Heading up north
In about two hours, we’ll board the bus for the airport and head up north for a series against our longtime rivals, the Giants. Though I have to admit I really like the city of San Francisco, I could do without the team. Giants PR guys aside, I would love nothing more than to get going again with a three-game sweep in Pac Bell Park/SBC Park/AT&T Park…
As I have mentioned the last few days have been incredibly busy for our offices, as homestands are always busy and unprecedented 17-1 runs make them even crazier. We had just about every national media outlet calling to speak with or cover our players or staff, who have appeared on everything from Baseball Tonight to Rome is Burning, CBSSportsline.com, CNNSI.com (John Donovan’s All-Rookie team) and (Jon Weisman’s in-depth view of Andre Ethier), Yahoo Sports (great article on all the rookies) and countless others. Our guys have been on radio stations from Los Angeles to Canada and local TV stations all across the country. All of this takes coordination, which is really what our department does on a daily basis.
For any of our Spanish-speaking fans, you’ve got to check out Boris Mizrahi’s article about Wilson Betemit. I highlight this article not only because it’s a good read, but also because Boris was extremely helpful to me in 2002 when I covered the Caribbean Series in Caracas and throughout Venezuela. He helped an out-of-town journalist when he didn’t have to and I’m glad to see he’s got a gig writing for MLB.com.
Anyway, between the hospital visit, elementary school visit, autograph sessions, live web chats and much more and there’s certainly been plenty to do around here.
I’ll be interested in seeing just how the FAA’s new regulations affect our charter flight today. We’ve been told that we can’t bring liquids on the plane, much like any normal flight, but I’m sure that air travel in general will be a little strange. I have yet to fly since last week’s terrorism plot was foiled and while I’m not terribly concerned, you’re always a little more careful when things like that happen.
For now, enjoy the day away from the game (who am I kidding, you’re still reading this right now) and we’ll be back at it again tomorrow.
Inside the Dodgers 
As someone who was born and raised in LA, and now lives in San Francisco I agree with your statement about the city 100%. Great city, crummy baseball team. As much as I hate the team Pac Bell is a pretty cool place to see a ballgame, and im excited for my Dodgers to be back in town. I attended all 3 games in May, sporting my LA hat of course and almost got to witness a Dodgers sweep – Baez gave up a 5-1 lead in the ninth to lose 6-5 in game 2. Man did I get an earfull, and even a couple fists from a woman who obviously had too much to drink…Thank god Baez is gone.
Im looking forward to walking into the stadium and seeing the Dodgers flag flying atop the NL West Flagpole Friday night. Like they do at Wrigley, they fly the team flags of their division on a pole in the outfield in order of the standings. Almost as great as it will be to see the Dodger flag on top, it will be just as awesome to see the Giants flag at the bottom! I’ll definitely take a picture of that – any chance I can post it on the website???
Oh and one more funny thing about the stadium. If you enter through the gates in the right field corner, on the wall there is a big mural that reads “New York/San Francisco World Champions” and the flags of all the years they’ve won the world series. Interesting how they have to include the “New York” bit as they have never won a title in San Francisco! Pathetic…
I’ll be there Saturday and I cant wait
“…on the wall there is a big mural that reads “New York/San Francisco World Champions” and the flags of all the years they’ve won the world series. Interesting how they have to include the “New York” bit as they have never won a title in San Francisco! Pathetic…”
LOL!! Charlie, you make a great point! It’s truly pathetic to resort to WAY-BEYOND-PAST history to feel good about one’s self.
I hope Josh lets you post that picture of the pennant pole… I’d love to have it as my desktop image as we settle in towards the playoffs. If not, shoot me an email with the attachment.
Gimmee! Gimmee! Gimmee! I gotta have that pic! Shoot it too me.
Hey Charlie please send me a copy of that picture to, I can really rub some noses with it !!
Go Dodgers !!
Not only will I ALWAYS hate the Giants as a team, but I also HATE HATE HATE them as people. In my opinion, if you wear those colors then you’re officially the ENEMY. If you’re willing to sell your soul to the SF Giants, then you’re not worthy enough to live. It’s harsh, I know, but my hatred really runs that deeply.
Charlie – shoot me an email of the photo too! I’d love to have it as my desktop image … especially as I work amidst a bunch of Yankee lovers!
I’ll send it to everyone who requests it here. I’ll send it to Josh as well and maybe we can get it posted!
Now only if I gouuld figure out how to get an Astrix next the the “BONDS 724” sign on the Right Center Field wall…
Not only will I ALWAYS hate the Giants as a team, but I also HATE HATE HATE them as people. In my opinion, if you wear those colors then you’re officially the ENEMY. If you’re willing to sell your soul to the SF Giants, then you’re not worthy enough to live. It’s harsh, I know, but my hatred really runs that deeply.
Posted by: lostmysoul321@gmail.com | August 17, 2006 03:22 PM
You Hate Kent,Tomko,Martinez,Lofton and Colletti Too? Everyone has to work somewhere…..
“Baez gave up a 5-1 lead in the ninth to lose 6-5 in game 2.”
Man I have nightmares of that game …I still cant beleive we lost 😦
I like a that pic also 🙂
GO DODGERS!!!
F the giants!!!
“Baez gave up a 5-1 lead in the ninth to lose 6-5 in game 2.”
Man I have nightmares of that game …I still cant beleive we lost 😦
I’d like a that pic also 🙂
GO DODGERS!!!
F the giants!!!
Charlie please send me a pic. of that too! I went to Pac Bell a couple years ago and I have to admit I’ve never seen uglier bodies on women in my life!!!!Maybe I’m spoiled with Dodger Stadium we have some fine ladies at the ravine!! GO DODGERS!!!!
No Fisher, once they wear the blue and white they’re forgiven forever. That means they’ve truly seen the light! =)
LOL
Have a giant hit it there while Repko is out there…..Splat* Or Cody Ross when the Fish Play there…Splat*
I agree their uniforms are nasty. Like Tomko’s mom once said, it’s like Halloween everyday with the Giants.
Great day off! Enjoy a nice meal in SF and pick up a half game on the Giants and Padres. Things are looking good in Dodger Blue!
As a SoCal native living in NorCal (or a Dodgers fan living in Giants country), I have to say I like the city of San Francisco, and Pac Bell Park (or AT&T Park) is so nice of a ballpark, it’s too good for the Giants. I like the in-town location too (though I could do without the smell of the Piers), once I went to the McDonald’s a few blocks down from the park and I was in line with a Houston Astro (too bad the Dodgers weren’t playing that weekend).
Send me the pic too, Charlie. Maybe if I have a Giants fan friend over for one of the games, I’ll show them the pic while eating ice cream. Hopefully the Dodgers will sweep the Gnats again, and I might be listening to the games in SAP so I don’t have to hear Duane Kuiper and Mike Krukow blabber on about “eliminating” Dodgers fans.
One more thing about PacBell/SBC/AT&T (I’ve knicknamed it the phone booth…) is that what Dodger fan will ever forget Kevin Elster christening the field on opening day 2000, the first ever regular season game at PacBell with 3 homeruns. Not only that but the Dodgers went on to sweep the opening series. Now thats what I call marking your territory…
It was actually Mark Grudzielanek who hit 3 dingers on the opening day of Telephone Park, but yea… it was amazing… Im going to be at King Fish (cross the St) with some Dodger fans from 6-7 tomorrow if anyone wants to have beer with fellow Blue bleeders in the Bay Area…. LETS GO DODGERS!!!!!
… stand corrected… was Elster. Kooky!
Charlie, I would very much appreciate the picture also. I am up in Washington state and wouldn’t get the chance to see the Dodgers in person except in Seattle, although I’ve been a strong fan over all the years since 1952 and old Ebbets Field when I lived and grew up in New Jersey.
“Now only if I gouuld figure out how to get an Astrix next the the “BONDS 724″ sign on the Right Center Field wall… ”
Sneak in a small paint-ball gun and add your own asterisk!! LOL!
Charlie!!!!! I would greatly appreciate a pic!!! Bet my brother-in-law-the-giants-fan is going to appreciate it too! Looking forward to a good road trip. Wish I could meet you there, drj, that would be great fun.
I got to wear my DODGER hat around N. Cal. in Sept. of ’04 and had a guy in Monterey try to get me to cross the street so he could run over me. Or so he said. He was smiling when he said it.
he was smiling when he said it
Isn’t Bonds in jail yet?
Charlie, I would so appreciate that picture as well.
I NEEEEED this picture. Its vital to the punking of the Giant lovers in my fraternity. (the alums at least).
I might have said this here before, but it’s worth repeating.
I live on the east coast in Virginia, so there’s not much of a chance of me running into the Dodgers-Giants rivalry, or so I would think.
But anyway, last year my family had gone on vacation to New England, so I was taking a flight to Portland, Maine (terrible airport, but that’s another story) to meet up with them. My first flight was a dinky little puddle jumper from Richmond to Washington, a 100 mile flight.
Once the plane landed, I heard some guy behind me say, “see him? We don’t like him.” I looked over and it was a guy with a kid who didn’t look like he could have been a year old. I’m like “what are you, a Giants fan?” He told me he was, and not much else happened after that, I just stepped off the plane. But that incident always sticks out in my mind when the Dodgers play the Giants.
So now that the Dodgers are free of all disasters, as they no longer have Danys Baez, Lance Carter, Odalis Perez, and are half a decade removed from Chan Ho Park (who incidentally gave up a homer to Andy Pettitte recently), I see nothing stopping them from toppling the Giants at Phone Company Park.
I didn’t know about the flag.. I’m gonna be looking for that Saturday
charlie, i too want this pic, do me a solid and send it to me…
BELIEVE IN BLUE!
Just curious pats… what Dodgers’ gear were you wearing to cause this man to go Giant fan on you? A hat or jacket?
Beat the “Diminutives” today and start another win streak at (insert the latest bay area phone company merger name here) Park! Go Big Blue!
P.S. Isn’t it great to be fans of a team that OWNS their own ballpark? I mean really, “Dodger Stadium” has a nice ring to it, don’t you think? : )
drj – King Fish sounds good to me. I was actually there on the Friday night of the last series in May before the game, and there were quite a few Dodger fans. I walked into Momo’s with my Dodger hat on and got an earful..it was great. And the best part is all you have to say is “Win A Championship”
I read an article, pretty sure it was Orel Hersheiser on ESPN.com about the Dodgers – Giants rivalry and his comment was something along the lines of “The rivalry is kind of one-sided. The Giants care so much about beating the Dodgers, and the Dodgers care about winning championships.” Love it.
I’ve never been to AT&T but from everything I’ve heard, the fan base is completely different than what previously existed at Candlestick. Apparently, it is less focused on the baseball fan and more focused on the San Francisco business man. Dont’ get me wrong, I hate Candlestick too, but at least the fans were there to enjoy baseball. And while Dodger Stadium does post Stock Market quotes during weekday day-games, its primary focus is to take people away from the hustle and bustle of business life. The insane idea that putting wireless internet access in a ballpark would be good is beyond belief. People are there to focus on the game, not on their work. An obvious exception goes to the press, who are there to work and need access to their work. That aside, Laptops and Ballparks are a match made in ****.
I have been to Petco, where TV’s are mounted on the walls directly blocking the view of the game. This is ridiculous. I don’t need a TV to see what is in front of me. And if the execs at Petco Park think I do, they are obviously admitting to building a lousy park.
Anyway, there is a reason nobody wants Dodger Stadium torn down. Blue Heaven on Earth will be enjoyable for years to come. No fillers needed, just plain and simple baseball.
Also, I would like the picture. But really, who wouldn’t.
I was wondering the same thing Kris, what were you wearing Pats that he could tell you apart ??
Charlie, I really need that picture !! One of the factories I represent is in Sonoma and my Sales Manger is a bleeding Giants fan and I just have to show him that Dodger flag on top of the world !!! and a win tonight along with that picture would just cap off the whole deal !! BTW, I’ve had a running bet with this guy for years now on who will place higher in the standings and surfice to say he’s gotten the best of me over the last several years.
So Go Dodgers !!!
My only visit to Petco came in the opening month of the park (4/04) for a DBacks-Pads game. My sister who lives in El Cajon got us seats in the left field upper deck area adjacent to some luxury suites. The problem with my section of seats was the the stupid suite overhang blocked my entire view of the video board. At Dodger Stadium you would have to sit past the foul pole on either side of the Reserved to be block from the DiamondVision. I hate these tiny ballbarks with screwy configuration.
Petco’s great for casual fans and kids, with the Werehouse thing and picnic grass but not for me. Of course Dodger Stadium had these *&%$% up field seats last season but McCourt quickly corrected that problem! KUDOS!!
Wow, I never realised there were so many of us living here in enemy territory. I wish I could make it to King Fish myself. Sadly I have to work that day. Anyway, Charlie you are doing a great service to us Blue fans by sending that pic to those who want one. So may I put my request in for a copy of that picture? I can post it on my workplace bulletin board and see how long it stays there. My boss is, heck, the whole place is one big Giant enclave. Thanks in advance for the picture. And of course, GO DODGERS!!!