Take Me Out To The Ball Game

I went to the Dodgers/Diamondbacks game last night with my friends Heathyr, Amy, and Dana.  It was so much fun!  I got there early to pick up a gift for Niece #2 (some cute Dodgers baby booties that cost me $17 - I KNOW) and take pictures.

Even though I know Dodger Stadium's past is checkered, that it was built upon the homes and lives of some of the city's first residents, I still have to say that it is so very beautiful. 

Why, hello, first baseman and hometown boy Nomar Garciaparra.  How you doin'?  And how much do I love that your song of choice when you go up to bat is War's Lowrider?  That's so awesome.

I was apparently very hungry or just making up for lost time at the ballpark, because I could NOT STOP EATING, y'all.

I present to you one World-Famous Dodger Dog ("brought to you by Farmer John") and some Minute Maid lemonade.  YUM.

In the immortal words of Dodger legend Vin Scully (whose voice is like home to me), it's going...

...going...

 

...GONE!

But wait!  There's more.  Here's my first dessert of the night - the Carnation frozen chocolate malt.  Oh, frozen malt, how I love thee.  I was already halfway done by the time the game started.

What?  It's the fourth inning?  Why, it's pretzel time!

Here I am during the seventh inning with my Dodgers baseball cap (the only time you'll ever see me wear one, really) and my second dessert, some cotton candy.  I was so happy that J.D. Drew hit a home run - the first and only home run of the night - that I had to celebrate by getting something sweet.  I had this sugary goodness in my hands for less than a minute when Marlon Anderson hit an RBI, bringing the Dodgers up 2-0.  Much cheering ensued.

It was Tommy Lasorda's birthday!  Happy Birthday Tommy!  We love you!  And I love my camera for taking such a great shot of the Diamondvision board.  C'mon - that's one clear photo!

The Dodgers won 2-0 -- hooray!  They ended the game with an excellent double play that was executed so quickly that if you blinked you would have missed it.  Thank goodness I didn't, because it was really cool to see.

Final Notes:

• I'm not loving the much looser pants the baseball players are wearing.  They look so casual and non-sporty.  Pitcher Derek Lowe's pants were so loose that they looked like pajamas.  I'm glad Nomar wears fitted pants, not just because he's hot (although that doesn't hurt) but because he looks like he's wearing a proper uniform and not something he picked up off the couch. 
• People, STOP IT with the beach balls already.  They're SO annoying and they get in the way.  At least three times during the game we had three different beach balls bouncing around our area simultaneously.  And don't boo the people who take them away or swat them out of reach.  They're doing the Lord's work as far as I'm concerned.
• Also?  Stop doing the Wave.  That is all.
• I would have picked up a Dodgers woman's t-shirt for myself but most of them were designed not with the team's colors but in pink or purple or some such nonsense.  Grr.  I hate that.  Look, I love pink and purple, but if I'm going to buy merchandise for the Dodgers or USC or Chelsea or any team, I'm damned sure going to buy them IN THE TEAM'S COLORS.  Designers?  Stop making team merch in the colors you think women will wear and instead make them in the traditional colors. 
• Celebrity Sighting, At Least Via The Diamondvision Board: Matthew McConaughey in one of the suites.  Hello, Matthew.

Comments

[Shalini]

We were there just last week for the first game against the Padres. I have to agree about the beach balls and the women's clothes. Lord, were there some Dodger Hoochies there the night we went!

And how could you not get garlic fries???

[jen]

WHAT is that exciting malt cup thing. I must have one.

[DinerGirl]

I was there for the season opener last year and I LOVE that stadium. Word to the beach ball action - I hate that shit. I'm jealous you got some Nomar time.... he is dreamy.

[Catherine]

Shalini: There is only so much stadium food that one can consume during one game! If I make it to another game (fingers crossed), I will have to get some garlic fries.

Jen: The Carnation frozen chocolate malt is one of Dodger Stadium's specialties. It is also one of my favorite stadium foods EVER. I have had one at almost every Dodgers game I've attended, and I've been going since I was yay high. There was a dark period of time when the Dodgers sold non-Carnation frozen chocolate malts, which was culinary blasphemy as far as I was concerned. However, that sad time has since passed and Carnation is back - huzzah!

DinerGirl: Nomar is super dreamy. Sigh.

[Elen B,.]

Glad you had fun at the Dodger game. The last time I was there (Stitch 'n Pitch Night), I couldn't believe how high the prices had become for all the food concessions! Of course, it had been over 10 years since I'd been to a game, but $14 for a hotdog and a coke?!??! Come on...that's ridiculous!
It was fun, but not THAT fun.

[Jessica]

I LOVE the Carnation Malt cup, with the wooden spoon. It makes me feel about 7 years old again. As do Cracker Jacks. I can't go to the Dodger game and not get Cracker Jacks. I LOVE THEM. My Dad always used to bring me back a box when he's go to the game without me, and they make me happy.

[jeff]

i won't even go into my rant as to what i think of the dodgers and tom lasorda...i think you know. however, i will say that the funniest thing at dodger stadium is lasorda's taped pre-game announcement telling fans not to use bad language!! all you need to do is listen to the classic 1976 radio interview when he's asked his opinion of dave kingman's performance to know how ludicrous that plea is. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2004/scorecard/08/05/interviews/

[Catherine]

Jeff: I am not privy as to why you dislike the Dodgers and Lasorda so much. When did love die?

Funniest thing at Dodger Stadium? Yes, it's Lasorda's pre-taped plea asking people to not be obnoxious wankers or swear, and to ask those who witness obnoxious wankers who are swearing to report them to officials. Pfft. RIGHT.

Last year a huge drunk beast of a man got into a full-on yelling match with my sister (who was holding Niece #1, mind you) after he tried to cut in line in front of us while waiting for the elevators (you don't just jump into an elevator - there are barriers in place so as to create a line) and my sister gave him whatfor. (You don't mess with my sister, y'all.)

Stadium officials were within five feet of us as we shouted at Huge Drunk Beast of a Man about not cutting in line. Neither an official nor another person in line did a THING. Man, I still get worked up thinking about that.

Huge Drunk Beast, by the way, went to the back of the line and proceeded to curse at us and give us dirty looks. Tool.

Ahem.

Second funniest thing? Longtime Dodgers radio announcer Jaime Jarrin's pre-taped plea with the same message, only this time delivered in Spanish. The times, they are a-changin'.

[Mel]

Stop it, you're making me homesick! I spent more time at Doger stadium as a kid than I can even recall. We lived in Echo Park until I was 4 and would watch the fireworks from the top of the hill. Even after moving behind the Orange Curtain we'd still come up for a game or two. One of my favorite stuffed animals was a koala wearing a Dogers hat my aunt gave me. You think we were ever at any games together when we were little and just didn't know it?

[Mel]

Gah, entirely too pregnant! Nice how I can't even spell Dodger correctly this morning.

[Gwen]

Aww, Nomar. He was my favorite Red Sock (? what is the singular anyway?) for years, and then he left. But I still love him.

[Catherine]

Today every Dodgers fan is in love love love with Nomar after his rad grand slam late in the ninth yesterday. That was sweet.

And I don't care what anyone says, I will always call him Nomar and not Nomaaaaah. It's Nomar - with an R!

[jeff]

for the dodgers? no love at all...ever! only searing enmity.

my heart remains in san diego with my beloved padres. i do like nomar (because he's really a red sox). and of course, i thank steve garvey for his 1984 heroics while in san diego. but i'm unable to stir myself for anything more than polite applause when mike piazza comes to bat in a blue and sand uni. and as for lasorda? this is a family blog so i will swallow my bile.

and don't even get me started on those dodger stadium ushers in their straw hats.

the nicest thing i can possibly say about the dodgers is that i hate them slightly less than the raiders.

but i'm glad you had fun at the game.

[Erin G.]

You are TOO cute! I love this entry!!

[david]

I read this and didn't so much think, "I should catch a game before the Rangers' season is over," as I thought, "I wish I was having dinner, a snack, and dessert at the Ballpark tonight."