Dodger Fans Retrained?

October 15, 2009


Los Angeles- They didn't leave.


It wasn't surprising that the Phillies beat the Dodgers on Thursday night 8-6. They aren't the defending World Champions for nothing. And it wasn't a shock that try as they might, the Dodgers couldn't perform a miraculous comeback in a sport where three out of ten is considered a success (I stole that line from Torii Hunter).

What was shocking is the fact that though their team was down, the 56,000 Dodger fans didn't leave en masse. In fact, a great majority of them were there on the final pitch, even after Casey Blake grounded into a double play in the bottom of the ninth.

Where the Angeleno faithful are notorious for arriving after the third inning and leaving before the end of the seventh, they may have been actually trained to stick around this year. Until recently, there really hasn't been much to stick around for since Mike Piazza left. Even with the four consecutive home run miraculous finish against San Diego three years ago didn't teach Dodger fans to stay until the final out.

But this year, where Andre Ethier seemingly hit a walk-off home run every other game, and the Mark Loretta single that clinched the Division Series last week, people have been taking part. The best part about the excitement is, that the fighting seems to have ceased, or at least slowed down. Although data is not released, one anonymous security guard said that violence at the Stadium is indeed down.

Sitting in the auxiliary press area in the reserve seats behind home plate, which incidentally much better than being in the actually press box. I enjoyed observing the fans almost as much as the thrilling game. Perhaps because we are slightly segregated from them, but close enough to watch and listen. There were the usual insidious chants of “Phillies Suck!” and other comments which seemed to have come straight from “Dumb and Dumberer”. But for the most part, they were in the game, supporting their team. (BTW Observance of fans would be a grad student's dream of a sociological experiment).

One can almost forgive the towel waving, a ripoff of the Steelers Terrible Towels and even the Homer Hankies of the Minnesota Twins Metrodome. After all, it may have helped the team win the clinching playoff game as Cardinals Matt Holliday lost the ball into the lights (and maybe towels) of Dodger Stadium. It beats those thunder sticks. My wife Munch's ears are still ringing from the ALCS in 2005.

Maybe it's me that has the problem. Have I become a snob much like the Patton Oswalt played character in the poignantly painful movie “Big Fan”? When I have gone to a game as a fan, other than applause for a good play by either team (people do look at me strangely when I do) and conversation with my seat neighbors, I am largely silent. Maybe I should go a little bonkers some times. It probably helps with the stress level. Just don't make me do the Wave. But two things I will most definitely do, come on time, and wait until the last out is recorded.