A Trip Back in Time - Jenn

Even though the game on Saturday was just a pre-season game, I had to go. The Red Sox were playing the Dodgers at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, the Dodgers original stadium from 1958-1961, as part of the Dodgers 50th season in Los Angeles.

This was an unordinary game set in a very unordinary stadium. 115,300 fans filled the Coliseum, making it the largest crowd to ever attend a baseball game. But the Coliseum was never meant for baseball. It was originally used for track and football. While the track is gone, having been replaced with more stadium seating, the field's still used regularly by the USC football team.

So, to make sure a line drive into left wasn't an automatic home run, a 60-foot high screen was put up along the left field wall. And if you think the left field at Fenway is short, you weren't at the Coliseum on Saturday night. From home plate to the foul pole was only 201 feet, which is probably why the Short Stops from both teams could be seen catching just as many fly outs as grounders. And the left fielders were more like extra third basemen. Here are some pictures I took of the stadium so you can get a better idea.







It was a fun evening. Wakefield pitched 5+ innings. He had an error when he overthrew a pickoff attempt, but otherwise, had a pretty solid outing for a preseason game. And Youkilis and Kevin Cash both hit home runs (Youk's was over that 60-foot high fence) to take the Sox to a 7-4 win.

Kevin Cash did a great job, filling the hole left by Doug Mirabelli. Not a single passed ball. And while he only got one hit over his four times to the plate, that hit to left-center put the Sox on the board.

There were those special moments that are always associated with games like these, but the best moment for me, had nothing to do with the Dodgers. It was classic Sox. They played music between innings like they do at all ballparks, but in the middle of the 6th, the speakers belted out a tune, I'm not used to hearing anywhere other than Fenway. It was Sweet Caroline. The Fenway faithful recognize this song as one of several Red Sox anthems, but it was clear, not many Dodger fans understood its significance. While there were a smattering of boos, most Dodger fans could be seen rocking out to the tune, right alongside all the Sox fans.

All in all a fun evening. I even tried keeping a scoresheet for the first time in 34 years. Hey, Dad, what do you think?

The game at the Coliseum was pretty amazing. Unfortunately it didn't count. Starting tomorrow, the Red Sox finish the series they started in Tokyo against the Oakland A's. And I. Can't. Wait.