Follow Your Heart

Having lived in other cities who have MLB teams, I know that sometimes the folks who live in those cities, or even states, feel you should be a fan of the team that plays there. I spent 12 years living in Phoenix and I have been here in Colorado for almost 13. When I was driving long haul and working out of Denver, I did that for almost 7. So, 32 years away from my home team, not counting the 9 I spent in the service, and never have I ever considered rooting for another team.

This of course applies mostly to baseball. I have always been a USC fan. Don’t know how that all started but, in my life, I have only been to two college football games, USC-UCLA about 1962, and a Sun Bowl game in El Paso while I was in the Army between LSU and Auburn. I was a Ram fan until they left. Never warmed to the invaders from up north, the Raiders. Not a huge hockey fan, and never really felt the Angels were an LA team.

Went to my first and only Lakers game in 1961. Loved Baylor and West from the first time I saw them play. Followed the Lakers on TV a lot and was a big fan of the Showtime teams. Loved Magic and Big Game James. Kareem was a trade piece, so I never really warmed up to him. I saw the Lakers lose so many times to the Celtics that I came to despise the color green. But they finally won, and it was great. The Kings won after I left, and the Rams did not win a championship until they were in St. Louis.

I did root for the Cardinals in Az while Warner was the QB, but that is the only team from another city I ever rooted for. I was a Dodger fan before they moved to LA. So, I have always followed my heart instead of the herd when it comes to baseball.

The only Rockies games I have ever been to at Coors have been games against the Dodgers. And my record is untarnished in those games. LA is 5-0. Including a come from behind 12-10 win in a game that Kazmir started.

I went to three games at Chase Field, it was the BOB then, and they went 2-0. The other game was against the Cubs. D-Backs lost that one too. The Dodgers have always been and will always be my favorite team. I may not agree with some, excuse me, many of their player moves, but usually when a player becomes a Dodger, I root for them. There have been two exceptions, Gary Sheffield, I never liked the guy, and Yasmani Grandal. Mark loved him. I could not stand him. I had my reasons, not the least of which was him being busted for using PED’s.

Although he had a lot of power and was the so-called best pitch framer in baseball, he was the least clutch player on the team and grounded into way too many rally-killing double-plays. I was totally happy when he left via free agency. With him gone, it opened the door for Will Smith.

We all have our reasons for being Dodger fans. I follow my heart. There are even a few fans here who were living in Brooklyn and got their love of the team from older relatives. Love to hear those stories.