Dodgers Baseball News

It was a cold and blistery morning, no seriously, it was F#%!ing COLD this morning! It has been super windy in AZ the past few days and was supposed to stop today, which it did after noon. Of course we brought nothing but shorts and tank tops expecting blistering heat and froze our butts off. The complex at Camelback Ranch opens at 8am to the public and they let you in to the park at 9am.

We waited where the Dodgers players come out to the fields to warm up and lined up with the other fans, about 30-35 people, to try and solicit autographs. We had no success. The only person who stopped to sign was Don Mattingly but he was on the other side of the walkway from us. There were zero White Sox fans at the complex, which seemed really odd to me. Also, the White Sox side has absolutely no access to the players while the Dodgers side does.

It is a nice complex, not quite finished, but finished enough to get the first spring training in. We went home, dropped the wife off to get nails done (Dodger Blue of course), and had lunch to regroup and head back for the 1pm game agains the Kansas City Royals.

So you have to pay $5 for parking each time you enter which sucks. We paid $10 in parking today in total and that is just robbery for spring training. The main field was BEAUTIFUL though. We had grass seats and sat down the left field line right where the players walk by and where Manny roams.

The fans were great, especially the ones with kids themselves. It was blazing sunshine with just enough of a cool breeze. But he field is sunken down and so there is virtually no breeze once you sit down. Manny was having a good time with the fans in left field who were giving him quite the ribbing for taking so long to sign this off season. I think he gave more than one person a virtual heart attack this off season.

Now to the game.



Pretty uneventful as Gil Meche the opening day starting pitcher for the Royals  had our number today, except for Manny. Manny had a nice smooth stroke and just seemed like he was trying to line singles in front of the outfielders, which is exactly what he did 3 times. Manny had 3 of the Dodgers 5 hits all day, if that tells you anything about the excitement level of the game.

Kuroda looked OK, stretching out to five and two-thirds of an inning. He gave up four runs on eight hits. More importantly, he got his work in and looks on track to be our opening day starter.

My kids started getting heat rashes (they get sensitive skin from their mother) so we bailed out a little early. Once we were out of the seating areas it was nice and cool though because it brings you up and out of the sunken pit that the field and seats are in. I can see how that design was a good idea though because of the crazy winds that can kick up with dust, rocks, and dirt here in Arizona!

I overheard someone saying that a game was actually called because of wind in Scottsdale yesterday. So the winds are finally gone and it should be even hotter tomorrow, mid 80s. The wife and kids may not make it out to the ballpark, or if they do it will only be for a few innings. What I have come to realize is that you cannot really enjoy a game when you have to watch your kids. I am a baseball junkie so I hang on every pitch. Oh well, its just nice to be here and spend time with the famdamily! I’ll have to plan a boys trip for next year.

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