A RECAP THROUGH PHOTOS OF THE DODGERS’ HOSTING OF THE RECENT MLB ALL-STAR GAME AND THE ACTIVITIES SURROUNDING THAT
BTW/ICYMI: The American League, via back-to-back home runs from the New York Yankees’ (and L.A. native) Giancarlo Stanton – who won All-Star Game MVP honors – and the Minnesota Twins’ Byron Buxton, before over 52,000 at Dodger Stadium, won their ninth consecutive All-Star Game over their National League counterparts, 3-2.
It was a great All-Star Weekend in SoCal! The Dodgers, Dodger Stadium & Major League Baseball did a tremendous job!
Here is our photo album of the game and the festivities, courtesy of (mostly) Twitter…
A FEW THOUGHTS OF BASEBALL’S ALL-STAR GAME BEING HELD AT DODGER STADIUM FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 1980, PLUS A FEW MEMORIES OF THAT LAST JULY CLASSIC
The last time that Major League Baseball held it’s All-Star Game in Chavez Ravine, I was 13 years old.
I had just finished 7th grade and my first year on the Athletics in the Santa Monica Pony Baseball League;
Where I didn’t do so great as I didn’t play anywhere but right field, but was still a fun time particularly due to the fact that we got to keep our game jerseys,
Which was more or less my wardrobe that summer.
My immediate family had just expanded due to a stepfather joining such,
My two front teeth would be knocked out by a baseball that was thrown and went off my glove into my mouth the next week,
And I would join a youth softball league at my local park, where I played third base and did much better that I did on the A’s that spring, a week of so after that.
So it was a pretty busy summer for me that year.
As for that All-Star Game at Dodger Stadium…
No, I didn’t get to go see that mid-summer classic in person, though of course it would have been a blast, as obsessed as I was with baseball at that time;
I saw it on TV like pretty much everyone else, Ken Griffey Sr’s (Ken Griffey Jr’s dad) two-run home run making the difference in the National League’s 4-2 win over the American League.
I was impressed with the new “Diamond Vision” video board above the left field pavilion that debuted that game; I thought having what was essentially a TV as a message board was quite cool, and was impressed that the Dodgers were the first team to have one.
J.R. Richard of the (pre-cheating) Houston Astros was the starting pitcher for the National League that day, and he was one of my favorites because he stood 6′ 8″ and threw absolute smoke. His essentially career-ending stroke, the troubles he had following that in the form of bad business deals and homelessness, and his death from COVID-19 earlier this year was heartbreaking.
And as for the return of the Mid-Summer Classic to Dodger Stadium…
Once again, due to the fact that you more or less have to know someone rich or have several dozen thousand dollars to spend to get in I unfortunately won’t get to go to the game.
Nor will I be able to attend two other events that I honestly enjoy more,
The Futures Game, which features the top minor league players, and…
The All-Star Celebrity Softball Game, with combines former big leaguers with other famous people from entertainment and other sports; if there were a contest drawing in which the winner got to play in that game, I would waste no time in submitting my name as it would be an absolute honor and blast to play an actual game at Dodger Stadium
I had planned to attend the All-Star Oceanfest at Santa Monica Pier, but it didn’t work out and I was unable to go.
But I am looking forward to watching the Futures Game, the Celebrity Softball Game, and the All-Star Game itself, on TV.
In case you were wondering,
I’m not that big a fan of the Home Run Derby, because players who participate in that tend to have sub-par second halves;
If I were in “The Show” and was having a good year with a bunch of home runs, and if I were invited to participate in the Home Run Derby,
I would most likely turn it down for concern that it would mess up my swing and result in a disappointing final two and a half months of the season.
As such,
Despite it being a glamorous exhibition game,
I think it’s cool that this 92nd MLB All-Star Game will be held in the stadium that I have been to over sixty times, and which I have sat in every section except the one between the loge and reserved seats at least once.
I think it’s cooler that the Dodger Stadium workers/concessionaires, who had announced that they may strike, have agreed to not go on strike during All-Star Weekend while a new union contract is being worked out.
And in my view,
It would be the coolest thing for the Dodgers to win their eighth World Series championship in a little over three months.
Because at the end of the day, that is so much more important.
LOOKING AT THE SOCAL TEAMS THAT DON’T PLAY BASEBALL THAT ARE CURRENTLY IN THE MIDDLE OF THEIR SEASONS
Right now,
The Dodgers have just finished an outstanding homestand, having lost just one game this month.
Their 56 wins are the most in the National League and are tied for the second most in baseball.
And they are currently eight games ahead of the San Diego Padres in the N.L. West.
Meanwhile,
The Angels are just sad, having just gotten swept in Baltimore by the Orioles this past weekend and sporting a very bad 11-29 record over the past month and a half despite having two of baseball’s best players in Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani,
Who incidentally will be starting for the American League in the upcoming All-Star Game at Dodger Stadium
However,
It is not those SoCal ball clubs that I want to cover in this post, as there are four teams calling the Los Angeles area home that do not play baseball that I would like to give a shout-out to as we approach the middle of the summer,
Being that they’re in the middle of their seasons and are doing some good work, one of them sporting their league’s best record with the other three being in solid playoff contention.
Here’s a look at those four teams, starting with…
LOS ANGELES FOOTBALL CLUB (LAFC)
Current Record: 12-4-3, 38 points
First place in the Western Conference
Most points and best record in MLS to date
Leading Players:
Cristian Arango – 7 goals, 2 assists
Carlos Vela – 6 goals, 8 assists
Jose Cifuentes – 5 goals, 4 assists
Maxime Crepeau (goalie) – 37 saves, 1.06 GAA
Last Match: Beat the Galaxy, 3-2, at Banc of California Stadium in July 8th
Next Match: Sunday, July 17th at Nashville SC
LOS ANGELES GALAXY
Current Record: 8-7-3, 26 points
Fifth place in the Western Conference
Leading Players:
Chicharito – 7 goals
Dejan Joveljic – 6 goals, 2 assists
Jonathan Bond (goalie) – 44 saves, 1.22 GAA
Last Match: Lost to LAFC, 3-2, on July 8th at Banc of California Stadium
Next Match: vs San Jose Earthquakes at Dignity Health Sports Park on Wednesday, July 13th
**EL TRAFICO 2022 – LAFC vs the Galaxy **
April 9th – Galaxy beat LAFC, 2-1
May 25th (U.S. Open Cup) – Galaxy beat LAFC, 3-1
July 8th – LAFC beat Galaxy, 3-2
ANGEL CITY FOOTBALL CLUB
Current Record: 5-4-2, 17 points
Fifth place in the NWSL standings
Leading Players:
Savannah McCaskill – 3 goals
Christen Press – 2 goals
Last Match: Beat San Diego Wave, 2-1, on July 9th at Banc of California Stadium
Next Match: Friday, July 15th at North Carolina Courage
LOS ANGELES SPARKS
Current Record: 10-12
Tied for third place in the Western Conference
Five games behind the first place Las Vegas Aces in the Western Conference
Leading Players:
Nneka Ogwumike, F – 18.4 ppg, 7.1 rpg (leading scorer & rebounder, and a WNBA All-Star)
Last Game: Lost to the Seattle Reign, 106-69, on July 7th
Next Games: Tuesday, July 12th vs the Washington Mystics & Thursday, July 14th vs Chicago Sky, both games at Crypto.com Arena (formerly Staples Center)
NOW THAT AT LEAST A LITTLE OF THE DUST HAS SETTLED DOWN FROM THE SHOCKING NEWS THAT SOCAL’S TWO MAJOR COLLEGES PROVIDED…
I’m sure people are wondering what the soon-to-be-very-depleted Pac-12 Conference is going to do, now that their two pillar institutions are gone as of August 1, 2024.
They have announced that they are looking to make a new TV deal, or in the their words, “…media rights…” negotiations.
And though it hasn’t been announced, I know that they will be looking at schools to invite into that conference to try and salvage something from the devastation that my alma mater and their rival have induced by leaving a Pac-12 which they had been part of for well over ninety years.
If I were that conference’s commissioner, here are the schools I would seriously consider inviting to join if not make an outright offer right away:
San Diego State – One of the two athletic landmark schools in the Cal State University system with a big football tradition and a good market in California’s second largest city. The Aztecs will be playing in a brand new stadium this fall on the ground of the old Qualcomm Stadium, and they travel well along with this other school at the top of my list;
Fresno State – The other athletic landmark in the Cal State system with a big football legacy and a longtime “Any place, anywhere, anytime”, chip-on-the-shoulder reputation, with a “Red Wave” fan base that travels very well
Boise State – The blue-turfed football jewel of the Mountain West Conference that has been relevant ever since they scored arguably the biggest upset in college football this century in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl over Oklahoma courtesy of the most famous Statue of Liberty play of all time
Among the other schools that, while they are not quite as high on the list as the schools already mentioned, I would strongly consider to invite to the Pac-12…
UNLV – Sure, their football team has never really been very good, but at least they play in a state-of-the-art facility just off the Las Vegas Strip, Allegiant Stadium. Their famous basketball program would be a big plus for the conference, however. Plus Las Vegas would be a very good market and a great location for opposing fans to come cheer their team on
Nevada – To keep the rivalry with UNLV going, including the “Fremont Cannon” game between that Wolfpack from Reno and those rebels from Vegas in football
Hawaii – Their football team is up-and-down at best, but their men’s volleyball team is among the nation’s elites. And who wouldn’t turn down a chance to make a trip to one of the world’s premier vacation spots to see their team – provided they had the money to do so as Hawaii isn’t cheap
As for the realistic chances of these schools joining the Pac-12, who knows?
I’m certainly not going to make any predictions one way or the other.
But I do know that Commissioner George Kliavkoff needs to do something to save his conference,
Particularly with the talk that the two Arizona schools (Arizona and Arizona State), Utah, and Colorado are considering putting in a application to join the Big-12 Conference,
With Washington and Oregon being considered by the Big Ten to join them at a later date.
If Kliavkoff doesn’t make some moves – fast,
It would truly be the end of a conference that has been a stalwart of intercollegiate sports since 1915.
And even though my alma mater and their crosstown rival are leaving such,
It would be sad to see it go the way of the old Southwest Conference, the league featuring Texas and Texas A&M which disbanded in 1996.
AND IT’S NOT ONLY HUGELY SIGNIFICANT, BUT SHOCKING!
At the very least, it’s perhaps the most shocking thing to happen in SoCal Sports in my lifetime.
In case you missed it:
It has just become official that the two largest institutions of higher learning in the greater Los Angeles area,
The University of California, Los Angeles – better known as UCLA (which happens to be my alma mater), and
The University of Southern California – also known as USC (or simply ‘SC),
Have announced that after over a century being the two main pillars of the Pacific 12 Conference,
They will be leaving the Pac-12 and joining the Big Ten Conference – yes, that Big Ten Conference featuring mid-western stalwarts like Michigan and Ohio State,
In the fall of 2024.
To say that this is significant, humongous, shocking, and just plain huge on a pronounced scale would be a most obvious understatement;
As sure as I’m typing and posting this, I know pretty much everyone agrees with me there.
And I know that about 95% percent of the members of both the Bruin Nation AND the Trojan Family, if not everyone in those two student/fan/alumni/booster bases, are asking this question regarding this move…
WHY?!
I know I asked myself that when I first found this out from a friend on Facebook.
Just now I read UCLA’s statement about this move to join Michigan, Ohio State, Michigan State, Penn State, Wisconsin, Iowa, and the rest of that Big Ten, saying how,
“…each school faces its own unique challenges and circumstances, and we believe this is the best move for UCLA at this time,”
and how…
““Entry into the Big Ten…means enhanced resources for all of our teams, from academic support to mental health and wellness.”
and how…
“…this move will enhance Name, Image and Likeness opportunities through greater exposure for our student-athletes and offer new partnerships with entities across the country.”
But at the end of the day, this move to join the Big Ten is all about one significant thing…
Money.
Yen.
Dinero.
In one example, the Big Ten has a more accessible TV Network and a better TV deal than the Pac-12, which spells MUCH needed dollar signs for the UCLA athletic department in particular.
Which I reckon tons of folks have already figured out.
NOW TO ANSWER THE INEVITABLE QUESTION: How do I feel about all of this?
First off, this will kill the Pac-12 as we know it.
End it.
Very possibly relegate it from “Power Five” status to “Group of Six” status.
UCLA and ‘SC’s Los Angeles market has always been and is CRUCIAL to revenue and success of that more than century old conference.
The fact that the TV deals and revenue have stunk despite that cash cow of a market says much about former Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott and current Commissioner George Kliavkoff – and not in a good way at all.
The Pac-12 Conference will not survive without the L.A. market.
In other words, to be quite blunt,
That Pac-12 is screwed.
After my initial reaction of questioning why ‘SC and UCLA were leaving, being that the Big Ten already has fourteen schools and the travel to away games will be brutal for the two athletic department’s teams with the different Bruin and Trojan programs going to have to travel a minimum of 1,500 miles (to play Nebraska) and up to 3,000 miles (to play Maryland and Rutgers).
My feelings now are that of while I certainly don’t like it,
I’m resigned to that inevitability.
That this, along with the Name/Image/Likeness deals and the transfer portal, is the new sign of the times for college sports in general.
And the days that we all enjoyed so much, especially as far as tradition and loyalty, are now officially dead.
I’ve always felt that if there are going to be conferences where geography and proximity don’t and won’t matter,
There ought to be a conference where more emphasis is placed on being on academics and being a TRUE student-athlete, a Power Five version of the Ivy League.
Here’s who would be in it if it were up to me…
UCLA (Being the nation’s #1 public university, a big “DUH!” is in order here)
USC (Believe it or not, their academic reputation has grown significantly this past decade with a 12.9 % admissions rate this year)
California
Stanford
Vanderbilt
Northwestern
Michigan
North Carolina
Virginia
Duke
Georgia Tech
Rice (Even though they’re not very good in sports, they are considered the best academic school in Texas)
I know it’s wishful thinking and a conference like this would never be a reality.
But I would very much support it, because at least the student-athletes at these schools would care a little more about how they do in the classroom than on the field, diamond, court, etc.
However,
There IS one silver lining, albeit a little one…
Unlike the Pac-12 Network, which I don’t get and have never been able to get,
At least I’ll be able to see my alma mater’s teams on TV via the Big Ten Network (which I do get) outside of once-in-a-while national telecasts on ESPN, CBS, and Fox a lot more.
While I’m glad about that,
It doesn’t change my disappointment to see tradition and loyalty die once and for all.
So I suppose you can say I’m in a sort of mourning for the Pac-12.