There is almost nothing closer to my heart than my love of Baseball. America’s pastime is and probably will always be, my primary recreation. I played it as a kid, I saw my first games in old Tiger Stadium, and I became a Dodger fan after we moved to Cali. The Tigers are now my second favorite team. After college I treated myself to Dodger tickets, and slowly built up my attendance to a partial season ticket holder. I was crushed by the strike in the early 90’s. I didn’t renew my tickets, and did not go to any games the next year. I lost all my season ticket priority with the Dodgers. Then I slowly started going to games again. I also started our own slow pitch softball team, The “Lizards of Wizdom”. What else! By the new millennium I was back to being a partial, & by mid decade I was a full season ticket holder and started a new tradition of going to Opening Day.
Opening Day at Dodger Stadium on March 31, 2011 was filled with anticipation and the promises of a new season with great possibilities. It is always an awesome time, a local holiday. You take a day off from work and renew your spirit at the great baseball temple that is Dodger Stadium. The only MLB stadium in use that is perfectly symmetrical is Dodger Stadium. It is also now the third oldest stadium in the majors. It seems as new and gleaming beautiful as I remember it from my youth.
This year’s game brought added doubled drama because the hated S. F. Giants were the opponent and they had something to crow about, for the first time. This just adds to the rivalry. I brought my new HD video camera & my close friend Dan, a photographer. He brought his DSLR. I just love my birds’ eye view from behind home plate in the Top Deck. The 5:00PM game start time for the national TV broadcast meant that we would have the best of lighting conditions to shoot in. The Opening Day pre-game spectacle did not disappoint, as a stealth bomber, flying low, over a huge American flag, after the national anthem, capped it off. (Photo by Dan Scott)
The game was equally exiting, as the Dodgers won in dramatic fashion. Our ace Clayton Kershaw beat the Giant ace Tim Lincecomb. There was one keyhole of light hitting the pitchers mound during the first & second inning that was epic like the pitching duel. (video to come).
How cool!!