A couple of firsts for me on my trip to The Ranch. One, it’s the first time I’ve seen a live baseball game in the month of February, and yes, that also includes our local colleges. Two, after all these years of ballpark travels, I finally get to experience Spring Training live, thanks to my friend Mike who won these tickets through a contest on KOST 103.5
Mike being interviewed by Vic the Brick before the game…
We would fly into Phoenix that Friday morning with a bunch of other Dodger fans who won their experience through other Clear Channel radio station contests from 102.7 KISS FM all the way to AM 570 KLAC .
Waiting for our bus to take us to Camelback…
We arrived around 11:30 AM local time so I had a chance to walk around and view the complex.
Feeling You Vic !!!
View from our suite
Group pic from the suite
Now lets go beyond the fences outside the yard….
Enjoying the scenery outside the yard…
OK, back inside the yard…
With former White Sox Jerry Hariston, father of JHair Jr. I’m sure most of you are aware the Dodgers and White Sox share the yard, which is a common ST practice these days. I would think the fans are the biggest beneficiaries of shared ST complexes especially those who chose to take a week off and cruise through as many venues possible.
My first Spring Training experience was everything I had expected AND some. The sparse weekday crowd in a stadium isolated from any kind of big city life really does a lot for the ST atmosphere. Most of the fans here we’re a good mix of families and snowbird ex-pats of Chi Town. Yes, there we’re a good amount of diehards who made the trip from L.A. as well, and it felt like we diehards we’re in ST mode as well, which is exactly what the ST experience should be like. We’ll be ready for the raucous sound of 50,000 plus fans come April all the way to October. Speaking of fans…
Kicking it with Eric from the Dodgers-LowDown to Arizona native Armando, aka DaaDozer.
Given that I got to fly out to Arizona thanks to my friend Mike winning this experience through Clear Channel Radio, I had the chance to meet a couple former Dodgers who stopped by our suite…
Tim Leary
Steve Yeager
Also…
Longtime Dodger Spanish broadcaster Jaime Jarrin
And…
The Skipper himself…. Tommy Lasorda !!!
This was quite a first Spring Training experience for me. My goal for next time is to arrive as early as possible and get more pics with other current and future, and perhaps, past players as well. Of course, i’m always more than thankful for a free trip for such an experience.
Postgame group pic behind 2nd base
Postgame with Vic The Brick, and still FEELING YOU …. Oh yeah, as for that mic…
Perhaps I may have a future in this ? ( ” Please don’t wake me no don’t shake me, leave me where I am… I’m Only Sleeping ” John Lennon )
One last shot from the field
A Good Drei With Kid N Drei 