I love baseball. It IS the American past-time!! Some day I would like to visit all the major league fields. But for now, I relish in Dodger Stadium. We usually have beautiful weather – and somehow when you’re at a game — you feel like you are participating in an outdoor sport. Maybe it’s because there is always so much walking from your car to your seat!!
I hope you enjoy my video of Dodger Opening Day 2008. It was a very special time – celebrating 50 years of Dogers at Chevez Ravine.
See the fly-over on the screen! That always gives chills. They did a ‘Field of Dreams’ type of thing, with players from the past coming on to the field one at a time. First Duke Snider, wearing his Brooklyn Jersey. He walked from behind Center Field, onto the field, and stopped, all alone – in the middle of Center Field. The fans went wild. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house. Duke was home.
Then came Don Newcome from right field, the last link to Jackie Robinson; Steve Sax to 2nd base, Maurey Wills – best known for his stolen bases took his place at short stop, from right field came Steve Finley who hit a grand slam to win the division title; and Bill Russell who played more games than any other Dodger; Eric Karros, Jimmy Campanis, Don Miles – only played 8 games in 1958; Wes Parker, Wally Moon, Jim Gentile, Dick Gray, Ron Cey, Roger Craig, Rick Monday, “Sweet” Lou Johnson, Steve Yeager, Steve Garvey, Tommy Daves.
Fernando Valenzuela received one of the largest cheers. He was one of the two that were not in their Dodger Uniforms. He was working, being the announcer for Spanish broadcasts. And, of course, Tommy Lasorda, who entered from the bull pen and walked slowly all the way to the mound. He seemed to relish in the tumultuous cheers.
As the last player was announced, the entire current Dodger team flooded on to the field to join the old timers. The LA Times reported that they said it was chilling to be sharing the field with such greats!
And what Dodger event would be complete without Vin Scully, who through his microphone reminded those gathered “Gentlemen, there are three stages of life. Youth, maturity and ‘You’re looking wonderful’. You are all looking wonderful today.”
Sandy Kofax didn’t want to throw the ceremonial pitch out all alone. so there were three: Sandy, Carl Erskine, and Don Newcomb. The catchers were Javier Herrera, Lasorda and Joe Torre. (Herrera is a Dodger bat boy who, with no one else available, stepped into the same row, and same sentence, as Lasorda and Torre.) “Someone told me to grab a glove …it was amazing.”
I’ll be there again this year – April 13 is the date!
In the meantime — Go Dodgers!!
Click here to see my Video: Dodger Opening Day 2008
(The TraVerus promo begins around 4 minutes)
Tags: Baseball Opening, Chavez Ravine, Dodgers, Field of Dreams, Opening Ceremony
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