The Trolley Dodger

I grew up a crazed fan of the Dallas Cowboys and Texas Rangers, living and dying with wins and losses. Once I moved back to California and into my twenties, I fell out of love with following sports.

Fast forward to the late 1990s and a happenstance invitation to a Ducks vs Red Wings game at the Pond — I fell back in love, though this time with hockey. (The Daeleys came through Canada from Ireland, so my appreciation of that game might be genetic. ;) Later, after making the acquaintance of my friend Tom Bridge and his infectious enthusiasm for baseball, I caught the bug again and began a happy reconnection with my childhood.

But which team?

The Angels were tempting at the time, as they were making their 2002 World Series run, but much as I wound up a Kings fan rather than going with the Ducks, I gravitated soon enough to the Dodgers.

Why the Dodgers? Why not the Rangers?

To begin with, geography — they were the closest team not owned by Disney, and the Rangers were a long ways off. I could have gone for the Athletics since I was born up in Northern California, and they are Tom’s favorite team, but again, the distance was an issue.

The Giants were, thankfully, never a consideration.

Above and beyond proximity, the Dodgers are a team with a long, rich history stretching back to the 19th century and filled with underdog heroes battling evil Giants and villainous Yankees — I’m a sucker for that kind of story.

The Dodgers and Jackie Robinson were also responsible for breaking the color barrier in the majors, and while there have been mistakes or controversy over the years (e.g. the Battle of Chavez Ravine), there have been numerous people and moments to be very proud of.

So, much in the same way a religious convert might be more fervent and motivated than someone who grew up in the church, I am once more living and dying with my (adopted) favorite team.