The Trolley Dodger

On the front page of Metro.net:

Put Metro’s Dodger Stadium Express in your Line-Up

Take advantage of a winning combination to reach Dodger Stadium this season. Just Go Metro to Union Station and connect with the Dodger Stadium Express. You won’t have to fight traffic and you’ll help reduce air pollution. Best of all, your Dodger ticket is good for the fare!

Union Station is served by Metrolink, Amtrak and many Metro and municipal bus lines, plus Metro Rail’s Red, Purple and Gold lines. So it’s easy to leave your car at home and connect with the Dodger Stadium Express.

Read more…

(Via Streetsblog LA.)

Seen on my lunch time walk today:

Click for larger

Appropriate for the 5/5 date, too. ;)

Home plate umpire hiding his face in shame. Photo: Jon SooHoo, Dodgers.

I caught only a smidgen of the double header today on TV — James Loney’s justified anger at a called strike 3 and subsequent ejection, and then a bit of Charlie Haeger pitching the next half-inning.

Malaise is apparent. The Dodgers are 8-12, tied for the worst record in baseball (apart from the 4-16 Orioles). Great pitching days seem unable to coincide with great hitting days, and vice versa. If they ever put them both together, watch out.

At this point last season, the Dodgers were 14-7, winding up 15-8 at the end of April, in the midst of their record 20-0 home start and blissfully unaware of the Manny news coming May 7th. Presently, we are losing players to injuries rather than suspensions, but the season is still young. ;)

8-12 is not a death sentence by any means, nor would 8-15 be if they lose out for April. It’s one of those things: rationally, I know everything will even out eventually, and this ugly month will be a distant memory; emotionally, the thumb gets twitchy on the remote.

The “classy” and “sheer awesomeness” factor of MLB Network will go up tremendously for tomorrow night’s Dodger home opener, with the rest of the nation getting to hear what we in Southern California are blessed to have for yet another season — Vin Scully.

MLB Network will simulcast Vin Scully’s call of the Arizona Diamondbacks at Los Angeles Dodgers (the Dodgers’ 2010 home opener) on FSN Prime tomorrow, Tuesday, April 13 at 4:00 p.m. ET/1:00 p.m. PT. MLB Network’s carriage of the game, part of its “30 Games, 30 Clubs, 30 Days” live game schedule, will be blacked out in the Dodgers’ and Diamondbacks’ home television markets.

Speaking of openers, the Inland Empire 66ers (High A affiliate of the Dodgers) have their home opener tonight against the High Desert Mavericks, and although the weather is looking dicey, the rest of the day’s forecast seems good after 1 PM. The team tweeted this earlier:

Even though it is currently raining, WE ARE SCHEDULED to start at 7:05 and tickets are still available!!

A couple of years ago, we had tickets for the same game, which wound up being canceled due to field conditions after heavy rains — we were able to exchange for tickets any time later in the season (apart from big events like the 4th of July).

Well played, @FakeAPStylebook and @sosgsosg! ;)

On Twitter? Follow @trolleydodger today!

Oh, and I guess it’s probably a good thing I didn’t stay home to watch the Dodgers’ opening game today. Yikes. No high five.