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Before leaving home for school (kindergarten) I had already learned two essential truths — the Yankees were the bad guys and the Dodgers were the good guys. Being a Navy brat, I moved away the next year. The Dodgers moved away the year after that.
We were not reunited geographically until Dad got his 20 years in and took a post-retirement job in Southern California. I attended my first Dodger game in 1963. My team had a bad game, and by the seventh inning I was acting like the whiny little kid that I was. Dad then informed me that if I did not stop complaining, my first Dodger game would also be my last.
Although I was too young to properly appreciate it, my peak Dodger experience occurred that year with a four-game sweep of the Yankees. That was also the year that I learned that Sandy Koufax was the greatest human being on the planet.
Notwithstanding the many years of success, the despair of the Reggie Jackson years left the most lasting memories. Mr. October, my ass. Reggie was the worst human being on earth.
A few years after the mortgage was paid off, and a few years after 17 years of college were paid for, I made the most extravagantly selfish purchase of my life — a World Series ticket. Sadly, the game ended with the Boston Red Sox jumping with joy in our infield. I, however, as always, was stoic.
Which brings us to last year. The ticket price was higher, and attendance now required a plane ride, but I personally witnessed the Dodgers beat the Yankees in a World Series game in Dodger Stadium. If you started counting rows from the very top of the stadium, I was in row two, but it was heaven. (I hoped there were millions of Yankee fans who hated Freddie Freeman as much as I hated Reggie Jackson.)
This year my ticket was for game three. The day started at 4:00 am in order to get to the airport on time. We arrived in the parking lot at 2:30 for a 5:00 game. (Better seats this time, row 9.) We chanted “Freddie, Freddie” for nine at-bats. Eight times, he disappointed. But in the eighteenth inning, he delivered. The game ended a few minutes before midnight. Unsurprisingly, it was after 1:00 am before we got out of the parking lot, and almost 2:00 am before head hit pillow. It was a great day.
Saturday I watched on television. Game 7, extra innings, come-from-behind victory. My cup truly runneth over. (And I now love Japan.)
G-Pub
Discussion (16)
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Hey, I learned that, too.
Oh, you were talking about baseball?
CONTRIBUTOR
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True that.
Naw. The Tigers. But that was in a different time and seemingly a different country than today. The Tigers of Al Kaline and Micky Lolich and the team that beat the Cardinals four straight.
I know exactly how you feel though.
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You had a good couple of weeks and two fun extra-inning games. I'm not much of a baseball fan anymore but plenty of people here in Utah are Dodger fans, including my son-in-law, who lived in Orange County and played professionally.
I paid ridiculous money for one in person World Series game with my son when the Nationals won, not the game but the series, against the Astros. Good recap.
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Well as a San Francisco Giants fan I'll have to confess that I became a Dodgers fan when game seven of the World Series came this year. When a singer tweaked the Canadian national anthem to take a dig at President Trump, they became the Ottawa Blue Jays rather than the Toronto Blue Jays. Ironically there was not a single Canadian playing for the Blue Jays.
The Dodgers have always been on my radar as my favorite team is the Giants. My second favorite team has been any team playing against the Dodgers with the one exception of game seven of the world Series in 2025. :)
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After the sweep of Milwaukee I didn't know what to expect.
This was a really entertaining World Series.
Ohtani's enthusiasm is great, and Yamamoto's pitching was amazing. And to win the last two games on double plays was fun too.
Particularly fun for this lifelong Dodger fan.
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