If you’re an avid Dodger fan who has gone to multiple events at Dodger Stadium, you’re probably well versed in understanding the fan experience and culture that playoff Dodger games carry. In the case of me and my friend, Francisco, we absolutely don’t fit that mold at all, so we are going to give an honest assessment of the fan experience at Dodger Stadium.
We attended game five of the National League Division Series (NLDS) between the interstate rivals, San Diego Padres (SD) and Los Angeles Dodgers (LAD). It was the first time we ever stepped foot on the historic ballpark grounds, which was fitting because on the same day, two Japanese-born starting pitchers faced off in an elimination game for the first time in MLB history (LAD’s Yoshinobu Yamamoto and SD’s Yu Darvish).
The drive to the stadium from Riverside is unsurprisingly flooded with traffic. We left at 2:55 and around 4:40, we were one mile from the stadium. This is where the Los Angeles (LA) traffic becomes hectic, as we didn’t move much for the next 45 minutes. After paying 50 dollars for general parking, and more waiting, we finally parked the car around 5:30 p.m., arriving at the game in the second inning.
“Probably the worst traffic I’ve ever been in … the price was fair for parking, but I still believe that it shouldn’t take [almost an hour] to get in,” Francisco said shortly after parking the car. The LA traffic was quite shocking to us, probably due in part to the fact that we’re both from northern California, where traffic is not as bad as it is in LA.
We sat in the top deck towards third base, and as soon as we found our seats, fireworks struck the stadium. LAD’s Kiké Hernandez hit a solo home run in the bottom of the second, and the crowd turned up. I’ve been to a handful of big games, including 49ers playoff games at Levi’s Stadium, and I would say Dodger Stadium is right up there in terms of crowd noise.
The atmosphere and ambiance of the stadium was incredible, as Dodger fans were super rowdy for the entire game. Even during down time, there was always something going on that kept the fans engaged and loud. Francisco is a fan of the rival San Francisco Giants, but he had this to say about Dodger Stadium: “I’d say the atmosphere is pretty great, I’ve been to a couple of other games and this is probably the loudest that I’ve seen [of a baseball stadium].”
As a Bay Area native, I feel criminal relaying that sentence.
In the fifth inning, Francisco gave into his impulses as he bought an ice cream sandwich for seven dollars. After demolishing the snack, he gave a review: “I couldn’t say I regret the purchase, but I don’t love the purchase … [but] it was gas.”
The home team Dodgers ended up winning 2-0 and advanced to the National League Championship Series (NLCS). Solo home runs by Kiké Hernandez and Teoscar Hernandez along with stellar pitching by the Dodgers was enough to fend off the Padres, and the fans were driving back home with smiles on their faces. Unfortunately for the Padres, there was no ‘October Magic’ to be seen, and they can go to Cancún for vacation now.
Following the game, we decided to walk around the venue and tour what Dodger Stadium had to offer. The new pop-up museum had some cool memorabilia, including game-worn jerseys and other equipment. One thing I found interesting was the tributes to sports broadcaster, Vin Scully, as the Dodgers showcased his Emmy Award trophies and Presidential Medal of Freedom. As an aspiring sports broadcaster myself, I won’t forget seeing the Vin Scully memorials at Dodger Stadium. That was truly a unique feeling.
After exiting the gates, which was around 30 minutes after the final pitch, it was time to leave the stadium. We got to our car at 8:30 p.m., and there was absolutely no way out. Francisco and I ended up relaxing in the car for the next hour, before we were able to move from our parking spot. At around 9:50 p.m., we were finally on the freeway, back to being students at the University of California, Riverside.