Anyone who has spent time in Los Angeles knows that it is a very diverse place, and the Dodgers have long reflected that diversity. In particular, the franchise has deep and longstanding ties to the city’s Hispanic community, whose generations of fans and great players have become an integral part of Dodgers history. Legendary Dodgers such as Fernando Valenzuela helped strengthen that bond. The massive crowds that arrived whenever the Mexican pitcher started were an indication of how many supporters saw themselves in the 1981 Cy Young Award winner. Today, the Viva Los Dodgers pregame parties continue to celebrate this connection and include “live music, interactive games, player interviews, special guests, and a chance to win prizes.”

More recently, another international connection has added a new dimension to the Dodgers’ diverse fan base. I made a recent visit to the Little Tokyo neighborhood, where I saw an indication of the influx of Japanese fans that followed Shohei Ohtani to LA, further adding to the city’s melting pot. A massive mural of Ohtani by artist Robert Vargas entitled “LA Rising” decorates the exterior of the Miyako Hotel, and shopping destination Dodgers Clubhouse is located nearby. Vargas has also painted murals of Valenzuela and rock legends such as Eddie Van Halen among many others. Inside the store, I found several unique items, including a rather pricey cap honoring Ohtani’s dog Dekopin (Decoy in English). The experience was reminiscent of the Yankees Clubhouse locations I used to frequent in Manhattan when visiting family. Japan didn’t win the World Baseball Classic this year, but the team has plenty of supporters in Southern California.

Shirts commemorating Kirk Gibson and Dodger Dogs are interspersed with samurai-themed tees.

This mural captures the ethos of life in Little Tokyo, which is over 100 years old. As a nearby plaque notes: “This wall is dedicated to the pioneering spirit of those early Nikkei (Japanese immigrants) whose lives, struggles and achievements make a full and moving picture - both a part of and an interacting element in the large American panorama.”

I did my best to capture this dragon art piece that faces the outside of the store.

The area is full of landmarks like the Japanese American National Museum, which was unfortunately closed when I passed through.

Japanese stores and restaurants are another reason to visit. I have never dined there, but I noticed Tenno Sushi as I returned to my car.

A tribute to Ohtani as a starting pitcher from street art group Wizard’s Crew also caught my eye. After a quick search, I found out that this features a character from the Japanese series One Piece.

In the past, I have read about the Koshien baseball tournament, which pits the best Japanese high school squads against each other and has drawn a million people in a single year. Recently I watched the documentary film Koshien: Japan's Field of Dreams, which follows several threads surrounding the 2018 tournament ultimately won by Osaka Toin.

Viewers quickly learn how exacting playing baseball is at certain schools. Some players pay their dues by picking up trash or must shave their heads. Coaches grill their charges over the smallest mistakes, which seems to make some of them perform worse. A few legendary coaches see their neglect of family responsibilities as a badge of honor, while others seem to be unable to process losing even after decades in the business.

The film paints a nuanced picture of coaches Tetsuya Mizutani of Yokohama Hayoto and Hiroshi Sasaki of Hanamaki Higashi, but it’s not always flattering. Mizutani is asked about coaching against his son Kosho who has joined Hanamaki Higashi and states plainly that he wants to beat him. On the other hand, baseball fans can relate to having a total obsession with the sport. Legends like Ichiro, Hideki Matsui, and Shohei Ohtani have all made their mark on Koshien. The tournament became even more popular after World War II when people needed a distraction from daily life, and its cultural significance has never waned. Director Ema Ryan Yamazaki focuses on enough details to really bring that home to viewers.

I have wanted to fly to Tokyo ever since I listened to a lecture by baseball author Robert Whiting and took a college course on journalism in Japan. One day, I hope to make the pilgrimage to the Hideki Matsui Baseball Museum in Nomi. I am also intrigued by Gosakudon, a Hanshin Tigers-themed bar in Osaka once showcased by Anthony Bourdain where the chefs lead team cheers. Until then, I’ll be reading Baseball in Japan and banking vacation time!

One of the great things about living in the present is that you can access media like a radio broadcast from the April 22, 1950 contest between the New York Giants and Brooklyn Dodgers. Spotify recommended Retro Sports Radio in my feed, and I decided to listen because I have been fascinated by announcer Red Barber for some time. Barber would end up mentoring a kid from Fordham University named Vin Scully who would end up as one of the most beloved announcers in sports history. Barber was a big name in his day as well, earning $50,000 in 1953 money before he switched from covering the Dodgers to commentating for the Yankees.

Saturday, April 22 was just the fourth game of the season for both clubs, with Brooklyn entering at 2-1 and the Manhattan team winless at 0-3. The game was held at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, and the radio broadcast was sponsored by Post Cereal. In fact, Post’s funding allowed it to be transmitted across the country. Both Barber and his longtime radio partner Connie Desmond wouldn’t let you forget it, either. Post came up dozens of times, both between innings and during the action. Post even sponsored the out-of-town scores segment. After the Yankees scored five in an inning against Washington, Desmond opined: “Boy, those Yankees have really been knocking in runs, haven’t they?”

Thanks to old fashioned ad copy, what I would have considered crass commercialism today felt a little endearing. Fans could send a quarter along with a cereal box top in the mail and receive a Dodgers yearbook that normally cost double. I participated in similar promotions as a child in the early ‘90s! Thanks to the Internet Archive, I managed to get a glimpse of the yearbook.

This was an era when three teams played in the boroughs of New York including the Yankees of the American League. There were only 16 franchises in the majors at the time, so the Big Apple was the center of the universe as far as the sport was concerned. Ebbets was truly a part of the neighborhood and seemed like a more organic creation than the horseshoe-shaped Polo Grounds in Manhattan where the Giants played their home slate. Pioneering second baseman Jackie Robinson had just won the 1949 MVP Award after winning the National League batting title with a .342 average including 203 hits, 38 doubles, 12 triples, 16 home runs, 124 RBI, and 37 stolen bases. According to the yearbook: “The Dodgers’ first place finish marked the 10th time in the past eleven seasons that the club has ended the campaign up among the top three.” However, the 1949 Dodgers fell to the Yankees in the Fall Classic and the team wouldn’t win the ultimate prize until 1955.

One thing I noticed about the broadcast is how deafening the crowd sounded. The attendance was 19,067, but the stadium was intimate and fans were known for being raucous especially when it involved what Barber called “baseball’s most heated rivalry.” Even strike one by a Dodger pitcher could lead to loud cheers. When Gil Hodges hit a solo homer in the bottom of the second against Jack Kramer, it was pandemonium at 55 Sullivan Place. In the first, the visitors had struck first against Dan Bankhead, the first black pitcher in the majors. A walk to Eddie Stanky, followed by singles by Whitey Lockman and Hank Thompson, resulted in an early 2-0 lead for the Giants. In the fourth Alvin Dark walked, Wes Westrum doubled, and Kramer hit a rare home run by a pitcher to make it 5-1 New York.

Desmond took over for Barber in the fourth inning, with Barber providing a glowing introduction: “I don’t know of a finer broadcaster, and more important a finer man.” I smiled when Desmond used time-honored expressions like “the Dodgers will take them any way they can get them” during their comeback. With runners on base and a 3-2 count, he went with the familiar “now the merry go round will start.”

In the fifth, Ralph Branca relieved Bankhead. This was over a year before the “Shot Heard ‘Round The World” when Branca surrendered a walk-off home run to Bobby Thomson during the decisive contest of a three-game playoff on October 3, 1951. Fair or not, it was a moment that would come to define Branca’s career.

Burt Shotton’s Dodgers trailed by four as they came up in the fifth, but Bobby Morgan singled and Roy Campanella reached on an error. Suddenly, Kramer was on the ropes and his manager Leo Durocher did not want to go to the bullpen. Pee Wee Reese and Jim Russell both walked, forcing in a run. With two out, Robinson plated two with a single and Carl Furillo tied the game at five after a base hit of his own. The Brooklyn faithful was loving it. Desmond reacted by speaking directly to the listeners: “Aren’t you glad you came along?”

Barber resumed his play-by-play duties, announcing: “These ballgames have been just as tough as taxes.” In the bottom of the sixth, Bobby Morgan walked and Reese doubled to give the Dodgers a 6-5 edge. Undeterred, the above-pictured Thomson hit a solo homer in the top of the seventh against Jack Banta.

With Sheldon Jones on the hill in the eighth, Banta reached on an error. With two down, George Shuba (pictured above) came to the plate in a critical spot. As Barber put it: “George has not been hitting and if he’s not careful he’s going to be ‘Shoo Shoo Shoo’ Shuba back to the bench.” He opined that the game was “coming to a rather dramatic denouement.” I love the use of vocabulary, and the entire country got to hear it in real time. To add to the drama, Shuba ripped a two-out double and the Dodgers jumped out in front 7-6. Banta pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to seal the Brooklyn victory.

This site may well not exist without the relocation of the Dodgers to Los Angeles prior to the 1958 season. The Giants simultaneously shifted their home city to San Francisco, meaning that the Yankees were the only remaining New York team until the Mets were formed in 1962. Brooklyn would not get to host a top-level sports team again until 2012, when the Nets headed there after playing basketball in New Jersey since 1967. There may never be three Major League franchises based in New York in the future. Nevertheless, I sometimes find myself wishing to be transported to a time in which the Big Apple was the unquestioned center of the baseball universe.

Prior to Saturday night, the only minor league game I can remember attending took place on June 10, 2021 between the Hudson Valley Renegades and Brooklyn Cyclones. My brother and I rode the subway to New York’s Coney Island for a battle between the High-A affiliates of the Yankees and Mets. Budding Yankees prospect Austin Wells and the Renegades won 1-0 in a true pitchers’ duel. Having a roller coaster as a backdrop and Nathan’s hot dog stand next door made for a fun atmosphere.

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Having never seen any of Southern California’s four minor league ballparks in person, I chose the June 14 game at San Manuel Stadium in San Bernardino, a city founded in 1810. The team is sponsored in part by the Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation, a local tribe that operates a nearby casino. I was pleased when my ticket cost only $9 at the box office.

The home team is known as the Inland Empire 66ers, but for this weekend they dubbed themselves the San Bernardino Kittens as part of a fundraiser benefitting a local cat shelter. Their jerseys featured a striped kitten in space, and Bill Veeck would have been proud of the team’s commitment to the bit. I didn’t arrive in time to receive the giveaway jersey, which was different from the galaxy-themed one worn by the players.

The 66ers are the Single-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners, and they hosted the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes who play about an hour’s drive away. The Quakes are affiliated with the Angels and wore jerseys inspired by the parent club complete with signature halo. Scott Rouse got Cucamonga to go down 1-2-3 to begin the game including a Kendrey Maduro groundout to retire the side.

The home team got a quick run with a leadoff homer by shortstop Dustin Crenshaw. The blast to right against Trey Gregory-Alford was Crenshaw’s second of the season, and he looked pumped about it.

The Quakes tied the game on a Lucas Ramirez groundout in the second following a Marlon Quintero single. Watching A ball reminded me of how difficult infield defense truly is, as Brady O’Brien’s throwing error contributed to the run scoring. In the sixth inning, Kevyn Castillo put the Quakes ahead 2-1 with a base hit off of Daniel Ouderkirk.

In the bottom of the sixth, the Kittens/66ers took control with four runs. Ricardo Cova doubled, Aiden Taurek singled him home, and Cesar Quintas plated Taurek with another single. A Connor Dykstra single and two-run George Feliz double rounded out the scoring. In the meantime, cat puns by the stadium announcer and a cat version of Billie Eilish’s What Was I Made For? made me chuckle.

Now that Inland Empire led 5-2, I shifted my focus to the New York Knicks. I had been streaming Game 5 of the NBA Finals on the ESPN app, but the Knicks once again got off to a slow start against the Spurs in San Antonio. In a flash, New York made a rally in the fourth quarter and overcame some shaky free-throw shooting to win the first Knicks championship of my lifetime. I paced in the tunnel near my seat and then cheered (along with some others at the stadium) as Victor Wembanyama’s final shot missed the mark. My Knicks were champions for the first time since 1973.

Jalen Brunson won Finals MVP decades after I began rooting for his father Rick during his days playing for the Knicks. While Game 4 involved a comeback from 29 points down, given how awful the Knicks’ offense looked early this one felt almost as miraculous. As I watched video of New York street celebrations, I was overcome with emotion. I found a post I wrote in 2005 back when the Knicks were a laughingstock, and it felt surreal to look back on a time in my life when I was begging to see them win just one regular season game in person.

Back then, Patrick Ewing was my favorite player and I had seen New York lose the 1999 Finals to these same Spurs. In those days, taking home the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy felt like a pipe dream. I woke up on Sunday morning and marveled at an incredible playoff run during which the Knicks outscored opponents by an average of nearly 15 points per game.

San Manuel Stadium holds about 8,000 fans and hosted 2,379 on this night. While people seemed fairly knowledgeable about the sport, they did not seem to live and die with every pitch. Instead, it was a fun night out for religious groups, birthday parties, and even the local SABR chapter of baseball enthusiasts. I perused the team store, visited a concession stand, watched Cole Cheatham close the game, and told a vendor the final score of 5-2 before my walk to the car.

The closest West Coast parallel I have to this experience was Anteater Ballpark at UC Irvine. While college fans seem a bit more invested in the outcome, the stadium experience was relaxed and appropriately silly. These are prospects passing through a level of the Mariners system and may be playing elsewhere the following season. In the meantime, fans can wear cat ears, laugh at the antics of their mascot Bernie, and bid on the signed jerseys of rising prospects like Korbyn Dickerson. The level of play may not be the same, but fans in Southern California are fortunate to have alternatives when they feel priced out of Dodger Stadium.

After the Ducks defeated the Edmonton Oilers in the first round for their first series victory since 2017, their playoff run came to an end at the hands of the Vegas Golden Knights. The Anaheim organization had celebrated the postseason appearance by turning Play Coffee in Orange into the Ducks Playoff House. I appreciated that the shop had a custom Ebbets Field Flannels baseball jersey on display.

The coffee shop is located inside a historic former bank building which made the experience even cooler. Fans could purchase team gear, pose with backgrounds of their favorite players, and order a tasty beverage.

Dori bought me a “Defend the Pond” shirt referencing the Honda Center’s former arena name. I gravitated toward the display of star rookie Beckett Sennecke.

While I later realized that the Playoff House was featured on social media, Dori and I visited because we just happened to be driving by. The cardamom latte was worth the visit on its own.

We also stopped into the Hilbert Museum a couple of blocks away which was showing “Harbors and Horizons: Maritime Prints by Phil Dike.” Born in 1906, Dike worked on a number of animated Disney films but was a great painter in his own right. A fine example of his work is “Boats in the Harbor (Balboa Byzantine Style).”

I got a taste of hockey postseason action as at a Coachella Valley Firebirds game on May 15. After taking care of Bakersfield in the first round, the Firebirds won a tense series against the Ontario Reign by winning a 3-2 double overtime contest in the decisive Game 5. That set up a Sunday matchup with the Colorado Eagles, who took Game 1 by a score of 3-0. I attended Game 2, the final contest played in California before the teams squared off in Loveland, Colorado.

After the Ducks won the Stanley Cup in 2007, former General Manager Brian Burke told season ticket holders that the American Hockey League would soon be expanding to the West Coast. That meant that the Ducks would no longer need to call up players from a minor league affiliate in Portland, Maine. Today, there are five AHL teams in California alone, including the Firebirds who play at Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert.

The parking lot was crowded when I arrived, but I still found a space facing Varner Road. After finding my seat near center ice in Section 106, I marveled at what $18 buys you in the minor leagues for a Friday night playoff showdown. Buzzbox canned cocktails appears to be one of the team’s big sponsors.

With Firebirds mascot Fuego perched overhead, the first period ended with no score. Eagles goalie Trent Miner had shut out the Firebirds in Game 1 and Colorado’s defensive structure looked sound. However, Coachella Valley netminder Nikke Kokko made 13 saves to keep things even.

The referees called five penalties in the second period, including a questionable minor for roughing against Coachella Valley’s Lukas Dragicevic. No matter, as the game remained deadlocked after two.

Coachella Valley broke the game open with two goals in the first three minutes of the third period. J.R. Avon scored from the slot and snagged his sixth goal of the postseason to make it 1-0. Eduard Šalé then got free on breakaway and roofed a backhand past Miner. Still, the game didn’t feel over until a 2-on-1 rush resulted in a dish from Jani Nyman to Avon for a tap-in making it 3-0. By the time Oscar Fisker Mølgaard hit the empty net for a 4-0 final, the result was a foregone conclusion.

The score doesn’t tell the full story, as this game was characterized by tight checking and physical play. The Eagles outshot the home team 32-20 in Game 1 and 33-25 in Game 2. However, Kokko showed why he received a brief call-up to the Seattle Kraken in April, earned his first NHL win over the Calgary Flames in the process. This ended up being the high point of the series for the home team, as Eagles forward Ivan Ivan piled up four assists and Colorado went on to win the series. The Firebirds have been very successful since they launched in 2022, but fans in the desert know just how close they have come to winning a title in that span. That fan support resulted in the Los Angeles Lakers organization moving its minor league affiliate to Acrisure beginning next season.

For those in town for a hockey game or music festival, I recommend a trip to the Agua Caliente Cultural Museum in Palm Springs. After an immersive 15-minute film which tells tribal stories, visitors are treated to an overview of the Cahuilla way of life. This includes crafts, recreations of landscapes, oral histories, and political events that shaped the present-day realities of the indigenous population. I enjoyed the many examples of Cahuilla basketweaving.

In an area known for tourism and gambling, the museum provides much-needed perspective on the area’s past. For instance, I learned the shameful fact that Native people were not granted citizenship in America until 1924. Today, the Agua Caliente Band has gained some say over its future and operates three local casinos. None of that erases the way in which outsiders encroached on tribal territory as demonstrated in an exhibit titled “Section 14: The Untold Story.”

In closing, I want to pay my respects to former Yankees play-by-play announcer John Sterling, who passed away on May 4. It’s no understatement that Sterling’s radio voice shaped the development of my fandom. Those who derided him for openly rooting for the Yankees missed a lot of nuances. His home run calls such as “Bern, baby, Bern!” for Bernie Williams or “The Melkman delivers” in honor of Melky Cabrera got a lot of press. On the other hand, fans like me who listened every day remember his references to baseball history, New York area landmarks, and even Vaudeville. When my brother and I attended Bernie’s number retirement ceremony, Sterling was there to introduce him. The ability to present individual plays through the lens of a full season perspective was one of Sterling’s strengths. I would often listen to the postgame show to relive some of my favorite game moments. Since his passing, it has been enlightening to hear stories from people who knew him such as Joel Sherman. Thanks for the memories, John.

When Angels legend Garret Anderson was inducted into the Angels Hall of Fame, I happened to be in attendance. It was August 20, 2016 and the Yankees were in town for a Saturday night matchup. New York went on to win 5-1, but what I remember most was Anderson’s heartfelt pregame speech. “Truly humbling to be here right now…after signing my first pro contract with the Angels, I get to finish where I started as an 18-year-old: an Angel,” Anderson told the crowd of over 44,000.

The team’s website sums up his statistical accomplishments thus: “A two-time Silver Slugger recipient, three-time All-Star and four-time Angels Team MVP, Anderson remains atop the franchise all-time list in several key offensive categories including games (2,013), at-bats (7,989), runs (1,024), hits (2,368), total bases (3,743), extra-base hits (796), doubles (489) and RBI (1,292). He also ranks second in home runs with 272, trailing only fellow Angels Hall of Famer, Tim Salmon (299).” He helped bring the Orange County their only championship in 2002. The Angels defeated the Yankees in the Division Series on the way to facing the Giants in the World Series. The man who wore number 16 was only the 13th player in history to drive in 10 runs during a single game.

Sadly, Anderson passed away suddenly on April 16 at the age of 53. After the initial shock, the memory of having briefly met him after a game in 2023 came flooding back. Anderson served as a television commentator for the Angels, which is how we crossed paths in the stadium’s parking lot.

The Angels are honoring Anderson’s memory with a pregame moment of silence and players will wear jersey patches honoring him for the remainder of 2026. My thoughts are with his family and everyone touched by Anderson’s presence.

On the morning of April 12, Dori and I lost a beautiful soul in our dog Heart. Heart was the gentlest pet I have ever met and wanted to greet literally everyone he saw. He was a rescue and Dori fell in love with him. In his 13 years on this planet, he brought plenty of happiness to the world. We loved him so much, and his passing made me reflect on the transient nature of life. It’s easy to get caught up in sadness when thinking about the void he leaves, but I know he would want us to live the rest of our lives as joyfully as possible.

We brought Heart on some memorable road trips, including a 2024 excursion to San Diego County. The highlights included lunch at the eclectic Yellow Deli in Vista. We also remember a canoe ride in San Marcos and memorable dinner afterward at Amalfi fondly. Heart was a great traveling companion throughout.

We had a blast bringing Heart on outings to Palm Springs and the Orange County Museum of Art. I even went grocery shopping with him at Smart & Final on one occasion. He always got a lot of friendly attention. One of my favorite summer nights in recent memory involved attending a free Paco Versailles concert with him and Dori.

Before I met Heart, I was afraid of dogs as a whole. Getting nipped by one in Egypt while growing up made me wary. That was never a concern with Heart, who loved to be close and seemed to never get upset with anyone. He loved food with a passion and used to follow me in the kitchen as I cooked dinner. Of course he wanted scraps, but he also couldn’t help wanting to be near me.

Heart was a very respectful guest when visiting my family over the holidays in 2023. He had such a fun time with my nephews.

According to Dori: “Heart was like the Pinocchio of dogs. He could go anywhere and wanted to be friends with everyone. He thought he was a real boy and he was my little boy. He truly loved me and will be missed more than words can say.”

In the intervening weeks, I have tried not to feel sorrowful that Heart is no longer with us. He saw the good in everyone, and on difficult days I have caught myself reflecting on his patient, positive attitude. We have pets to be a source of happiness and companionship, which makes it all the harder to lose them. No matter what, I will always smile when I think of the time Heart tried to follow a group of people into a hospital, or how he would tilt his head when I was eating a taco. Dori and I were fortunate to share so many moments with Heart, who felt destined to leave our lives better than he found them.

I always chuckle when I visit Balboa Island. Fans of the Arrested Development television show may remember George Sr. saying that “there’s always money in the banana stand.” He had hidden cash in one of the family’s Orange County businesses, and indeed Balboa has several places where visitors can procure frozen bananas dipped in chocolate. Above is a 2024 mosaic by Barbara Abbott portraying one such stand. Alas, it does not feature Tobias Fünke.

During our recent visit, Dori and I did not purchase a dessert. Instead, we opted to peruse the Balboa Island Museum. The free collection has exhibits on local history, yacht clubs, California painting, John Wayne, and surfer Duke Kahanamoku. I also noticed the above photo which isn’t from California but instead the small town of New Richland, Minnesota. I love that the local ball club put a dog front and center. Today, New Richland has a population of about 1,200.

Richard English’s quilt made from his collection of vintage Catalina Island pennants is an impressive piece. Completing the baseball motif, I noticed a World Series book on sale adjacent to another about ballparks through time. English himself published a book entitled Pennant.

The museum pays tribute to the Balboa Fun Zone, Newport Beach’s amusement park of sorts dating back to 1936. Evidence of this can be found in a model of its Ferris wheel.

While I became a New York Rangers hockey fan at an early age, some of you know that I am also a former Anaheim Ducks season ticket holder. I was definitely excited for my return to Honda Center to attend Fan Appreciation Night with Dori and her cousin on Sunday. The team is heading to the NHL postseason for the first time in eight years, and the final home game against Vancouver was filled with “we want playoffs” chants.

Before puck drop, the team honored Steve Carroll, Anaheim’s radio play-by-play announcer since 1999. Carroll is retiring at the end of the season and was visibly emotional at the outpouring of support. It’s going to be strange hearing someone else at the microphone.

Cutter Gauthier got the Ducks on the board with a power-play goal, but the 6’9” Curtis Douglas evened the score with his first career strike. Teddy Blueger and Anaheim captain Radko Gudas followed with a fight. Vancouver then took advantage of a penalty to grab a 2-1 lead off the stick of Jake DeBrusk. A second scrap erupted between Douglas and Jeffrey Viel before the first period had even ended.

After splitting a pizza, we settled in for the second period which was scoreless. Vancouver potted a shorthanded tally in the third, but Gauthier answered on the same power play to score an incredible 40th goal this season. Even better, less than two minutes later Leo Carlsson took a feed from Chris Kreider and beat netminder Nikita Tolopilo from a tough angle to tie the game.

Despite some good Anaheim scoring chances and a valiant effort from goalie Lukas Dostal, Marco Rossi’s power-play slapper at 4:50 of overtime gave the Canucks a 4-3 win. The Ducks could take solace in salvaging one standings point, but it was disappointing that they fell to the squad with the league’s worst record.

Monday night lifted my mood a bit. First, the Yankees rallied from two runs down in the ninth inning to beat the Angels 11-10 and snap a five-game losing streak. MLB Photos captured the excitement in the Bronx, while Angels closer Jordan Romano reacted to a rare poor performance. Mike Trout, Aaron Judge, and Trent Grisham all homered twice in the wild contest. In addition, the Sharks beat the Predators to clinch a playoff spot for the Ducks. It was a worst-case scenario, but I had dreaded a final game for the Ducks in Nashville that could have ended Anaheim’s postseason hopes.

While Beckett Sennecke did not get on the scoresheet against Vancouver, his speed and shiftiness were on full display. Sennecke’s talent reminds me of when I look at a Georgia O’Keeffe painting or listen to a Joe Sample jazz album. Witnessing mastery like that makes life worth living, which is something that dawned on me when I had Sample’s I’ll Love You playing on the way to work. As a rookie, Sennecke has piled up 23 goals and 37 assists while playing in all 81 games so far. It’s safe to say that he has been a major component of the team’s renaissance.

When Nate Kosher of Runs Produced sent out a Substack invitation to a catcher-only fantasy draft, it made me smile. I was reminded of my high school friend Eric, who joined a fantasy football league exclusive to defensive positions like safety and linebacker. Statistical categories include commonly used ones like runs but also those measuring defense such as assists. Naturally, I told Nate yes.

For those unexperienced with fantasy sports, I recommended checking out my previous story. In a nutshell, participants select players on major league teams and earn points or category wins when their players perform well in real games. It’s a great way to learn about squads other than your own favorites and makes watching the sport even more fun. I rarely play for money, but bragging rights and one’s reputation for sports knowledge are always at stake. On the morning of March 7, we held the draft on Yahoo.

Like pioneering Black baseball executive Rube Foster, I took my task seriously. Some fantasy rankings don’t even list 100 catchers because standard leagues rarely require more than two per team. Often my standard teams only have one consistent backstop. However, I found a solid list on FantasyPros and picked Milwaukee backstop William Contreras with the third overall selection. The Jorge Posadas, which I named after the primary catcher of the Yankees dynasty beginning in the mid-’90s, were off to a flying start. Unfortunately, slugger Cal Raleigh of the Mariners and rising star Ben Rice of the Yankees were already off the board. Still, you could do worse than a guy who hit .260 with 17 homers and 89 runs scored while driving in 76 during the 2025 season.

Nate did his own writeup and noted that I might have drafted the deepest top three catchers. Whether that is true may depend on JT Realmuto, who I drafted with the 19th overall pick. In years past he was considered one of the position’s premier hitters, but in this draft I took Toronto’s Alejandro Kirk with my second selection at 14th overall. Coming off a season in which he amassed 76 RBI and went to the Fall Classic, I figured that Kirk should be a reasonable source of power again in 2026.

It starts getting late early when you are only drafting backstops. My fourth catcher was Danny Jansen of the Rangers, who homered 14 times last season but now splits time with former Yankee backup Kyle Higashioka. After that came Sean Murphy, who is working his way back from hip surgery but has offensive upside. My sixth rounder was Gary Sánchez, another ex-Yankee and the Kraken referenced in the above Player’s Weekend jersey. He’s now the backup in Milwaukee but gets time at first base on occasion as well. Speaking of backups, I grabbed Dalton Rushing 51st overall. He’s a top prospect who would almost certainly have gone higher if he weren’t stuck behind Will Smith in Los Angeles. Finally, I rounded out the draft with Colorado’s Braxton Fulford who has since been sent to the minors.

The first week of competition was brief, but it ended in triumph largely because I got more appearances from my backstops. 7-5 isn’t exactly a rout, but all wins count the same in this league. Contreras has posted a nice OPS of .876 and Sánchez looks to be a potential steal with 3 home runs already. The second week was largely frustrating, as I left my new acquisition and Philadelphia understudy Rafael Marchán on the bench before he homered. Later on the week, Realmuto and Rushing also hit homers while I started 3 other catchers instead. A 9-4 loss evened my record at 1-1, but I learned a couple of lessons along the way.

I had a hunch that Rushing had some more big swings in him. When Dave Roberts started him for two straight games due to starting pitcher preferences, I played him on Monday ahead of Jansen. Jansen had accumulated 6 RBI in the early going, but I went with my gut. Rushing responded with a 4-4 night including two round trippers and three runs in a 14-2 win at Toronto. It was a great start to Week 3, although my opponent countered with homers by the Royals’ Carter Jensen (not to be confused with Jansen) on consecutive days.

Unfortunately, Kirk will be sidelined for six weeks due to a fractured thumb. I now have the Rays’ Hunter Feduccia and Houston’s Christian Vázquez for depth, but I will miss the Toronto stalwart in the meantime. Too bad I can’t go back in time and add Yankee legend Bill Dickey to the roster. Thankfully, Realmuto appeared to avoid serious damage to his foot in a game against the Giants on Tuesday as X-rays were negative.

What have I learned from all this? On one hand, the pool of desirable fantasy catchers like Contreras is fairly shallow. However, you can still get major contributions from unlikely sources. Rushing is a major example of this, not to mention a case of how deep the Dodgers are. After all, outfielder James Tibbs III began the season at AAA hitting .470 with seven homers and has not yet been promoted. At least for now, Rushing is stuck battling World Series hero Smith and four-time MVP Shohei Ohtani for plate appearances, which just doesn’t seem fair.

I share a lot of my favorite life experiences with you here, but in reflecting on the past year plus I realized just how much fun I had. After Dori and I celebrated the New Year at Knott’s Berry Farm, I decided to take a look back while planning the next adventures.

In May, Dori and I attended a book event hosted by former professional basketball player Rod (Zsorryon) Benson. He played at Cal when I was an undergraduate roaming the streets of Berkeley and, much later, I met him at his art event at a hotel known as the Andaz West Hollywood. Benson wrote Different Dude, an enlightening and often hilarious look at his career. It focuses a lot on his life off the court, but fans of the NBA, NCAA, and international hoops won’t be disappointed with the on-court stories either. Even if you’re not a heavy reader, I highly recommend downloading the audiobook narrated by the author.

Looking forward to: New York Knicks at Clippers on March 9 at Intuit Dome in Inglewood

I am not a big fan of eggs, but I was still willing to pose with this artwork created by Eriko Kobayashi called Sunny Side Up. It was part of the Orange County Great Park Gallery’s exhibit More Than You Can Chew which ran through April and was full of food-themed pieces.

Looking forward to: The American Quilt: Cloth and Commerce beginning May 23 at the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana

Growing up, my uncle Aly gifted me a Ben Folds album and I became engrossed in his inventive music. During my first year of college, I attended his San Francisco show occurring just after the release of his Rockin’ The Suburbs CD. Over two decades later, Folds played two shows at the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall. We attended on April 26 and I was thrilled to hear orchestral versions of songs like Zak and Sara, a song I still associate with a concert I attended in San Francisco on October 14, 2001. He also saluted the crowd when those of us in the know provided the missing lyrics to Effington when prompted.

Looking forward to: Ben Folds and a Piano on May 17 at Dos Lagos Amphitheater in Corona

A recent visit to Universal Studios reunited me with Simpsons Land, which recreates many of the famous places in the long-running television show. I can’t look at The Android’s Dungeon and not picture Comic Book Guy expressing his disapproval at the behavior of his customers. He also is a purveyor of baseball cards that help fans like me survive the offseason.

Looking forward to: New York Yankees (at Angels August 31-September 2, at Padres September 4-6)

As longtime readers may remember, I first met sports writer, podcaster, and novelist Will Leitch at a 2023 book signing after exchanging mail with him for several years. Last July, I got to see him again and one of his sons was kind enough to take our photo. I now own an autographed copy of Lloyd McNeil’s Last Ride, which is being made into a movie. A foray into Hollywood couldn’t be happening to a nicer guy.

Looking forward to: The newly released Luke Epplin basketball book Moses and the Doctor

Speaking of books, I received an advance copy of The Art of Tennis by Nicholas Fox Weber. Growing up, I was a Pete Sampras fan and considered watching his runs at Wimbledon appointment television. I also played tennis at two high schools, joining my brother on the varsity squad after moving to California. My knowledge of the professional ranks has waxed and waned since, but this book reminded me of my love for the sport. It doesn’t hurt that I’m an art lover, either. Don’t miss the chapter discussing a Fabergé tennis trophy.

Looking forward to: Jonas Wood exhibition of tennis court paintings beginning March 12 at the Gagosian Beverly Hills

I hope you all enjoy Spring Training and the World Baseball Classic!

We have about two weeks left in 2025, and I never properly acknowledged the incredible World Series we witnessed. As much as it stung for the Yankees to drop the 2024 Fall Classic, Toronto’s dismantling of the Yanks in the 2025 ALDS meant that I was rooting for Los Angeles this time around. There were so many aspects to this year’s edition. The whole experience felt a little like a Sesame Street artwork I viewed at the Hilbert Museum in Orange.

Game 1: For once, Blake Snell is hittable. Fresh off a Game 7 comeback against the Mariners in the ALCS, Toronto explodes for nine runs in the sixth inning including an Addison Barger grand slam. 11-4, Blue Jays.

Game 2: Yoshinobu Yamamoto simply dominates, allowing four hits and one run in a complete game. Will Smith and Max Muncy hit solo shots in the seventh to seize a lead the Dodgers never relinquish. 5-1, Dodgers.

Game 3: This felt like a series turning point, but was it? The Dodgers and Jays trade blows, with a Tommy Edman error leading to a four-run fourth capped off by an Alejandro Kirk three-run blast. Ohtani goes 4-4 with two homers, five walks, three runs, and three RBI. Clayton Kershaw makes a cameo in extra innings as one of 19 pitchers involved, but the win goes to Will Klein after a walk-off homer by playoff legend Freddie Freeman. It’s incredible this one didn’t end prior to the 18th inning. 6-5, Dodgers.

Game 4: Is Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. just as good as his father? Could they end up next to each other in the Hall of Fame? His two-run blast off of Ohtani sets the tone and the Jays string five hits together for another four runs in the seventh. Shane Bieber pitches to contact, and it pays off. 6-2, Blue Jays.

Game 5: Trey Yesavage, all of 22 years old, mows down 12 Dodgers and Chavez Ravine is stunned. Davis Schneider and Guerrero lead off the game by hitting back-to-back round trippers against Snell. Toronto tacks on insurance in the seventh, and Jeff Hoffman closes out a non-save situation. 6-1, Blue Jays.

Game 6: Now, Toronto gets two cracks at bringing home the championship in Canada. In the third, Los Angeles makes Toronto manager John Schneider pay for intentionally walking Shohei. Smith doubles in Edman, who had doubled himself. Then, Mookie Betts plates Ohtani and Smith with a single versus Kevin Gausman. After another stellar performance from Yamamoto, Roki Sasaki struggles in the ninth. Sasaki is fortunate when Barger’s drive into the gap gets stuck in the wall’s padding. Finally, Tyler Glasnow induces an incredible line drive double play to end the game. 3-1, Dodgers.

Game 7: Bo Bichette drives in three with a third-inning dinger against Ohtani. The Jays lead by two after seven frames in a deafening Rogers Center, and I start to sulk despite the positive thought that Toronto bench coach Don Mattingly could get a World Series ring. The Dodgers have other ideas: Muncy brings the visitors within one with a homer to right in eighth. In the ninth, Miguel Rojas becomes an unlikely hero by delivering a game-tying big fly to left against Jeff Hoffman with his team’s back to the wall. A couple of do-or-die defensive plays give skipper Dave Roberts a shot at a second straight title. Smith takes Bieber deep in the 11th frame, and Series MVP Yamamoto closes out the series with 34 pitches the day after starting. While I’m enthused, it’s hard not to feel a bit sorry for Toronto after they came so close. Remarkably, Roberts has already won more championships as a manager than Tommy Lasorda. 5-4, Dodgers.

Now, please enjoy an old photo of me with the Commissioner’s Trophy.

Let’s turn the page to September 24, the last time I set foot in a ballpark. On the way to Angel Stadium, Dori and I grabbed dinner at Tacos Los Cholos. Our ticket taker seemed jealous of the feast we were importing. After we arrived, a good friend from Disneyland strode by while I waited in the club level hallway.

Yusei Kikuchi toed the slab for the Angels, while the Kansas City Royals countered with Stephen Kolek, who had been dealt from the Padres in July. In the second inning, Kolek gave up a double to Luis Rengifo, who would later score on a groundout off the bat of Oswald Peraza. The Angels were celebrating Mike Trout’s 400th career home run, but he got the night off on this Wednesday.

Taylor Ward is now a member of the Baltimore Orioles after being traded for starting pitcher Grayson Rodriguez. Nevertheless, he was a bright spot for the 2025 Angels with 36 home runs and 103 RBI. In this game, his solo shot in the third gave the home squad a 2-0 advantage.

Despite struggling for most of season, Peraza singled and stole second in the fourth. He came around to score on a Kolek throwing error and the Angels led 3-0. Randal Grichuk got Kansas City on the board with a leadoff bomb over the center field fence, but Kikuchi made it through five innings with no other damage.

With Chase Silseth on from the bullpen in the seventh, Carter Jensen delivered a pinch-hit single. That drove home Mike Yastrzemski, who had been hit by an errant pitch. The Angels led 3-2 but still had six outs to obtain.

Luis Garcia handled the eighth before Ron Washington called on Kenley Jansen to finish the game. Jansen is now a member of a stacked Detroit bullpen, but he amassed his 28th save by setting down the Royals in order.

As we headed to the exit, I mused about how a 72-90 team that hasn’t made the playoffs since 2014 can still give you an entertaining night out. Arte Moreno should still sell the franchise, though. Dori told me that it was refreshing to catch a ballgame and share good times together. I couldn’t disagree with any of that!

A big thanks to my readers for opening those emails. We wish you a happy holiday season, Southern California style.

I always have more vacation photos than will fit in a standard emailed post, so here are some scattered thoughts on the rest of the trip.

Pike Place Market can be very crowded, but Dorina brought me to Piroshky Piroshky where we devoured Russian pastries in relative privacy.

Today, T-Mobile Park is home to a small collection of Pacific Northwest baseball history. I didn’t get a ton of time to explore it, but if you ask me baseball museums are one of the great pleasures in life. The Seattle Rainiers of the Pacific Coast League played in a ballpark named for team owner Emil Sick until 1968.

I’m really bummed that the Starbucks Reserve in Seattle’s Capitol Hill has now closed. Whatever you think of the corporate coffee giant, this location was elegant and featured plenty of cool looking machines. Large sacks of coffee beans and a small conference room added to the decorative touches. Even the food was different than you find at a conventional Starbucks.

Speaking of food, next up was dinner at a nearby Thai restaurant known as Di Fiora. We ordered the Flora Paradise cocktail that comes with its own decoration.

As someone who has covered college basketball and football as a member of the media, I appreciated a look into the T-Mobile Park Press Box.

Our tour guide introduced Zeitgeist Coffee by relating a story about a trucker who damaged his vehicle while trying to park on the way to getting his delicious hot drink. We had to try it for ourselves.

The Chief Seattle Fountain dates back to 1909.

This bar reminded me of the Seattle Kraken hockey team’s logo.

We stayed in Tacoma and enjoyed a beautiful view of downtown every time we drove into Seattle.

Want to get up close and personal with seals? Head to Ballard Locks! There’s also a cool demonstration of how fish are rescued and brought further down the river.

The Fremont Troll watches over a neighborhood nicknamed the “Center of the Universe.”

The Mariner Moose patiently waits until next year.

My family took a trip to Seattle in the mid-‘90s while I was still in middle school. I recall visiting Mount Rainier, marveling at the Space Needle, and eating at local seafood restaurant Ivar’s. I’ll never forget the pizza bagel I ate there, either! Somehow, I never made it back in the intervening years. I probably could have joined the Cal Band for an optional football game performance at the University of Washington. Instead, I opted for memorable trips to Phoenix and New Orleans.

Thanks to some expiring airline miles, Dori and I were motivated to plan our Pacific Northwest excursion. On July 12 we departed from Orange County’s John Wayne Airport and were able to enjoy some Vietnamese food at Brodard Express. After landing at Seattle-Tacoma, we picked up a rental car and headed to our hotel.

As you might expect, the coffee culture in Seattle is strong. The same goes with pastries, as we found out at Sea Wolf Bakers the next day. I especially enjoyed the currant scone with lemon flavoring.

I have been a fan of Dale Chihuly’s blown glass art for some time, but nothing properly prepared me for Chihuly Garden and Glass, an incredible collection of his sculptures presented in a variety of ways. Even better, admission is discounted when you also visit the Space Needle next door. We visited some fantastic places in Washington, but this was my favorite. The photo above shows Mille Fiori, a breathtaking collection of works assembled like a single piece. The varied shapes and neon colors make it an experience unlike any other I have enjoyed. Don’t miss the Persian Ceiling, Ikebana boats, greenhouse, garden, or really anything at all here.

Speaking of the Space Needle, we got to spend a fun hour taking in all the city views it has to offer. Built in 1961, it features an elevator that takes visitors to the observation deck 520 feet up. I got into a friendly discussion with an employee even though he declared himself to be a Red Sox fan.

After we grabbed lunch, we made a beeline for T-Mobile Park. Our guide Peggy was highly knowledgeable about the Mariners and made the experience a great one. It’s always a thrill for me to step onto a big league field, and we took a photo to commemorate the moment. Other stops on the tour included the press box, the baseball card wall (they used 3,612 cards), and the museum. There’s even an art piece paying tribute to Mariners legend Ken Griffey Jr.’s love of chewing gum. Peggy expressed her frustration that the Astros were division leaders of the American League West, but soon the Mariners would be back in first place.

In 2025, the Mariners were a win away from their first World Series appearance before ultimately falling to the Blue Jays on October 19. Catcher Cal Raleigh had an incredible season with 60 home runs, and Seattle’s pitching should make it a contender again next year. To date, their biggest postseason moment is probably the 1995 Division Series win over the Yankees, an event I have heard about countless times over the years. There’s even an artistic recreation of the series’ final play on a stadium wall. It’s a painful memory for fans of the Bronx Bombers, but the interest that series generated may have saved baseball in Seattle. After enduring heartbreak in 1995, the Yankees retrenched. New York won four of the next five World Series, capturing titles in 1996, 1998, 1999, and 2000. The Mariners won 116 regular season games in 2001 before being bounced in the ALCS by—you guessed it—those same Yankees.

A nearly 100 mile drive to the town of Anacortes brought us to the “Orca Only” tour run by Outer Island Excursions. Sure enough, Dorina picked a winner of an outing. We had a great time whale watching around Port Susan. The orcas were plentiful and we enjoyed a delicious meal at Adrift after disembarking.

Visiting Pioneer Square with the Beneath The Streets tour company was an interesting look at the city’s history. Seattle has lots of underground passages resulting from an 1889 fire and the resulting decision to build a higher street level. Our guide David enlightened us about Chief Seattle, a leader of the Duwamish and Suquamish peoples who worked with white settlers to avoid conflict as much as possible before his passing in 1866. David also pointed out Merchant’s Cafe, a restaurant dating back to 1890 that is thought to be haunted.

There are many tributes to indigenous people throughout the area. One example is a pair of totem poles in Occidental Square Park I noticed during the tour.

T-Mobile Park featured another reference to native culture. According to a 1922 journal article by T. T. Waterman, Djidjilal’itc was the name for an area village and meant “a little place where one crosses over.”

Another interesting tidbit: some street maintenance hole covers contain tiny maps of the city. One of them features the Kingdome, where the Mariners played prior to moving to their current stadium. Although the Kingdome was demolished in 2000, it’s represented by the circle with spokes going through it at bottom left. That symbol represents the shape of the defunct stadium’s roof. Today, football and soccer venue Lumen Field has taken its place.

Enjoy your holiday break and stay tuned for Part 2 coming soon!

Welcome to the second and final piece covering a recent trip to the Bay Area!

Coit Tower, above left, is an underrated San Francisco landmark. Inside, it’s decorated with murals paid for by the Public Works of Art Project. One such mural is California by Maxine Albro, a portion of which is pictured below.

Chinatown is one of the most historic areas of the city. I had never visited the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory before and was happy to receive hot free samples of their unfolded cookies. We enjoyed dinner at Hon’s Wun-Tun House before relaxing back at the hotel.

Dori made a point to check out the so-called Painted Ladies, which are Victorian homes that were built during the 19th century and repainted in the 1960s. We weren’t the only ones enjoying our vantage point at Alamo Square Park.

We even visited the home used as the facade for the television show Full House.

For a relaxing experience, we hiked through the Japanese Tea Garden and San Francisco Botanical Garden, both of which are located in Golden Gate Park.

As someone of Chilean ancestry, Dori was delighted to see Chile represented at the Botanical Garden. The South American country enjoys a similar climate to that of San Francisco. That allows the garden to feature plants such as the Chilean rock bromeliad.

We employed human drivers to ferry us around for most of the trip but switched to Waymo near the end. We enjoyed the customizable music in the self-driving vehicles. By law, we still needed a person to drive us back to the airport.

With mere hours left, we made a final excursion to Haight-Ashbury, known for its hippie culture. We ate sandwiches on the front steps of an apartment building before a stop at the Grateful Dead House musical landmark.

As you can see, even the Giants shirts sold in the Haight have a distinctly Dead feel.

Just as I remembered, the Bay Area is full of inspiring experiences. We even got to pose with a pumpkin created by artist Yayoi Kusama during our time at MOMA. I also enjoyed walking into Olafur Eliasson’s One-way Colour Tunnel. It’s something I have done before but still feels like a special privilege.

Thanks for following along, subscribers! Here’s one last snapshot of Dorina at what we learned is the oldest Japanese garden in the country.

As soon as Dori and I landed at San Francisco Airport on May 30, we were greeted by an exhibit about the city’s history entitled San Francisco: City of the World. I fondly remember my nights attending San Francisco Giants and Oakland Athletics games during my college days. Above is a photo of Giants legend Willie McCovey’s statue at Oracle Park in San Francisco. An “Indians of All Tribes” baseball from 1969 was on display along with a reference to how Native Americans occupied Alcatraz Island after the federal prison there was shuttered.

I had visited Alcatraz on previous occasions, but I did not recall the baseball field once used for recreation by incarcerated men. Even with lots of our gear in tow, I had to take a photo next to home plate. We enjoyed incredible views of San Francisco, Oakland, Marin County, and beyond.

Lombard Street was another must-see attraction. It’s known for being extremely crooked due to being situated on a steep hill. One street vendor asked if I was going to that night’s Giants game, and it only dawned on me later that I was wearing a Tokyo Giants shirt.

A highlight of the trip was our visit across the bay to Berkeley. We enjoyed lentil soup, pizza with sausage, and an apricot galette for dessert at Chez Panisse, the restaurant where I once celebrated my graduation with family.

Subsequently, we walked through my old stomping grounds, passing the library and Campanile clock tower. UC Berkeley was founded in 1868, and the campus feels like a forest in parts. I find it a beautiful refuge from the surrounding urban landscape.

After reaching the building where I used to rehearse with the Cal Band, we posed with the Golden Bear statue whose nose I rubbed for good luck before every home football game.

I even allowed Dori to become an honorary Bear for the night.

Over the years I enjoyed some incredible basketball games at Haas Pavilion, and the band performances there were more relaxed than during football season. The last time I visited a Hall of Fame within, I saw a photo of myself. A true moment captured in time, I’m decked out in my Straw Hat Band uniform cheering behind Cal big man Amit Tamir circa 2004.

In the 1960s, artist Ruth Asawa gained recognition for her looped-wire sculptures, and I have enjoyed seeing her work at a variety of museums. However, the best and most comprehensive overview of her career is now on display at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. I enjoyed learning about how she also created large public installations. There’s even a video showing how she taught children in the Bay Area to appreciate art.

Dori loved the Wayne Thiebaud exhibit she saw at the Laguna Art Museum, so we jumped at the chance to see more of his art at San Francisco’s Legion of Honor. Here we are in front of Buffet which he painted in the early 1970s. The exhibit focused on his borrowing of ideas from artists throughout history to create his own unique work.

The Golden Gate Bridge was picturesque as always. We met some whipping wind on our way back from the center of the span, then got into a rideshare driven by a Massachusetts-born gentleman who had called the Bay Area home for decades.

Stay tuned for Part 2, which will go out early to paid subscribers!

For years, I looked forward to attending my first Jerry Malloy Negro Leagues Conference. I had read The Soul of Baseball, visited the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, and listened to Bob Kendrick’s podcast called Black Diamonds. As many of you know, I finally made it last year with a big planning assist from my brother. At the banquet on the final night in Cooperstown, I felt such a strong sense of belonging among the attendees and vowed it would not be my last conference.

Earlier this year, the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) announced that the 2025 event would be held during August in Louisville, Kentucky. I decided to submit a presentation proposal to organizer Leslie Heaphy and was ultimately accepted as a speaker for the 2026 conference. I felt a rush of excitement as I read the news and began researching material for my talk. I chose John Beckwith, an incredible hitter who was briefly mentioned during a talk by Rich Puerzer at the Cooperstown conference.

While perusing the 2025 conference schedule, I noticed that it was full of fun activities in addition to the research forum and 12 lectures. Attendees will be treated to a baseball documentary screening, Louisville Slugger bat factory tour, and Louisville Bats baseball game. There will also be a presentation at the Roots 101 African American Museum hosted by Gary Gillette. I was fortunate enough to meet him in Cooperstown and his perspectives are always illuminating. A documentary film screening and trip to the Muhammad Ali Center round out the festivities.

I related some Brea baseball history in the last piece but didn’t want to neglect a local college program that has gained national fame over time. The Cal State Fullerton Titans have called nearby Goodwin Field home since 1992, although the program dates back to 1965. Back in January, even seeing this statue of legendary coach Augie Garrido made me wish I could duck into a game.

Instead, I busied myself reading Bill Pennington’s Chumps to Champs, an enjoyable overview of how the Yankees dynasty beginning in the mid-‘90s came to be. When owner George Steinbrenner was temporarily exiled from baseball activities, executive Gene Michael laid the groundwork for championship teams by refusing to trade the likes of Mariano Rivera, Derek Jeter, and #51 Bernie Williams who is honored with a sign at my barber shop.

Another offseason activity I enjoyed was attending Anaheim Ducks Day on January 24. At Downtown Disney outside of the Disneyland Park, several Ducks alumni including Ryan Miller and Emerson Etem were on hand to greet fans and discuss hockey as part of a moderated discussion.

Dori and I chatted up Kent Huskins, a 2007 Stanley Cup Champion and my barista for a time at Huskins Coffee in Santa Ana. I used to walk into his shop and talk about the latest free agent signings while he prepared my lavender latte. Now Huskins has expanded to locations like his store on the Balboa Peninsula which we recently visited, but I’ll never forget those mornings.

I have never attended an NHL All-Star Game, but the Coachella Valley Firebirds hosted this year’s AHL event at Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert.

I attended the February 2 Skills Competition and posed with the Calder Cup before watching events like the Hardest Shot and even appearances by a variety of mascots. It wasn’t exactly like the Calder Cup Finals action I have witnessed there in prior seasons, but I was still entertained. The Eastern Conference came away with a 19-13 victory.

Afterward, I walked down to the bench area hoping to nab an autograph of Ducks forward prospect Sam Colangelo of the San Diego Gulls. Dylan Garand and Matt Belzile were also on hand from the Hartford Wolf Pack who are affiliated with the New York Rangers organization.

Despite the crowds, I managed to meet Andrew Poturalski of the San Jose Barracuda who is beloved locally for his earlier years with the Firebirds. He went on to be named the league’s Most Valuable Player after posting 30 goals and 43 assists.

Of course I miss baseball during the offseason, but here I sit reminiscing about the winter while preparing for my big moment in August. When things get a little hectic, it’s nice to order a seaside coffee and think about all the fun that’s headed your way soon.

On Saturday the temperature hit 99 degrees in parts of Orange County, but let’s take a trip back to December 8 when I developed a new disdain for the New York Mets. Sure, the Yankees and Mets have competed in the Subway Series for many seasons. They even met in the 2000 Fall Classic during my high school years which the Yanks won in five games. The Yankees dropped all four of their head-to-head contests in 2024 which stung a bit. Nevertheless, only breaking up the historic Aaron Judge/Juan Soto duo could truly open the floodgates to my frustration with gazillionaire Mets owner Steve Cohen. Only the Onion Head Monster designed by cartoonist Paul Friedrich could appropriately summarize my angst.

I know what some of you are thinking. The Yankees have been snatching away top free agents for years! What right do I have to complain about a crosstown rival doing the very same thing? First off, the Mets spent roughly $305 million on payroll and were still considered a feel-good story when they rallied to beat the Brewers in the Wild Card series after a tumultuous regular season. That sort of characterization would happen to a Yankees team roughly never. Secondly, while I can be critical of Yankees ownership, it’s hard to argue that they didn’t make a good-faith offer to Soto worth $760 million. Soto said all the right things during his time in pinstripes. Then again, he joined agent Scott Boras in gunning for every last dollar over a situation he grew to love in the Bronx. That makes him a true fit for what would be considered the Big Apple’s new Evil Empire in a rational world.

Truly, the only way to address such depressing news involved plenty of Indian food. Dori suggested meeting her at Spice Social in Fullerton and I practically ran there. Your future Hall of Famer bolted to Queens? That’s nothing garlic naan, chicken tikka masala, samosas, or a mango lassi can’t fix!

On March 29, the Yankees did their best to impress me during a historic first series against Milwaukee that included nine home runs in a 20-9 Saturday win. Suddenly, talk of Yankee injuries ended up on the back burner and my fantasy team now has indicators for the players who use “torpedo bats” like some members of the Yanks. New York leads Boston by two games as the current American League East leader.

I love December because I usually get to see my entire immediate family. Above, I am reading a book about Filipino foods to my nephew Roman while my brother looks on.

Old Towne Orange is one of my favorite hangouts thanks to its restaurants, shopping, and museums. It also gets pretty festive around the holidays. We enjoyed another visit to the Hilbert on this night.

Meanwhile, the regular season has unveiled some interesting storylines. Through April 3, the Dodgers (8-0) and Padres (7-0) were the only undefeated teams in the majors. Los Angeles followed their postseason glory with some big transactions, among them signing Blake Snell and landing Roki Sasaki from Japan. They won both games against the Cubs in Japan before heading home to rout Atlanta and Detroit. It was Shohei Ohtani’s walk-off homer on April 3 that dropped Atlanta to 0-7 and kept L.A. undefeated. Teoscar Hernández started out sizzling, cranking nine round trippers in April. Both of Southern California’s National League teams finally lost on April 4 to end a remarkable run. The Dodgers now lead San Diego by one game, while the Giants are 3 games back.

The Padres were quiet during the offseason. The franchise has been plagued by infighting among the current ownership group, which was not an issue when Peter Seidler was in charge. Apparently the chaos has not extended to the field of play, as Petco Park has not been friendly to visitors in the early going. Manny Machado, Jackson Merrill, and Fernando Tatis Jr. all got off to strong starts with the bat. This team arguably had the talent to win it all last year, but fell short. Now they will have to wait until June to face their local rivals. The Padres also rattled off 11 straight home wins to begin the campaign.

The San Diego Museum of Art was the setting for one of my favorite exhibits in recent memory. In December, I drove down to Balboa Park to see Wonders of Creation: Art, Science, and Innovation in the Islamic World. This celestial globe was created by Shams al-Din al-‘Urdi around 1288 in what is now Iran. Mother’s Day weekend always reminds me of the fun times I spent at museums with my parents when I was growing up.

Before big league teams arrived in California, barnstorming games featuring some of the sport’s biggest stars were a regular occurrence. At the Brea Museum & Historical Society, a 1924 contest featuring Babe Ruth and Walter Johnson is celebrated. Even the HBO documentary Babe Ruth mentions the exhibition at the Brea Bowl. Ruth managed to get himself a traffic ticket for an overloaded car while in Orange County. A hundred years later, it’s on display along with memorabilia from the game.

An advertisement for the contest, played on Halloween, is a collection highlight. The museum also celebrates former Padres pitcher Randy Jones, who attended high school in Brea. While we’re in Orange County, I should mention that Mike Trout is doing his best Joey Gallo impression. The Angels mainstay has a batting average of .172 with 9 dingers and suffered a May 1 knee injury that landed him on the injured list. The squad from Anaheim is now 6 games behind first place Seattle.

Speaking of Babe Ruth, Aaron Judge is hitting an otherworldly .409 with 14 homers while driving in 39. It’s his best statistical start ever, and we are talking about the guy who set the American League home run record two seasons ago. Can Ben Rice and Trent Grisham stay hot around him in the Yankee batting order? I’m excited to find out.

The Los Angeles Dodgers are World Series champions. A few fireworks were set off in my neighborhood as soon as Walker Buehler recorded the final out on October 30 at Yankee Stadium. The New York Yankees had Los Angeles down to the final out in Game 1 before Freddie Freeman hit a walk-off grand slam. Facing elimination in Game 5, the Yanks lost a 5-0 lead thanks to some shoddy defense, timely Dodger hitting, and plain old bad luck.

The Dodgers won it all in 2020, but this represented their first title as part of a full season since 1988. Their biggest hero Freeman fought back from a wrist injury to explode with four homers in the Fall Classic. Los Angeles overcame a quiet performance by Shohei Ohtani, who suffered a left shoulder injury in Game 2. I noticed bars everywhere holding watch parties, including Mutt Lynch’s in Newport Beach.

While Freeman is an obvious choice, there are plenty of heroes to choose from. Blake Treinen got seven big outs in the clincher. Shortstop Tommy Edman hit .328 in the postseason and .294 in the Series. Mookie Betts drove home four in the Fall Classic. Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitched into the seventh and surrendered only one run in Game 2. Even Buehler overcame his history of injuries (and poor defense behind him in the Division Series against San Diego) to round into form when it mattered most.

New York gave its fans a fun ride, but this also represents a missed opportunity. Giancarlo Stanton had an excellent postseason attempting to will his team to a title and the Yanks still came up short. On the flip side, Aaron Judge had a relatively quiet playoffs and Austin Wells largely struggled despite often serving as the Yankee cleanup hitter in recent months. The Bombers lost Juan Soto to the Mets but now have a loaded rotation after adding Max Fried. The Yankees will need their starting pitching to live up to its potential if they hope to win it all like they did in 1956.

Meanwhile, the Dodgers signed Blake Snell, re-signed Edman as well as Teoscar Hernández, and could potentially be better next year. The injured Tyler Glasnow and Clayton Kershaw didn’t throw a pitch in the playoffs. Dustin May and Tony Gonsolin missed most or all of the campaign. Atlanta won’t have ace Spencer Strider and all-world star Ronald Acuña Jr. ready to begin the season, but that squad could be formidable upon their return. While Baltimore struggled in the second half, the Orioles are loaded with young talent. The Padres could easily have gone to the World Series themselves. There are plenty of other cases to be made for teams who could take home the crown in 2025.

The Yankees should have Jasson Domínguez as a fixture in the lineup instead of warming the bench. Nevertheless, time marches on. It will be an uphill battle to return to the top of the division and make another playoff run. Can Aaron Boone and Brian Cashman guide them back? Betting against their on-field leader Judge in the long run is a fool’s errand, but even after winning the AL pennant the fan base seems restless. Cashman is banking on a bolstered bullpen featuring Devin Williams. Former Dodgers and Cubs outfielder Cody Bellinger will join another former MVP in Paul Goldschmidt, who is set to play first base in the Bronx.

I’m happy for my friends who root for the Dodgers. It would also be disingenuous to say that the way the season ended didn’t sting on a personal level. When I attended the Cal men’s basketball team’s 71-67 win over USC at the Galen Center on November 17, I got to feel a little bit of the euphoria that eluded me during the Fall Classic.

After the incredible time I had at this year’s Malloy Conference, I was excited to read the details of the 2025 edition. It will be held in Louisville, Kentucky which was already on my list of places to visit thanks to the Louisville Slugger bat factory and museum. I am looking into becoming a presenter if I attend, which would add another dimension to the experience. There’s a lot to look forward to in the coming months, including Hall of Fame voting results.

I also realized a dream when Dori and I attended a local performance of Fiddler on the Roof starring Jason Alexander. As a Seinfeld fan I had to be there, but Alexander wasn’t content to coast on star power and did an excellent job playing the protagonist Tevye. Unlike the bustling Pantages in Hollywood, the La Mirada Theater offers free parking, refreshments at reasonable prices, and places to lounge during intermission or after the show.

Reminders of the sport are everywhere. At the Hilbert Museum in Orange, several vintage orange crate designs on display in the Picturing Paradise exhibit are baseball themed.

This radio featuring Yankee sluggers Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris, who both chased Babe Ruth’s home run record in 1961, reminds us that the game is timeless. Maris smashing 61 round trippers in ‘61 is one of baseball’s most memorable stories. No matter how much player salaries skyrocket and rules are changed, the sport will always hold a special place in this country.

Welcome to the World Series! As the stage turns to Dodger Stadium for Game 1 between the Yankees and Dodgers tonight, let me tell you what I’m thinking about.

Embracing history

There are a few reasons that playoff baseball gives me butterflies. First off, the sport means a lot to me not only on the field but also with respect to baseball history and popular culture. Also, growing up watching the Yankees dynasty of the ’90s cemented a rooting interest that my father instilled in me. Furthermore, playoff moments just stick with me. I’ll never forget being at the Oakland Coliseum in 2001 when Bernie Williams broke open Game 4 of the ALDS with a two-run double. That sent the series back to New York after Game 3 featured Derek Jeter’s famous flip play to nab Jeremy Giambi at the plate. I will forever remember how I witnessed CC Sabathia dominate the Angels in a 10-1 win in Game 4 of the 2009 ALCS. I fondly remember riding Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner back home with a bunch of fans from San Diego.

I was also in the building when the Dodgers took Game 3 of the NLDS to sweep the Cubs back in 2008 thanks in part to a clutch two-bagger by James Loney. Speaking of history, the Hall Cup championship trophy below was won by the New York Giants in 1888.

Updated rosters

Probably the most significant change to the Dodgers’ roster is the absence of reliever Evan Phillips, who got hurt at the end of the NLCS. Especially for a team that has sometimes employed bullpen games during the postseason, that hurts Los Angeles. However, Alex Vesia will return to the bullpen and infielder Miguel Rojas will be available for the World Series. Outfielder and defensive specialist Kevin Kiermaier was also not included.

The Yankees opted to drop Jon Berti, who actually started Game 3 of the ALCS but is dealing with a hip issue. He also found himself in the lineup for two games during the Division Series when Anthony Rizzo missed time due to his own injury. Instead, they will have the services of Nestor Cortes, who could be used as a long man rather than a starter. There’s no word on whether he will deploy the quick pitch or crazy leg kick in a World Series appearance.

Keep calm and enjoy the ride

It’s much easier said than done for me to remain even-keeled during the most important series of the entire season. With that said, I am trying to remember something Jomboy said on the Talkin’ Yanks podcast. He urged fans to take it all in, read every article, and watch every interview. As talented as some Yankee teams have been in recent years, they haven’t actually played in the Fall Classic since claiming the 2009 title. I was spoiled during my formative years as the Yanks steamrolled their way to a dynasty, but this has still felt like a long time coming. Even though the ALCS only lasted five games, many of them were tense. The Dodgers won it all in 2020 but haven’t done so in front of a home crowd since 1988. My goal, but not my expectation, is to feel the adrenaline without so much anxiety.

The injury bug

I read one series preview giving New York the edge at first base. As well as Rizzo hit against the Guardians, Freddie Freeman would certainly be considered the better hitter if he were totally healthy instead of nursing a sprained ankle. In a series where every small factor counts, the strong Dodger lineup looks even more potent when Freeman is himself. Nevertheless, Yankee pitching will have its hands full with the likes of Mookie Betts, Shohei Ohtani, and Max Muncy as well as the surging Tommy Edman.

Rizzo himself is playing with fractured fingers, which shows you how much players want to participate when the postseason rolls around. Aside from very long term injuries, the Yanks are relatively healthy other than DJ LeMahieu. The infielder was unlikely to crack Boone’s lineup anyway. Relief pitcher Ian Hamilton is also unavailable.

The Dodgers have an entire starting rotation on the shelf which includes several former All-Stars. That means Walker Buehler has been relied upon to start behind former Tiger Jack Flaherty and prized acquisition Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

Mystery box

Jasson Domínguez is one of the most heralded prospects of the last decade, but he has mostly found himself on the bench for this playoffs. Not only did he receive relatively little major league experience this season, he’s coming off injury woes of his own and Yankees manager Aaron Boone is skeptical of his defense at this juncture. Could he end up pinch hitting in the late innings one game? Will third baseman Jazz Chisholm’s bat wake up behind sluggers Juan Soto, Aaron Judge, and Giancarlo Stanton? Can Austin Wells build on the home run he smashed to help eliminate Cleveland? Will hurler Clay Holmes prove to be a reliable option alongside Tommy Kahnle and Luke Weaver? Lots of media outlets from New York, Los Angeles, and Japan will be following along.

On the West Coast side, can Brusdar Graterol play a role out of the bullpen after not pitching for a month? Will home run derby winner Teoscar Hernández continue his charmed season? Is another big October moment in store for Kiké Hernández? Behind the dish, is Will Smith recapturing some of his first half magic?

Most importantly, will I be parading around the office in pinstripes or hastily switching to hockey gear? Stay tuned.

Back in the spring of 2015, the NHL Conference Finals were underway and I started getting texts from other hockey fans I knew. Could this really happen? Had the sports gods gone crazy? Would my childhood favorite New York Rangers face off in the Stanley Cup Finals against the Anaheim Ducks who had called me a season ticket holder for a decade? Both were among the final four teams standing, so the possibility was far from remote.

As it turned out, the Rangers were eliminated by the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Ducks lost a competitive series to the Chicago Blackhawks. In short, the scenario never came to pass. I know I would have rooted for the Rangers as I do during their regular season matchups, but the situation would have presented at least a little conflict of interest. The photo at the top is from April 18, 2023 when my brother and I watched the Rangers defeat the Devils 5-1 in Game 1 of the conference quarterfinals held in Newark, New Jersey.

Fast forward to today, as the National League Championship Series is tied at one between the Dodgers and New York Mets. Los Angeles survived a rollercoaster series against the Padres but will need to win three more contests to reach the Fall Classic. Meanwhile, the Yankees have jumped out to a 2-0 ALCS edge against Cleveland. The Guardians battled back to defeat the Detroit Tigers in the decisive game of their Division Series but will need to rally at home to get back into this one.

While my combined ties to the Ducks and Rangers probably can’t be matched in baseball, I have considered Los Angeles my second favorite team since college when I attended both Dodger home games and their road contests in San Francisco with friends. While the Dodgers captured the 2020 “bubble” title, Angelenos would love to be able to attend home games the next time they win the pennant. Before that, Kirk Gibson hit one of the most famous home runs of all time to help them defeat Oakland in 1988.

If the Yankees advance, it will be either a rematch of the 2000 Subway Series between the New York squads or the 1981 World Series won by Tommy Lasorda and the Dodgers. That amounted to revenge for the 1978 season when the Yankees beat the Red Sox in a one-game playoff thanks to a timely Bucky Dent home run. The Yanks would go on to defeat Los Angeles in the ’78 World Series. I’ll always remember 2000 for taking place while I was acting in a high school play during my senior year. Without the connectivity we enjoy today, I didn’t know the Yankees had defeated the Mets until I got to my front door and my father told me about it. Don’t worry, everyone: my parents had already seen Flowers for Algernon on a previous evening.

The Guardians will be motivated to advance in the quest to win their first World Series since 1948. Lost in the celebration about the Cubs winning it all in 2016 was the fact that the Guardians (once known as the Indians) endured a long drought of their own. Cleveland also took home the title in 1920.

Of course, the Mets could continue riding their magic streak and knock off the Dodgers. The next three games will be played at Citi Field in the New York borough of Queens. The Miracle Mets of 1969 were followed by the 1986 squad which got an assist from an error by Boston’s Bill Buckner and won the second championship in franchise history.

This season, the Yankees celebrated the 15th anniversary of their 2009 World Series win. During my teenage years, the Bombers won four World Series in five seasons between 1996 and 2000. Fans are already nostalgic for the great seasons turned in by Hideki Matsui, CC Sabathia, Derek Jeter, and Mariano Rivera in 2009 because they represent the thrill of ultimate victory that has eluded the franchise ever since. If he’s voted in, Sabathia would join Jeter and Rivera in the Hall of Fame next year. That would be a fitting tribute to a fine pitching career.

Even before the day began, June 18 was shaping up as an exciting matchup between two of the best teams in baseball: the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles, who woke up tied with the same number of losses. The Yankees were 50-24 and Baltimore sat at 47-24. The Bombers sent Nestor Cortes Jr. to the mound while Albert Suárez started the game for the O’s.

Prior to this season, Suárez hadn’t pitched in the major leagues in many years. He made 40 appearances with the Giants in 2016 and 2017, often in relief. He entered Yankee Stadium with an ERA under two, less than half of what he averaged with San Francisco. Nevertheless, this was to be a true test of his ability. Home runs are a common occurrence in the Bronx, and New York boasts perhaps the best two hitters in the American League in Juan Soto and Aaron Judge. Due to the injury Anthony Rizzo suffered in Boston, General Manager Brian Cashman opted to promote Ben Rice from the AAA Scranton Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. Rice would eventually return to the Electric City in September.

As many of you know, I attended the Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference from June 6-8. I absolutely loved walking through the Plaque Gallery. Years ago I got Trevor Hoffman’s autograph at Padres FanFest, and the former San Diego closer’s plaque hangs among them. At the conference, one topic of conversation was Willie Mays being the best known living player to have participated in a segregated league. Obviously Mays went on to have a long career in the majors, but the superlative outfielder began his professional career with the Birmingham Black Barons. I was saddened to hear of his passing on this Tuesday and recalled having sent him a birthday card one year when a friend of Mays shared his post office box address on the web.

Back in 2015, I went to a screening of a documentary about the writer Arnold Hano, who grew up in New York before moving to Laguna Beach here in Orange County. Hano became famous for a book entitled A Day in the Bleachers which discussed a game from the 1954 World Series in which Mays distinguished himself by making perhaps the most famous catch in the history of the sport. His account brought me closer to a game I missed attending by decades and it was inspiring to be in his presence. Especially as a New York Giants fan who felt at home in Manhattan’s Polo Grounds, Hano had a deep admiration for the Say Hey Kid. Both Mays and Hano lived into their nineties, but I miss them all the same.

On this day at Yankee Stadium, the home team took a 1-0 lead in the second inning after a walk to Gleyber Torres, a double by Austin Wells, and a run-scoring single off the bat of Anthony Volpe. In the third, Suárez drilled Judge in the hand with a pitch and the Yanks would capitalize. Alex Verdugo singled and Giancarlo Stanton plated Judge with a base hit of his own. Rice followed with a third consecutive single and Torres skied a ball to right for a sacrifice fly.

DJ LeMahieu added an insurance run in the fifth with a sacrifice fly to drive home Torres, who had also been hit by a pitch. Despite a late rally by Baltimore, the Bombers won a 4-2 decision.

I flipped channels to watch the Dodgers taking on the Rockies at Coors Field, where often no lead feels safe. Colorado held a 9-4 lead after eight innings and Los Angeles appeared headed for defeat. Pinch hitter Elehuris Montero and outfielder Brenton Doyle both homered to help build the home team’s advantage.

Tyler Kinley recorded only one out in the ninth while surrendering a walk to Andy Pages, a single to Miguel Rojas, and a Miguel Vargas free pass. Jason Heyward came to the plate with the tying run on deck and delivered a grand slam over the right field fence. Now things were interesting, but Victor Vodnik could still restore order with a pair of outs.

Shohei Ohtani ripped a single, but he makes most pitchers look bad. A Will Smith strikeout brought the Rox within a single out of a victory over their division rivals. Vodnik issued an intentional walk to Freddie Freeman, setting up a showdown with future Home Run Derby champion Teoscar Hernández. Vodnik got ahead in the count 1-2 before controversy ensued. It was ruled that Hernández checked his swing on a very high pitch, leading to some choice words directed at first base umpire Lance Barksdale by Rockies manager Bud Black. If it had been considered a swing, the game ends right there.

The next pitch was almost predictable: another soaring drive to right that landed in the bullpen area. Los Angeles had jumped ahead 11-9. Rockies outfielder Jake Cave immediately began to bark at Barksdale and the other umpires for allowing the at-bat to continue. Nevertheless, the damage had been done and Evan Phillips would seal the victory for the Dodgers. Even Dinger the mascot probably had trouble cheering up Colorado fans on this night.

One more epic finish remained as the Angels welcomed the Milwaukee Brewers in an interleague affair without the injured Mike Trout. The Brew Crew jumped ahead 6-1 with Christian Yelich taking Griffin Canning deep in the first inning. Jackson Chourio drove in two runs with a double in the fourth and scored on the same play when Jo Adell committed a fielding error.

The score remained that way entering the bottom of the ninth, and it seemed the Angels would need a miracle to avoid another defeat. Catcher Logan O’Hoppe doubled to lead off the inning and scored after two Elieser Hernández wild pitches. Still, that was only one run and Brandon Drury followed with a strikeout. Then, things got interesting. Zach Neto singled and Mickey Moniak doubled before Adell hit an RBI grounder for the second out. Undeterred, rookie Nolan Schanuel drove home Moniak with a single. Luis Rengifo walked and the bases were loaded for the number three hitter Taylor Ward.

On a 1-2 count, Ward put a charge into a fastball and sent it to deep right field. If the ball landed over the yellow line, this would be a home run and the Angels would win the game. No longer are hitters required to drive the ball over the high scoreboard. Sal Frelick had other plans, leaping to catch the ball at the wall and immediately celebrating the win. We were that close to a walk-off grand slam capping a six-run inning. Instead, Hernandez and the NL Central winners took the game 6-3.

We are all poorer without Mays around, but I’m sure he would have appreciated that the drama of baseball continues. Case in point: within moments, the Dodgers are about to host the Padres in a winner-take-all Division Series Game 5. The sport owes many thanks to him for bringing so much attention to the sport throughout a dazzling career. His career statistics are hard to wrap your mind around: a .301 batting average, 660 home runs, and 339 stolen bases among many others. That’s a legacy worth celebrating in any decade.

When Dori and I made a spur-of-the-moment decision to attend the Dodgers vs. Cubs game on September 10, I realized that it would be the first start for pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto since June 15. Yamamoto famously received $325 million in the offseason to strengthen the Dodger rotation, but a litany of injuries had caused Los Angeles to rely on alternative starting pitchers for much of the season.

The traffic to Dodger Stadium wasn’t terrible for a weeknight at rush hour, but parking was so terrible that we ended up creating our own space near one of the exit gates. As we walked toward the ballpark, the crowd noise signaled a Tommy Edman home run, one of two solo shots he hit against Shota Imanaga during the game. I enjoyed that the recently acquired former Cardinal’s walkup song was Tame Impala’s Borderline. It was a game with a heavy Japanese presence when you consider Chicago DH Seiya Suzuki and prohibitive MVP favorite Shohei Ohtani. Nine days later, Ohtani would pile up six hits, three homers, 17 total bases, and two steals in a win over Miami.

We grabbed a pair of Dodger Dogs and split an order of garlic fries. Dori appreciated that there were two different hot dog size options. Then, Max Muncy ripped a homer to make it 3-1 Los Angeles in the fifth inning. The Dodgers seemed to be adding another win in their pursuit of a National League West crown, but the baseball gods had other plans.

The eighth inning became a nightmare for many of the 51,923 in attendance. Alex Vesia issued a leadoff walk before the normally reliable Evan Phillips entered. An Austin Barnes throwing error put Dansby Swanson on. A nervous energy permeated the stands and as it turned out, fans were edgy for good reason.

Suzuki singled and to make matters worse, Edman made a throwing error on the play allowing Swanson to score. Former Dodger Cody Bellinger was walked intentionally and two batters later Kiké Hernández booted a ground ball for the inning’s third error. Suddenly, the Cubs led 4-3. They would gain a 6-3 advantage after a Nico Hoerner double and groundout off the bat of Pete Crow-Armstrong. In the bottom of the eighth, Mookie Betts singled but the Dodgers could not muster any more offense.

Indeed, 6-3 would end up being the final score. In the bottom of the ninth, Muncy made a bid to extend the game by crushing a ball to center field. However, Crow-Armstrong made a leaping catch to seal the victory for North Siders. As the Cubs celebrated, we hung around watching the grounds crew while waiting for the crowd to clear.

Speaking of Japan, we found a lantern outside the entrance to the Top Deck that carried historical significance. Sotaro Suzuki, a Japanese sportswriter, presented it as a gift to then-Dodgers owner Walter O’Malley in 1965. It had to be shipped from Okazaki City in six pieces.

Dori told me that the view of downtown LA was beautiful walking back to the car, and indeed several other fans were taking in the scene as well. Displays honoring legendary broadcasters Vin Scully and Jaime Jarrín surrounded us.

Despite a hard charge from the San Diego Padres, the Dodgers ultimately had enough to win the division. Tonight, the Dodgers begin the Division Series against those same Padres and Chavez Ravine will be even more crowded than it was on this night.

Win or lose, I enjoy feeling the history of the place and sense of drama that comes from being at a park that’s always well attended. If only they could fix the transportation situation, I would be a more frequent visitor.

Yes, I really did take a picture of the area in which we parked. This was a weekday with no giveaway items handed out. Even considering the $2 billion they paid for the franchise in 2012, Guggenheim Baseball Management is raking in an incredible amount in fees during every home date.

Finally, I enjoyed the stadium signs commemorating former Dodger All-Stars. Tommy Lasorda, probably the most famous former resident of the city of Fullerton in Orange County, gets his due. He’s fittingly pictured giving the umpire a piece of his mind.

Of course, the most iconic Dodger is Jackie Robinson himself. While he played his home games at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, the pioneering Robinson grew up on Pepper Street in Pasadena 12 miles from what would become Dodger Stadium. I encourage all of you to peruse a collection assembled by the Library of Congress to learn more about him.