I know my last few posts have been sports-centered, but its hard to focus on much else with Manny Mania taking over L.A. In less than 12 hours after news of the trade was made public, the Dodgers sold over 11,000 tickets, more than compensating for the $1 million relocation bonus they have to pay Mr. Ramirez. I watched all four games of this weekend's Arizona series and came away feeling confident that Manny will be a positive influence for the team's prospects in the post-season and help reinvigorate a city to its hometown team. My favorite part of his interview was when he described how people should judge him in L.A. based on his checkered past in Boston. Manny responded with "You have to read a book, before you judge a person. ", which I think was supposed to be the idiom "Don't judge a book, by its cover".
L.A. loves celebrities and our athletes are included in that bunch, which is why showboats like Kobe Bryant and Reggie Bush are always followed with large groups of fans. But think of the Dodgers team this year and there's been little in the way of a superstar. What we had was a well-rounded roster, helped out by an amazing bullpen, but no big bat or big name to really bring people to the park. That's the weird thing about L.A. fans whether we're in 1st place or 3rd, the amount of people at the park on any given day has more to do with what else is going on in the City and if there's a promo involved like on Friday's game (Free Cooler Night). You'd be amazed how fast tickets sell out to Dodger Blanket night.
I watched Manny hit a homer on Sunday afternoon and cheered with the other 55,000 fans "Manny, Manny, Manny" until he came out to tip his hat to the crowd. And even though we didn't sweep the D'backs, splitting the series was a gift and puts us in a great position as we head into the homestretch of the season. I don't doubt that the Dodgers will make it to the post season, I just hope that in all of the Manny hoopla we don't forget about the core team that made this possible prior to last Thursday. I tip my hat to Martin, Kemp, J. Lo, Pierre, Kent, Ethier, Billingsley, Saito & Kuo. The best part is whether or not the Dodgers can afford Manny next year, a large percentage of these guys will still be wearing Dodger Blue come next April.
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What it means to live and work in L.A. with only 1 car and 2 people.
About Me
- Jessica
- Only child, Capricorn, Econ Lover, Gym Hater, Dodger Fan, Angeleno for life.
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FAQ
Q: Who's the bearded man?
A: Wouldn't you like to know! He's the cool dude who I happen to co-habitate with and together we share one car and a Vespa.
Q: Wait, a Vespa? Isn't that 2 vehicles?
A: It would be, if I wasn't vertically challenged (a.k.a. short). I can't ride it, because I'm not able to put both feet down without getting off the seat.
Q: What makes you love public transit?
A: I've been driving more than 40 miles round trip everyday since I turned 16 and got my driver's license. It frustrates me thinking about all the time I waste and stress I feel because of driving. Taking public transit makes me feel more connected to the City and people, as well as it continues to feel like a mini-adventure every day. Oh and it's good for the environment.
A: Wouldn't you like to know! He's the cool dude who I happen to co-habitate with and together we share one car and a Vespa.
Q: Wait, a Vespa? Isn't that 2 vehicles?
A: It would be, if I wasn't vertically challenged (a.k.a. short). I can't ride it, because I'm not able to put both feet down without getting off the seat.
Q: What makes you love public transit?
A: I've been driving more than 40 miles round trip everyday since I turned 16 and got my driver's license. It frustrates me thinking about all the time I waste and stress I feel because of driving. Taking public transit makes me feel more connected to the City and people, as well as it continues to feel like a mini-adventure every day. Oh and it's good for the environment.
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3 comments:
The man's last name is RAMIREZ...that's all you need to know to put your ever faithful love and devotion to this man. In spanish, that's what Ramirez means. It derives from the Aztec name Ramirecipotle and was given to the individuals who demonstrated the ability to be a great warrior, outrun the most dangerous jaguar, and hit home runs straight out of the park (Aztecs also invented baseball)
Very astute observation of the recent Dodger happenings. I have to say I caught a bit of the Manny fever myself buying tickets for his sold out debut on Friday only to see him blow it in the 9th. But I've never seen fans be as forgiving as they were to him that night, everyone continued to show him love even after his failures at the plate. I think we're all just happy to have a big baseball star back in L.A. Speaking of, I was disappointed you didn't mention Nomar at the end.
I love Nomar, but his injuries this season have proven to be more of a hindrance than his presence. I want him to come back strong and play a full season next year, but I'm afraid the Dodgers will have to spend the off-season finding a suitable utility infielder to play both 2nd and shortstop.
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