Dodger game

I was able to attend the Rockies vs the Dodger at Chavez Ravine, today. Because no one else was available (at least that I knew of or remembered to ask), and I had some time off and had not watched a game for a while, I decided to go anyways.

Ever since Gibson's limping pinch-hit home run to lift the light-hitting Dodgers to a famous 1988 World Series victory over the power-amped Oakland A's, I've waited for a special Dodger team to once again put together that special something. Dodger stadium has always been a special place since that year - but then I lived in Portland, not in the Los Angeles area.

It was so cool to hear Vin Scully's voice greet you even if it was about what you can bring in to the stadium. I know one day the stadium will likely be destroyed in order to make way for something new and 'better' so it is nice to savor the environs every once in a while.

It was a picture perfect day. Temp in the mid-70's, a light west to east breeze and a a seat behind home plate in the shaded section. I couldn't ask for anything more (a closer seat was more than I was willing to spend). Had some nachos and a dodger dog and waited for Chad Billingsley, a good young pitcher, to try for a perfect 3-0 record.

I fell asleep in the top of the sixth!!!!!!!
Either I'm getting old or I'm starting to see the triviality of the professional sports scene.

You see, before the game, there was a meet and greet with the players on the turf inside the stadium. Everyone was here to meet their heroes...their gods. Everyone paying money to seat in seats to hopefully participate in a vicarious victory 'for themselves'. In the end everyone lost 3 hours (sorry this is LA - some lost only about an hour) of their lives, some hard earned money and gained a few pounds for a little hard ball, overpaid players, and superficial bonhomie.

In the end I was extremely bored and imitated the type of LA sports fan I used to abhor - the ones that left early. I packed it in in the middle of the seventh.

Did I get a few thrills from Manny's two solo shots and Ethier's 3-run homer? Sure. But, that feeling of vicarious victory didn't last one hour. Maybe better to occasionally check the score on TV or online.

Still, it takes an occasional visit to the ballpark to remind me of the superficiality of these things and put my idols where they belong - way in the background of my mind.