Dodgers Fan Fest

For the third year in a row, I am authoring up a blog entry on Fan Fest. And, for the third year in a row, I'll be authoring up a chronicle of an experience that certainly was unique and symbolized a great "kick-off" to the season to be. My trip up to Dodgers Fan Fest yesterday at Dodger Stadium definitely will go down as one of my most memorable baseball experiences, and further reinforces that Fan Fest needs to be on all baseball fan's bucket lists. It seems like whenever I go to one of these events, I walk away from it wowed and amazed at what happened. It is the topic of my conversation for weeks after, and, for that matter, the season that follows.

As I said last paragraph, I had been to two other Fan Fests the previous years. In 2013, I went to Seattle for the Mariners' Fan fest. Last year, in 2014, I went to San Diego and saw the Padres' Fan Fest. This year, I wanted to change it up a little and go see what the Dodgers had to offer. When the announcement for the event came out on their website, it scheduled perfect as the weekend after my California League Road Trip, and the day before the Super Bowl. Additionally, this was the first year the Dodgers held the event inside Dodger Stadium rather than out in the parking lot. However, while all of that was exciting, the most alluring part of the posted schedule was the speaker list. Players like Howie Kendrick, Kenley Jansen,. Adrian Gonzalez, and Yasiel Puig. Former players Orel Hershiser, Eric Karros, and Fernando Valenzuela. The headliners were obviously the two men so closely associated with the Dodgers that everyone knows them: Tommy Lasorda and Vin Scully.

I put my bike on the Metrolink, rode to Union Station, did my downtown bike ride, and then huffed up the hill to Chavez Ravine for the first time in 2015. Fan Fest was free, so, of curse, there were thousands of people in line and every activity station was just packed with people. The team allowed people to go on the field and run the bases, as well. However, I wasn't there to throw in the speed pitch machine or kick a field goal at the State Farm booth. I was there to listen to these speakers. I used the opportunity while everyone was goofing around at the games to stake out a good position in front of the main stage and wait for the speakers.

The first man up was Howie Kendrick. It was so weird to see this former Angel second baseman, who I had really come to respect and admire last year, wearing Dodger Blue. He spoke very highly of his time with the Angels, and the great season he had with them this past season. But, he's now a Dodger, and such is the nature of the business that guys change teams. While rallying the crowd during his crescendo, you could tell he really wanted to endear himself to the home crowd.

After listening to closer Kelsey Jansen, two of my sought-after speakers came to the stage. Orel Hershiser pitched for the Dodgers in the 1980's and 1990's. He is known for an incredible season in 1986 when he set the consecutive scoreless innings streak at 59. That mark still stands today. He was also voted the MVP of the 1988 World Series. The "Bulldog" was joined on-stage by former Dodger first baseman, and club leader in career home runs, Eric Karros. Now, these two gentleman really got me tuned in to the festivities. Their stories about the "glory days" of Dodger baseball and staring at Hershiser's '88 World Series ring got me in the mood.

After a short break, and a few other speakers I wasn't interested in, the main attraction came to the stage. Vin Scully has been the Dodgers broadcaster for 66 years. He is a Hall of Famer and was part of the radio broadcast team with Red Barber all the way back when the team was in Brooklyn. He is reveled around baseball for his professionalism and knowledge of the game. By the time he took the stage, the crowd really had filed into the stadium and there were now thousands of people on the field. But, when he took the microphone, all of them stopped and listened. You could hear a pin drop inside Dodger Stadium because it was so quiet. The man commands that respect, and I would venture to declare that everyone in the stadium that day were just as excited and interested in what he had to say.

Scully did a little "ra-ra" for the Dodgers, but his stories of the fans in Brooklyn and his time hanging out with Red Barber were the best thing about his presentation. He spoke of this one particular fan in Brooklyn that become enamored with him and would always sit in the bleachers at Ebbets Field and would command him to "love her." For a man in his nineties, Vin Scully can weave a fascinating and insightful baseball tale. Just listening to Vin Scully for that 10-minute presentation was worth the entire trip.

It was about this time that I really started to get tired. For some reason, the Dodgers set up the main stage overlooking right field with the back towards the seats. This meant that for someone like me who was there just for the speakers, I had to stand for more than seven hours. I'm a pretty fit guy on my feet, but remember that I had already biked up that big hill just to get there, so I was already a little worn out. I wish that next year, the Dodgers would do what both the Mariners and Padres did and set the stage up on top of the dugout and allow fans to sit in the seats. After Scully, I had to venture up into the bleachers to rest my feet for a few minutes.

After resting beneath the wavy awnings of the outfield bleachers, I went back down to the stage to listen to the Blue Dodger himself, Tommy Lasorda. Aside from Scully, Lasordais the most recognizable figure for the Dodgers organization. He coached the '88 World Series team, and a number of players, coaches, fan, and media personnel all rrespect him. For a man in his eighties, Lasorda still has the fire in his belly. Unlike Scully, who's presentation was more anecdote than pep, Lasorda got the crowd going. Yelling and screaming, Lasorda got the crowd going. In fact, a number of people in the crowd were chanting for Lasorda to return as manager.

Once Lasorda got done speaking, I had kind of had enough. My feet hurt from standing all those hours, and after Scully and Lasorda, every other speaker seemed pale in comparison. I decided to jump back on my bike, coast back down the hill, grab a drink at Angel City, and head home. It was an exciting day, and I was comfortable with calling it a day. 

Out of the three Fan Fests I have been to, the Dodgers had, far and away, the best speakers. Even the most cynical of fans can't argue that the Dodgers are on of the most storied franchises in all of baseball, and the reasoning is really because of the speakers Ilistened to. No other team's Fan Fest could compare to the legends I heard. Just listening to those men speak was worth the whole trip in.

The Dodgers may be way ahead in terms of Best Speakers, they need to get some things figured out. The whole issue with standing for hours on end in the hot sun wasn't very pleasant, and I hope that they add some creature comforts for next year. Also, I don't think it would hurt to charge some sort of admission to get in. Considering the speaker lineup try had, I'd be more than willing to pay a little to get in. Also, it may cut down on the enormous crowds that were there. Every single activity had a super long line that dissuaded me from participating. 

Well, a little bit of a break for a weekend as I go home to Oregon to see some family and friends. Baseball kicks in to massively high gear next weekend as I go to the home opener for UC Riverside, travel down to Long Beach to see Long Beach State take on Michigan, and then a President's Day afternoon tilt at the University of Redlands. I'll be sure to post a pre-weekend itinerary for all of you in the next few days.

Always take on a 3-0 pitch ;)