Dodger Stadium - Los Angeles Dodgers

Los Angeles, the City of Angels. Home of the rich, the famous, and Dodgers baseball. Built in 1962, Dodger Stadium sits high on a hill, overlooking the downtown LA skyline. Although it seems separate from the city, the Dodgers are the heart of Los Angeles. Get ready for the ultimate FANHOOD experience – THINK BLUE!!!

This stadium seems so big, it’s a wonder they can fill it! Tickets aren’t hard to come by unless they are playing the next door Anaheim Angels or the San Francisco Giants. For those rivalry games, purchase early.

To be a part of “The Blue Crew”, wear royal blue and white, Dodgers signature colors.

There is ample parking surrounding the stadium, it just depends on where you’re going to sit.
http://losangeles.dodgers.mlb.com/la/downloads/y2008/general_parking.pdf

When you are walking up the hill to the stadium, turn around and check out the beautiful Los Angeles skyline.

Notice the pictures of current players as you walk up, intimidating away team fans as they walk through the gates.



You always have to stop and take a look at the field the moment you walk in. Look at that perfectly manicured green grass. Look at how big and how colorful this stadium is, each level a different color. It’s a classic!

If you get there early enough for batting practice (which LAers rarely do, rumor has it they show up after 2 innings and leave after the 7th!) go to center field and shag balls!

Why the tardiness? One word - TRAFFIC. Can you say "CONGESTION?!"


Head to your seats. If you’re in the upper levels, you may want to grab your food first, it’s a STEEP climb. I do not recommend sitting up high if you are afraid of heights! It’s a doosie!

In the Pavilion seats aka outfield bleachers? Be prepared to do THE WAVE! These fans get the crowd going.

Sitting lower level behind home plate? If so, you better pay attention to the game or wear a hard hat. There is no net overhead to capture for foul balls. But you do get your own waitstaff! If you're farther down the baseline in the premium seats, you get a table to set your drink on. All for the nice price of ~$250.

Hungry? You have to have a DODGER DOG! A foot long hotdog grilled to perfection. As you can see I opted for onions and mustard! Delicious!

Want dessert? For $5.50 get this huge bowl of ice cream and a souvenir to take home. Perfect for the little ones, or the kid at heart!

Thirsty? Bring your Dodger dollars. Large beers are up to $13. Yowzer. Careful you don’t have too many in the cheap seats, you’re liable to tumble down those steep steps!

Be on the look out for celebrity fans! I happened to spot Mario Lopez, aka AC Slater, from above. Friend and fellow Yankee fan, Carl Martinez, actually met Jack Nicholson, Denzel Washington, Billy Crystal and Penny Marshall at the games. Pretty cool.

Complete the hike to your seats? Sit back, catch your breath, and enjoy the view of the beautiful San Gabriel Mountains.

Bring your headphones to listen to Vin Scully, classic voice of the Dodgers radio broadcast. He's done it all by himself, no color commentator, since the Dodgers moved from Brooklyn to LA. Doesn't look that old does he?!

Check out the jumbotrons - YES - that's plural - as in TRONS! One shows player pictures, facts, and stats at each at bat.

The second shows the lineup the entire game, which is convenient for a score keeper like me!

Ah, 7th inning stretch. Time to get the beach balls out! Keep in on your level or else be booooooed!

Game over. If celebrating a Blue Crew win, sway to Randy Newman's "I Love LA." If rooting for the other team, respect the loyalty of Dodger fans. This car even has shag carpet!

Win or lose I hope you enjoyed your Dodger Stadium FANHOOD experience. Here, it's not the most modern, doesn't have all the bells and whistles, but promises an enjoyable MLB experience. Did I miss anything in my 1 game visit? Feel free to add your ultimate FANHOOD experience in the comments section!

Special thanks to Hal & Kathy Harkness for treating me to this game and giving me all their Dodger FANHOOD knowledge! Credit goes to Carl Martinez for FANHOOD additions!