Tagged: Joe Torre
See you next Spring my Beloved Dodger Stadium
My Spring and Summer home is officially closed for the season but I’ll stop by a couple of times during the off-season to keep an eye on it.
This year’s Fan Appreciation was sadder saying goodbye to more friends that I made at the stadium and saying goodbye to
Joe Torre and Brad Ausmus. Good luck to two classy guys!
last pic by Jon Soo Hoo.
Friday and Saturday’s game Kirk Gibson was so nice signing alot of autographs. I got my baseball signed by him. I hope he is back as the D’Backs manager if not back in Dodger Blue! I can dream…
I’ll miss alot of people from the stadium including the batting practice group that includes Deuce, William (Deuce’s dad), Syliva, Dee, Cari, Kristin, Gordon, Pat, Norma, Rosa, Ronnie and of course my Top Deck Friends! that includes you Erik!
Deuce also signed my Dodger program where he was featured
And here is Deuce and Devon Ethier who was drafted by the Dodgers
good luck to everyone in the postseason. I am looking forward to watching some good baseball. Let’s go D.Lowe! Beat those Jints!
Let me know if anyone wants a Dodger Calendar. I have a couple of extras.
Ken Burns and more pictures from the day I got Sandy Koufax’s baseball
When I went to the stadium on Tuesday August 3rd, I found out that Kern Burns was throwing out the first pitch! I was telling ushers and fans about it. One usher I always talk to from the dugout section (me on the other side of the short wall) was saying “Tell J.D. (another usher), he was just telling me that he was watching his baseball films.” J.D. and I were both excited to see Ken Burns there.
Here is Ken Burns waiting to throw out the first pitch
Not a good picture of him throwing out the first pitch
Here he is posing with Brad Ausmus
OK, so I could not get a picture with him so I said goodbye to friends in the field level and headed to my seat but to my surprise, as I was waiting for the elevator in the club level I ran into him! I told him how much I love his baseball films and how I felt in love with Buck O’Neill because of him. He was very nice and thanked me.
Here are some more pictures from August 4, 2010 with Joe Torre that Lorena sent me.
Afterwards Torre noticed I did not have my on the field pass correctly displayed. He said “Here let me fix this for you before the picture…” or something like that.
Ok, is my pass OK now? OH, you can’t see it here.
I got my Sandy Koufax Baseball!
First of all, I’ve been on the DL for about three days with food poisoning. I am feeling better now but my stomach muscles are still sore. I think I lost five pounds but I rather take the pounds back than to go thru that. Is a good thing this did not happen the night before I got my Sandy Koufax baseball.
So my friend Lore and I met Jeff Kliewer, the Director of Development of Joe Torre Safe At Home Foundation by the main office. We were scheduled to meet him at 4:30 so we could go down the field and watch batting practice standing on the field! We both were very excited for that opportunity!
When we got there Joe Torre was having his daily meeting wiht the media where they gather around with their mikes and notebooks around the dugout.
We set to checkout BP and all the view from there.
Afterwards Joe Torre came over and hand me my baseball!
Joe said that is one of the best signatures he’d seen on a baseball.
Chatting with the skipper.
Afterwards Joe said he needed go get back to work so he headed to the cage.
I got a picture with Andre:
Next I got a picture with Matt Kemp and he signed the picture I have with him from the Bluetopia movie premier.
Jorge Bahaia who was there to throw out the first pitch, came from El Salvador wtih 50 of his family and friends. Jorge and his wife Elsy have been attending a homestand since 1945 and have never missed a World Series at home or on the road. WOW! and impressive record. I had thought I had taped an interview with him but I was very sorry that it did work. I did not know that they were attending a whole homestand until I read it afterwards in Jon Weisman’s blog.
SenorBahaia, if when you come back to Dodger Stadium, I would love to talk to you more about the old Dodgers that you got see play!
Jorge Bahaia showing the ceremonial baseball he was going to throw. It reads “Los Angeles Dodgers Ceremonial First Pitch Dodger Stadium 2010.”
The shirt that the family and friends of the Jorge and Elsy Bahaia were sporting:
Here is part of the Bahaia family:
James Loney was signing for the Bahaia family when I told him I had something to show him.
James said “OH wow!” “You should get him to sign it.” “Here let me sign it first.” It is a picture of his dad and I at Fenway Park this year when I happen to see Mr. Loney before he crossed the street to get into Fenway. Lore happen to capture this picture.
Loney.
Here is Jeff of the Safe At Home Foundation
Here is Lore enjoying being on field. She has more pictures that she took.
Here is my pass to watch BP on the field.
Well, it was time now to leave and go to our seats.
We ended up sitting in the family section in the Loge area.
Here is Mr. Jorge Bahaia throwing out the first pitch:
I was excited because Padilla had a no-hitter going into the seventh inning.
A friend of mine that knows I keep score had texted me that if it happened, he wanted a copy of my scoresheet. I told him “Absolutely” We did not mention what it was so we did not jinxed it.
Padilla pitched a great game giving out two hits, striking out nine and getting two hits! I love watching the “soap bubble” like Vin Scully calls that slow pitch Padilla throws.
August 4, 2010 was a very special day for me, one that I would never forget! Thank you Joe Torre, Thank you Jeff Kleiwer, thank you Safe At Home Foundation and thank you Sandy Koufax!
Leave it to the Dodgers.
The first inning looked promising with seven pitches given by Kuroda-san with the three outs being handled by the second baseman.
Three consecutive hits by the Dodgers and you would think the Dodgers would have scored but no, like Vin Scully said “Leave it to the Dodgers”.
Vin was very encouraging in the first inning saying that no lead is safe in August. He pointed out that in August of 1951, the Dodgers lead the pennant by 13 1/2 and lost it. He sited 1964 when the Phillies lead the pennant by 6 1/2 games in September and it got away! On August 23, 1942 the Dodgers led by 7.5 and lost it. Vin made me feel much better but as the game progressed and Vin left me (he only does the first three inning), I felt despair watching the Dodgers out-hit the Padres and lose the game.
Yes, Kemp had a running blunder when he should have scored on the third hit. He ended up going 5/5 short of a triple for the cycle. He apologized after the game that he should have run faster. I accept his apology and I believe he will not do it again. I forgive Kemp because he admitted his mistake and as the saying goes “To err is human, to forgive is divine.”
The pitching plus two errors gave up 10 runs with Weaver giving up five runs. With the two errors last night, the Dodgers now have 77 to the Padres 44.
Remember my post He Pitched a perfect game, I get a perfect ball? Well, for one reason or another it had to be postponed but I finally get my baseball signed by Joe Torre and Sandy Koufax tomorrow night! I am super excited! Also in addition I and a guest get to watch BP ON THE FIELD! My friend Lorena and I will be there early! I can’t wait!
Dodgers Yankees series.
I know I’ve been a little down with the Dodgers getting swept at Boston and that running blunders of game two against the Angels but we won last night in big fashion 10 -6!! woohoo!
And tonight my boys in blue are back at OLOCR _Our Lady of Chavez Ravine that is Dodger Stadium, our Blue Heaven on Earth!
The LA Times has two wonderful pictures in the sport section: One of Joe DiMaggio with Mickey Mantle and the other of our pair of aces, Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale. the title? World Class. check out the article hereWorld Class Love this pic:
The matchup for tonight’s game is:
CC Sabathia against Vicente Padilla.
Remember that homerun CC Sabathia hit at Dodger Stadium during that interleague game in when he was with Cleveland? We were both at the game in 2008 but could not remember who he hit the HR off of? Guess who?
Chan Ho Park! I am sure CC is looking forward to swinging the bat again.
Padilla: Make sure we don’t see this:
I want to see this:
I am thinking “Maybe Sandy Koufax would be in attendance!
It got to be a little weird for Joe Torre seeing the Yankees in town. BTW, Torre and Jeff: When am I getting my baseball? Last time I received a text from Jeff from the Safe at Home Foundation, he said he had my baseball signed by Joe and Koufax in a safe place.
Let’s go Dodgers Let’s Go!
Vin Scully: We Love you!!
He Pitched a Perfect Game, I Get a Perfect Ball!
First.
My heart skipped a beat when I got home late last night after a wonderful dinner with friends at El Torito and I openned Facebook to the news from Roberto of Vinscullyismyhomeboy that Vin was taken to the hospital. My heart settled after I heard that he was OK.
Josh Rawitch from the ITD (InsidetheDodgers) blog spoke to him. Vin wanted to assure everyone that he’s fine and that he expects to be at Camelback Ranch this weekend for the telecast on Sunday.
Second.
Clayton Kershaw turns 22 today! Happy 22nd birthday to Clayton! We love you kid!
Torre is supposed to announce the Opening Day starter. I hope is Kershaw!
Last but not least!!!!
So I am in the back of the car, my friend Marika and her son in the front. We are crusing thru the diamond lane on the 10 Freeway when my phone rings. This guy says “Emma, this is Jeff…… Were you at the Safe At Home Foundation event at the Nokia?
I said “Yes! I had a wonderful time there!” He then says “Well, I am calling you to tell you that you were selected as the winner of the baseball signed by Joe Torre and Sandy Koufax!”
I screamed “WHAT!? WOW! OMG! I CAN’T BELIEVE THIS!” WOW “You made my day! my week! my season! ..” “THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH!!! ” He said ‘We knew we had the right person when we saw your email name crzblue”
Jeff said he did not have the ball but that he talked to Torre and it was decided that I will be presented with the ball at Dodger Stadium sometime in April. I AM SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS!!!! WOOHOO!!
Thank you Safe At Home Foundation! Thank you Mr. Torre! Thank you Sandy Koufax! Thank you Jeff!
Check Joe Torre Safe Af Home Foundation
thank you Erik for the title suggestion!
A Night to remember with Sandy Koufax !
I don’t know where to start! That was a once in a lifetime event and I loved every minute of the event!
The event was put together to benefit the Torre’s Safe At Home Foundation to combat domestic abuse.
I will never forget this night! Thank you Sandy! Thank you Torre, Thank you Simers and all that made the event posible!
I got home after the event and throughly enjoyed watching the playback!
“It gave me goosebumps,” Torre said of the sold-out crowd of 7,100 at Nokia Theater, which included the likes of Ron Howard, Billy Crystal, Penny Marshall and Jon Lovitz and raised more than $750,000.
LA Times sportwriter T.J. Simers started his questions with “Where’d you go,” “I went home,” Koufax said, later explaining that it was something his grandfather taught him that has kept him out of the limelight.
“Your most precious asset is time,” Koufax said. “Spend your money foolishly, spend your time wisely.”
And the reason he came back?
“Joe Torre,” Koufax said.
“It’s about friendship, a very special friendship,” said Torre, 69, of Koufax, even though the two were never teammates
Simers finally asked if it bugged Koufax that people perceived him as “soft.”
“Oh … no,” said Koufax. “That didn’t bug me at all.”
“Then what did bug you?” asked Simers.
“Sportswriters like you,” replied Koufax to a thunderous ovation
At the John Wooden and Vin Scully, a kid was picked so that John Wooden would show him how to put his socks. Mr. Wooden was very particular that no creases should be left from his players put on their socks before the shoes. Well Simers wanted something similar to be done with Koufax. So he said the crowd had been scanned and a tall skinny kid was spotted so he was summond to go up the podium.
The Kid? 21 year old Clayton Kershaw!
Here is Koufax showing Kershaw how to throw the curball. Kershaw said “OK, I’ll give it a try.”
Simers said “If you are good, I’ll get you a tryout with Arte Moreno. Yep! Arte was in the audience.
Look at the size of Koufax’s hand in comparison to Kershaw!
Here is Mattingly after Simers said Donnie Baseball showed up because he thought Torre was announcing his reti
rement.
Tommy Davis and Sweet Lou Johnson. Sweet Lou got the only hit in Koufax perfecto. and got two homeruns in the 1965 World Series. Koufax said Sweet Lou was a breath of fresh air.
Peter O’Malley got the biggest standing ovation after Koufax and Torre.
When Simers asked Koufax about the two homeruns that Torre hit off of him. His response was “We Brooklyn kids stick together.”
“This man has been very special to me,” said Torre about Koufax. “We have never been teammates. We have played together on All-Star teams, but my first World Series, in 1996, when I walked into my office at Yankee Stadium, his was the first message on top, wishing me luck.”
“When I was diagnosed with prostate cancer, he was just about the first guy who called me.
When I got off the plane after saying goodbye to the Yankees, he was the first guy to call. It has been a very special relationship and one that we don’t have to talk to each other every day.
“It’s something that I treasure, and I’m so touched, and my wife, Ali, is very touched, and our foundation certainly thanks you for being here.”
With that, the two friends for almost 50 years walked off the stage together to another ovation.
There I am in wearing blue and with my White and Blue Dodger bag(third row from the left). In the next aisle to my left is my friend Amber who is a ticket checker at Dodger stadium.
OMG! Sandy Koufax at the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live
A friend on the train was reading the L.A. Times sport section before me and he tells me “Emma, did you know that Sandy Koufax will be at the Nokia Theatre?” I was like “OMG! OMG!” Yeah.. they looked at me weird. Well, I told them, you could get excited about a concert. I can get excited about this!
18 months ago (before I started this blog), there was similar event at the Nokia Threatre put together by T.J. Simers of the L.A. Times to benefit Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and Mattel Children’s Hospital at UCLA. The speakers were Vin Scully and John Wooden. The minute I found out about it, I purchased my ticket for that event! It was a night that I will never forget.
Once again, T.J. Simers will moderate a conversation, this time with Sandy Koufax and Joe Torre.
As soon as I got to work, I ordered my ticket for this event on Saturday February 27. Actually, there was an email waiting for me that I could purchase tickets prior to the general public sale because I had purchased the the Scully/Wooden event.
Sandy Koufax! OMG! The money raised will go to Safe At Home, Torre’s foundation to end the cycle of domestic abuse. Ticket prices go from $25 to $200.
Joe Torre who is in shock that Sandy accepted said “I didn’t think he would,” “This really is a friend indeed. He said he would do it for me and I’ touched.”
I am so looking forward to this!
p.s. I was preparing to blog about something else, but it can wait, besides is taking a little longer to prepare that cause I have to look into a lot of MLB players bio.
Sandy Koufax! OMG!
article from T.J. Simers
http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-simers13-2010jan13,0,3541072.column
Fan Appreciation, Traditions and the Postseason
Fan Appreciation Day came and went so now is preparation to the Postseason but first I’d like to write about two traditions that were carried over on Sunday during Fan Appreciation Day.
The first tradition: Robyn and Chuck have been season ticket holders in the Top Deck for a few years now. They started a tradition of bringing a cake or two in appreciation of all the Dodger employees in the Top Deck, the elevator and any other employee that we come into contact during the season. chuck and Robyn start cutting the cake during the 3rd innings and thanking each employee that shows up. slices of cakes are also shared with other fellow season ticket holders and if there is any leftover, with other fans in the area.
Take a look at the cakes below. The first one reads “Thank you Dodger Stadium Employees.” the second one reads “Western Division Champs.”
The second tradition is one that Yankee fans are familiar with.
Joe Torre has a tradition of letting a player manage the last game of the year if it has no bearing on the standings.
Nomar Garciaparra managed the team last year in the Dodgers season finale.
Brad Ausmus said “Joe came up to me when we were celebrating on the field last night and said, ‘You want to manage tomorrow night?’ I said, ‘I’ll be here,’ and he said, “All right, you’re managing.”
On Sunday , one Dodger poster jokingly posted in the Game Thread “What a lousy lineup! Fire the manager!”.
Ausmus was assisted by “bench coach” Mark Loretta , “hitting coach” Jim Thome and “bullpen coach” Jeff Weaver who was kept busy with all the pitchers coming out of the pen.
Ausmus went to the mound to make a pitching change in the eighth to replace Ronald Belisario with Scott Elbert, then put himself in as a pinch runner for Thome in the bottom half after his hitting coach singled.
“I’m turning the reins right back over to Joe — if he ever shows up again,” Ausmus joked. Ausmus is 1-0 as a manager!
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On to the Postseason!!
I am super excited about tomorrow’s game at our beloved Dodger Stadium or as Vin Scully called it when we started the season on a long winning streak at home, “The Magic Castle.”
We are ready to rock that place! Bring on the Cardinals!
I really think our two lefties Randy Wolf and Clayton Kershaw can take on the Cardinals. Aside from Pujols, Cardinals don’t do well against lefties.
The Dodgers are coming off a two game winning streak off the hot Rockies. The Cardinals are coming with a three game losing streak.
I think our lefties can hold the Cardinal hitters from scoring if we can hold prince Albert to singles or walks. Same with Holliday. Dodger hitters have done well against Waingwright. Our hitters just need to soak in the Magic Castle to wake up those bats.
I expect that our dynamic duo of Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier will continue to have success and if Manny and Loney start hitting, watch out!
If we can win one at home and one at St Louis (I know the Dodgers record in St Louis) and bring it back to the Magic Castle, I think we can do it!
LET’S GO DODGERS!!! LET’S GO!!
Dodger Blue World 
