, but it was still fun to do that at the stadium in front of a bunch of other fans! (For a while, I owned the top score on that particular game) After finally getting our Dodger Dogs and racing to our seats, we saw a nice ceremony with some olympians from the 2008 Beijing games, and all the Dodgers coming out before the game and tossing baseballs into the stands. Very nice gesture, indeed.

Although I didn't get a picture of second base, my favourite moment before the game had to be Jeff Kent's kids coming out on the field with him for possibly the final time, and he looked like he truly enjoyed himself. I do love that before the game, kids get to run out on the field with the nine Dodgers playing on the field.

The game itself wasn't much to get excited about because with the Dodgers having clinched the division already, Joe Torre decided to put Eric Stults out on the mound instead of Greg Maddux against Jake Peavy. Stults decided to quickly give up two runs in the first inning, and the Padres never looked back. (Hey, at least they won't get 100 losses this season)

It was refreshing to see one of my fav Dodgers, Rafael Furcal, back in the starting lineup, and not looking too bad! After that, Jeff Kent made his first start in the lineup, and he actually looked very good at bat. Joe Torre could have some tough decisions ahead in regards to who he leaves out of the playoff roster. Oh, what a problem to have. If you look at it this way, it's better to have too much talent, as opposed to not enough talent. I have confidence in the manager, though. He has been through it all, and has led the Yankees to four championships in the last decade. We'll see how the rosters look after the regular season ends.

The Discontent of Drunken Fans

As a couple of local radio personalities say frequently on a popular sports show, "One word: OY!" As the game drew near to the seventh inning, I began to notice that some of the drunken fans were getting slightly unruly. This is truly one thing that disappoints me about fans at most stadiums: Their drunken stupors that end up resulting in pointless fights and affecting innocent bystanders caught in the crossfires of thrown beer bottles. This was the first time I actually had to call that Dodgers Hotline because some people were hindering other people's enjoyment of the game. That guy got booted very quickly just as he was beginning to curse up a storm and get in other people's faces. Fortunately, nothing terrible happened around where we were sitting. However, as the game dragged on, people in other sections around the park were getting frustrated, and took out their angst on other people. It seemed like every two minutes, a new brawl was starting in a different section... and it got slightly scary when people were throwing stuff from the reserve level and having it land all the way in the field level seats. I have one word for that: Pathetic.

By that point, even the game was getting slightly testy. As the Dodgers made a valiant attempt to make some sort of comeback, their pushes toward the lead were thwarted by the Padres' pitching and defense. Even with Juan Pierre stealing bags, the Dodgers B-team couldn't come back. But it didn't matter!

Celebrate Good Times, C'mon!

After the final out was recorded, it was time to celebrate! The graphics were strewn about the stadium right away, and the team went into the locker room almost right away. After they retreated, Sarah and I decided to go on the other side of the loge and get some pictures when the Dodgers came out of the locker room and partied with the home town folk. Here are the resulting pictures....

What a wonderful day it was! It was a wonderful night, and a good way to end the regular season. As for the final game of the season, how cool is it to see Nomar Garciaparra as acting manager for the final game of the season? I know Joe Torre has made a tradition of making one of the players a manager if his team has already clinched a spot and the final game doesn't matter in the standings. He could have chose any other player, but Nomar was my bet, and I'm loving it! I leave you now with this... onward to the postseason!

Think Blue!
JD

On the Brink...

2008-09-25T09:33:41Z

Magic Number = 1

That's it. One. A Diamondbacks loss or a Dodgers win will secure a party-like atmosphere at Chavez Ravine not seen since the days of Steve Finley and Lima Time. But, it seems different this time. Los Angeles has some decent pitching, and they certainly have the bat power. It seems like there is renewed hope around the stadium that we haven't seen in a while, and I can only come up with one reason why this is.

Manny.

Ever since he made his way to Los Angeles from Boston, it has been like a whole new team. A team that I am excited to watch. He gives the fans a reason to wear those funny-looking wigs with the dreadlocks (I will admit, however, that the Dodgers bandana he wears is pretty cool looking). Heck, he's had more curtain calls in his fifty games as a Dodger than probably all the other Dodger hitters put together this season! That is pretty astounding, isn't it? 53 RBIs already, and he is showing no signs of stopping. Manny is making Dodger fans believe again, and I truly believe that this team could erase some ghosts of playoff past and win more than one game in a playoff series. In fact, I think they could make the World Series. I didn't say they will, I said they could. Think about it.

The Cubs are forever doomed to be cursed... at least until 2015. ;-) (100 points if you get that reference)

The Phillies have had some good offensive power all season long, but their pitching is very suspect. In fact, who would be their #1 starter, or even their #2 starter? The only thing that scares me is Brad Lidge, who hasn't blown a save yet this season. But who knows? His postseason memories of Albert Pujols blasting that home run against the Astros may still haunt him all these years later. (I wonder if he still has nightmares about that?)

The Mets? With Pedro Martinez struggling, and no solid bullpen support with Billy Wagner out, they could easily be swept... assuming they make the playoffs.

Then there is the wild card, the Brewers. I honestly do not know what to expect from them. There are two versions of this team, and you never know which team will show up to the ballpark. Fear C. C. Sabathia.

But this is all looking ahead, of course. Hopefully, the Dodgers can clinch tomorrow, and what a happy day it will be! Again, I'll be at the ballpark early, so I hope to see some fellow MLBloggers there! For now...

Think Blue!
JD

The Hit Parade Has Returned!

2008-09-24T11:14:24Z

Magic Number = 3

Wow, where in the heck did that offensive output come from? Ten runs and fourteen hits?!? After eleven innings of no runs against the Giants on Sunday, my boys from Chavez Ravine pounded out six runs in the first inning, and I deemed the game over after Chad Billingsley laid down that squeeze pay to perfection while scoring a charging Casey Blake from third. That one play could be described in one word: Brilliance.

Yes, I know there were more fine plays than that... but when Chad drove in that sixth run on a squeeze play, all the Padres could do was cower in fear, crowd around the mound, and discuss their dining options for the evening and vacation plans for the following week.

This would happen frequently during the game.

It was really nice to see nearly every Dodger get a hit. As a matter of fact, every Dodger that started got on base at least once (Only Angel Berroa didn't get a hit, but he walked, and that's okay by me). Nomar's home run brought a huge smile to my face because just a few days ago, several fans looked in fear as he jammed his knee rounding third base and having a knee injury that looked far more serious than it actually was. I also know it has been a while since Nomar hit a home run, and what a way to come back with that 422-foot bomb!

I also have to give huge props to my boy, Blake DeWitt for hitting a home run pretty much one minute after I called it. I bet you're asking, "Why would you call a home run right then and there?" I'll tell you, noble reader! Right after Casey Blake hit his second single, I noticed the flags blowing from left to right (almost blowing straight out), and DeWitt could easily hit that ball of twine to right field. As I noticed this, I promptly turned to my friend, Paul, and said, "Look at the flags. It's blowing out a little bit. He's going to hit it out... to right field. If he gets it just right, he could reach the loge, but I think he's going to hit it out to right." About a minute later, he blasts one 403 feet to right field! I nearly called that one perfectly if I hadn't entertained the notion that he may join the short list of Dodgers to hit a home run into the orange loge seats. Regardless, that was a sweet shot!

Blake has a sweet shot, but I still think Manny's stroke is just incredible to watch. Can you believe he got past 50 RBIs as a Dodger tonight with one swing of the bat? 51 RBIs in 49 games. That averages out to more than one run batted in per game. With five games left, Manny only needs three RBIs to average one per game as a Dodger. He's going to be very valuable in the playoffs.

So with the magic number at 3, Los Angeles could clinch the NL West title as early as Thursday evening. Wouldn't it be nice to win the division in front of the home crowd? It could happen! Here are the remaining schedules for Arizona and Los Angeles.

Los Angeles:
-2 vs. San Diego
-3 @ San Francisco

Arizona:
-2 @ St. Louis
-3 vs. Colorado

Max Scherzer (0-3) is pitching against Adam Wainwright (10-3) at New Busch, and Shawn Estes (2-3) is up against Clayton Kershaw (4-5) at the Ravine. Yeah, Wainwright has been incredible, and if he wasn't out for over two months due to injury, he could have a 17 or 18 win season going right now. I hope he has one more good start in him! As for our game, Kershaw has been pretty darn good at home, and I think we will see a win. I would not be surprised if the magic number is reduced to ONE by tomorrow evening, setting up a celebration at Dodger Stadium for Thursday night. Could it happen? Let's hope so!

I'll definitely be there Thursday, and if any of you loyal blog readers happen to be at the stadium and see me, don't be afraid to say hi! I'll be there a few hours early to take it all in, especially since it's the final regular season home game of the season. With that said, I hope to see you at the ballpark. Before I get some rest, I will leave you with this picture of myself and Dodger World Series pitcher, Joe Moeller. (Yes, that's me holding his world series ring from Florida. That thing was HUGE!)

Think Blue!
JD

First Blog

2008-09-21T12:51:31Z

Welcome to the first of what I hope will be many happy entries regarding my life and baseball. More specifically, my Dodgers (or as I've heard many Mexicans call them, "Los Doyers"). While I might be tossing around a few opinions on our great national pasttime, there will be plenty of stories, a few fun anecdotes from past games and ballpark visits, and pictures for all to see. I truly hope you guys enjoy reading the coming entries, and may comment on them, as well!

First off, I should divulge a brief snippet about myself and why I love baseball. I was born and bred in East Los Angeles before moving around a couple times, finally ending up in Ontario, Cali for a few years. Since then, I've loved living in the Inland Empire for most of my life, including going to a few RC Quakes games. I always tried to play a little baseball at school and found that while I didn't have a great bat, I had an excellent glove and exceptional range. Unfortunately, I didn't quite have a glove like Andruw Jones, so I didn't get very far playing the game, but I remained a fan and enjoyed all the pickup games at school.

Of course, growing up in SoCal, you are either a Dodgers fan or an Angels fan. Admittedly, I have a great respect for the Angels and their franchise... but the Dodgers are numero uno in my book, and you'd better believe I bleed Dodger Blue. When I saw my team win the 1988 World Series, I was happy.

However, I really became a fan of the Dodgers (and baseball in general) on Sunday, August 28th, 1991. I bet you're asking yourselves, "Hey JD, how and why did you pinpoint that particular day?" Well, before the game, it was a special day for me. PICTURE DAY! It was the day where you could meet and greet players from the team and take pictures of them, or maybe with them! As a kid, I was very excited for this opportunity. I may have to look for those pictures, but I am certain that I got my picture taken with at least one player from that 1991 Dodger team. But that wasn't the highlight.

The highlight was the game. Our home team played the Montreal Expos. On the bump for Les Expos was a veteran by the name of Dennis "Denny" Martinez. After a few innings, I was sad because my home team was losing and we can't hit the ball at all! As the consecutive outs piled up, it was becoming clear to the fans at Chavez Ravine that something extraordinary was happening. Clear to almost everybody, that is... I was not a happy camper. It was at this time that someone explained to me what exactly was going on. It wasn't until the 8th inning that I actually comprehended what was such a big deal about this...

...Denny Martinez was hurling a perfect game. Only in the 9th inning did I get excited and root for the other team. At least I wasn't alone. I remember as it came down to the final out, nearly everybody was cheering to see this perfect game happen, and it did! Yes, I was witness to a perfect game. That's when I knew that I was a fan of baseball.

Now that I typed all of that out, I will just say this about the current team in honor of Viva Los Dodgers and the fact that it is Mexican Heritage Month.

Go Doyers.

I promise to talk more about the current team on my next post.

Think Blue!
JD