Los Angeles Angels 8-9 SEP

When you approach Angels Stadium, it is apparent that Disney had owned the franchise at one time. There are many other Disney like advertising props in front of the stadium.
Another example is this oversized Angels ball cap in front of the entrance.

Inside the stadium is the Coors Backyard Bar-B-Q. This reminded us of the cook outs in the driveways in Fernandina. There are several other venues like this throughout the park. Unfortunately, when you look around the park, you can rapidly see that many of the Disney style improvements have started to deteriorate. There are other little things like row and section numbers missing. There was no hot water in the park which makes you wonder about food sanitation (we ate bagged peanuts).

The park itself was a great playing surface, but it was not up to the standard that we had recently seen at Dodger Stadium.
The bullpen was an interesting setup. We had not seen this since Philadelphia. Like Philadelphia, the visiting team was closest to the fans to provide a buffer in the event that the bullpen collapsed.
The final Disney enhancement was the fountain in Centerfield that is often featured on TV.

Game one was a blow out. It almost seamed that the Yankees had not shown up, and their pitching was horrendous.
Between games we took the opportunity to visit the real Disney. The sister park to Disneyland is California Dreaming. This was a great stop.
As you pass the entrance, you see this oversized postcard on one of the Disney shops.
In the center of the park is the mountain in the shape of a Grizzly Bear. The park has many of the features of a Northern California forest.
Both Kate an I are closet Muppet fans so we could not resist a visit to the Muppet Adventure.

Additionally, there is an extensive Winnie the Pooh portion of the park.
And there is a Mickey Mouse roller coaster.

We passed this display and could not help reflecting on Sam the Dog.
And then Kate met up with Goofy.

In game 2 against the Yankees, both pitching and hitting arrived from the East Coast. The first five innings were close then there was a blow out.

This park does not make it into the first division. In fact, because the park has been allowed to deteriorate to the point that it has, it isn't even in the upper reaches of the second division. That makes the new second division rankings:

• Baltimore
• Milwaukee
• Texas
• Houston
• Cincinnati
• Toronto
• Tampa Bay
• Philadelphia
• New York Yankees
• New York Mets
• Cleveland
• Colorado
• Washington
• Kansas City
• Chicago White Sox
• Los Angeles Angels
• Boston
• Florida Marlins
• Minnesota
  
  

LA Dodgers 6-7 SEP

We were fortunate enough to be at Dodger Stadium on two key days. This first game was Heroes Day at Dodger Stadium. From the Marines to the Border Patrol to the Customs Service, a myriad of organizations were honored.

The Dodgers arranged for three flyovers, one by the Marines, one by the forest service, and one by the Coast Guard.
Prior to the National Anthem, all of these organizations marched onto the field. And this is the venue that they entered. All of these years, I thought that Dodger Stadium was just an old park in Chavez Ravine. In reality, Branch Rickey was pretty sharp. This park is inside one of the California State Parks and it is a fantastic backdrop. This was one of the best maintained, best situated and best run parks that we have visited. Dodger Stadium is close to Baseball Heaven.

And with the resurgence of the Dodgers at the end of this season, Think Blue has been a rally cry for the Dodger Faithful.
Before every game, Vin Scully announces that "It is time for Dodger Baseball." Vin Scully has now been with the Dodgers for 59 seasons. In 1950 Vin Scully apprenticed under the Red Barber and he has broadcast every Dodgers game since. Scully has signed on for another season next year, but he will only do home games.
The Dodgers went on to win Game 1 thoroughly thrashing Brandon Webb and preventing him from getting his 20th win.

After the game Kate and I went out to Paradise Cove at Malibu Beach for a fresh fish dinner. What a great place. A warm evening on the sand, a good bottle of wine and fresh fish.

Game two had us positioned behind the Dodgers dugout. We sat behind several future Hall of Famers.
Since Manny joined the Dodgers, Manny was doing more than being Manny. Hitting over .400 and averaging more than one RBI per per game, Manny has been a major shot in the arm for the Dodgers.
In fact, Manny was key in this game, hitting a game winning two run home run.
This was a significant game for the Dodgers as it put them in first place since very early in the season.

The next day we visited the Reagan Library at Simi Valley. For us, he stands as such an icon for the recovery of the United States from the post Viet Nam era.
In the garden is a section of the Berlin Wall that was presented to Reagan. When he went to Berlin and demanded that Mr. Gorbachev "tear down this wall" few of us believed that it would happen so soon.
In the library, there is a history of Reagan as a sports commentator

The history of the wall also has many of the quotes from Communist leaders. This quote by Joseph Stalin his very telling of the difference between out ways of life.

Finally, in the Reagan Library garden lies the Reagan crypt. This complex is well worth a visit if you are in the area.

Dodger Stadium is clearly a first division venue. This makes the first division:

• Wrigley Field
• PNC Park
• Turner Field
• Tiger Stadium
• Dodger Stadium
• St. Louis Stadium

The second division remains the same.

Colorado Rockies 1-2 SEP

Coors stadium is in the center of Denver. It is relatively easy to get to as long as you avoid the rush hours which we found to be fairly brutal. We went to the first game on Kate's Birthday, so she got ice cream! The outside of the stadium has a couple of interesting features--this main entrance . . .

This play at the plate which at night becomes an action figure of neon light outsides showing both the runner and the catcher moving . . .
And this statue of anonymous player. The most important part of this display is not the statue but the Branch Rickey quote at the bottom.
The Rockies jumped off to a 2 rum lead in the second inning and that was all they needed. The Giants offence was so anemic that only two men reached second and no rummer reached third .

We looked forward to the second game as the Giants were sending their Cy Young candidate, Tim Lyncecum to the mound. As you can guess from the scoreboard, he did not last long, giving up two earned in the first. He ran out of gas in the 4th leaving with the game tied. It required 12 innings to put this one to bed as the Rockies manufactured a run with a single, stolen base, and two sacrifices. This is a sequence of events that so many teams have been unable to execute this season.

With 23 stadiums on this 30 stadium tour visited, the rankings are:

First Division:

• Wrigley Field
• PNC Park
• Turner Field
• Comerica Field in Detroit
• St Louis

The Second Division is:

Baltimore
Milwaukee
Texas
Houston
Cincinnati
Toronto
Tampa
Philadelphia
New York Yankees
New York Mets
Cleveland

Colorado

Washington
Kansas City
Chicago White Sox
Boston
Florida (Miami)
Minnesota