The Trolley Dodger

From Chris Jaffe over at The Hardball Times, check out “50 years since baseball’s most surreal bottom of the ninth (6/2/11)” –

Fifty years ago today, the Giants and Dodgers played possibly the most bizarre half-inning in baseball history. It’s an inning I remember reading about in one of the Baseball Hall of Shame books that came out when I was a kid.

It’s the bottom of the ninth in Los Angeles, and the Giants cling to a 2-1 lead. Leadoff hitter Willie Davis immediately erases that with a homer to leadoff the inning. So that means all the inning’s upcoming oddities are taking place in a dramatic context: Late in a tie game between two fierce rivals.

Thanks, Chris — great story.

Dodgers.com: “Suspect in Stow beating reportedly in custody”

One of the two men suspected of attacking Giants fan Bryan Stow at Dodgers Stadium on Opening Day was taken into custody early Sunday, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The Los Angeles Police Department’s SWAT team descended on an East Hollywood apartment building with guns drawn and a warrant in hand around 7 a.m. PT.

Among those removed from the targeted apartment was a man with a bald head and tattoos on his neck and arms — matching the sketches released by police in the weeks after Stow’s beating.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Dodgers Public Relations
Friday, April 8, 2011
(323) 224-1301
AMR Communications
Deborah Hileman: (303) 495-1210

MEDIA ADVISORY

DODGERS AND AMERICAN MEDICAL RESPONSE TO HOST FUNDRAISER FOR BRYAN STOW ON MONDAY AT DODGER STADIUM

KCAL 9, Prime Ticket, KABC 790, Univision Radio and the Los Angeles Times join with the team to collect donations for the trust fund established for Giants fan Bryan Stow and his children

WHAT: The Dodgers, American Medical Response and the team’s media partners, KCAL 9, Prime Ticket, KABC 790 and Univision Radio, in addition to the Los Angeles Times, will hold a “drive-through” relief event at Dodger Stadium this Monday for Bryan Stow. All funds collected will be donated directly to the trust fund established by the Stow family to benefit Bryan and his children.

At approximately 12:00 p.m., several community supporters will be on hand to speak to the media. Details of those who will be attending will be announced in the coming days.

WHEN:
MONDAY, April 11
8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m
12:00 p.m. – Community supporters available to the media

WHERE:
Dodger Stadium
Parking Lot 1

Media should enter the stadium through Gate A at Sunset and Elysian Park Ave. Parking Lot 1 is directly to the left of Gate A.

MISC:
Monetary donations of cash and checks will be accepted. Checks should be made out to the “Bryan Stow Fund.” In addition, those with a PayPal account may donate online with a credit card by logging in and selecting the “Send Money” option; Personal; Gift, with the recipient: stowdonations@gmail.com. The fund is also accepting donations online at www.sfpcu.org.

Media wishing to cover the event should contact the Dodgers’ PR department.

The Los Angeles Dodgers, pioneers in sport and world culture, have won more games, more pennants, and more World Series than any other club in the National League since moving to Los Angeles. Since the start of the modern era in baseball, the Dodgers of Brooklyn and Los Angeles, combined, have a cumulative attendance of more than 187 million, the highest total in the history of baseball or any other sport. Visit the Dodgers on the Internet at www.dodgers.com. For media information, visit www.dodgerspressbox.com.

With the Dodgers home opener versus the Giants being on ESPN this year, we were worried that we’d miss out on having Vin Scully calling the game — and it wouldn’t seem like a real opener without him.

The Dodgers have sent out this press release, which is good news at least in part — we can turn the sound down on ESPN (usually a good idea anyhow ;) and up on the radio.

VIN SCULLY TO CALL OPENING DAY ON TALKRADIO 790 KABC
Hall of Fame broadcaster will handle play-by-play for six innings at his 54th Los Angeles Dodgers home opener

GLENDALE – Vin Scully, who is entering an unprecedented 62nd season broadcasting Dodger baseball, will call six innings of the Dodgers’ home opener on TalkRadio 790 KABC on March 31. Scully will broadcast innings one through three and seven through nine, with Rick Monday and Charley Steiner handling the duties during innings four through six in typical postseason format. The Dodgers take on the San Francisco Giants at 5:00 p.m. on Major League Baseball’s Opening Night on ESPN.

Scully will be calling his 54th home opener in Los Angeles, as he joined the club in 1950, eight years before the franchise moved to the West Coast.

Read the full press release on Dodgers.com

Although this does raise the question of whether the game will be in sync on TV and radio, or “enough” in sync, to be watchable.

I won’t lie, it was hard to see. Doubly so. But I want to congratulate the San Francisco Giants on being the 2010 World Series Champions. Thanks for doing California proud.