At last. It was Opening Day. Everyone told me they wouldn’t be able to sleep the night before because they were so excited. I wouldn’t be able to sleep but for different reasons. I had to work. The way my luck has been going, of course it was busy. I was exhausted by the time morning came. I had to plan my time carefully..I had to shower, change to Dodger wear and change cars to my Dodger car.

My license plate is in honor of our home run hitter Andre Ethier #16 who is called “Dre” by Matty Kemp, our other home run hitter.
I was on the road to Dodger Stadium in plenty of time to spare. I always am early to everything: appointments, engagements, and work. I like to be first. Dodger games are no different.
I actually had to wait for the gates to open.
Batting practice was in full swing. It felt great to be back to the stadium.

It had the feel of Opening Day. Everyone could feel the difference. The Dodgers have been bought by an investment group including Magic Johnson. I’m hoping those who stayed away because of the previous owner will return. The players have optimism that the fans will return. Opening Day was a sellout.

The Pirates were also on the field. The Dodgers applauded former Dodger Rod Barajas when he was announced. I noticed another former Dodger, James McDonald is also with the Pirates. One of my friends Matt Peaslee writes a wonderful blog for the Pirates. pittpeas.mlblogs.com.
Opening ceremonies included honoring the military, always a crowd favorite.

They released doves and had a jet flyover.

The player were out in the field warming up

Here’s Andre getting ready to hit that game winning solo home run shot. His playing during ST and so far this season reminds me of the Andre of a couple of seasons ago. I heard that Matty has already asked the new owners to give Andre a contract extension.

I remembered I had to eat before the game. There was a nice sirloin roast, delicious pasta, an array of salads.

Our Opening Day pitcher was Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw.

Matty was out in the field stretching.

Signing autographs.

Andre also signed autographs for the fans- the two fan friendly players are Andre and Matt. They sign everyday.
Happy 30th birthday Andre on Opening Day. He gave us the best present with that tie breaking home run.

The military gave a nice presentation. The Dodgers honor one veteran a game. I plan on asking them to honor my Dad who fought in World War II in the famous 442nd. He is 91 years old and doing well. He follows games with me and watches them on tv with me when they are on the road.

My security person Emo who makes sure I don”t get carried away and run on the field.

I was getting excited especially when they introduced each player.

Go Matty!

Don’t you just love Dre?

I almost didn’t t catch our shortstop Dee Gordon or Skinny Swag.

I was more than ready for baseball!

Our ace and starting pitcher for opening day was Kershaw with his catcher AJ Ellis.

Matt was already to catch a few flies.

From the first pitch it was a great Opening Day. The Pirates and Dodgers played hard. I was ready for extra innings. I remember my son telling me when I first became interested in baseball…”No mom. It’s extra innings, not overtime!!!

Kershaw has a great future. I hope he will always be a Dodger.

Dee Gordon also promises to be a star with his speed and basestealing abilities.

Andre is exciting to watch. Last season he played with a sore knee and ended up going on DL.

James is still trying to find his bat. I hope he returns to the player he was at the end of last season.

Our closer Javy Guerra already has 3 saves this season. See Donny in the background?

They say Javy has nerves of steel. I remember closing my eyes last season with Broxton.

My favorite time, my favorite song…”I Love LA”when my Dodgers win!!

The Dodgers are tied for first place 4-1. A good start for the 2012 season. But no Magic for Opening Day. He was in New York watching a play.
Thanks for stopping by. Sorry for the short post. I’m still missing one night of sleep this week. Unfortunately with my work I spend a lot of time sleep deprived.
Today we meet the Pirates again with Chad pitching. So far Chad has been super.
See you tomorrow with more pictures and stuff!

Four games played with a record of 3-1. Not too bad especially considering that this was the Dodgers first games together and that they were played on the road.
One thing for certain is that Matt Kemp
Is off to a great start being proclaimed the National League player of the week with an average of .421, 2 homeruns and 8 RBIs.
Glimpses of fine performances by Skinny Swag and Mark Ellis also highlighted the week.
What we’re wondering is what happened to James Loney’s bat? Will Juan Uribe be as awful this season as he was last season? Was it a big mistake to let Kuroda go and bring in Capuano and Harang. Harang was beyond scary yesterday. Did Mattingly have to leave him in the game as long as he did?
Tomorrow is Opening Day at Dodger Stadium. The Beach Boys will be performing. I have to work tonight until 8:00am and plan on leaving for the stadium at 9:00am. I guess I won’t get any sleep. Hopefully I can make it through the day.
Unfortunately there is rain predicted Tuesday but later in the evening. Maybe it won’t be too hot during the day. There is a 60% chance of rain Wednesday too. My wonderful usher Ernie had given me a rain poncho a couple of seasons ago. I keep it in my backpack just in case. I will always remember how thoughtful he always was. I miss him so much. I know he’s watching me from heaven and that he will remain in many Dodger fans’ hearts.
I painstakingly tore my tickets apart and put them along with my parking passes in my backpack. I always forget something. I’ve forgotten my camera a couple of times this past season.
I remember a couple of seasons ago I accidentally tore off the barcode on one of my playoff tickets. Luckily the ticket taker recognized me and let me in.
I have great hopes for the season. We have a fantastic start. We have Cy Young winner Clayton who pitched 3 innings and swung the bat well even while battling a stomach illness. We have NL player of the week Matty Kemp. We also have super fast Dee Gordon who gets better and better.
Life is good. Go Blue!!!
Thanks for stopping by!

Opening day in San Diego.
Somewhat overcast which doesn’t bode well for hit balls going very far but no one told Matt Kemp that. A two run homerun to start the season capped yesterday’s game.
It helped that the Padres pitching wasn’t so great even against an ailing Clayton who hasn’t been able to hold anything down, an ailment that Dre had a few days ago. A few walks and some errors later, the Dodgers were on their way to a win.
Magic’s presence in the stands may have sparked Matty who is in awe of Sir Johnson. Maybe the fact that it’s a $2 billion team was the impetus.
Whatever it was, the Dodgers played like a winning team with huge plays by Skinny Swag and company.
A few snags which can be worked out such as the Jansen, McDougal combo which will smooth out, caused a few uncomfortable moments. Josh Lindblom did a great job and nerves of steel Javy closed out the game. Now who was Broxton? I remember closing my eyes when they called out Brox’s name and crossing my fingers.
Our bullpen will be a strong asset. Todd Coffey wasn’t even used yet. Neither was Scott Elbert just in case it’s Bad Bills pitching today.
The opening ceremony yesterday was absolutely breathtaking honoring active duty military and veterans.
Thank you Padres. I have always respected the Padres organization for the support that they have given to the military. My son and father both appreciate it.
Today will be another game in San Diego. Please let it be Good Bills on the mound.
Thank you so much to everyone who has taken the trouble to stop by.

I got to the stadium about 3 hours and 10 minutes before the game. I wasn’t sure which gate to use so I went to the only other gate I knew other than the downtown gate. Of course it was the wrong gate but I still got through.
It was deserted as you could tell from the picture. The Dodgers were in the midst of batting practice. I noticed new young faces.
One of the new faces was passing in front of me. He smiled and said hi to me. I read his name on his jersey…..Capuano. Aha…one of the new starting pitchers.

I caught the above picture as he was going toward the dugout.

Donnie was out on the field talking to some of the players.

I welcomed Belisario back. He thanked me. He’s sitting it out a few games.

The guys were out catching balls from batting practice.

The guys were out in the field laughing and talking. No pressure today since it’s an exhibition game.

Skinny Swag was out catching some balls.

The starting pitcher today was Aaron Harang.

The Dodger I wanted to see finally came out of the Dugout. Matt Kemp. He always gets stretched out before the game.

He finished warming up and walked over to the stands. He always signs and talks to the fans. I was taking pictures. He saw me, smiled and asked”How’s it going?” and to my surprise he put out his arms and hugged me!! I was in heaven.
I think at first he hadn’t recognized me because I changed my hair quite drastically and lost weight. But when he realized it was me, his eyes lit up.

The bullpen was walking by. Last season I always yelled out “Yaaaay bullpen!” which usually brought some applause from the fans. I usually also called out “Hi Javy” and most times he would wave to me. Yesterday was no exception. When Javy waved to me, I knew my routine was intact.

I’m excited although the season hasn’t officially started.

Here’s Matt consorting with the enemy.
I heard Andre had a stomach problem which is why he didn’t play.

This picture is my favorite.

James Loney signed a few autographs.

I had to take a few pictures of Pujols. He is very much respected. Of course he had to shake us up with a home run.

Nice swing!

The second exhibition game with the Angels was a day game. I was way too early since there was NO batting practice. How did I forget?

I watched Capuano stretching.

He usually wears his stockings pulled up.

Clayton Kershaw came out to the field to warm up a little. I also spoke to him.

I decided it was time to eat. Usually during day games, they serve breakfast. Today was no different. French toast casserole with sweet butter, artisan sausage, bow tie pasta, maple ham.

The salads are always good. Caesar salad, field green salad with candied walnuts and goat cheese, chopped vegetable salad.

Glad that Andre was feeling better. Here’s a pic without his cap. Notice how short his hair is?

He looked happy and well.

Here’s a pic of Pujols watching his home run take off.

Justin Sellers up to bat…hoping that he makes the team.
The Dodgers lost this last exhibition game but I can honestly say that I have no idea who those kids were on the field with Dodger uniforms on.
The highlight of the first game was the talented little boy who sang the national anthem

This week was just a sample. It all begins tomorrow.
Let the MAGIC begin.
Thanks for stopping by.

I have only 3 days to get ready for THE FIRST GAME!!! I know….it’s just an exhibition game. But it is the first game for me.
What am I doing to get ready? Charging up the battery in my camera. No, it’s not a fancy SLR. It’s a Canon with good close up capabilities. SLR’s are too heavy. Tried that but it was too exhausting carrying that thing around. It’s amazing how much an SD card can hold. I stocked up on those too.
I had to put all my Dodger blue through the wash to freshen everything. It’s all
been waiting for 6 months for baseball season to come back again. No, I don’t wear that stuff all year around. I wear Dodger duds only to games. By the end of the season I’m kind of tired of the blue.
I made sure I had at least 3 baseballs in case I want any autographs. There are a few new players.
It will be interesting to see if anything changes. Time will tell. Everyone thinks that ticket prices will go up considering
the $2 billion price tag. Mine won’t since I already pay a lot. They had discounted many season tickets already. Last season attendance was very poor but maybe Magic will draw folks back.
Season ticket holders will be allowed in to watch betting practice 3 hours before the game. Yikes. I already thought 2 hours ahead was just fine. Peer pressure and my obsessive desire to be first will make me arrive there even earlier. Might as well pack my bags and stay at the stadium!!!
I haven’t gotten my nail tips painted blue yet. I’ve been delinquent. Hopefully I’ll get around to it by Opening Day.

Not sure how I will tie this picture in but the cat is watching a cat on tv. Is that too much??? Her name is Georgie. Usually orange cats are boys but this one is a girl!! Confusing enough since we call her George.
I’m trying to arrange work around the baseball schedule but it gets difficult. I may have to call in “blue” sometime. Work just seems to get in the way.
I hope everyone has noticed what a great spring Dre has had. I get a feeling that he will get a long term contract so he, James, Matt and Clayton can stay together and play.
James also seems to continue with his hitting.
AJ has pretty much sewn up his spot as catcher.
There is some controversy about who will be closer. I believe Javy should continue.
Skinny Swag also has had a phenomenal spring.
Ted Lilly will start the season on DL. That’s a definite uh oh. I’m pretty happy with Harang and Capuano. I will miss my Hiroki though. Jamey Wright also has earned a spot on the roster.
Opening Day is a sellout from what i’ve heard. Good thing I have to be there 3 hours before the game. At least I’ll beat the crowd.
Thanks for stopping by. When the games start, I’ll be sure to post pictures and let you know what’s going on from my viewpoint.