Thursday, March 20, 2008

The End Is .........HERE


Yes friends, the end is here.
As the biggest Dodger fan in the world, I was saddened when I first heard that the Dodgers would be moving from Vero Beach, Florida (better known as Dodgertown) to Glendale, Arizona. Now it is done.
Ok so this isn't some big political news, but one of my life long dreams was to sit in the stands at Holman Field and watch my beloved Dodgers during Spring Training and now alas, it will never happen. Of course being closer now, in Arizona, I may see them more but this is tradition!
All of my Dodger life, I knew that the Original Boys of Summer, the Dodgers would be in Dodgertown if I could ever get there.
So, even though I do pray to the Big Dodger in the Sky (you do know of course He is a Dodger fan right?), they moved anyway.
So, life goes on.
Found a great story on the move today to explain it better:
It was perhaps decades overdue, and it's hardly as painful as the Dodgers' move from Brooklyn to Los Angeles. But Monday marked, in all probability, the Dodgers' exit from their spring complex in Vero Beach, Fla., a.k.a. Dodgertown.
"It was kind of a blue feeling," Tommy Lasorda told the New York Times, "to know I'm going to leave this place behind, leave the people here, leave the church I went to."
Lasorda, who first arrived as a 19-year-old pitching prospect, leaves as an 80-year-old guest of honor. The Dodgers expect to move next season to Glendale, Ariz., ending a run that began in 1948. Sights and sounds of the send-off:
• Lasorda got a military-style salute of sorts, exiting under the crossed bats of current players.
• The Los Angeles Times noted that one radio reporter was moved to tears when former Dodgers pitcher Carl Erskine played the national anthem on a harmonica. Erskine, 81, was the starting pitcher in the first game at Holman Stadium in 1953.
• Dodgers owner Frank McCourt said the street signs and light posts topped with baseballs will be moved to Arizona or put on display at Dodger Stadium.

7 comments:

Tammy Bowers said...

Okay, I don't get it. I thought they were the LA Dodgers. Why have them been playing in Florida? When did them move from LA to Florida. I know that that before the 40's. I'm lost. School me.

Tammy Bowers said...

Oops, lots of typos. Sorry, I didn't proof it first.

Bill's Waste of Air said...

All major league teams play their spring training games in either Arizona (The Cactus League) or Florida (The Citrus League).

Once spring training is over they move back to their home towns.

The Dodgers have always trained in Florida, mostly due to the fact that they were originally from Brooklyn.
In the old days most teams trained in Florida, it wasn't until later in the 40's and 50s that teams moved to Arizona.
Actually the Chicago Cubs owner Wrigley (yes that Wrigley of Wrigley Gums) bought Catalina Island so that he could have the Cubs train there, and that began the westward movement of the East Coast teams doing their training.
Ok, hope that helps.

Jen said...

HA TAMMY!!!

I'm not the only one! I just told Jeremy this morning that the Dodgers were moving to Arizona! I thought that's what Bill meant. LOL. Rolling. Jeremy didn't believe me, considering nothing has been on the news here.

Bill,

Jeremy is possibly going to the game next Saturday...big deal right?

Happy Easter! Jen Green

Anonymous said...

You mentioned the Dodgers' owner. Is that Frank McCourt, author? (Angela's Ashes, Teacher Man) If it is, have you read any of his books?

Bill's Waste of Air said...

jen, I wish I could go to that game, I assume it is the one against the Red Sox at the Coliseum?
If so, those are pretty hard tickets to get.
History will be made, they are expecting 115,000 fans, the largest crowd ever to see a pro baseball game.

Mick, I don't think they are the same person.

Rich Young Ruler said...

Bill, I'm going to be at the game tonight at the Coliseum. I'll put some pictures on my blog afterward. Let me know if you want a souvenir! Manny Ramirez was in our restaurant on Thursday. I should have sucka punched him.. he really wasn't as big as I thought he'd be.

Jeremy