Thursday, March 31, 2011

Opening Day....


I've been so excited all day long!! Completely distracted and barely able to focus... I woke up with a flutter... IS it Christmas? Is it a National Holiday? No!! It's better than all of that!! It's opening day!! The one day a year where all teams are in first place :) It's a new year... A new season.. A time when anything can happen and anything usually does...
I'm currently at home with my Dad & my Grandma... Three generations of irrational Dodger fans watching the game... We're in the bottom of the 7th in the middle of an epic pitching duel. I wouldn't expect anything less from Clayton Kershaw, our young ace and Tim Lincecum... The freak with the hair...
Some defensive mishaps have caused my heart to race & listening to the announcers talk about the drama of our ownership & the Dodgers being in financial straights is giving me anxiety... How can the Los Angeles Dodgers be in financial arrears? How is that even possible with one of the most lucrative clubs in all of baseball? Greed!!! It's time for Frank McCourt to do the right thing and sell this team. Ownership issues trickle down to the clubhouse & while we may tell ourselves different, we know it's true...
The sun is setting over Chavez Ravine & I wish I was there.... Going into the top of the 8th.. Kershaw is done leaving a 1 run lead for Kuo...
Can we do it???
Not throwing 4 straight balls like Kuo just did... Late inning walks will kill ya every time.
In the bottom of the 8th Kemp draws a walk, getting on base for the 4th time.. Steals second like the Matt Kemp I know & love... Big James hits a double & now we've got a little bit more insurance against the dreaded Giants...
Big JB comes in to try & shut the lights out here... Nice play by Loney for out number 1...
96 pitches... 9 strikeouts & 1 walk for young Kersh.... The young ace gets the win!!
Ball Game!!!!
I'll take it!!!Man alive!!! What a nail biter this one was!!! This is what baseball is all about.. Rapid heart rates, good base running solid hits...
Opening Day... Way to open the season... On a win... Against the Giants...
I know that we're not going 162-0, but work out some of these kinks & we've got ourselves a season!!!

I can't imagine anything sweeter :)

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Getting Closer...




As opening day draws near... I can't help but be excited. Right now my Dodgers look like a ragtag bunch of misfits... and oddly, I'm okay with that. Starting the season with a bench clearing brawl (Thank you San Diego... Stay Classy), some injuries and much to my chagrin, no Jeff Weaver.
There's folks who hate Jeff Weaver as much as I love him, but I can't help it. The guy is all heart, he's got the soul of a gamer and gnarly attitude and I flip out every time I see him step on the bump.
I'm an emotional and often times irrational Dodger fan. I don't think about the business side of the game, I'm heartbroken when my favorite guys leave Blue Heaven for greener pastures.. Eric Karros, Paul LoDuca (dumbest trade ever) and Shawn Green. I have no interest in the business side of things and while I'm happy about free agency because it gave players the control of their careers, what started as a good intention has turned into a travesty.
These guys get to play baseball for a living!! I can't imagine anything better!!
Gimem a day dreamer in right who comes through in the clutch and hits the long ball...
Gimme a middle reliever with a snarl on his face and a frik ton of movement on his pitches...
Gimme a closer with ice water in his veins...
It's time... We're ready....
Let's go Dodger Blue!!!!

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Big League Weekend




Every Spring in Las Vegas, we have Big League Weekend, when a few big league ball clubs invade our fair city and play a split squad Spring Training game. It's a fun chance to see major league ball players for a few innings as well as getting a gander at the future :) Last year, my Dodgers got smoked by the Reds... I think Joey Vatto hit a grand slam or something crazy & it was an awful windy & cold night.
This year's was a much better experience,! I didn't get to see my two favorite guys, Dre was in AZ battling against the White Sox & Casey Blake was hurt, but it was a fun day nonetheless.. Any day at ANY ball park is a great day. Except that we lost.
We lost to the Cubs in 10 innings. I watched Matt Kemp strike out with the bases loaded and got hammed up at 2nd base... Maybe my fears about bad baserunning are legit...
I know Spring Training is NOT ABOUT WINNING... I know that in my head, but in my baseball beating heart.. it's a different story altogether..
Dee Gordon was looking good at short and Raffy was dirty by the second inning, which is just the way that I want him to be...
Big James Loney looks great as first & I think we saw just about every pitching prospect that we have in the Dodgers organization... All in all it was a gorgeous day, and got me even more pumped for the regular season.
Baseball is baseball, I love it any time & any where... But Big League Weekend.. it ain't nothin like the real thing!

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Back To Basics..


I started writing this blog because I love baseball... And over the last few months I've gotten away from that.. well,.. Well because there hasn't been baseball to write about.. I've been super focused on football and boys and haven't paid much attention in the off season to the one sport that I hold most dear to my heart.. Baseball..
I have a running bet with a friend of mine that if the Dodgers are over .500 at the All Star Break, he'll take me to lunch/dinner.. The same rule applies if my boys have a winning season. I have nothing but faith that I'll have two tasty meals in my belly courtesy of said friend :)
Spring training is well underway and my beloved boys in blue sit at .500. With two wins coming VIA Clayton Kershaw & John Ely.. Both kids.. all heart. Nothing makes me happier than this time of year & for some reason that I have yet to put my finger on, I'm more pumped about this season than I have been in seasons past...
Maybe it's because I feel something different.. A new skipper.. Donnie Baseball seems to have a great rapport with the team. Matt Kemp and Rhi Rhi broke up, so I'm hoping that he remembers how to run bases this year & Dre is all shined up completely healed from his freak finger injury that ailed him last season... Hopefully, their terrible owners will do what's right & sell the team.. Mark Cuban anyone? But more than that, I hope my guys can leave all that crap in the front office where it belongs.
Before the first pitch is thrown the umpire shouts Play Ball.. Not Work Ball.. So let's go!!! Sit in the sunshine, enjoy a Dodger Dog.. Spit seeds and delight in the wonderful drama that is baseball..
Go Dodgers!!!!