Dodger Stadium

Only two Major League ballparks⸺Fenway Park and Wrigley Field⸺are older than Dodger Stadium. To be sure, both of these ballparks have Dodger Stadium beat by nearly fifty years, but it is still the oldest park west of the Mississippi. It is the largest baseball stadium in the world by seat capacity. Not too shabby. 

When the Dodgers came from Brooklyn in 1958, they spent their first four seasons in the Los Angeles Coliseum while their new stadium was being built. During the construction phase several residents were pressured to relocate. Tops of ridges were trimmed down, ravines filled, millions of cubic yards of dirt moved, and an entire elementary school was simply buried rather than demolished. (It currently sits beneath the pavement of the parking lot on the third base side.) The first season of Dodger Stadium saw a MLB attendance record of 2,755,184 fans. 

As a teenager I was not a Dodger fan. But that was only because they weren't the Braves. I did, however, have respect for them. They always seemed to be good. Back then their superstars were Pedro Guerrero, Steve Sax, Orel Hershiser and Fernando Valenzuela. And, of course, who could forget manager, Tommy Lasorda? 

Decades have passed and my heart has softened. For years now I have wanted to watch a game at Dodger Stadium and today was my lucky day. We had seats directly behind home plate . . . and in the nose-bleed section! Yes, it was a long walk to the upper deck, but we had a wonderful view of the whole field and San Gabriel Mountains. 

Being an hour early we decided to get our food while the crowds were still filing in. For $7.99 I ordered the famous Dodger Dog. There was nothing special about it except that it was about ten inches long. It wasn't even thicker than normal. I decorated mine with the standard ketchup, mustard, relish and onions. The banger came when we tallied the total of food with drinks for five people: a whopping $88!!! —I've never spent near that much on concessions. 

The Dodger Dog.

Many decks of Dodger Stadium.

I don't believe the game was sold out, but it was close. The Dodgers are always a favorite and it helps that they seem to be perennially good. This was also the “Freeway Series” against cross-town rivals Los Angeles Angels. 

There was an excitement in the air. Not only could I feel it, but I believe most of the 50,000 people there could also. For me it was the opportunity to see someone who was becoming a legend. It was like going to the ballpark and watching Willie Mays or Micky Mantle. Today we would be able to see in-person, Shohei Ohtani. 

I will admit that over the last three decades, I have not followed baseball like I used to. But Shohei Ohtani might help change that. He started his career in Japan and later made his way to the United States and the Major Leagues. He both bats and pitches, and is very good at both—a rarity in professional baseball. Comparisons have been made between him and Babe Ruth. This evening at the game there were thousands of fans with Dodger jerseys and “Ohtani 17” on the back. He was by far the most popular player in the stadium. 

Shohei Ohtani on deck.

One of many who wore a Shohei Ohtani jersey.

Angels dugout.

As the game progressed, not only was I mindful of current players, but also of the legends who once played in this stadium. As I strolled the walkway between levels I saw murals on the walls of Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale. 

I remember my dad talking about Sandy Koufax when I was younger. Kofax played when the Dodgers moved from Brooklyn to Los Angeles. Even though he only competed twelve years in the Major Leagues, he is still considered one of the greatest pitchers of all time. He won the Cy Young Award three times and the National League Most Valuable Player once. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on his first year of eligibility. 

Mural of Don Drysdale.

Beyond the outer doors of the upper deck gift shop is a beautiful view of the Los Angeles skyline. As the crow flies the stadium is just over a mile from downtown. (As I stepped into the plaza I didn't realize I had technically exited the stadium and it was a minor hassle to get back in.) 

Other than the view, the other thing that drew me to this plaza were the memorials for retired Dodger numbers. Each number bore a summery of that person's career. As far as I could tell, they all played in Los Angeles, and many also in Brooklyn. They included Gil Hodges, Duke Snider, Pee Wee Reese, and #42, Jackie Robinson. 

Memorial for Gil Hodges in the Retired Numbers Plaza.

View of Los Angeles from the Retired Numbers Plaza.  Memorial for Jackie Robinson partially visible.

A look from right field.

The evening was perfect, not a cloud in sight. After an hour the sun went down and lights came on. The crowd was enthusiastic, especially every time Ohtani came to bat. For the night he went 1 for 4, with a walk and a solid home run. In the end, the Dodgers won convincingly, 7-2. 

On our way out we were able to exit through the Retired Numbers Plaza. The view over Los Angeles was spectacular, now with all the skyscrapers lit up. 

The only negative of the night was that pesky L.A. traffic. It took us an hour to get out of the parking lot, and at least half of that we were at a complete stand-still! ♠

 

From Dodger Stadium looking toward Santa Monica.