Dodgers Blogger Night- a Brief Recap

This past Friday the Dodgers hosted their 5th Annual Dodgers Blogger Night in a suite at Dodger Stadium.  Go here to see my past reports from the four previous Blogger Nights.

Check out what other bloggers had to write about the evening here: Sons of Steve Garvey;  Think Blue LA; Dodgers Nation, and Dodger Dugout.  It was great to see everyone there, and it was especially nice to see Roberto of Vin Scully is My Homeboy running around.  He is doing just fine.

--------------------

It was a strangely muggy afternoon as the entire Southland was drenched from the previous evenings showers.  Thankfully, the clouds soon dissipated as the first game of the second half would go on without a hitch. 

I arrived there extremely early- figuring I'd leave work a little early to beat Fridays traffic.

The stadium was practically empty.  Fans were not yet allowed into the stadium, or in the parking lot.  I was able to drive right up to the guard shack, head to the Top Deck parking area, retrieve my ticket from PR, and turned the corner to gaze at the Dodger field.  The team was in the midst of their batting practice, so I had to take a quick pic to share with all of you.  See it above.

From there, I went straight to the suite to check out the digs.  Below is our view from the Stadium Suite, as well as, a pic of the interior and a closeup of one of the photos in the room.  Unfortunately, most of my other photos of the suite didn't come out too well.

The above snowman photo highlights a snow-out for a season opening game at Ebbets Field.  Since I had time to kill, I figured I would walk the halls and take some pics of the photos hanging on the wall.  See them below.  Click any pic to embiggen.

I do not recall the captions to the photos.  Above left, the Dodgers are seen playing at the Coliseum.  Above right is a view of the stands at Ebbets Field.

Then, the evenings events got underway.  First, the Dodgers shared a early peek at several upcoming bobbleheads.  Check out the Kirk Gobson, Sandy Koufax and Vin Scully dolls below.  The Scully is especially nice.  In the background you can see the Dodger caps that will be given away, as well.

Ned Colletti came in first and briefly discussed some of the players and the team.  There wasn't a lot shared, but there were some nice nuggets.  Colletti confirmed that there was a deal to get Sabathia, but that it fell through due to what he hinted were financial issues. He was also a bit negative on the Uribe experiment.  I think his lack of production has finally wore thin. 

Stan Kasten was probably the best part of the whole evening.  He is an enthusiastic speaker.  It's obvious he has the passion, and one only hopes that translates in to wins.  Be sure to check out the video from Nomo at Sons of Steve Garvey to see the opening exchange with Kasten on video.

Kasten spoke mostly about the the fan experience. He tossed out ideas like better wifi, cell reception, a Dodgers museum, kids zone, etc.  Kasten also emphasized that there are currently no plans to redevelop the stadium for retail or dining.  The focus appears to be on in-game/ in-stadium entertainment.  For much better reviews of some specific topics discussed please check out what Robert at Dodger Dugout ; Jordon at Dodgers Nation,and Ron at Think Blue LA have written.  They go into great depth on a whole range of topics.

Overall, it was a fun evening to meet with other bloggers and hear from some of the Dodgers brass.  A big thank you to the Dodgers PR group for putting this whole thing together.  They treated us like kings, and I got fat on several helpings of Dodger Dogs, Coca Cola, chicken wings and a wonderfully perfect pasta salad with blue cheese and bacon.  Bacon!!  You can never go wrong with bacon.

Blogger Night, the Day After

Opening scene as the camera pans over the Los Angeles landscape. It soars past the burgeoning skyline over Staples Center, then the Library Tower. City Hall and Union Station can bee seen in the distance. Slowly it heads up Sunset Boulevard until it rest at the steps of Chavez Ravine, home of Dodger Stadium. The view was grim. Fires were raging and debris had been flung about like they were just some play toy to a behemoth wandering child. Why, you ask, was everything out of whack?

Well, last night was Dodger Blogger Night and us pajama wearing troglodytes tore it up. Really... We are the underbelly of the internet, hidden in basements, sure to never see the light of day. To allow us into their lair for the 4th consecutive year is certainly a miscalculation of monumental proportions. I swear, the Dodgers will rue the day they welcomed us into their world, for nothing will ever be the same again.

And, it hasn't been the same. The Dodgers have been willful explorers wanting to test the waters of the "New Media," and I think it's safe to say that they are winning. Heck, with all of the rancor that surrounds the Dodgers these days I was surprised and elated to find out that the Dodgers decided to continue on with their annual Blogger Nights at the stadium. This commitment to us was welcomed, and no matter the outcome of their recent troubles I think it is safe to say that our rabid worshiping at the steps of the mighty Dodger in the sky will not be abated.

First, a big thanks to Josh Rawitch and Amy Summers for hosting the event, and an even bigger thanks to those special guest who gave us some of their time to entertain and wow the crowd.

It started out with a bang. Andre Ethier gave a short conference, via phone, to ask and thank us for our support in the Final Vote campaign. BTW, remember to vote right here. Oh, and if you want to hear a little bit of what Andre said then check out Sons of Steve Garvey. The iPad holding videographer, who I shall call Steve Sax, was kind enough to post up Ethier's most salient comment for us all to hear. See the video here. Best moment: When Andre was asked why he should get our vote, he replied- "I'm a Dodger!" To this True Blue follower that was all I needed to hear.

Other guest included Ron Cey who had some choice words for a currently employed Dodger who has made public his aim to buy the team out from under his boss. What was the word he used? Was it unprofessional... classless... I forget, but Ron certainly didn't pull any punches. Our last guest of the night was former Dodger Al "The Bull" Ferrara who regaled us with stories of his piano playing past and his Brooklyn upbringing. On a side note, I want to thank Dodger historian Mark Langill for taking a few moments to speak with me. He really does know just about anything Dodger related.

From here the rest of the evening was a heaping pile of dung. The Dodgers didn't score and lost in spectacular fashion. Come on... Jason Bay!?! F'nnn Jason Bay!?! Crappppp! On a side note, I though Kemp's aggressiveness on the basepaths was a good thing to see. I was listening to Dodger Talk last night and was dismayed to hear the nitpicking some fans had for Matt Kemp. He was not blame for last nights loss.

Anyway, that's my report. I am truly thankful for the graciousness of the Dodger staff and hope that we can do it again next year.

Man... I hope that phrase from yesteryear doesn't become our annual cry. "Wait Til Next Year! Wait Til Next Year!"

For a peek at my past stories from the 3 previous Blogger Nights go here:

• 1st- 2008 (Suite Seats The Movie),
• 2nd- 2009 (2nd Annual Blogger Night), and
• 3rd- 2010 (Dodger Blogger Night).

UPDATE: Several other blogs have already put up their review of the Blogger Night experience. Check them out below.

• Sons of Steve Garvey
• Vin Scully is My Homeboy
• Opinion of Kingman's Performance
• The Ravine Report

There were far more other blogs in attendance, so if I missed your post please let me know.

Dodger Blogger Night

A couple of weeks ago I received an email from the Dodger PR folks about the 3rd annual Dodger Blogger Night. With it so late in the season already I had thought they would choose to forgo the festivities this season. Fortunately, I was wrong about that.

Yesterday evening was the day and it was really a treat to meet everybody there. First, I would like to thank the organizers Amy Summers and Josh Rawitch for putting it all together. I really feel fortunate to have been a guest of the Dodgers for the 3rd straight year and really appreciate their desire to reach out to us.

I had met many of the bloggers there before; like Steve Sax with Sons of Steve Garvey, Eric Stephen with True Blue LA, Robert Timm with Dodger Dugout, Chris from Dodgerfan.net. I must say, though, it was a great pleasure to met, for the first time, Roberto with Vin Scully Is My Homeboy. He is the mad genius behind one of my favorite blogs. Click on any of the links above for their post about the evening. There were many more there so I apologize for missing anybody.

For the skinny on any important revelations go and check out Dodger Dugout or True Blue LA above. They have done a much better job than I could have hoped to do. Anyway, on to a couple of photos. Below is Ned Colletti answering some of our questions (Josh Rawitch is standing behind him). Nothing really substantive was shared- other than to let us know that he doesn't read any of us. Thanks Ned!
Then Ron Cey came in to say hello and spent a good amount of time in the suite. He even turned to the free food, opened up one of the trays and remarked about the spicy chicken wings before pulling out a plate for himself. He wondered aloud how we bloggers could go so long without finishing off the wings. Hearing this, I dutifully crawled over and helped myself to a second helping.
After all this many more Dodger folks showed up. Dennis Mannion, the team President, stopped by along with Kim Ng, the teams Vice President and Assistant GM. The highlight of the night was yet to come. Windell Middlebrooks, better known as the Miller Lite Guy, unexpectedly walked into the suite to say hello. In one word meeting him was "awesome!"

2nd Annual Dodger Blogger Night

It's good to be a Dodger blogger!

Last night was a treat. For the 2nd year in a row the Dodger brass invited several Dodger blogs to a free night in a suite. Last year we only had a handful of blogs show up, but this time around the room was packed. It is amazing how much things change in just a year.
I had planned on writing this post a little earlier today, but -like most of you- I got blindsided by the Manny news. In fact, I had an entire framework constructed in my mind regarding how I would tell last nights story, but I suddenly found my thoughts jumbled. Oh well.

Nevertheless, this mornings disappointment does not trample over the excitement yesterday evening brought. So, I will start anew.

We were once again treated to free Dodger Dogs, the dessert cart, an entire suite to ourselves and some special guest. As you can see above Dodger GM Ned Colletti is standing next to Communication VP Josh Rawitch. Josh is the chief organizer of this event and a clear innovator in his field. His embrace of the blogging community has been great. Ned Colletti was his normal straight-shooter self. He answered our questions and was direct when he needed to be. Dr. Charles Steinberg, Creative and Communications VP, had some interesting stories including how Journey's song "Don't Stop Believin'" has become a staple at Dodger Stadium.
Then, we were left to enjoy the game. And what a game it was. Our hands were wringing as the game remained close up until the 6th inning. That's when everything went crazy. The Dodgers score 7 runs in the bottom of the inning and suddenly our worry about being this evening jinxes was over. We knew number 13 was ours and we would all go home happy.

Thanks again to Josh Rawitch for a wonderful evening. Also, I appreciate the folks in the front office for coming by. It is always a pleasure when the team of your obsession shows their appreciation like this. It makes writing this blog all worth it.

Be sure to check out Orel's post at SOSG about the evening. He did a great job writing about the evening.

Suite Seats The Movie

Is it morning yet? I woke up both disheveled and confused. My hair was giving me its best Carrot Top impression. It was matted with choice spikes, looking like stalagmites in a deep underground cave. I was still wearing my Dodger jersey. Had I slept in it last night? It was wrinkled and in need of a wash. My cap was sitting atop my alarm with my glasses barely hanging on the ledge of my end table. What happened? Did last night really occur? Wow.

As many of you know, several Dodger bloggers were invited to spend the evening at Dodger Stadium. We were to be regaled with hot dogs, a suite and some special guest. I remember that Friday afternoon, I was anxiously fidgeting at work eager to end the day. Minute by minute passed, but it felt like hours.

At around 4PM i started wondering about the evening. Who would be the special guest Josh Rawitch mentioned? Would Colletti, or even McCourt himself show up? Would the most famous Dodger blogger of them all, Alyssa Milano, stop bye to say hello.

I walked through the concourse with two friends in tow. We opened the door to the suite that would become our haven for the next few hours. To my surprise Alyssa was there to greet us all with a smile and a firm handshake, even firmer than Ned Colletti's shake. I said "G' Day Alyssa" and gave her a big hug. A childhood dream had been fulfilled. My friend Bill was frozen like a goalie facing a Zdeno Chara slapshot. He almost vomited at the sight of her like Stan from South Park when he meets Wendy. All evening Alyssa and I chatted as I could tell the fireworks were flying. By the end of the game we left arm in arm, exchanged numbers and planned to meet at a nearby club.

My phone was ringing. I'm still at the office. I can barely hold up my head as drool starts to fall from chin to desk. Dammit! Had I been daydreaming? Where's Alyssa? Is it game time? Damn, it's only 4:20. I started preparing to leave the office so that I could pick up my friends for an evening that was sure to be unforgettable.

From here the whole actual evening is a blur. GM Ned Colletti came by and spent almost half an hour before the start of the game to answer our questions. As Chris from Dodgerfan.net wrote, he has some great looking boots. Team owner Frank McCourt stopped by during the early innings and was open and amiable. The saintly Tommy Lasorda finished the evening off with stories about the past. I love that old man.

I would like to thank Josh Rawitch for an incredible evening. I would especially like to thank Chris from Dodgerfan.net for making the suggestion to Josh. It was great meeting everyone there. I am hopeful that we can do this regularly, whether it's sponsored by the Dodgers or if we decide to do it ourselves. For more details about the night, far beyond anything I can remember please check out the post from the other bloggers in attendance. They've done a much better job of recalling the evening than I ever could.

• 3 of the Sons of Steve Garvey
• Erin from Beantown West
• Chris of Dodgerfan.net
• Robert from The Trolley Dodger
• Robert from Dodger Dugout

And yes Robert, I started the morning off right with a pick-me-up hot dog. Now I feel great! Thanks for the advice.

Suite Seats

As Orel at Sons of Steve Garvey mentioned last night, the Dodger have organized an impromptu blogger get together at tonight's game against the Padres. Like the Sons I quickly RSVP'd without hesitation. It's not everyday you get a chance to see a game in a suite. On top of that, this will be a first for me at Dodger Stadium.

I can't wait to don my Dodger jersey. I'll put my cap on my head as I head to the gates leading to the stadium. The ticket taker will greet me with a smile and repeat the words I've been longing to hear all year. "Welcome to Dodger Stadium."

Yes! Tonight will be my first regular season game of the year and I can't wait. I'm coming from down south of the orange curtain. So, traffic will be a major issue for me. Hopefully, the great Dodger in the sky will part the lanes enough for us to squeeze through.

Thank you to Chris at Dodgerfan.net for making the pitch to Josh. I look forward to meeting all of the folks who can attend.