Opening Day, Magic Johnson, Sandy Koufax, and Clayton Kershaw

I've always wanted to go to Opening Day.  This was the third time in the last four years that I was on Easter Vacation for Opening Day.  I had thoughts of going to see the Dodgers the last two times I was off, but it didn't happen.  Both times would have been road games.  In 2010, the Dodgers opened in Pittsburgh.  Last year, they opened in San Diego.  I didn't go and this worked out perfectly for me.  I got to San Diego and Pittsburgh last year, so I didn't miss out on those stadiums.  And I got to see the Dodgers on Opening Day this season at Dodger Stadium against their biggest rival.  I had another reason I wanted to be there.  Before this week, I had only been to Dodger Stadium when the team was owned by Frank McCourt.  The last game I had gone to was almost empty because of a loosely-organized boycott against McCourt (which I gladly would have participated in if I lived in Los Angeles).  It was great to be able to applaud Magic Johnson to thank him, Mark Walter, Stan Kasten, etc. for saving the Dodgers from McCourt.  It also turned out to be the best experience I've ever had at a baseball game.

My dad and I started the day by going to the Santa Monica Pier.  It was kind of cold, but it was still cool walking along the pier and then going down on the beach and looking out at the Pacific Ocean.  I sent a picture to Kyle and said, "Why in the world do you not live here anymore?"  His response:  "It's really an excellent question that I don't have a convincing answer to."  Kyle, a southern California native, has lived in New York, Philadelphia, and New Hampshire since he graduated from Notre Dame.  So yeah, I'm completely in favor of my friends moving to southern California.  Then I would have somebody to visit in southern California.  And we could go to Dodger games.

Southern California is not home for me, but I would be so happy if it was home for one (or more) of my friends.  I'm totally serious.

After Santa Monica, we went to Dodger Stadium.  The game was sold out, so we got there early.  I had a Dodger Dog, which was excellent.  We were in the top deck, but only one section over from being directly behind home plate.  The Dodgers did a great job with all the pregame festivities.  They did a very cool unveiling of the new scoreboards in left and right field.  My brother Sean did the Dodger Stadium tour during the offseason and heard that Dodger Stadium used to have the world's largest standard definition TV.  Well, that's gone.  The scoreboards have been replaced with HD scoreboards in the original and unique hexagonal shape.  But when we walked in, they had graphics on the scoreboard to make them look like they used to.  The left field scoreboard was showing standard definition video and the right field scoreboard was just a scoreboard with no pictures.  Then they had a video that went over the history of the scoreboards at Dodger Stadium.  After that, they changed the pictures on both boards to HD pictures and it was really cool.  Then the Blue Man Group performed, which was pretty good.

Dodger Dogs are different from any other hot dog I've had.  And they're really good.

Then it was time for the pregame introductions.  The biggest ovations for the Dodgers were for Vin Scully (he's the best, listen to him whenever MLB Network is carrying the Dodgers' broadcast and enjoy), Matt Kemp, Clayton Kershaw, and Magic Johnson.  Then we had the national anthem with the giant American flag in the outfield.  It was very well done.  Then we had the ceremonial first pitch.  This might have even topped the queen's first pitch in The Naked Gun (I know I mentioned the movie in my post ranking the stadiums, I love that movie, it's probably my favorite of all time).  Magic Johnson took the mound and got ready to pitch to Orel Hershiser.  Then Don Mattingly came out from the dugout to make a pitching change.  Sandy Koufax came out of the dugout and got the biggest ovation of anybody (to that point, anyway).  It was great to see the greatest left-handed pitcher in the history of baseball back on the mound to get the season started for the Dodgers.

National Anthem on Opening Day

Magic Johnson, somebody else, Orel Hershiser, and Sandy Koufax pose after Koufax threw out the first pitch.

When the game finally started, it was the best left-handed pitcher in the game today on the mound for the Dodgers.  I went to five Dodger games in four different cities last year and the only time I saw Clayton Kershaw was when he was used as a pinch hitter to lay down a bunt in extra innings against the Mets.  He's my favorite current player.  A little background:  I have seen Kershaw pitch in person twice before.  I saw him in the Dodgers' first game at Citi Field in 2009.  He didn't allow a run and got the win, but he only lasted 6 innings because of a high pitch count.  I saw him go 6 in Washington.  He gave up 2 runs and left in position to get a win, but he got a no decision thanks to a blown save by Jonathan Broxton (the Dodgers won in 13).  Then in 2011, I went to two Dodger games against the Rockies in Los Angeles.  Kershaw didn't pitch in either. When I was stranded in Los Angeles because of Hurricane Irene, I considered going to see Kershaw pitch on a Monday night against the Padres.  I didn't go, and Kershaw pitched a complete game and only allowed one run.  I missed a great performance by Kershaw, but I got to see the best performance of his career on Monday.

Matt Cain started for the Giants and pitched very well.  He didn't allow a run, but only went six because of his pitch count.  Cain was good, but Kershaw was better.  He only allowed four hits and I don't think the Giants ever had two runners on base at the same time.  After eight outstanding innings, Kershaw was due to lead off in the bottom of the 8th.  I figured that on Opening Day with the score tied, you shake his hand and say "Great game."  Nope.  Kershaw came out to hit.  On the first pitch, he belted a home run to center field.  I admit I had my head down when the pitch was thrown.  But I quickly looked up when I heard the ball hit the bat and watched it sail over the fence.  Dodger Stadium went nuts.  Dodger fans don't have a great reputation, but the stadium was probably louder than anything I've ever experienced in New York.  The Dodgers added three insurance runs, but Kershaw didn't need him.  He finished off the Giants in the 9th and got the shutout.  It was the first time since 1953 that a pitcher had a complete game shutout and a home run on Opening Day.

My dad and me after the game (notice how full the stadium still was).  This picture was taken by an Australian woman who spilled beer on me.  It was an accident and she and her husband were very apologetic.  They offered to buy me a beer, but it was after the seventh inning and beer sales had been cut off.  I couldn't be mad.  I really really like Australia and Clayton Kershaw was having his best game and it was an amazing Opening Day.

Nobody left early and traffic leaving the stadium was terrible.  It took us more than an hour to get out of the parking lot and then there was Los Angeles rush hour traffic.  I didn't care.  I just had my best experience ever at a baseball game.