Dodgers Blogger Night- a Brief Recap

This past Friday the Dodgers hosted their 5th Annual Dodgers Blogger Night in a suite at Dodger Stadium.  Go here to see my past reports from the four previous Blogger Nights.

Check out what other bloggers had to write about the evening here: Sons of Steve Garvey;  Think Blue LA; Dodgers Nation, and Dodger Dugout.  It was great to see everyone there, and it was especially nice to see Roberto of Vin Scully is My Homeboy running around.  He is doing just fine.

--------------------

It was a strangely muggy afternoon as the entire Southland was drenched from the previous evenings showers.  Thankfully, the clouds soon dissipated as the first game of the second half would go on without a hitch. 

I arrived there extremely early- figuring I'd leave work a little early to beat Fridays traffic.

The stadium was practically empty.  Fans were not yet allowed into the stadium, or in the parking lot.  I was able to drive right up to the guard shack, head to the Top Deck parking area, retrieve my ticket from PR, and turned the corner to gaze at the Dodger field.  The team was in the midst of their batting practice, so I had to take a quick pic to share with all of you.  See it above.

From there, I went straight to the suite to check out the digs.  Below is our view from the Stadium Suite, as well as, a pic of the interior and a closeup of one of the photos in the room.  Unfortunately, most of my other photos of the suite didn't come out too well.

The above snowman photo highlights a snow-out for a season opening game at Ebbets Field.  Since I had time to kill, I figured I would walk the halls and take some pics of the photos hanging on the wall.  See them below.  Click any pic to embiggen.

I do not recall the captions to the photos.  Above left, the Dodgers are seen playing at the Coliseum.  Above right is a view of the stands at Ebbets Field.

Then, the evenings events got underway.  First, the Dodgers shared a early peek at several upcoming bobbleheads.  Check out the Kirk Gobson, Sandy Koufax and Vin Scully dolls below.  The Scully is especially nice.  In the background you can see the Dodger caps that will be given away, as well.

Ned Colletti came in first and briefly discussed some of the players and the team.  There wasn't a lot shared, but there were some nice nuggets.  Colletti confirmed that there was a deal to get Sabathia, but that it fell through due to what he hinted were financial issues. He was also a bit negative on the Uribe experiment.  I think his lack of production has finally wore thin. 

Stan Kasten was probably the best part of the whole evening.  He is an enthusiastic speaker.  It's obvious he has the passion, and one only hopes that translates in to wins.  Be sure to check out the video from Nomo at Sons of Steve Garvey to see the opening exchange with Kasten on video.

Kasten spoke mostly about the the fan experience. He tossed out ideas like better wifi, cell reception, a Dodgers museum, kids zone, etc.  Kasten also emphasized that there are currently no plans to redevelop the stadium for retail or dining.  The focus appears to be on in-game/ in-stadium entertainment.  For much better reviews of some specific topics discussed please check out what Robert at Dodger Dugout ; Jordon at Dodgers Nation,and Ron at Think Blue LA have written.  They go into great depth on a whole range of topics.

Overall, it was a fun evening to meet with other bloggers and hear from some of the Dodgers brass.  A big thank you to the Dodgers PR group for putting this whole thing together.  They treated us like kings, and I got fat on several helpings of Dodger Dogs, Coca Cola, chicken wings and a wonderfully perfect pasta salad with blue cheese and bacon.  Bacon!!  You can never go wrong with bacon.

What Happened Last Night?!

Wasn't that 9th inning last night like a nightmare?  It's so classic of the Dodgers to lose that way.  It's like Uncle Robbie's Daffiness Boys had taken over the field.  Watch it all again below.


Video Link:

Dodgers Open Workout - Christian Signs Dee's Cast

This past Thursday, during the All-Star game break, the Dodgers held a open workout for season ticket holders.  It was a early evening affair as the entire team came out onto the field for practice.  As you can see, there were plenty of Dodgers fans there.

The above pic comes from Reddit.  The original poster, Frustrate (what an apt name for a Dodger fan), describes the scene as awkward "backwards flail running".  Then, Frustrate follows up by saying,

"Ya, they all came over at different times to sign. Kasten spoke for a while, as did Mattingly, and we booed a cameraman from KTTV who wore a Giants hat. All around good time."

Sounds like a great time.  Even with the weather being unusual, I'm sure everyone in attendance doesn't regret going. 

Below are more pics of the event passed along by Blue Heaven reader Cathy.  She is Christian's Mother who I had previously featured in a story a month ago.  (See that post here.)

Above, Don Mattingly speaks to the fans on hand.  Below, several Dodger players congregate in the dugout before stepping on the field.

Best yet, Christian ran into Dee Gordon.  As you know, Dee recently had surgery, so he was sporting a new cast in need of some decorating.  Naturally, a precocious tyke like Christian was more than happy to help.   He gave Dee Gordon his John Hancock.

How cool is that!