Once More Before I Die
Once more before I die. Yes, that is my wish. I am 75 now, and I have been alive for every single Dodger Championship, and I dearly want to see another. None of us, except those who take their own lives, choose when it is time to go. As Brooklynites would say We Wuz Robbed, in…
Once more before I die. Yes, that is my wish. I am 75 now, and I have been alive for every single Dodger Championship, and I dearly want to see another. None of us, except those who take their own lives, choose when it is time to go. As Brooklynites would say We Wuz Robbed, in 2017, out played in 18 and missed some very good chances to advance in a couple other years.
In my life, the Dodgers have been a huge part of who I am. I grew up with them in LA, had my ear pressed against my transistor radio by my pillow listening to Vinny spin the tale of the game. I dreamed, as most boys do, of playing for my hometown team someday. Alas I was better in my head than I was on the field. My best year was my only year of little league when I was 11. We played a 9-game schedule. My team went 8-0-1. We had a perfect game thrown by a couple of our pitchers. We lost to the team that tied us during the season. That was devastating to me. I had done my best to help us win. With no fences on our fields, I hit only one homer, and I had to run like hell to get that. I batted .714. I only struck out twice in 21 at bats. But losing took any joy out of that.
I was living in a home for kids in Highland Park in those days. We went to maybe 4 or 5 games a year. Usually, we had seats down the RF line at the coliseum. Once, we sat in about the third row, right behind the LF screen. Missed a line drive hit by Neal by () that much! After that game, we waited by the tunnel for the players to come out. Talked to Jr. Gilliam for a couple of minutes. At the time, that was oh so cool. Everything I knew about the players, I got from the backs of their baseball cards, and I had a lot of them.
Another thing that happened was they built a new housing tract behind the home’s playground. 1959’s series MVP, Larry Sherry and his brother Norm moved in about 2 and 4 houses from the home. They were really great to the kids. That was the first real interaction I ever really had with a major leaguer. And that January, before they went to Vero, they let us kids shag balls for them on a field about a mile away. What a thrill that was.
When the home opened its new rec center, Norm, Larry and Tommy Davis came. I got a 10-minute batting instruction with him. I was in awe. At 14 I was sent to a foster home in Redondo Beach and ended up going to Mira Costa High School. One of the alums was Joe Moeller, who at the time was in the Dodger organization. He would get the call to the majors and although never a huge star, he was fun to watch. When I went out for the baseball team, he pitched batting practice to us a couple of times. Once, he brought Ron Bryant with him. Bryant was a lefty in the Giants system. Didn’t matter, I couldn’t touch either of them.
My foster parents at the time, were not sports fans at all, let alone baseball. So, for the next 3 years, I never went to a game. I did listen all the time and watched them whenever my foster dad was not at home, and they were on TV. Back then, they only broadcast 11 games a year. I do remember watching the game where Roseboro was attacked by Marichal in 65. But after that, following the team became more difficult since I joined the army after ” leaving the welfare system in Los Angeles.” They were going to transfer me to a big Catholic home for boys in downtown LA.
Having been already re-located to a temp home after they pulled me out of my previous home, I was dead set against changing High Schools again. I would have had to transfer from Narbonne to Belmont High in LA. So, on the day I was to take a bus and visit the Catholic home again, I simply walked away. I spent a little less than a month with my mom’s sister, in Torrance. And her mailman set me up with the Army recruiter, and in December of 65, I left for El Paso Texas and basic training.
From December 1965 until December 1974, I was in the Army and then lived in El Paso for a couple of months before I went back to California in December. While I was in the Army, if I came to LA on leave, my family and I would go to Dodger Stadium if we were there during the season. My girls loved going to the games. We usually sat in the LF Pavilion. It was a better view for them, and they loved those 1-dollar frozen malts.
We would also go to the AA games in El Paso. In 73, El Paso was still a Dodger farm team. In 74, they were an Angel farm team. Had some pretty good players too. Norm Sherry was their manager. I caught up with him before a game one time and we talked about when he lived in Highland Park. A few of his players would make it to the majors, including LHP Frank Panick. One who didn’t was actor Kurt Russell who was their second baseman before he got hurt and his baseball career was toast.
After I got out of the Army, it took me a while to find a career I could be happy with. In 1977, I started driving big rigs hauling containers out of the harbor. Usually if I went to a game, it would be on a Saturday or Sunday. I was too busy during the week driving during the day, and playing music at night. Sometimes a bunch of us would go. We had a bus trip one time, sat in the nosebleed seats and watched the Dodgers hit 7 homers and clobber the Reds.
As many of you know, I met Wes Parker in 1980 at a card show in Anaheim. I invited Wes to a show I was doing at George’s Round Up in Long Beach. What came out of that meeting was that Wes said he would find out what I needed to do in order to sing the Anthem at Dodger Stadium. He kept his word, and I made the tape they requested, and Wes, who was working on radio for the Dodgers doing Dodger talk, took the tape in. Around March of 81, I got a letter that had the date I would sing and instructions on where to go and when.
Included was a parking pass to the premium lot, right next to where the players park, 4 box seat tickets behind the visitors’ dugout, and a field pass. To say the least, I was excited. The season started and there were rumblings that the players were going to strike. And they did. So I was in limbo because the date I was to sing was in September. But they settled in August, and about a week later I got another letter from the Dodgers confirming my date.
I got there early as I could on the 9th. My girlfriend and I, with her brother and his girlfriend. About 40 minutes before game time, I had to go up to the elevator that takes you to field level. And remember, in 81, they still had those seats behind the screen that were eye level with the field. Also in those days, they set the microphone up in center field. Wes met me and took me to the dugout where I got to meet the players and some of the coaches. He gave me a ball that I had several players and coaches sign. Finally about 10 minutes before game time, the attendant walked me out to center field.
I met Fernando and Bobby Castillo coming in from the pen, shook Fernando’s hand, but forgot to get him to autograph the ball. The maintenance guy in CF set the mike up, and then I just waited for my introduction, and for the organist to start the music. There is about a 2 second delay between what you sing and what you hear, so you really can only concentrate on the organ music. All in all, it was three of the best minutes of my life.
They walked me back under the Pavilion, and into the tunnel that goes from the bullpen to the clubhouse. Met Rick Sutcliffe there and he signed the ball. Got back to my seat, and enjoyed the game. Ron Cey had his arm broken that night and he would be out until the playoffs. They ended up losing 6-3 to the Giants in 10, but Garvey hit a homer to tie it in the 9th.
Until I left LA in 1994, I would go to several games a year. I always sat in the Pavilion except a couple times when I went alone, and I splurged on a box seat or one up in the loge. I saw some good, and some bad baseball. I followed the team in the paper and on TV. I was in a friends living room when Gibby hit his homer in 88. Of course, after that, there was no World Series until 17.
From 94 to 2010 I had to follow the team on my satellite radio in my truck. I went to maybe three games over that span. I did catch a minor league game in Maryland once. But I was working so much, I usually was too tired to go anywhere.
I retired and moved here to Canon City in Colorado in November of 2010. And when I got my own place, I got a Roku and signed up for MLB.TV so I could watch the games. I started collecting cards again, mostly Dodgers and reprints of the best of Topps, including some Hall of Famers. I watch maybe 140 games a year. I will miss one now and then. But usually, if I do, I just come home and watch the highlights.
2020 no matter what anyone might think, was redemption for the team. It ended all the years of frustration, and the stench of the loss to the Astros. In 18, the Red Sox were clearly superior. When I go to California to visit my sis and her family, we usually will take in at least one or two games at Dodger Stadium. But lately, we have also been going out to Rancho. Met Mark and Jayne Cobb out there once. Met Watford, B&P and Patch at a sports bar in Orange County. I met Mark up in Denver one time too. I have gone to maybe 7 Dodger games at Coors since I have been here. It is a great place to watch a game.
But I am getting up there in years now. Last time we went to Dodger Stadium, my knees hurt for a week afterwards. Going down those stairs on the third deck took its toll. And the legroom is not all that great, so I actually have to turn a little sideways, so my knees do not hurt. So, I watch the games at home. Better seat anyway, and plus I get all the replays I want. But I really want to see this team win another title. That will be a great day, and I want to be healthy enough to enjoy it.
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Discussion (162)
Disagree, not disagreeable
The Cardinals were 83-78 in 06 and won the World Series pretty easily over Detroit.
To anyone who thinks this LA team cant win it all this year, I feel sorry for you….b/c YES this team 100% can win a title this year…..
Bear, wonderful read. My father (89), also watches every single game of the year. Now I have two reasons for that new championship. Go Dodgers!
Not that it mattered, but there is no way in hell that last pitch to Outman was a strike. I guess the ump wanted to go home. Of course Outman would have struck out anyhow, but it wasn’t on that pitch.
Outman-Vargas- DeLuca……glad to have this support come up from the minors when you need it.
Greetings from Alaska,
I have heard that the “Dodgers are not good enough to win this year” EVERY year and I mean EVERY year since Friedman took over. Now I am hearing it again. Las Vegas and MLB experts still rank them in the top 3 teams for winning chances. To say they can’t win and that 10 teams have better chances is rooted in pure fiction, so all I can do is draw my own conclusions.
I just talked to someone who is “in the know” and here are some tidbits:
1. Expect Catman to undergo TJ shortly:
2. Kershaws back is fine; and
3. Vargas is working on a change in his swing much like Outman did a couple of weeks ago… whatever that was!
You can pre-order a JD Martinez 300th homer bobblehead from Foco for 80 bucks. Uh, not happening.
* Grove gave up some hits and 2 walks but he’s unlucky. He executed some good pitches that gives up bloops and broken bat singles. And he left with the lead. I think under different scenarios, he’s a better bullpen piece than a starter, He gave up only a run, one time through the line up. I thought he was the Opener in a Bull-pen Game and I was a little surprised he went 5 innings. But I guess that would have just put the ineffective Victor Gonzales in the game sooner.
* Tim Nevertte went off on the baserunning of CJ Cron trying to go 1st to 3rd on Noland Jones’ hit down left field line.
The initial call was safe . Replay said out. Tim went to “the book” which states the unwritten rule that “you never make the first or third out at 3rd base”.
Neat theory and generally true. But in this case and a few others, I call Bullshit. If you play aggressive baseball, sometimes you get thrown out on close plays. What’s wrong with forcing players to make plays and screw the book.
* Let’s discuss hitting approaches:
The Dodgers are very disciplined at the plate, as we all know. They do not like to swing at pitches out of the zone. Muncy is the poster child. So what is your approach when the HPU is calling strikes on pitches a ball or so off the plate in all locations?
Do you?
1: continue to refuse to expand your zone, take the pitch and bitch that it wasn’t a strike (based on the imaginary TV strike zone)?
#2- or adjust and take a hack at a pitch that your eye tells you it’s off the plate, but is being called a strike all day long?
We just won’t expand the zone and give in, We take, IMO, too many close pitches. They say stay with the selective approach. I say – swing the bat.
* The “IN” way to hit now days is “if it’s spinning – I Ain’t Swinging”. Mookie likes to ambush an opening slider occasionally, but others just want to wait on a fastball. They won’t swing at a breaking ball until they have 2 strikes which leads to a chase. Why not sit on a breaking ball early, based on the pitcher’s sequencing, before you get behind in the count? I used to argue with some of my players who would take a hanging curve ball early. I’d ask them why do we discouraged our pitchers from throwing hangers. Their answer was “because they are easy to hit”. My response was “then why aren’t we hitting them?”
* Grove was obvious lay uncomfortable with his right calf in the 5th. Get him out. Have you ever had a calf pull? It a takes weeks to get right.
* Karros was laughing and referencing some Charlie Brown cartoon in the 6th when Gonzales practically took a bullet to the head. Sorry Eric, I failed to find any humor in that situation. Just plain scary to me.
* Outman, great kid. Doing OK on defense but to me he frequently makes poor reads off the bat and gets poor jumps on fly balls in center.
* In a talent rich draft, the Los Angeles Dodgers lost a first-round pick for exceeding the Competitive Balance Tax threshold by over $40 million. And some fans keep suggesting the brass just keep over spending. Instead, I think it’s time to reset the tax. We never get high picks but first-round picks are still valuable.
Perhaps the the powers to be should have our RP add two new pitches that will make the batters think about them. My thought is a Screwball and a Knuckleball. Those pitches only have to be thrown once or twice to make the batter aware. JUST A THOUGHT.
This is something that was already seen coming..
Padres’ report about ‘financial challenges’ is exactly what Dodgers planned for.
Open on dodgersway.comhttps://dodgersway.com/posts/padres-report-about-financial-challenges-is-exactly-what-dodgers-planned-for-01h30qnsh6y68:40 PM ET
Dodgers (44-35)
Rockies (32-50)
SPEmmet Sheehan R
1-0 1.50 ERA
SP Chase Anderson R
0-2 5.79 ERA
Confirmed Lineup
SS Mookie Betts R
1B F. Freeman L
3B Max Muncy L
DH J. Martinez R
LF D. Peralta L
RF J. Heyward L
2B M. Vargas R
CF James Outman L
C A. Barnes R
RAIN
53% Rain
75° Wind 14 mph R-L
Dodgers recall Justin Bruihl, option Michael Grove to Triple-A
Wednesday scores
Sugar Land 4, Oklahoma City 3
Amarillo 6, Tulsa 4
Great Lakes 4, Lansing 0
Rancho Cucamonga 5, Visalia 1
Thursday schedule
4:05 p.m. PT: Great Lakes (Maddux Bruns) vs. Lansing (Jose Dicochea)
5:05 p.m.: Oklahoma City (Gavin Stone) at Sugar Land (Misael Tamarez)
5:05 p.m.: Tulsa (Nick Frasso) at Amarillo (Peter Solomon)
6:30 p.m.: Rancho Cucamonga (TBA) vs. Visalia (Wyatt Wendell)
Funny. Like Mark I just spoke with someone “in the know” too (my local barber). Here are the tidbits he shared with me.
1) The Dodgers are likely overrated by Vegas etc., due to their vast hype machine (propaganda). Through uncritical local writers, rank commercialism, sycophantic fans and cheerleaders (think Matt), rabid boosters and shills (think Mark), the Dodgers have waved the flawed Flag of Dodger Exceptionalism. Examples would include AF’s mythical divine status, Prior’s reputation as a miracle worker, Robert’s unmatchable winning record, and the never ending hype about our Farm System. It’s a largely a false Grand Narrative that relies heavily on glamorizing past results; so far this year the Dodgers seem anything but exceptional. Take away their 11-1 winning skein earlier and you have basically a .500 ball club.
2) my barber also thinks Vargas should go back to OKC to see if he can still hit minor league pitching. This probably needs to be re-established.
3) Graterol is the new Pedro Baez. Interesting.
4) Why does AF continually sign injured arm pitchers? Because they’re cheap? Seems pretty dysfunctional…at least this year. It’s been a continuing carousel of excuses and disinformation that should be addressed. Openly. After all (if I remember correctly), he’s (AF) “playing chess while the rest of us playing checkers.”
4) Lastly, like with most serious Dodger fans the cloudy subject of Roberts came up. I mentioned how Mark is fond of saying that Bruce Bochte has a below .500 life time W-L record and that Doc has the highest W-L record of all time. Did you say that Mark? I may have mis-rembered. My barber laughed out loud at the suggestion Roberts was a better manager than Bochte. “Really, “ he said: “in a big game (or any game) would you rather have Bochte, or Doc?”
I have been a Dodger fan since Mantilla threw wild to first base in the ‘59 playoffs. Two Dodger World Series winners (1959, 1988) were probably worse than this year’s team. But they were inspired by two “great” managers.
How about it Mark…would you really prefer Doc to Bochte?
Great article, Bear. It was great to meet you with B&P in Huntington, too.
I don’t care how good CK’s shoulder feels on Sunday, I wouldn’t let him pitch until after the All Star game. He’s already on track to pitch far more innings than last year. We all knew he’d need to sit somewhere during the season to take a breather. This affords them the perfect opportunity for that.
Furthermore, the normal Dodger way of treating injuries means that on day 1 they announce they aren’t sure, on day 2 they announce they’re optimistic and on day 3 they announce TJ surgery (or in this case shoulder surgery which I imagine Kersh would take a pass on and just retire, but I’m assuming it won’t come to that).
Hi. Somebody knows about the time the game will start? Thank You.
Take away the two week hot streak and Muncy is by far the worst hitter in baseball. No way he should be hitting in the middle of the order!
Somebody’s ears were burning
Max has always been a stocky guy but I can definitely see an extra 8-10 pounds around his middle
Now Sheehan needs to go deep into this game. We don’t need to see a parade of struggling relievers to hold this lead.
Muncy’s first multi-hit game in ages.
If you accept the adage that “a walk is as good as a hit,” he’s had quite a few.
Somebody’s got to stick up for Max. And it’s me.
Yeah, Max’s BA is awful, down at Mendoza level. But his OPS is now .787, which is way above average. And although he’s missed 17 of the Dodgers’ 80 games, he has still knocked in 48 runs. That’s just 4 fewer than Freddie, who has played in all 80. If Max avoids injury, he’s on a pace to drive in well over 100 runs.
It could be a lot more, if Max gets hot in the second half, like he did last year.
Let’s remember that Max and Outman pretty much carried this offense for the first five weeks while Mookie and JD Martinez started slowly. Outman was Rookie of the Month and Max briefly led the league in HRs. Despite all the games he’s missed, he has 18 HRs. So he’s on pace for yet another 35-or-so HR season.
But sure, it would be nice if Max could get that average up…
I say 0% chance that Kersh starts his next game
I’m going to beat the dead horse again! How much longer can we carry a backup catcher hitting .100? 0 for 5 with 2 punchouts! If we don’t do anything else at the deadline, at least look for another catcher! Will is going to run out of gas as much as he is being used, but Dodgers can’t afford to give him more rest with Barnes as his backup! Another good night for heyward! Jd is on fire at coors, hope it stays like that in Kansas City! Miller time tonight. Don’t take the royals lightly. 1 game out in the loss column. Could be back in first place after this weekend!
There’s a good chance we’ll take back the division lead before the ASG being just two games behind. I expect one or two small tweeks to the lineup following the trade deadline and still say Dodgers will take the division. I’d like to reopen my bet proposal Dodgers vs the division field but I’m so overdrawn in my bank account I’m unable to. Always have to pay the man before playing the man. Those that post things such as Dodgers won’t have a chance this season can’t be real Dodger fans because chances are better than many where the odds were worse in past seasons that at the seasons end Dodgers were the one’s standing. The negative posters had San Diego running away with the division title. How do you like San Diego now? I have never bet against the Dodgers and nrver will. When their play sucks I will say so but always proud I have the Dodgers to belove. It may suck to be me but I’m sure glad I’m not you.
Low-A: Right-hander Reynaldo Yean, a 19-year-old signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2021, was promoted from the Arizona Complex League after striking out 16 of his 28 batters faced in eight scoreless innings.
Thursday scores
Oklahoma City 4, Sugar Land 2
Amarillo 12, Tulsa 7
Great Lakes vs. Lansing, postponed
Visalia 6, Rancho Cucamonga 4
Friday schedule
2:35 p.m. PT: Great Lakes (Kendall Williams, TBD) vs. Lansing (Jake Garland, TBD), doubleheader
5:05 p.m.: Oklahoma City (Gavin Stone) at Sugar Land (Spencer Watkins)
5:05 p.m.: Tulsa (Kyle Hurt) at Amarillo (Luke Albright)
6:30 p.m.: Rancho Cucamonga (Peter Heubeck) vs. Visalia (Lorenzo Encarnacion)
When was the last time the Dodgers did a dope-fiend move?
Apart from signing Bauer, I mean. Many fans, including yours truly, didn’t approve of that one. We made our feelings known.
Any dope-fiend trades come to mind? Even the bad ones we regret (Pedro for Delino) seemed OK at the time, right?
Please pardon a rude thought., but I sort of wish Austin Barnes and his .101 batting average would have a minor injury that required a short stint on the IL. Not because I want anything bad to happen to ol’ “Barnesy” but because I want something good to happen for Hunter Feduccia, who is back to crushing at OKC.
Can Feduccia play at the next level? Certainly he has earned a shot.
Not long ago I thought the Dodgers were incredibly deep at catcher–with a first-rate tandem in LA followed by top prospects like Cartaya and Rushing, plus some younger guys too. Feduccia may not be a top prospect, but he’s doing in OKC what Barnes isn’t doing at the ML level. Right now, in his age 26 season, Feduccia is batting .309 with an OBP of .422 and ad OPS of .925.
Yes, Barnes is an institution, the personification of grit, and the pitchers love him…but rght now he is near the bottom of the league in BA, OPB (.198) and OPS (.322.). That’s all much, much worse than what Trayce was doing when he felt that twinge in his oblique and conveniently created a roster opening. Plus, I’m pretty sure Barnes is signed through 2024, which leaves me wondering if he should be eased into a coaching role.
By the way, I would NOT consider Feduccia a “trade chip” unless a quality catcher was coming back in the deal. Right now, he seems too potentially valuable to the Dodgers season in case of injury.