Opening Series Against Padres - Opening Day Festivities, Game Give Aways and Other Stuff! UPDATED!

Opening Day!  The first homestand of the season begins with the San Diego Padres on Monday.  Please remember that there are tailgating restrictions in place around Dodger Stadium for Opening Day.  Neighborhoods in the Echo Park and Solana Canyon areas will have two-hour parking and there will be no parking in the "Avenue of the Palms" area of Elysian Park.  You should expect the LAPD to be out in force.  So, please be safe and don't be stupid.  Go here for more information.

Matt Kemp will be in town for the first time since being traded over the winter.  All I can say is please don't boo him.  He was a great Dodger and deserves our respect.

Below are various odds and ends for this upcoming homestand.  So far I only have detailed information for Opening Day.  As soon as more information is made available for the following two games I will updated this post with that data.  So, be sure to check back here for those updates. BTW, there are no scheduled autograph guest on Opening Day.

(New foods, pic via Jon Weisman)

There are a bunch of new foods and concessions to discover at Dodger Stadium.  Jon Weisman at Dodger Insider has a bunch of information here and here.  New foods include:

• Lasorda’s Meatball Marinara Specialty Fries (Tommy Lasorda’s Trattoria)
• Lasorda’s Meatball Marinara Cone (Tommy Lasorda’s Trattoria)
• La Taqueria’s Carne Asada Specialty Fries (Field and Reserve levels)
• Breaded Chicken Sandwich and Tenders (Field and Reserve levels)
• Fried Dodger Dogs at Extreme Loaded Dogs location on Field level (Aisle 48)

Go here for Dodger Stadium Express Union Station and Dodger Stadium Express South Bay services here.  Also, there will be metal detectors at entrances into the stadium.  Only bags with dimensions that comply with the MLB standard of 16”x16”x8” will be allowed in. 

Video Link:

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Monday, April 6th at 1:10 PM
RHP James Shields vs. LHP Clayton Kershaw

Monday's game starts at 1:10 PM.  Auto gates open at 10:00 AM, and stadium gates open at 10:00 AM. This game is sold out.  The first 40,000 fans in attendance will receive a Dodgers 2015 magnet schedule.

There will be live music throughout the stadium from 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM.  DJ Lady Shawill be in the left-field reserve level, The Trip in the right-field reserve level, Angel City Dixieland Band will play throughout the reserve level and The Blue Agave, a mariachi act, and DJ Adam will provide entertainment in the right-field plaza. A magician will also provide entertainment in the left field plaza. The Budweiser Clydesdales will make a special appearance at 12:30 PM. Fans can visit the iconic Clydesdales in Dodger Stadium’s parking lots.

Dodger in-game hosts will be joined by George Lopez and Mary Hart. RCA recording artist and L.A. native Tinashe will present a pregame concert at 12:25 PM. She will perform her Billboard Hot 100 hit “2 On” and her current single “All Hands On Deck.”

Tinashe will also perform the national anthem. Representatives from the U.S. Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force will present our nation’s colors. Members of the U.S. Armed Forces will unfurl a giant flag, a display in the shape of the United States, in center field.

The U.S. Navy will conduct a flyover with two Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet Fighter Jets. The flyover will be conducted by VFA-122, a Fleet Replacement Squadron based at Naval Air Station in Lemoore. The Super Hornet is the U.S. Navy’s premiere aircraft carrier-based fighter attack platform which features both a F/A-18 E single seat and F/A-18 F dual seat variant of the Super Hornet.

• For the fifth consecutive season, the Dodgers will pay tribute to the men and women of our nation’s Armed Forces by honoring a “Military Hero of the Game.” Opening Day’s veteran of the game is U.S. Air Force Staff Senior Airman Stephen D. Hudson Jr., the winner of the Dodgers’ annual Veterans Day Batting Practice Day hitting contest. Hudson, a Rialto native, was deployed to Kuwait in 2011 and received an Army Achievement Medal for his deployment. He is currently stationed at Edwards Air Force Base. 
• The Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation conducts silent auctions featuring more than 25 signed pieces of memorabilia from Dodger players. Auctions will take place behind the Vin Scully Press Box on the Club level. The items up for auction on Opening Day include an Adrian Gonzalez autographed photo, Yasiel Puig autographed baseball and Clayton Kershaw autographed Dodger jersey. The auction will end at 2:45 p.m.

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Tuesday, April 7th at 7:10 PM
RHP Tyson Ross vs. RHP Zack Greinke

Tonight's game starts at 7:10 PM.  Auto gates open at 4:30 PM, and stadium gates open at 5:00 PM.

Indy 500 Car champion Ryan Hunter Reay will throw the ceremonial first pitch tomorrow and Elena Sogard, former Dodger Steve Sax’s niece, will perform the national anthem.

It appears that the Dodgers have decided to forgo the free autograph sessions they had last season and replaced it with photo opportunities for fans.  For Tuesday's game, Dodger great Orel Hershiser will take photos with fans from 6:45 PM to 7:10 PM in the Time Warner Cable left-field pavilion as part of SportsNet LA’s activation (I don't know what activation means since 70% of the Southland still can't watch games.  But I digress.).  Obviously, that's not a very long time period, so you will probably need to get their early and wait in line; with the understanding that not everyone can get a photo.  Also, I doubt autographs will be allowed due to the short amount of time available.

• The Military Hero of the Game is U.S. Navy Petty Officer First Class Alejandro Salazar of Oxnard. Salazar served in Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003 while assigned to the 1st Tank Battalion. He served aboard the USS John C. Stennis (CVN-74) and was deployed to 7th Fleet AOR. Salazar is currently stationed with Naval Mobile Construction Battalion Three in Port Hueneme.

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 Wednesday, April 8th at 7:10 PM
RHP Andrew Cashner vs. LHP Brandon McCarthy

Tonight's game starts at 7:10 PM.  Auto gates open at 4:30 PM, and stadium gates open at 5:00 PM.  Tonight is the second give-away of the season.  The first 40,000 fans will receive an Adult Replica Batting Practice Pullover Jacket.  Check out a photo of it on the right.

The recently retired American soccer great and former Galaxy forward Landon Donovan, a longtime Dodger fan, who will throw the ceremonial first pitch.  Interscope recording artist Jasmin V will perform the national anthem.

Nomar Garciaparra is scheduled to take photos with fans from 6:45 PM to 7:10 PM in the Time Warner Cable left-field pavilion as part of SportsNet LA’s activation. 

• The Military Hero of the Game is U.S. Army Specialist Steven Hardy of Fresno. Hardy served in Operation Nimbus I and II, assisting the Border Patrol in Arizona and is currently stationed at the Army Reserves in Fresno.
• The Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation (LADF) conducts silent auctions throughout the season featuring more than 25 signed pieces of memorabilia from Dodger players, coaches and alumni. Auctions will take place behind the Vin Scully Press Box on the Club level. The items up for auction on Wednesday include a Joc Pederson autographed photo, Howie Kendrick autographed baseball and Zack Greinke autographed Dodger jersey. The auction will end at 8:45 p.m.

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