Weekend Wrap-up #2

I've been down in Southern California for seven months now, and, to be honest with all of you, there have been times when it has been tough. I miss my family and dog back in Oregon, my friends that are there, and some of the aspects of my past life. However, these past two weekends have made things a lot easier. I have something going on and each one of these weekends has been an adventure. For the first time since I have been here, I have been excited for an activity that is spread out over an extended period of time. To think that I get to do this for an entire baseball season is just awesome.

Let's start on Saturday with the 66ers game. I had to work literally up to 6pm, so by the time I got to the ballpark and dressed in my non-work garb, it was almost 6:30. I was really looking forward to getting a Mike Trout Bobblehead, but they were long gone when I got there, even at the Season Ticket Holder entrance. While disappointed not to get one, it was pretty cool to see such a large crowd come out to the ballpark and watch the game.

If there is a downside to having my season tickets, it is that my solitary seat is usually filled by other fans. Last week a family was on both sides of me, and this week a disabled man had unknowingly sat in my front-row seat on the railing. It makes me a little mad when I walk in to the ballpark and see this, but I have adapted and moved around the park to a different seat. It gives me an opportunity to see the game from multiple viewpoints.

I saw the 66ers lose for the first time this season as they fell to the Stockton Ports 3-1. The neat thing was seeing the Ports first baseman, and former Oregon Baseball standout, Ryon Healy hit a home run. To think that Oregon Baseball, which has been around for only four seasons, is now producing pro prospects that are having some successes makes me proud to be an Oregon alum.

Sunday marked my first of five scheduled trips into LA to see the Dodgers play. I don't have season tickets to the Dodgers, but after this trip, I may consider a "mini-mini" plan for next season. What I had planned went great and, aside from a few logistical issues, I am so stoked to do it again.

I put my bike on the Metrolink train at around 10am. It's about a 90 minute ride into downtown LA, and I read my book and actually took a little nap while en route. I really can't think of a better way of getting into LA.

When planning, I figured that riding up to Dodger Stadium would take me an hour. I've done it before, and the hill heading up Elysian Park Ave. to the stadium is brutal. Maybe it is because I'm getting in better shape, but I climbed the hill with no problems. It was tough, sure, but I treat it like a workout. In all, it took me 15 minutes to ride from Union Station to Dodger Stadium. Considering the traffic jams I zoomed past while biking (yes, even up the hill), it was quicker to ride my bike back-and-forth from downtown to the ballpark than driving. And, just like in Anaheim, I didn't have to pay to park (saving $15) and I locked my bike up to bike racks right next to the main gate.

The first time I went to Dodger Stadium, I was a little disappointed. There were a lot of gang members, it was hot, the seats were too far away, and I hated not being able to tour the park. Well, this experience was monumentally better. I had seat in the top deck which allowed me to move along that concourse, which had a lot more stuff going on. I've really come to enjoy the nosebleed seats during the Sunday day games because more families come out and I didn't see one questionable character in the seat. What really floored me was just how nice the gameday staff were. The ushers, concession people, police officers were so pleasant. Maybe my previous visit was just a "wrong-place, wrong-time" scenario, but I'm excited to go back.

The game started as a pitchers duel between Josh Beckett of the Dodgers and Josh Collmenster of the DBacks. In the sixth inning, the Dodgers got to Collmenster. Carl Crawford hit an rbi triple that plated Dee Gordon for the first run. Then, with Crawford on third, the DBacks intentionally walked Adrian Gonzalez...to pitch to Yasiel Puig. Then, with two runners on, Puig uncorked a three-run bomb over the left field wall. I had to laugh a little at how the DBacks strategy failed to play out. The Dodgers won it 4-1.

The logistical challenges I have to work out is what to do before and after the games. Again, I have 90 minutes to get down the hill to catch the train, and it only took me 15. I think that on my way up, I might do a downtown loop to get a little more of a workout in. There are some cool bike boulevards that weave between the skyscrapers in LA, and Urban Cycling is one of my passions. On the way down, I'd like to find a relatively cheap place to get something to eat. While I did have a Dodger Dog at the ballpark, I could probably find something more filling, healthier, and cheaper outside of the park. A little research is all that is needed to refine this trip to make it that much better.

Next weekend sees something new. There aren't any 66ers, Angels or Dodgers games to go to. I was looking at a baseball-free weekend, but I knew I couldn't let it stand. With that being the case, it's back to the campuses for some college action. I have a family get-together scheduled for Sunday mid-morning in Newport Beach. I am definitely going to it and I'm very excited to spend the day with some family. After that, on my way out of town, I'll stop by Goodwin Field in Fullerton to catch Cal State Fullerton play host to the University of Hawaii. Fullerton is traditionally a powerhouse program that has an expectation of going to the College World Series every year. Goodwin Field used to host a professional Golden League team, but is now a full-time college venue.

I think what is great about these whole things is that I'm not content to settle for what I have experienced. I'm committed to refining the trips to make them better. The way I'm doing that is by exploring these communities. This season is going to be fantastic and to have all of you along with me is so terrific!

Always take on a 3-0 pitch ;)