From Florida Today comes this article on a bittersweet transition taking place in Vero Beach: “Devil Rays try to follow Dodgers’ tradition”.
At least a half-dozen times this season, Joe Sanchez, the melodious voice of Holman Stadium, has mistakenly slipped in the word “Dodgers” as he describes the action in front of the blue seats below him.
“Which isn’t too bad after 27 years,” he says with a laugh. “I don’t think the fans listen to me anyway, half the time.”
Most likely, they’re still stunned that their once-beloved Vero Beach Dodgers, a franchise which once groomed major league stars such as Steve Sax, Mike Piazza and Paul LoDuca, have been replaced by the Vero Beach Devil Rays, a Tampa Bay Class-A team.
Having the Dodgers High-A affiliate in SoCal is a great thing for me and other local Dodger fans, but I still can’t help but regret what’s being left behind.