Planes, trains, but please no automobiles
If Melissa Manchester were here, Baby would be crying today (2,000 bonus points to anyone who can tell me what that means -- and if you're under 40, don't waste your time, because you have no chance). Anyway, the Red Sox are flying here from Fort Myers this morning, then flying back tonight. When the Dodgers went to Fort Myers to play them the other day, the Dodgers went the same way they go to every road game: they bussed the three hours across the state. I remember a couple of years ago when the Sox came, Curt Schilling, who was pitching that day, chartered a small plane and brought a couple of freeloading teammates with him. But this is the first time I have ever heard of a TEAM flying to an in-state spring-training game. This would appear to be just another way of saying to the world (and to the Dodgers and several other big-league clubs) ``We're the Boston Red Sox, and you're not.'' Dice-K is pitching in this game for the second year in a row, but Hong-Chih Kuo pitched yesterday against the Cards, so there is no chance of him walking Dice-K again. But between the unusually large traveling media contingent that covers the Red Sox and the Japanese media contingent that follows Dice-K around, it's going to be a zoo here today. But on a positive note, this will be easily the Dodgers' biggest home crowd of the spring -- even if the atmosphere will be that of a Red Sox home game, with the crowd overwhelmingly dressed in red and navy blue.
Tony Jackson has covered the Dodgers for the Daily News since 2004 and has covered Major League Baseball on a regular basis since 1995. He previously covered the Colorado Rockies and Cincinnati Reds. He is a native of Springdale, Ark., and a graduate of the University of Arkansas.
Comments
Don't cry out loud...
Baby cried the circus came to town...
BTW, Great Coverage. I read you every day
Posted by: mark | March 9, 2008 6:32 AM
Thanks, Mark, for the great compliment. And I knew it wouldn't take long before someone came up with the answer. BTW, just to clarify, Jerry Turner, the Dodgers' longtime visiting clubhouse attendant, just informed me that the Red Sox actually flew here last spring, too. So my facts were a little off on that post. JT said it was because the last time they drove over, their bus died on the trip, out on one of the not-so-scenic byways of central Florida.
Posted by: tony jackson | March 9, 2008 6:55 AM
Tony, thanks for answering so many questions from readers. What's James McDonald's status right now? Does he have any chance at cracking the rotation?
Posted by: thanks in advance | March 9, 2008 7:19 AM
Kemp: .333/.357/.630
Ethier: .292/.414/.542
Pierre: .280/.280/.320
Yep, it is OBVIOUS that Pierre is the one who deserves to start...
Posted by: Marcel | March 9, 2008 8:33 AM
Super commentary, Tony! You mean the RED SNOX (snobs who are still celebrating!) Can't wait to read your blogs daily. See you in D.C. in August!
Posted by: Doris | March 9, 2008 10:30 AM
Melissa Manchester?!?!?!?
I mean, seriously, Tony --- Melissa Manchester!?!??!!?
Put down the 8-track tapes and back away from the hi-fi.
Posted by: Sobrino Favorito
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March 9, 2008 10:47 AM
Looks like you under estimated the Dodger fans turn out for this game and spring. This being the last spring in Vero has brought out a lot of the Dodger fans. Good to see
Posted by: Brendan | March 9, 2008 1:22 PM
Yeah, the crowd was actually about half and half, believe it or not, and the atmosphere was outstanding. It was loud no matter what happened. At one point when I had left the press box to go to the clubhouse, I was standing on the berm in right field, just outside the fence, when I heard some lady say, as J.D. Drew came to the plate for the Sox, ``Booooooooo. That's a boooooo for Drew.'' Guess she wanted to make sure no one thought she was chanting ``Drewwwww, Drewwww.'' ... As for thanks in advance's question about McDonald, he pitched OK today in his first appearance of the spring. He gave up a couple of hits, but the Red Sox ran into a couple of outs, and J-Mac somehow got away with a scoreless inning in which he faced the minimum. But no, at this point, I don't think he has a shot at making the club because the rotation seems pretty set, with Loaiza as the fifth guy
Posted by: tony jackson | March 9, 2008 1:45 PM
Oh, and as for Sobrino Favorito's comment, well, mi tio favorito introduced me to someone today, and in doing so referred to me as his sobrino favorito. So it's official now, you no longer are in possession of that title. Enjoy the company over there.
Posted by: tony jackson | March 9, 2008 1:48 PM
Thanks Tony for the continued pop culture tidbits... You can't find them anywhere else but here. Gotta love it...... What a magical atmostphere at Holman. As close as you can get to a playoff atmosphere in an exhibition game if that is possible. Wall to wall poeple was the story of the day. It was great to see J-Mac today finally. I remember when his father (also named James), was a starting forward for the USC basketball team in the 80's. What is most unique about this is that he never played football in college, but became a successful tight end for the then L.A. (of Anaheim) Rams in the mid 80's.
Posted by: TD4TROY | March 9, 2008 3:38 PM
Circus. Of course.
And Tony, you're too young to know that....
Posted by: wrisp | March 9, 2008 6:13 PM