As a Braves fan, I hated to see Andruw Jones leave, but it is good to see that he's earning his nearly $15,000,000 salary this year....;)
Last year was his worst offensive year since his first full season in the majors and this year is shaping up to be worse than both of those :eek: At least he's great defensively.
As a Braves fan, I hated to see Andruw Jones leave, but it is good to see that he's earning his nearly $15,000,000 salary this year....;)
Last year was his worst offensive year since his first full season in the majors and this year is shaping up to be worse than both of those :eek: At least he's great defensively.
i am sad he left the braves too...;) 1 fucking home run in the first 3 weeks of the season....:(
As a Braves fan, I hated to see Andruw Jones leave, but it is good to see that he's earning his nearly $15,000,000 salary this year....;)
Last year was his worst offensive year since his first full season in the majors and this year is shaping up to be worse than both of those :eek: At least he's great defensively.
I really think his weight has a lot to do with it, which is not going to help him defensively.
I really think his weight has a lot to do with it, which is not going to help him defensively.
He was a tad overweight last year, couldn't hit for shit most of the year, but still won the gold glove. So far this year he has a perfect fielding percentage. May not be able to cover as much ground as he used to, but he's still a solid fielder and the only reason he should be playing right now....
I just received an e-mail update from dodgers.com that said there will be a news conference tomorrow regarding the future of Dodger Stadium.
Does anyone here know what this is about?
Los Angeles Dodgers announce stadium improvement plan to enhance the fan experience and position iconic stadium for next 50 years
04/24/2008 12:30 PM ET
MLB.com
LOS ANGELES -- In order to ensure the continued vitality of Dodger Stadium, the Los Angeles Dodgers today announced a multi-faceted stadium improvement plan that will bring the most modern amenities to Dodger fans while preserving the tradition of the historic venue, first opened in 1962. The improvements, anticipated to be completed by Opening Day of the 2012 season, are designed to protect Dodger Stadium's place as the home of Los Angeles baseball for the next 50 years.
Dodger Stadium is the second-oldest facility in the National League, and when Yankee Stadium is torn down after the 2008 season, the Dodgers will have the third-oldest venue in all of baseball. Because it was designed for a very different era, Dodger Stadium is currently bursting at the seams and unable to deliver many of the modern amenities and experiences that fans have come to enjoy and expect at ballparks around the country. The modern-day space requirements for technology, concessions, storage, and office space could not have been envisioned by architects five decades ago.
"We're creating a new stadium without tearing down the old," said Dodger owner Frank McCourt. "That may take more effort and more resources, but we're talking about Dodger Stadium. This stadium sits in the heart of Los Angeles and in the hearts of Angelenos. The Dodgers are a world class organization, a world class brand and a franchise with a history of courage and vision. What we're announcing today honors that history by protecting and modernizing Dodger Stadium and making sure that it lives on and thrives for the next 50 years."
"We are very pleased to see the Dodgers commit to remain at a 'new' Dodger Stadium," said Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig. "The plans to add trees, landscaping, attractions, and picnic areas will enhance the experience for families, and they will help usher in a whole new generation of baseball fans. We commend Frank and Jamie McCourt for their vision and their dedication to grow the game in the 21st Century."
The renowned architecture and planning firms of Johnson Fain and HKS lead an accomplished team of designers on this ambitious project that features the following components:
• Dodger Way - A dramatic, new tree-lined entrance will lead to a beautifully landscaped grand plaza where fans can gather beyond center field. The plaza will connect to a modern, bustling promenade that features restaurants, shops and the Dodger Experience museum showcasing the history of the Dodgers in an interactive setting.
• Green Necklace - The vibrant street setting of Dodger Way links to a beautiful perimeter around Dodger Stadium, enabling fans to walk around the park, outdoors yet inside the stadium gates. This Green Necklace will transform acres of parking lots into a landscaped outdoor walkway connecting the plaza and promenade to the rest of the ballpark.
• Top of the Park - The Green Necklace connects to a large scale outdoor plaza featuring breathtaking 360 degree views spanning the downtown skyline and Santa Monica Bay, the Santa Monica and San Gabriel Mountains, and the Dodger Stadium diamond.
This renewal plan comes on the heels of extensive stadium improvements since Frank and Jamie McCourt became stewards of the Dodgers in 2004. Past improvements include replacing nearly all of the seats in the stadium bowl; planting a new playing field and upgrading the warning track; renovating the concourses with updated concessions and other amenities; and reconfiguring stadium parking.
As a result of these extensive improvements, the stadium will become a destination for fans all year long and a place where, especially on game days, families can go early and stay late. Dodger Stadium will be a place to visit year-round to shop, dine and play.
"We hope to deliver all the modern amenities and conveniences of new ballparks, while protecting and preserving the greatest and most romantic venue in professional sports," said Dodger President Jamie McCourt. "Families will have a reason to come early and stay late any day of the year. Getting to the ballpark will be easier and spending time at the ballpark will be more comfortable and more fun."
As part of the ambitious stadium project, the Dodgers will "Think Blue and Act Green." The stadium will become as environmentally responsible a baseball stadium as there is in America. The Dodgers plans reflect the environmentally-sensitive practices supported by the Natural Resources Defense Council in their "Team Greening Program," a collaboration with Major League Baseball. The new facilities will be designed to meet silver "LEED" sustainability standards.
The renovations call for planting trees around the stadium and a focus on conserving water as well as promoting recycling and other environmental initiatives. The Dodgers will use the latest technologies to save millions of gallons of water each year. Recycling measures include post-consumer waste recycling, and recycling materials that will be removed throughout the building process. The Dodgers will use native or drought-resistant plants for landscaping and, where possible, energy efficient bulbs in all stadium and scoreboard lighting. Other environmental practices will include installing energy efficient appliances in all kitchen and concession facilities, and purchasing building materials and items used in concession kiosks that are made from recycled or quality, durable products.
The ambitious stadium improvement plan also addresses the need for operational enhancements including completing the concourse transformations, started this year with the Field Level Concourse, to include new restrooms, concession facilities and improved kitchen areas so food for fans and guests can be prepared in a fast and convenient manner. In addition to the new Dodger Experience museum, new buildings will include the ultimate Dodger retail store and a central ticketing facility for fans. Above these uses, there will be room for Dodger-related office space and work areas for onsite security personnel, Dodger operational staff and the Dodgers Dream Foundation. Parking improvements include two terraced parking structures on either side of the stadium that will replace existing surface parking, along with below-grade parking under the two new plazas.
"We commit to embodying the vision and spirit of this storied Dodger franchise," Frank McCourt said. "We're keeping this wonderful ballpark where it is, and providing more gathering places in the heart of Los Angeles. When completed in 2012, Dodger Stadium will continue to reflect the world class history and future of this storied franchise."
Parking improvements include two terraced parking structures on either side of the stadium that will replace existing surface parking, along with below-grade parking under the two new plazas.
Phew...I love amenities and trees as much as the next guy...maybe more...but I'm glad to see that the labyrinth that is parking at Dodgers Stadium is being addressed.
"In the depths of winter, I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer." -- Albert Camus
"He who knows only his own side of the case, knows little of that." -- John Stuart Mill
Vegas 93, Vegas 98, Vegas 00 (10 year show), Vegas 03, Vegas 06
VIC 07
EV LA1 08
Seattle1 09, Seattle2 09, Salt Lake 09, LA4 09
Columbus 10
EV LA 11
Vancouver 11
Missoula 12
Portland 13, Spokane 13
St. Paul 14, Denver 14
so i went out to chavez raivine today....great game....won it in the bootom of the 10th........temps near 100 degrees today......probably lost 10 lbs...:eek:....good times....:)
That is hilarious. Thanks for the site. I was laughing out loud (LOL, for you younger types) while reading the quotes.
Yeah - the mailbag, the picture galleries, the infamous Dodger moments, the game recaps, the Photoshopping - it's all good! I hate the stinkin' Dodgers but even my Dodger lovin' friends like this site.
If I had known then what I know now...
Vegas 93, Vegas 98, Vegas 00 (10 year show), Vegas 03, Vegas 06
VIC 07
EV LA1 08
Seattle1 09, Seattle2 09, Salt Lake 09, LA4 09
Columbus 10
EV LA 11
Vancouver 11
Missoula 12
Portland 13, Spokane 13
St. Paul 14, Denver 14
Yeah - the mailbag, the picture galleries, the infamous Dodger moments, the game recaps, the Photoshopping - it's all good! I hate the stinkin' Dodgers but even my Dodger lovin' friends like this site.
Vin Scully clarifies remarks on retirement
'It's not the end, I believe, or anything like that,' he says, deferring a decision until later this season. It's no surprise he'd like to cut down on travel to spend more time with his family.
Bill Plaschke
May 2, 2008
I wish you could have answered my phone.
I wish you could have answered the Thursday afternoon call from a Denver hotel room and listened to a greeting that would have made you smell popcorn, taste Dodger Dogs and feel chills.
"Hello, Bill? This is Vin Scully."
I've talked to the most trusted voice in the history of our city at least a dozen times over the phone during our long working relationship, and it never fails.
When he calls me, I freeze. When that voice fills the phone, I subconsciously expect it to break into a melodic description of a summer evening or a forlorn pitcher, so I wait.
"Bill? Bill?"
This time I didn't wait long. This time it was urgent, and I actually interrupted him in mid-poetic stream to ask a question.
"Are you retiring?"
I hated to ask it, because, goodness, I didn't want to put any ideas into his forever-red head, but I didn't have a choice.
This week, for the first time in, oh, about 59 years, Scully did not rule it out.
"There's a lot of hoopla in this job, but it's lonely for the wife," he told the New York Times during an appearance in Manhattan. "So I want to talk seriously with [Sandy] about her feelings, I want to know what's in her head. We'll talk it out over the long summer and then we'll talk to Frank" McCourt."
I saw the quotes, tracked him down, called his hotel room, he answered and said he would call me back, and he always, always calls back.
So he did, and I interrupted him in hurried fear.
"Are you retiring?"
He sighed. He said that print interviews sometimes fail to capture the proper tone in someone's voice.
"It came out a little heavy handed, and it really wasn't like that," Scully said.
"So, um, ah, are you retiring?"
Scully sighed again.
"It's not the end, I believe, or anything like that," he said.
I wish you could have answered my phone, then seen me toss it high in the air with relief.
Scully's contract ends this year, but apparently his career will not.
Yes, he get lonely for his wife and bevy of children and grandchildren.
Yes, at age 80, it's not much fun to spend much of your summer reading books in a hotel room.
But that's what contract negotiations are for, and Scully plans to hold them this fall with the McCourts to work a deal that could perhaps alleviate that travel.
"You could write, 'He's going to wait until August or September and evaluate how he is feeling,' " Scully said. "I think that's smart, that's wise, just let it ride, then have a meeting with the McCourts and see what happens."
And what does he think will happen? "I sense something good is going to come out of that meeting," he said.
It should. It will.
The McCourts have already proved their devotion to Dodgers tradition, and for Dodgers fans Scully is the definition of that tradition.
"I fully recognize Vin's importance to Dodger fans, to everyone, and I'll be thrilled to do my part to help that continue," McCourt said in a later phone interview Thursday. "We're going to work it out like we've done before."
Two years ago, according to McCourt, Scully's contract extension talks took "all of five minutes. We have a good relationship, very open, Vin knows how I feel about him."
These negotiations might take longer, but they should not be any more difficult.
Scully's road work has already been reduced to trips no farther East than Denver. If he wants to spend more time with the charming Sandy -- if you met her, you wouldn't blame him -- then why not cut out his road work altogether?
Let Scully announce only the home games. It's not ideal for Dodgers fans who still wish he worked every inning of every game on both television and radio, but it's better than the alternative.
A half of a season with Scully is better than a full season with anyone else.
Now, more than ever, the drought-stricken Dodgers need him.
Now, more than ever, a city with few sports or civic leaders worth trusting needs him.
Vin Scully has the only sports voice in this town that really matters, doesn't he?
Vin Scully is this city's last civic treasure that everyone still believes, isn't he?
This is why I reacted so swiftly to his innocuous quotes. This is perhaps why we all should listen to Scully the way we've never listened to him before.
He apparently won't retire after this year, but one day he will, and it will come sooner than we think, making every syllable worth cherishing.
Did you ever wish that a batter would foul off a couple of more pitches so Scully could finish telling a story before the end of the inning?
Did you ever hope the TV cameras would leave the field and capture a malted-milk-stained child in the stands, just so Scully could say something sweet about the kid?
With Scully in their ear, Dodgers fans are the only ones in the country who wait for their baseball games to turn into a history class or a Hallmark card.
And when something truly spectacular happens on the field? The next day at work, isn't somebody always asking, "How did Vinny describe it?"
Like nothing the Dodgers do is real until we hear it from him?
So we can relax now, he says he's staying. But make no mistake, he's also leaving.
His recent comments remind us that the voice of the dawning of baseball in Los Angeles has become a deep, glowing, wondrous sunset.
We need to sit still for a while and stare at it, embrace it, cling to it in hopes of keeping it there forever.
Torre rediscovers the joys of managing with Dodgers
Says the club's new skipper: "Looking at the Dodgers' history and growing up with them in Brooklyn, I was just curious if managing could be fun again."
Helene Elliott
May 6, 2008
The words on the door to Joe Torre's office are faint, nearly obscured by countless coats of Dodger-blue paint.
A close look reveals a bit of history -- and a lot about the occupant of that cramped room.
Printed neatly is this:
ALSTON MGR.
That would be Walter Alston, winner of seven pennants and four World Series titles in 23 seasons of managing the Dodgers.
It was his office, but his successors abandoned it to their coaches, sometimes five men sharing a space the size of a walk-in closet.
The managers moved to a bigger room, one that accommodated Tom Lasorda's buffet table and photographs of his celebrity friends, and, most recently, held Grady Little's desk.
Torre, sizing up his options after the Dodgers hired him last November, took Alston's old office and gave his coaches the roomier location.
He doesn't need a big office to feed his ego. He's sure of who he is and is gradually becoming more comfortable as he settles into his new surroundings.
"Looking at the Dodgers' history and growing up with them in Brooklyn, I was just curious if managing could be fun again," he said.
"It's been fun so far."
He was reminded how enjoyable it is when the New York Mets visited Dodger Stadium on Monday. With them came a troupe of reporters with familiar faces and eager questions about Torre's exit from the New York Yankees and cross-country migration.
They asked him whether managing here is different than in New York, where his every move was second-guessed a million times a day on every subway line and any phone call could signal a tirade from owner George Steinbrenner.
Of course it's different.
And at this point of Torre's life and career, nearly 68 and with four World Series titles on his resume, he welcomes the lower intensity level and his lower blood-pressure readings.
"It's a little more laid-back, and in saying that I'm not saying they don't have the hunger to win because I'd certainly have a problem with that," he said before the Dodgers' 5-1 victory.
"But right now, and I say right now, baseball is in the sports section. And that's a nice change."
Here, his team isn't starring in a soap opera performed in huge, front-page headlines. Reporters and photographers don't camp out on his front lawn.
"It's baseball," he said, with the joys of getting to know his players and the challenge of managing without the daily luxury of a designated hitter.
He will never go native. He still talks about the Yankees as "we" and "us," and his wife, Ali, and youngest child, 12-year-old Andrea, won't join him here until July.
But in Los Angeles he has found passion mixed with perspective, an ideal prescription for a tired soul.
"I think it was just time," he said of his departure. "I loved the time there. It made my career. There's no question. I always thank George Steinbrenner for that opportunity."
He landed in the right place, where he has calmed a clubhouse that was fractured between veterans and youngsters. He has led the Dodgers to nine wins in 10 games despite injuries that have forced him to craft 28 lineups in 32 games.
"The feel that you get from him is the experience, just the winning he provided over there in New York," said Andre Ethier, part of Torre's four-outfielders-for-three-spots juggling act.
"He's probably seen a lot in the last 12 years and been through a lot and been through all the situations."
The star-driven Yankees had little use for youngsters. With the Dodgers, the heart of Torre's lineup is young -- Ethier, Matt Kemp, Russell Martin, James Loney, Blake DeWitt. In the not-too-distant future, add Clayton Kershaw and Andy LaRoche.
With the Yankees, "You have young players and it's easy to say, 'We'll get this guy and forget the young player,' " Torre said. "But we have good ability here and I think you have to find out what part of the future they're going to occupy."
He said he's three-quarters of the way to learning his players' quirks and has made happy discoveries along the way. For example, he knew shortstop Rafael Furcal had great tools but has developed a new appreciation for his overall game beyond the power that produced Furcal's team-leading fifth home run Monday.
"The leadership qualities, the love of what he's doing and knowing what he's doing," Torre said. "This isn't just a guy with ability. This is a guy that knows how to use it. I'm very, very impressed with the type of player he is."
Torre was delighted to see Kemp take initiative and knock on his door during spring training to ask permission to steal some bases. He learned Martin "certainly isn't afraid of the field," that he likes to compete and was enthusiastic about shifting to third base.
As it turns out, Torre knows his players better than he thinks.
"As a manager, the main responsibility is to kind of see the individual personalities of the players, and I think that's what Joe did a good job of in spring training," Loney said.
"The meetings we've had and the talks that we've had have been very positive for us, and I think it's helped.
"Overall, it's been great. The atmosphere has been great. Even when we were losing, we still had that winning mentality that we knew we had the opportunity to win again."
They have won often enough to climb to within three games of division-leading Arizona. It will be a race, no place for a laid-back manager, but the perfect situation for Torre.
thanks for posting. i'm looking forward to cheering him when the dodgers come to new york later this month.
Reading 2004
Albany 2006 Camden 2006 E. Rutherford 2, 2006 Inglewood 2006,
Chicago 2007
Camden 2008 MSG 2008 MSG 2008 Hartford 2008.
Seattle 2009 Seattle 2009 Philadelphia 2009,Philadelphia 2009 Philadelphia 2009
Hartford 2010 MSG 2010 MSG 2010
Toronto 2011,Toronto 2011
Wrigley Field 2013 Brooklyn 2013 Brooklyn 2013 Philadelphia 2, 2013
Philadelphia 1, 2016 Philadelphia 2 2016 New York 2016 New York 2016 Fenway 1, 2016 Fenway 2, 2018 MSG 2022 St. Paul, 1, St. Paul 2 2023
"I play good, hard-nosed basketball.
Things happen in the game. Nothing you
can do. I don't go and say,
"I'm gonna beat this guy up."
you guys have a nice bullpen with broxton and saito. what do the dodger fans think of scott proctor?
Reading 2004
Albany 2006 Camden 2006 E. Rutherford 2, 2006 Inglewood 2006,
Chicago 2007
Camden 2008 MSG 2008 MSG 2008 Hartford 2008.
Seattle 2009 Seattle 2009 Philadelphia 2009,Philadelphia 2009 Philadelphia 2009
Hartford 2010 MSG 2010 MSG 2010
Toronto 2011,Toronto 2011
Wrigley Field 2013 Brooklyn 2013 Brooklyn 2013 Philadelphia 2, 2013
Philadelphia 1, 2016 Philadelphia 2 2016 New York 2016 New York 2016 Fenway 1, 2016 Fenway 2, 2018 MSG 2022 St. Paul, 1, St. Paul 2 2023
"I play good, hard-nosed basketball.
Things happen in the game. Nothing you
can do. I don't go and say,
"I'm gonna beat this guy up."
you guys have a nice bullpen with broxton and saito. what do the dodger fans think of scott proctor?
yea the bullpen is really starting to come together....last night was amazing.....i don't think joe has been relying on proctor much recently since the starters have settled in and the quo/broxton/saito relief is doing well.....
and i should post this in your baseball surprises thread but this dewitt kid is a great surprise....i was telling my buddy last night that although i love nomar i would rather keep dewitt at 3rd....
yea the bullpen is really starting to come together....last night was amazing.....i don't think joe has been relying on proctor much recently since the starters have settled in and the quo/broxton/saito relief is doing well.....
and i should post this in your baseball surprises thread but this dewitt kid is a great surprise....i was telling my buddy last night that although i love nomar i would rather keep dewitt at 3rd....
they were kind of joking about that on the mets radio broadcast by saying nomar who? joe really relied on proctor a lot in 2006 and 07 but they didn't have the length in the rotation many nights that the dodgers seem to get.
Reading 2004
Albany 2006 Camden 2006 E. Rutherford 2, 2006 Inglewood 2006,
Chicago 2007
Camden 2008 MSG 2008 MSG 2008 Hartford 2008.
Seattle 2009 Seattle 2009 Philadelphia 2009,Philadelphia 2009 Philadelphia 2009
Hartford 2010 MSG 2010 MSG 2010
Toronto 2011,Toronto 2011
Wrigley Field 2013 Brooklyn 2013 Brooklyn 2013 Philadelphia 2, 2013
Philadelphia 1, 2016 Philadelphia 2 2016 New York 2016 New York 2016 Fenway 1, 2016 Fenway 2, 2018 MSG 2022 St. Paul, 1, St. Paul 2 2023
"I play good, hard-nosed basketball.
Things happen in the game. Nothing you
can do. I don't go and say,
"I'm gonna beat this guy up."
Comments
But its such a cool stadium.
One day will meet up at a pre-party.
no you won't
Cutback is not real!!!
and I am sorry about asking about Vinny. Gosh.
Where I'm not ugly and you're lookin' at me
Maybe your right. lol
Vinny?
Vin Scully--Dodgers announcer.
Only THE Best ever!!
Where I'm not ugly and you're lookin' at me
That's from Bull Durham, right?
"He who knows only his own side of the case, knows little of that." -- John Stuart Mill
"Mongo just a pawn in game of life." -- Mongo
Gotcha, thanks
i'm glad you got to experience the greatest stadium in the world....;)
damn right we will
Last year was his worst offensive year since his first full season in the majors and this year is shaping up to be worse than both of those :eek: At least he's great defensively.
i am sad he left the braves too...;) 1 fucking home run in the first 3 weeks of the season....:(
even more important is only 3 RBIs....I've heard of slumping, but combined with last year, he's starting to take it to the extreme....
It was a beautiful site to see. And the Dodger dog was yummy.
awwdammit!!! that put me in a panic for Chavez Ravine...I do not want The Stadiu m to be called anything but WHAT it IS.
*and Vinny is fine...and he will live forever!! provided we always thank Mr. O'Malley (AKA "God") for his very presence.
I really think his weight has a lot to do with it, which is not going to help him defensively.
Los Angeles Dodgers announce stadium improvement plan to enhance the fan experience and position iconic stadium for next 50 years
04/24/2008 12:30 PM ET
MLB.com
LOS ANGELES -- In order to ensure the continued vitality of Dodger Stadium, the Los Angeles Dodgers today announced a multi-faceted stadium improvement plan that will bring the most modern amenities to Dodger fans while preserving the tradition of the historic venue, first opened in 1962. The improvements, anticipated to be completed by Opening Day of the 2012 season, are designed to protect Dodger Stadium's place as the home of Los Angeles baseball for the next 50 years.
Dodger Stadium is the second-oldest facility in the National League, and when Yankee Stadium is torn down after the 2008 season, the Dodgers will have the third-oldest venue in all of baseball. Because it was designed for a very different era, Dodger Stadium is currently bursting at the seams and unable to deliver many of the modern amenities and experiences that fans have come to enjoy and expect at ballparks around the country. The modern-day space requirements for technology, concessions, storage, and office space could not have been envisioned by architects five decades ago.
"We're creating a new stadium without tearing down the old," said Dodger owner Frank McCourt. "That may take more effort and more resources, but we're talking about Dodger Stadium. This stadium sits in the heart of Los Angeles and in the hearts of Angelenos. The Dodgers are a world class organization, a world class brand and a franchise with a history of courage and vision. What we're announcing today honors that history by protecting and modernizing Dodger Stadium and making sure that it lives on and thrives for the next 50 years."
"We are very pleased to see the Dodgers commit to remain at a 'new' Dodger Stadium," said Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig. "The plans to add trees, landscaping, attractions, and picnic areas will enhance the experience for families, and they will help usher in a whole new generation of baseball fans. We commend Frank and Jamie McCourt for their vision and their dedication to grow the game in the 21st Century."
The renowned architecture and planning firms of Johnson Fain and HKS lead an accomplished team of designers on this ambitious project that features the following components:
• Dodger Way - A dramatic, new tree-lined entrance will lead to a beautifully landscaped grand plaza where fans can gather beyond center field. The plaza will connect to a modern, bustling promenade that features restaurants, shops and the Dodger Experience museum showcasing the history of the Dodgers in an interactive setting.
• Green Necklace - The vibrant street setting of Dodger Way links to a beautiful perimeter around Dodger Stadium, enabling fans to walk around the park, outdoors yet inside the stadium gates. This Green Necklace will transform acres of parking lots into a landscaped outdoor walkway connecting the plaza and promenade to the rest of the ballpark.
• Top of the Park - The Green Necklace connects to a large scale outdoor plaza featuring breathtaking 360 degree views spanning the downtown skyline and Santa Monica Bay, the Santa Monica and San Gabriel Mountains, and the Dodger Stadium diamond.
This renewal plan comes on the heels of extensive stadium improvements since Frank and Jamie McCourt became stewards of the Dodgers in 2004. Past improvements include replacing nearly all of the seats in the stadium bowl; planting a new playing field and upgrading the warning track; renovating the concourses with updated concessions and other amenities; and reconfiguring stadium parking.
As a result of these extensive improvements, the stadium will become a destination for fans all year long and a place where, especially on game days, families can go early and stay late. Dodger Stadium will be a place to visit year-round to shop, dine and play.
"We hope to deliver all the modern amenities and conveniences of new ballparks, while protecting and preserving the greatest and most romantic venue in professional sports," said Dodger President Jamie McCourt. "Families will have a reason to come early and stay late any day of the year. Getting to the ballpark will be easier and spending time at the ballpark will be more comfortable and more fun."
As part of the ambitious stadium project, the Dodgers will "Think Blue and Act Green." The stadium will become as environmentally responsible a baseball stadium as there is in America. The Dodgers plans reflect the environmentally-sensitive practices supported by the Natural Resources Defense Council in their "Team Greening Program," a collaboration with Major League Baseball. The new facilities will be designed to meet silver "LEED" sustainability standards.
The renovations call for planting trees around the stadium and a focus on conserving water as well as promoting recycling and other environmental initiatives. The Dodgers will use the latest technologies to save millions of gallons of water each year. Recycling measures include post-consumer waste recycling, and recycling materials that will be removed throughout the building process. The Dodgers will use native or drought-resistant plants for landscaping and, where possible, energy efficient bulbs in all stadium and scoreboard lighting. Other environmental practices will include installing energy efficient appliances in all kitchen and concession facilities, and purchasing building materials and items used in concession kiosks that are made from recycled or quality, durable products.
The ambitious stadium improvement plan also addresses the need for operational enhancements including completing the concourse transformations, started this year with the Field Level Concourse, to include new restrooms, concession facilities and improved kitchen areas so food for fans and guests can be prepared in a fast and convenient manner. In addition to the new Dodger Experience museum, new buildings will include the ultimate Dodger retail store and a central ticketing facility for fans. Above these uses, there will be room for Dodger-related office space and work areas for onsite security personnel, Dodger operational staff and the Dodgers Dream Foundation. Parking improvements include two terraced parking structures on either side of the stadium that will replace existing surface parking, along with below-grade parking under the two new plazas.
"We commit to embodying the vision and spirit of this storied Dodger franchise," Frank McCourt said. "We're keeping this wonderful ballpark where it is, and providing more gathering places in the heart of Los Angeles. When completed in 2012, Dodger Stadium will continue to reflect the world class history and future of this storied franchise."
http://losangeles.dodgers.mlb.com/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20080424&content_id=2579328&vkey=pr_la&fext=.jsp&c_id=la
Phew...I love amenities and trees as much as the next guy...maybe more...but I'm glad to see that the labyrinth that is parking at Dodgers Stadium is being addressed.
"He who knows only his own side of the case, knows little of that." -- John Stuart Mill
"Mongo just a pawn in game of life." -- Mongo
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-sp-stadium25apr25,1,2713859,full.story
if they stay true to these renderings, i think these changes will enhance the stadium
Vegas 93, Vegas 98, Vegas 00 (10 year show), Vegas 03, Vegas 06
VIC 07
EV LA1 08
Seattle1 09, Seattle2 09, Salt Lake 09, LA4 09
Columbus 10
EV LA 11
Vancouver 11
Missoula 12
Portland 13, Spokane 13
St. Paul 14, Denver 14
That is hilarious. Thanks for the site. I was laughing out loud (LOL, for you younger types) while reading the quotes.
http://s84.photobucket.com/albums/k16/cutback32/rockies%20v%20dodgers%204-27-08/
Yeah - the mailbag, the picture galleries, the infamous Dodger moments, the game recaps, the Photoshopping - it's all good! I hate the stinkin' Dodgers but even my Dodger lovin' friends like this site.
Vegas 93, Vegas 98, Vegas 00 (10 year show), Vegas 03, Vegas 06
VIC 07
EV LA1 08
Seattle1 09, Seattle2 09, Salt Lake 09, LA4 09
Columbus 10
EV LA 11
Vancouver 11
Missoula 12
Portland 13, Spokane 13
St. Paul 14, Denver 14
I love the Dodgers and I love the site.
Vin Scully clarifies remarks on retirement
'It's not the end, I believe, or anything like that,' he says, deferring a decision until later this season. It's no surprise he'd like to cut down on travel to spend more time with his family.
Bill Plaschke
May 2, 2008
I wish you could have answered my phone.
I wish you could have answered the Thursday afternoon call from a Denver hotel room and listened to a greeting that would have made you smell popcorn, taste Dodger Dogs and feel chills.
"Hello, Bill? This is Vin Scully."
I've talked to the most trusted voice in the history of our city at least a dozen times over the phone during our long working relationship, and it never fails.
When he calls me, I freeze. When that voice fills the phone, I subconsciously expect it to break into a melodic description of a summer evening or a forlorn pitcher, so I wait.
"Bill? Bill?"
This time I didn't wait long. This time it was urgent, and I actually interrupted him in mid-poetic stream to ask a question.
"Are you retiring?"
I hated to ask it, because, goodness, I didn't want to put any ideas into his forever-red head, but I didn't have a choice.
This week, for the first time in, oh, about 59 years, Scully did not rule it out.
"There's a lot of hoopla in this job, but it's lonely for the wife," he told the New York Times during an appearance in Manhattan. "So I want to talk seriously with [Sandy] about her feelings, I want to know what's in her head. We'll talk it out over the long summer and then we'll talk to Frank" McCourt."
I saw the quotes, tracked him down, called his hotel room, he answered and said he would call me back, and he always, always calls back.
So he did, and I interrupted him in hurried fear.
"Are you retiring?"
He sighed. He said that print interviews sometimes fail to capture the proper tone in someone's voice.
"It came out a little heavy handed, and it really wasn't like that," Scully said.
"So, um, ah, are you retiring?"
Scully sighed again.
"It's not the end, I believe, or anything like that," he said.
I wish you could have answered my phone, then seen me toss it high in the air with relief.
Scully's contract ends this year, but apparently his career will not.
Yes, he get lonely for his wife and bevy of children and grandchildren.
Yes, at age 80, it's not much fun to spend much of your summer reading books in a hotel room.
But that's what contract negotiations are for, and Scully plans to hold them this fall with the McCourts to work a deal that could perhaps alleviate that travel.
"You could write, 'He's going to wait until August or September and evaluate how he is feeling,' " Scully said. "I think that's smart, that's wise, just let it ride, then have a meeting with the McCourts and see what happens."
And what does he think will happen? "I sense something good is going to come out of that meeting," he said.
It should. It will.
The McCourts have already proved their devotion to Dodgers tradition, and for Dodgers fans Scully is the definition of that tradition.
"I fully recognize Vin's importance to Dodger fans, to everyone, and I'll be thrilled to do my part to help that continue," McCourt said in a later phone interview Thursday. "We're going to work it out like we've done before."
Two years ago, according to McCourt, Scully's contract extension talks took "all of five minutes. We have a good relationship, very open, Vin knows how I feel about him."
These negotiations might take longer, but they should not be any more difficult.
Scully's road work has already been reduced to trips no farther East than Denver. If he wants to spend more time with the charming Sandy -- if you met her, you wouldn't blame him -- then why not cut out his road work altogether?
Let Scully announce only the home games. It's not ideal for Dodgers fans who still wish he worked every inning of every game on both television and radio, but it's better than the alternative.
A half of a season with Scully is better than a full season with anyone else.
Now, more than ever, the drought-stricken Dodgers need him.
Now, more than ever, a city with few sports or civic leaders worth trusting needs him.
Vin Scully has the only sports voice in this town that really matters, doesn't he?
Vin Scully is this city's last civic treasure that everyone still believes, isn't he?
This is why I reacted so swiftly to his innocuous quotes. This is perhaps why we all should listen to Scully the way we've never listened to him before.
He apparently won't retire after this year, but one day he will, and it will come sooner than we think, making every syllable worth cherishing.
Did you ever wish that a batter would foul off a couple of more pitches so Scully could finish telling a story before the end of the inning?
Did you ever hope the TV cameras would leave the field and capture a malted-milk-stained child in the stands, just so Scully could say something sweet about the kid?
With Scully in their ear, Dodgers fans are the only ones in the country who wait for their baseball games to turn into a history class or a Hallmark card.
And when something truly spectacular happens on the field? The next day at work, isn't somebody always asking, "How did Vinny describe it?"
Like nothing the Dodgers do is real until we hear it from him?
So we can relax now, he says he's staying. But make no mistake, he's also leaving.
His recent comments remind us that the voice of the dawning of baseball in Los Angeles has become a deep, glowing, wondrous sunset.
We need to sit still for a while and stare at it, embrace it, cling to it in hopes of keeping it there forever.
http://www.latimes.com/sports/printedition/la-sp-plaschke2-2008may02,0,517702,print.column
Says the club's new skipper: "Looking at the Dodgers' history and growing up with them in Brooklyn, I was just curious if managing could be fun again."
Helene Elliott
May 6, 2008
The words on the door to Joe Torre's office are faint, nearly obscured by countless coats of Dodger-blue paint.
A close look reveals a bit of history -- and a lot about the occupant of that cramped room.
Printed neatly is this:
ALSTON MGR.
That would be Walter Alston, winner of seven pennants and four World Series titles in 23 seasons of managing the Dodgers.
It was his office, but his successors abandoned it to their coaches, sometimes five men sharing a space the size of a walk-in closet.
The managers moved to a bigger room, one that accommodated Tom Lasorda's buffet table and photographs of his celebrity friends, and, most recently, held Grady Little's desk.
Torre, sizing up his options after the Dodgers hired him last November, took Alston's old office and gave his coaches the roomier location.
He doesn't need a big office to feed his ego. He's sure of who he is and is gradually becoming more comfortable as he settles into his new surroundings.
"Looking at the Dodgers' history and growing up with them in Brooklyn, I was just curious if managing could be fun again," he said.
"It's been fun so far."
He was reminded how enjoyable it is when the New York Mets visited Dodger Stadium on Monday. With them came a troupe of reporters with familiar faces and eager questions about Torre's exit from the New York Yankees and cross-country migration.
They asked him whether managing here is different than in New York, where his every move was second-guessed a million times a day on every subway line and any phone call could signal a tirade from owner George Steinbrenner.
Of course it's different.
And at this point of Torre's life and career, nearly 68 and with four World Series titles on his resume, he welcomes the lower intensity level and his lower blood-pressure readings.
"It's a little more laid-back, and in saying that I'm not saying they don't have the hunger to win because I'd certainly have a problem with that," he said before the Dodgers' 5-1 victory.
"But right now, and I say right now, baseball is in the sports section. And that's a nice change."
Here, his team isn't starring in a soap opera performed in huge, front-page headlines. Reporters and photographers don't camp out on his front lawn.
"It's baseball," he said, with the joys of getting to know his players and the challenge of managing without the daily luxury of a designated hitter.
He will never go native. He still talks about the Yankees as "we" and "us," and his wife, Ali, and youngest child, 12-year-old Andrea, won't join him here until July.
But in Los Angeles he has found passion mixed with perspective, an ideal prescription for a tired soul.
"I think it was just time," he said of his departure. "I loved the time there. It made my career. There's no question. I always thank George Steinbrenner for that opportunity."
He landed in the right place, where he has calmed a clubhouse that was fractured between veterans and youngsters. He has led the Dodgers to nine wins in 10 games despite injuries that have forced him to craft 28 lineups in 32 games.
"The feel that you get from him is the experience, just the winning he provided over there in New York," said Andre Ethier, part of Torre's four-outfielders-for-three-spots juggling act.
"He's probably seen a lot in the last 12 years and been through a lot and been through all the situations."
The star-driven Yankees had little use for youngsters. With the Dodgers, the heart of Torre's lineup is young -- Ethier, Matt Kemp, Russell Martin, James Loney, Blake DeWitt. In the not-too-distant future, add Clayton Kershaw and Andy LaRoche.
With the Yankees, "You have young players and it's easy to say, 'We'll get this guy and forget the young player,' " Torre said. "But we have good ability here and I think you have to find out what part of the future they're going to occupy."
He said he's three-quarters of the way to learning his players' quirks and has made happy discoveries along the way. For example, he knew shortstop Rafael Furcal had great tools but has developed a new appreciation for his overall game beyond the power that produced Furcal's team-leading fifth home run Monday.
"The leadership qualities, the love of what he's doing and knowing what he's doing," Torre said. "This isn't just a guy with ability. This is a guy that knows how to use it. I'm very, very impressed with the type of player he is."
Torre was delighted to see Kemp take initiative and knock on his door during spring training to ask permission to steal some bases. He learned Martin "certainly isn't afraid of the field," that he likes to compete and was enthusiastic about shifting to third base.
As it turns out, Torre knows his players better than he thinks.
"As a manager, the main responsibility is to kind of see the individual personalities of the players, and I think that's what Joe did a good job of in spring training," Loney said.
"The meetings we've had and the talks that we've had have been very positive for us, and I think it's helped.
"Overall, it's been great. The atmosphere has been great. Even when we were losing, we still had that winning mentality that we knew we had the opportunity to win again."
They have won often enough to climb to within three games of division-leading Arizona. It will be a race, no place for a laid-back manager, but the perfect situation for Torre.
http://www.latimes.com/sports/printedition/la-sp-elliott6-2008may06,0,5242060,print.column
Albany 2006 Camden 2006 E. Rutherford 2, 2006 Inglewood 2006,
Chicago 2007
Camden 2008 MSG 2008 MSG 2008 Hartford 2008.
Seattle 2009 Seattle 2009 Philadelphia 2009,Philadelphia 2009 Philadelphia 2009
Hartford 2010 MSG 2010 MSG 2010
Toronto 2011,Toronto 2011
Wrigley Field 2013 Brooklyn 2013 Brooklyn 2013 Philadelphia 2, 2013
Philadelphia 1, 2016 Philadelphia 2 2016 New York 2016 New York 2016 Fenway 1, 2016
Fenway 2, 2018
MSG 2022
St. Paul, 1, St. Paul 2 2023
"I play good, hard-nosed basketball.
Things happen in the game. Nothing you
can do. I don't go and say,
"I'm gonna beat this guy up."
Think Blue!!!!
Where I'm not ugly and you're lookin' at me
Albany 2006 Camden 2006 E. Rutherford 2, 2006 Inglewood 2006,
Chicago 2007
Camden 2008 MSG 2008 MSG 2008 Hartford 2008.
Seattle 2009 Seattle 2009 Philadelphia 2009,Philadelphia 2009 Philadelphia 2009
Hartford 2010 MSG 2010 MSG 2010
Toronto 2011,Toronto 2011
Wrigley Field 2013 Brooklyn 2013 Brooklyn 2013 Philadelphia 2, 2013
Philadelphia 1, 2016 Philadelphia 2 2016 New York 2016 New York 2016 Fenway 1, 2016
Fenway 2, 2018
MSG 2022
St. Paul, 1, St. Paul 2 2023
"I play good, hard-nosed basketball.
Things happen in the game. Nothing you
can do. I don't go and say,
"I'm gonna beat this guy up."
yea the bullpen is really starting to come together....last night was amazing.....i don't think joe has been relying on proctor much recently since the starters have settled in and the quo/broxton/saito relief is doing well.....
and i should post this in your baseball surprises thread but this dewitt kid is a great surprise....i was telling my buddy last night that although i love nomar i would rather keep dewitt at 3rd....
they were kind of joking about that on the mets radio broadcast by saying nomar who? joe really relied on proctor a lot in 2006 and 07 but they didn't have the length in the rotation many nights that the dodgers seem to get.
Albany 2006 Camden 2006 E. Rutherford 2, 2006 Inglewood 2006,
Chicago 2007
Camden 2008 MSG 2008 MSG 2008 Hartford 2008.
Seattle 2009 Seattle 2009 Philadelphia 2009,Philadelphia 2009 Philadelphia 2009
Hartford 2010 MSG 2010 MSG 2010
Toronto 2011,Toronto 2011
Wrigley Field 2013 Brooklyn 2013 Brooklyn 2013 Philadelphia 2, 2013
Philadelphia 1, 2016 Philadelphia 2 2016 New York 2016 New York 2016 Fenway 1, 2016
Fenway 2, 2018
MSG 2022
St. Paul, 1, St. Paul 2 2023
"I play good, hard-nosed basketball.
Things happen in the game. Nothing you
can do. I don't go and say,
"I'm gonna beat this guy up."