My First Trip to Dodger Stadium

[Nationals 4, Dodgers 2]

[Los Angeles Times] [MLB.com Highlights]

I have waited so long to see this park in person, my entire life in fact. I have waited so long to write this post on this blog. I finally saw the Splendid Lady as I call Dodger Stadium on my first full day in Los Angeles. The thing is; when you finally see her, you never know how many runs she will surrender your first trip there. And on this night, there were six runs scored. There was one lone home run by Anthony Rendon to open scoring. And the Dodgers tried to mount several rallies but couldn’t from there.

We ended up in section 306 in the Right Field Pavilion which was in an ‘all you can eat’ section. This meant all you can eat Dodger Dogs. Here are my first two Farmer John Dodger Dogs of my lifetime. I ended the night on just three. The kid in front of me who was skinny I believe went for nine. He was a savage.

Extra onions, mustard, ketchup on my Dodger Dog. I got three steamed ones. My wife lucked out and got one grilled one. Nothing could be done to get me a grilled Dodger Dog.

Here’s my official ticket stub.

My first look at the park from where we parked our rental car. It took us about an hour of driving on the I-405, which I did like a champion. Man, it’s really something else and adds to the experience weaving, cutting, and sitting on the 405 to get to the reward which is Chavez Ravine.

My first real look at Dodger Stadium.

What I saw when I was entering the entrance gate.

Once I entered, a cool little nugget I saw, and I remember this home run somewhat from when Mike Piazza knocked it out when I was a kid.

I really love the LA Times. This is just to your left as you enter the ballpark.

We tried out Tommy Lasorda’s Trattoria even though it was expensive and probably overrated. Here’s what we ate:

Thought that these Dodgers championship rings were a really cool item to have around the ballpark.

Extra special meaning to this one obviously. This was the last time the Dodgers were in the World Series. It’s hard to believe it’s been this long.

One of my favorite shots that I took all night long, with the Seager boy in the bottom right hand corner and view of the Palm Tree there to the right.

One of the most beautiful places on earth.

Indeed, Blue Heaven on Earth.

Tommy Lasorda bobblehead, and some girls doing commentary there about an hour before the game started.

This firefighter lost his life serving Los Angeles earlier in the day.

Just a look at the late-arriving crowd from my seats in right field.

Corey Seager next to Franklin Gutierrez during the National Anthem.

A closer look at Seager and Gutierrez (Gutierrez hit clean-up on this night) and went 0-4 with an RBI.

Whatever you’re thinking about here, you’re going to get three hits in this game. You’re going to make an incredible play with your glove. My favorite player didn’t sting one out of the park on my first night seeing him live, but he had a great game going 3 for 4. You played the game well on my first night to Dodger Stadium.

Ryan Zimmerman, Daniel Murphy, Anthony Rendon, and ? During the National Anthem.

Game was broadcast nationally on ESPN; and I had several friends text me who were watching it live back home.

Just a look at the upper deck beauty of Dodger Stadium.

Fateful 1988.

Yasiel Puig warming up in right field before the first inning.

This shot just says California baseball to me. How beautiful. It’s like a damn postcard.

Corey Seager during pregame warm-ups.

The double play combination of Corey Seager and Chris Taylor, getting warm before the top of the first inning.

Hyun-Jin Ryu warming up for his first inning of work. He wasn’t ‘bad’ per say, but I cold have drawn better guys to see pitch my first trip to Chavez Ravine.

I am pretty sure I was sitting in fateful section 306 where the Kirk Gibson homer landed in 1988. This wasn’t by design, but I thought it was pretty cool. I thought that this was going to be the rowdy section, but came to find out it was more family oriented and told by a ballpark attendant that it is left field that is the wild section in the park.

Another look at 306 and the sweet roofing thing that lines the top of the outfield around Dodger Stadium.

Bryce Harper digging in for his first at-bat.

Harper went 1 for 4 with an RBI last night.

This was just great camera work by me here.

Logan Forsythe! So, via my buddy; we are actually sitting in Forsythe’s seats tomorrow for Clayton Kershaw-Stephen Strasburg! For this, I am eternally grateful to Logan.

Corey Seager digging in for at-bat number one. Look who is in the background there. More on this in a moment.

Seager looks ready, with his agent watching. He pulled his average up to .280 by night’s end.

This was one of the coolest shots I got on the night. It was Corey Seager’s first knock. I saw him get career hits number 282, 283, and 284 was a line drive double into the right-center gap. He looked good at the plate last night.

Seager on first after his first knock of the night.

Here’s Ryan Zimmerman, stepping in at the moment as the league leader in batting average around a .372 clip. Yeah, nothing abnormal about that is there?

That sure as Hell is Super Agent Scott Boras. And I spotted him on my own.

More California baseball. I’m going to have to continue this in a second post to get all of the images in.