… and we lost.

Controversial ninth inning aside, I had a blast! So, let’s talk about it.

Prelude to Yesterday

When I was growing up, my immediate family was split on what team we would cheer for. Dad was a fan of whatever team was closest to us that wasn’t the Miami Marlins, which meant first the Atlanta Braves, and then the (then known as) Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

Mom on the other hand is a die hard Dodger fan. She grew up knowing the greats. And by that I mean she met Sandy Koufax many a time, among other amazing Dodgers. But for so long, she never got to see them, because she lived in areas that had American League teams, meaning that they never showed Dodger games on TV unless they were in the World Series.

Before moving to California, Mom and I watched the controversial 2017 World Series, where the Houston Astros cheated to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers. (And no, that’s not me being salty. It was proven. But I’m still pissed that their organization wasn’t stripped of the title. I’d rather have seen it vacated instead of with an asterisk.)

When we moved to California, Mom immediately fell in love with the Dodgers all over again. All throughout the 2019 season, she kept saying that we need to go see a game, but there was never a good time to do so. So we planned on doing it in 2020.

And we all know 2020.

This year, we resumed those plans. We picked July because we hoped it would be marginally safer. Then we narrowed down what team. We wanted to see a team that would be worth seeing. So we picked the San Francisco Giants, because there was one hell of a rivalry going on.

And so we went.

At The Stadium

Getting to Dodgers Stadium wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be. The signage was absolutely clear, and luckily we had pre-purchased parking, so we could pull right into our lot with no issue. It also made leaving after the game a breeze.

There were many gates available to get into the stadium. They had security guards walking around and talking to anyone with bags that didn’t fit the requirements of the stadium, which was a good thing. It meant that people could quickly return to their cars before waiting in the line, which made the lines move much faster. I made a point of bring a purse that could barely fit the few items I needed, and I had no trouble.

We were on the loge, or the second floor, when you see it on TV. Excellent seats, behind home plate on the Dodgers side. The view was great, and we were completely out of direct sunlight, so that was a plus.

I did have a few issues with the stadium, however. There were no handrails for people to hold on to while walking down to their seat, which was a problem for my mom. Luckily, I’m used to being her guide crutch, so she leaned on me down the stairs.

Another problem I had was that the seats were smaller than airline seats. Now, I’m not the thinnest human being. I’ll be the first to admit that. Hell, I have to actively remind myself that I am larger than I think. But I’ve also can sit comfortably in a standard airline seat (if we’re not discussing the lack of legroom). But these seats were TINY. Like chairs you would give to a young child small.

Probably the biggest issue I had was the food. I wasn’t expecting much, it is ballpark food. But the popcorn tasted stale, and the heavily-promoted “Dodger Dogs” just weren’t very good. My mom had nachos that tasted terrible as well.

I was outright impressed at one thing, though. I was just ordering food when the national anthem started. The workers turned off the lights at the food counters and all removed their hats, not serving until the anthem was completed. It was just a little gesture, but I was happy to see it.

Game Time!

I didn’t end up getting any game pics, because I was having too much fun.

Honestly, I think my favorite part was the two run homer by Catcher Will Smith in the fourth inning, which had me absolutely freaking out. Smith is my favorite player on the Dodgers, followed by basically everyone in the starting lineup. And it was an amazing hit. The crowd exploded.

Well, except for the woman behind me who couldn’t stop complaining about the Dodgers, and specifically Smith, and how they shouldn’t be allowed to play because of one of their pitchers who is currently under investigation (who’s name I’m keeping off of this post, simply because the case is ongoing and I don’t want to get into a “he said, she said” debate). The Karen kept saying that Smith was still some two bit kid who could catch and like hell he’ll ever hit a ball.

This was his 13th home run this season. Shut the fuck up Karen.

The game was pretty great through the eighth inning. Which is what I’m going to focus on, because you can go look up on social media the nightmare that was the ninth inning during last night’s game. Spoiler alert: I don’t think I’ve screamed and boo’ed so much in my life.

So, How Was It?

Yes, I wore my Old Guard face mask. Fight me.

Honestly? I had a great time, final inning be damned. But at the same time, I don’t think I’ll be back at a game for a while.

One of the big things I didn’t like was the fact that most people weren’t wearing masks. And yes, we were outside. But even in the corridors, where we were supposed to wear them, most didn’t. Security did what they could, but… I basically had a five hour anxiety attack when the game wasn’t actively playing.

Also, I found I missed hearing the color commentators. It was pretty difficult to keep track of the count, and there were times that the crowd saw one thing, but the people at home saw another. And truthfully, I just want to eat my snacks in peace.

So, all in all, it was an enjoyable experience, one that I can gladly cross off my bucket list. I’ll probably go back again, just not until next season.

… Or if our coach quits/gets fired. Then I’ll go and celebrate. Because he sucks.

Until next time!