Repairing Our Losses

 Los Angeles, California

It's that time again. Ok, there are a multitude of things I could be referring to, such as Springtime, Pacific Daylight Time, Easter, Passover, etc., etc. And all of that is true, but what is truer is that It is time for Dodgers' baseball.

I have a checkered history with sports. My father, who was not a TV watcher at most times, was not really a sports fan. My high school boyfriend, Mark, played baseball in high school, but I don't recall him following sports. The next one, David, was a huge sports fan, especially in following the Dodgers. I am grateful for this, as he introduced me to the team and reignited my interest in the game, which had lagged after having played softball in my youth for a Ponytail League. I was not great at softball, so my interest in playing had long ago waned. Even back in the day, it was always figure skating and dancing for me. But when David started taking me to Chavez Ravine for games, I found I had an infinity for both cheering for the team, and for drinking beer on those hot summer nights. Up until then, I really didn't like beer.

My love for Dodgers baseball continued, after a small break during a couple of bad ownerships of the team. The tickets increased from about $3.50 a seat, when during our college days we were sitting next to the bullpen on field level, to the current $200, as we have discovered the Executive Club and have to buy off resale sites. We don't go to a lot of games. I think we hit about five or six last season. But we do watch most of the games. And, while it has always been exciting, the addition of Shohei Ohtani to the team has upped the Dodgers mania by a lot.

Walt Whitman famously said about baseball: It will repair our losses and be a blessing to us. And, I don't know, has there ever been a time when our losses were in graver need of repair? I know I have strived to eliminate politics from my blog, but holy hell, what another fine mess this evil joker has landed us in! So, as the baseball season starts, I look back and ahead with gratitude for the love Joel and I have for the game, and how much we enjoy being at Dodgers stadium, especially now that we have figured out the parking lot, exclusive entrance, and bartender we utilize in our seats of choice.

And, weirdly, over the last couple of seasons, we have started collecting bobbleheads. I have no idea how this came over us. I think it started with Joel. But, as I do, I followed him right along (drinking tamarindo aqua fresca, going to Marc Anthony concerts, dancing cumbia), and suddenly found myself searching the schedule for bobblehead nights, or clambering for tickets when a new one was announced during the season. In a word, I have become ridiculous about this. Now I am in search of a cabinet to store my collection. See what I mean? Ridiculous...

So now, the season has started. Can the Dodgers three-peat? Well, the truth be told, I didn't think they would triumph last year. There was a time during the season (like most of the summer) when I was fairly convinced that they wouldn't make it. But, they did! And in spectacular fashion. We saw the last game in a sports bar in Carmel (can you imagine anything more oxymoronic than a sports bar in Carmel?). With that last spectacular play, I saw Joel jump to his feet, pumping his fist in the air. This is the guy who once famously said: Baseball's for girls. It's true. He follows soccer, boxing, and football. I can watch World Cup soccer with him (go Mexico!), but the other sports are not for the girls, but rather for the birds, as far as I'm concerned. So, I am so grateful that somehow, miraculously, this guy has become a true-blue Dodgers fan. See, miracles can happen. Now, about that three-peat...