Confessions of a Dodger Fan - The Bet

A new season is upon us which also means a new season of trash talking, finger pointing, and chest thumping with our unfortunate acquaintances from up north that call themselves Giant fans. I have a colleague at work that I just found out is a huge Giant fan. Poor guy. He was bagging on my Dodger love and all I had to do was remind him of that empty World Series trophy cabinet (to which another colleague and dodger fan stated, well played sir, well played). So things escalated to the point where someone said "put your money where your mouth is" and thus another season with a wager on the line.

Here is the bet. If the Giants win the division, I have to wear Giants gear (which he will provide and I will promptly burn) and must bring him dinner at work and stay for at least 2 hours to hang my head in shame. He, of course, will wear Dodger gear and he must bring me dinner at work and stay for at least 2 hours if the blue crew wins the division. If neither team wins the division, no punishment is given. We were going to just bet some money, but we decided that humiliation is the way to go.

So, Dodger community, what are your bets this year? What are some of your humiliating bets that you have either won or lost? Believe me, it will be EXTREMELY difficult for me to wear that Giant shirt. But, I am confident that we have the team to win the division this year, despite all the controversy with pitching and lack of free agent impacts this off season. I'm getting excited for the season. Lets Go Blue!

Confessions of a Dodger Fan - Can't Dodge the Dog

Top: The original Dodger Dog. Bottom: The Super Dodger Dog.

Ah, Dodger Dogs. You can't beat them. It is almost like comfort food when you visit Dodger Stadium. I remember going to Dodger games when I was younger and feeling so proud that I could eat an entire Dodger Dog in one sitting. Now I can easily put 2 or 3 down at once. I love how the hot dog is longer than the bun and flops out the ends so that your first bite is pure dog. Of course, you have to fill up on the ketchup, mustard, relish, and I always get the raw onions. I don't care how about my breath later, it is all about my taste buds now.

According to the Farmer John website, the original Dodger Dog has 240 calories, 34% total fat, and 36% sodium. Wow! That is a lot of calories. And it isn't like I actually burn off those calories while sitting in my seat watching the game and incidentally gorging on another time-honored tradition - the chocolate malt in the 7th inning. By the way, will they ever bring back the delicious Cool-A-Coo?

I haven't visited as many ballparks as some of my other brothers (especially Sax and Karros), but have been to some parks that have a different spin on the dog. At Wrigley, the Chicago dog has a tomato and this strange florescent green relish. And at Miller Park, the bratwurst are great with the "secret sauce," but it just doesn't have that hot dog tradition. Anyone go to any other ballparks with good hot dogs?

This year, I have tried to branch out from the plain old Dodger Dog and have started to buy the Super Dodger Dog. According to Wikipedia, the Super Dodger Dog is beef instead of pork. I actually like it a little better. The cost is incremental (I think 75 cents more). It doesn't flop off the ends like the original and is shorter, but is much thicker in girth. It seems to fill me up a little more. I feel sort of bad not buying the original and I even think that it affects my Dodger karma. I didn't have a Dodger Dog at the last 2 games and both were losses. Do you think I am pissing off the Dodger gods? Should I return to the "old reliable"?

So, I think it is back to the original for me. And to make up for all of the lost Dodger Dogs, I was lucky to be shopping at Smart & Final and found this:

I am having my family over for a July 4th BBQ and guess what will be the main course! Hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable red, white, and GO BLUE day!

Have you
	never eaten a Dodger dog.
	eaten a Dodger dog, but didn't like it.
	eaten a Dodger dog and loved it.
	eaten a Dodger dog and think you could have it for 3 meals a day.
	eaten a Dodger dog and ... (fill in your words in the comment section)
pollcode.com free polls

Confessions of a Dodger Fan - Catching the Dream

I recently attended a Dodger game with SoSG Sax, who brought his glove with him. As related in the At-Game Recap, the lady next to me asked if he had ever caught a foul ball. I lied and said, “Nope, but who am I to ruin the dream.” Which made me realize that I, unfortunately, have never experienced that very dream - the dream of catching a foul ball.

Now I did catch a home run ball, but during batting practice and not at Dodger Stadium, but at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, in Baltimore, Maryland. However, the story goes further back than that incident. It was 1992 and I was at the new Oriole Park, incidentally again with SoSG Sax. Sax was more concerned about his other companion that he had met up with at the park and they were talking and having a beer in the bar beyond right field. It was still an hour before the game and I was more interested in the ballpark than their conversation, so I told them I was going to walk around. The park was brand new and the red brick motif was stunning. I walked onto Eutaw Street and was indulging in the brand new Oriole Park with the smell of Boog Powell’s ribs wafting from the grill and the sounds of the crowd echoing off the B&O Warehouse beyond right field. I then hear someone yell “Heads up!” and I look toward my left and see a ball screaming towards me. Stunned, I stick my right hand out to grab it. The ball careens off the ground and skips right into my hand...and then abruptly spins off of it like a gyroscope hitting a wall. BAM - and in less than a second and the ball is heading off towards someone else. There is a scramble for the ball on the ground and some lucky fan raises it up in victory. Feeling euphoric from my brush with greatness, I raced back to Sax and his friend, out of breath, and could only get out the words “Ball....hit hand...almost caught....” Sax and his friend looked at me like I was hit in the head with the ball, instead of almost catching it. Plus, I think I ruined their alone time.

I did return to the scene of the crime (I was robbed) about six years later. I was again walking Eutaw Street before an Oriole game and I heard someone say “Incoming!” I looked to my left and see a ball bounce right in front of me and arching right towards my position. It is funny how I can close my eyes and still picture that ball against the cloudy sky spinning straight for me. This time I jumped a little and caught the ball with two hands. Triumphantly, I held it up in victory. Redemption at last.

I have gone to Dodger Stadium on numerous occasions and have even brought a glove to some of the games. I sometimes sit along the third-base line on the field level behind the Dodger dugout trying to anticipate a left-hander that is late on a fastball. I see a number of fans on Diamond Vision victoriously displaying their souvenirs. I love watching someone catch a foul ball on the fly and their reaction afterwards. I also wonder what the proper etiquette is after you have the ball. Should you celebrate only if you catch it on the fly? If you pick it up from the ground is that sort of cheating? Should you give it to the little kid sitting in front of you or keep it and place it on your bookcase to collect dust (as my Oriole Park one is doing right now)? Have any of you caught a foul ball? If so, please share your story so I can live vicariously through you. I still wonder if I will ever catch a foul ball - hopefully on the fly and bare-handed. That will truly be a dream come true.

Have you...
	Caught a foul ball on the fly?
	Picked up a foul ball from the ground?
	Caught a batting practice ball?
	Caught a home run ball?
	Never caught anything except a cold?
pollcode.com free polls