As Mrs. Orel and I raced along the I-10 to make it to Dodger Stadium in time to catch pre-game festivities on Orel Hershiser Bobblehead Night, I read Josh Suchon's excellent piece on his connection with Hershiser (hat tip: @dodgerfan_net). We parked and hustled toward the Reserve Level, passing more than a few people leaving the grounds clutching their Orel bobbleheads. One guy was even toting a whole case of them, no doubt rushing to fulfill his eBay pre-orders. A+++ WOULD BUY AGAIN
A couple things struck us as we watched Hershiser become the center of attention. He was inclusive, insisting Tommy Lasorda accompany him to the mound for the ceremonial first pitch. He was gracious, greeting first-pitch catcher Clayton Kershaw with warmth and making sure Kershaw was in the center of the trio for post-pitch pictures. He was humble, carrying the microphone stand off the field after announcing "It's time for Dodger Baseball!" And he was classy, making his way over to the visitors' dugout to shake Justin Upton's hand before leaving the field.
(Extra kudos to Nancy Bea Hefley for reviving her rendition of "Master of the House" to accompany Orel's return to the spotlight. The sentiment couldn't have been more perfect.)
So yeah, I picked a fine pitcher and a pretty good guy to borrow a name from. The game was a wash, but I met SoSG Nomo for a beer and a stroll along the Reserve concourse as we conducted an unsuccessful reconnaissance mission to locate Dusty. It was oddly peaceful for two Dodger geeks to walk and talk away from the game, discerning what was happening on the field only by the sounds of the crowd.
To the pics!
photos by SoSG Orel
14 comments:
Wow. Great seats. A little different view from the TD, but still a great time. I really like this bobblehead.
Nice pics! I definitely enjoyed the geek stroll, too.
I'm guessing that since this Sunday's game is on ESPN, we'll see footage from last night.
I love my bobblehead, but I can't tell if he has a crooked neck, or it's intentionally positioned like that for the staredown.
Still very sad I missed it...
I'm sad I missed you boys.
I love the moment they showed the Clippers score toward the end of our game, and there was dead silence.
We actually walked up and down 55, calling your pseudonym.
Digging the pics.
Orel:
This isn't your birth name?
*cries*
That's weird, Nomo. I have aisle seats and barely got up the whole time. I'm in my bobbleseats - Row E, 17 and 18.
At least I'm 3-0 in Dodger Jukebox contests where Body Movin' is a contestant.
It's now 8-0!
Ah, that's it. We went down the lower numbered seats aisle.
(cries)
This was actually the most fun I've ever had at a losing game. My seat neighbor, Carolyn, is a loooonnngtime Dodger fan. (She's been going to games since Brooklyn.) She had a great sense of humor and really appreciated the patented SoSG brand of snark.
When Loney first came to the plate she yelled, "Step up your game, James!" I told her "Step Up Your Game" James was going to be his new official nickname.
Get her phone number, Nomo?
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