Opening Day draws baseball fans out of the SM woodwork
THIRD STREET PROMENADE It was the bottom of the fourth inning with two outs when Milwaukee Brewers leftfielder Geoff Jenkins lofted a pitch from the Dodgers Derek Lowe high and deep.
It could’ve been an inning-ending at bat... if L.A. leftfielder Luis Gonzalez caught the ball.
“You’re useless!” a Dodgers fan screamed at a high-definition TV inside Yankee Doodles, an irritated look on his face as he threw his arms up in the air. Dodgers fans all around the room groaned, grumbling about the ongoing massacre as they drowned their Monday afternoon sorrows in beer and buffalo wings.
Gonzalez’ what-could-have-been provided the Brewers with a 6-1 edge over the visiting Dodgers on Opening Day.
It’s a tradition as time-honored as Major League Baseball itself — skipping out of the office to spend three blissful hours root, root rooting for the home team on baseball’s first day of the season. For hope truly springs eternal.
The Dodgers organization has established a partnership with 25 bars and restaurants in Greater Los Angeles, creating destinations where fans can gather and watch games all season. Yankee Doodles on the promenade was one of the few locations in the area that hosted a special 2007 Opening Day party, inviting customers to enjoy the game on the more than 42 televisions in the sports bar and meet-and-greet Dodgers legends Wes Parker and Kenny Landreaux.
Up to 300 people were estimated to take part Monday at the sports bar, according to manager Jairo Hernandez. A large crowd was also expected for the L.A. Angels opener last night against the Texas Rangers, though there were no formal plans for a party at the sports bar and restaurant.
Nearly every single television in the main dining room showed the Dodgers-Brewers game. Waiters, bartenders and busboys alike were all sporting Dodgers caps as they served their customers, most of whom were also decked out in Dodger blue.
One Dodgers fan who asked to remain anonymous was playing hooky on Monday and drove over to Yankee Doodles to cheer on his team after calling in sick.
He’s been a die hard Dodgers fan since he was 8 years old and went to a home game with his father. It was a baseball giveaway day then and most of the baseballs ended up on the field after an umpire made a questionable call against the Dodgers, he recalled.
“That bad situation for me showed just how passionate Dodgers fans were,” he reflected.
BLUE, THROUGH AND THROUGH Many of the fans who ditched school and work obligations for Opening Day have been life-long fans, following the team through the good times and the bad.
Playing hooky from school, Adam Rock, of Brentwood, a law student at USC, believes the Dodgers’ run for the World Series will lie in how the team uses their young players. In a competitive National League West, the Dodgers will be better off if they utilize their young and healthier players than with the aging veterans, he said.
“I think everyone has high hopes for this year,” Rock said in the second inning.
Halfway through a mug of beer, Elias Perez Jr., of Glendale, took a vacation day in order to watch the game. A consultant, Perez is often out of town for his job and tries to catch as many Dodgers games as he can.
He too has high expectations for this year’s squad, although the game wasn’t looking too good for the Dodgers.
“We shouldn’t have signed (centerfielder) Juan Pierre,” Perez said, shaking his head at the game. “It was a mistake, as I thought.”
Across the room, fans were lining up to receive free T-shirts and water bottles and autographs from Parker and Landreaux.
A Golden Glove winner from 1967-1972, Parker, the former Dodgers first baseman, believes that as a player, Opening Day was the most exciting time of the year.
“As a fan, I’m just glad that baseball season is here,” he said.
Opening Day is one of the biggest and most exciting events of the year for former Dodger Landreaux, famous for catching the final out in the 1981 World Series.
Drafted by the California Angels in 1976, Landreaux spent about 10 years playing in the majors with the Angels, the Minnesota Twins and the Dodgers, where he finished his career.
In fact, the Dodgers were his favorite team growing up in Los Angeles, idolizing Sandy Koufax, Tommy Davis and Maury Wills.
“Ever since I played baseball, I would look forward to Opening Day, whether it was in little league or in the pros,” Landreaux said.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on April 3, 2007. Read the original PDF.