Archives for category: 2024
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Ending on a High Note

November 29, 2024 //
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My sweetie and I revel in victory at the World Series celebration at Dodger Stadium on Friday, Nov. 1.

I will always be grateful for the unbelievable joy and pride that the Dodgers of 2024 — the World Champion Dodgers — gave me in my final year as a Season Ticket Holder.

“What a fucking ride!” as Kiké Hernández might say!

My husband and I have watched Game 5 at least 4 times, and I’d watch it again in a second. It was heart-stopping and thrilling and so satisfying, with heroics from unexpected players and unadulterated joy in the end. What more could you want from baseball?

However, I did not renew my season tickets for 2025. The price hike of nearly 25% seemed extreme to me. But more than that, having to schedule my whole life around the Dodgers’ home games for 8 months out of the year started to feel like a job. I didn’t want to start resenting the claim on my time. I have a lot of editing to do, movies to make, books to write, friends to visit, grandsons to spoil. Going to the games has been awesome, especially this year, but it took precedence over all those things, and I needed to make a break to be able to focus and prioritize. Let’s face it, I’m not getting any younger.

Now, that doesn’t mean I’m done with the Dodgers. I will never be done with the Dodgers. I will watch games on TV and even get tickets from time to time. I will know the standings by heart, blog about games, and take score as often as possible. But it will be on my timetable, not one I feel obligated to follow.

I love the Dodgers. I love baseball. I hope my grandkids learn to love baseball and the Dodgers, too. Finally, I can’t wait until Spring.

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Gibby Who?

October 26, 2024 //
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Freddie Freeman made history with a walkoff Grand Slam, the first in World Series history!

The most unbelievable Game 1 of a World Series ever! Hear that, Kirk Gibson?

First baseman Freddie Freeman — who this season battled a broken finger, a sprained ankle and the life-threatening illness of his little son — hadn’t played in most of the postseason games so far this year. When he did, he practically had to be carried off the field by Mookie Betts! So what does he do? With the bases loaded in the bottom of the 10th inning, he hits it out of the park on the first pitch!

I literally started crying, it was so beautiful!

The roar of the crowd was deafening. The feeling of triumph was overwhelming. It was a moment that will live forever in the minds and hearts of Dodger fans everywhere.

I didn’t take score for most of the games this postseason. Too crowded, plus I wanted to roam and see folks around the stadium. But yesterday, right before we left to walk up the Ravine, I decided, “It’s the freaking World Series, Dodgers vs. Yankees! Of course I have to keep score!”

I’m so glad I did.

We go again tonight, but it will be difficult to top Game 1 — for intensity, exhilaration and satisfaction! History isn’t made every day.

MY SCORECARDS
WORLD SERIES Game 1: Dodgers 6-Yankees 3

Side note: Very sad about Fernando Valenzuela. He was so young, just 63. The Dodgers are honoring him and his contribution to baseball at the World Series and next season with a patch on their uniforms. Simply “34.”

Sure, he’s happy now, but you should have heard him complaining about the Dodgers all through the game. “The pitching sucks!” “They can’t bring guys home!” “They’ve got Ohtani’s number!” OMG! It’s hard to take. But then again, maybe his negativity was the right energy to engender tonight’s miracle? Who knows? (I still think it’s my earrings.)
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Blue Heaven

October 7, 2024 //
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My former seat neighbor Liz Kim and I in Blue Heaven before Game 1 of the NLDS.

Despite a poor start by Yoshinobu Yamamoto on Sat., Oct. 5, the Dodgers managed to eke out the crucial Game 1 win, 7-5, over the really quite repulsive San Diego Padres. (I won’t even start with Manny Machado‘s innate ugliness, but Fernando Tatis Jr.s’ 3rd base twirl after hitting home runs is grossly arrogant.)

Sadly, said Padres responded by spanking us, 10-2, the next day to even the NLDS series at 1-1.

It’s really hard to play baseball without starting pitchers.

Defense has generally been superb. Our hitting in Game 1 did the job, including a 3-run homer that was Shohei Ohtani‘s first ever postseason hit. And our bullpen shone bright in Game 1.

Game 2 was a different story altogether. The Dodger bats were dead against San Diego starter Yu Darvish. Our starter, Jack Flaherty, was shaky at best, and our bullpen SUCKED!

I have to keep hoping some miracle will turn Game 3 starter Walker Buehler into Greg Maddux at his prime. And Landon Knack in Game 4? I have no idea what to expect. Sometimes he’s great, other times he has to be bailed out by the bullpen.

We just have to hope Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Max Muncy, Will Smith and Teoscar Hernandez can remember how to hit.

NLDS GAME 1: Dodgers 7 – Padres 2
NLDS Game 2: Padres 10 – Dodgers 2

Side note: I was lucky enough to meet the official MLB scorekeeper for the Dodgers, Ed Munson, and we discussed the scoreboard situation. He said they knew they had a problem, because the pitch counts were often wrong, but they didn’t know how they got that way. He said the scoreboard operator was someone new this year. So I told him about the fourth-ball in a walk being counted as a strike, and he said he’d see what he could do about it. Thank you, Ed!

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