LA Dodgers OFFICIAL 2013 Thread Brought to You by Guggenheim Capital

[City Dad]

Pitching does win championship. I'd point to last year as proof, but don't want to relive that nauseating, but honest prediction. I've always said that good pitching will always beat good hitting. Every time.

Yasiel? That's a good question. The simple fact his "professional" games were played in Cuba, and there was very little coverage of any of it, it's really hard to make a prediction. Unlike Bryce Harper who had cameras following him since he was 13, Puig is pretty much a mystery to most. When you looked at his statistics in Rookie League, they were pretty impressive:

In 23 games, he had 29 hits, 5 HRs, 15 RBIs, and an OBP of .442. He slugged .634 and his OPS was 1.076.

But that was Rookie League, and stats aren't very telling in those environments. (Essentially, he could've been facing weak pitching, or pitchers who were doing rehab stints.) Quite honestly, I think he'll spend his first few months in Triple A. Depending on how he adjusts to that jump, I don't think we'll be seeing him much in 2013. Maybe we'll have a sighting come September 1st when the rosters expand, but I don't think he'll be an important piece of the team's composition come Opening Day and beyond.

Unless he goes off in Spring Training of course, which would be a pleasant surprise.

My excitement is over "The Monster," Ryu.



I hope he goes Gangam style on Major League hitters.

Can't wait for that first Friday night home game. There's not much that can compare to a Friday night at Dodger Stadium.

you ever seen the "Pelotero"?

[DarkShadow]

you ever seen the "Pelotero"?

I have not. I heard that's a good one though.

Here's one for you:

"The Lost Son of Havana"

Some good stuff right there.

[City Dad]

Anyone had a look at the Renovation(s)? I'm curious if they put in a Lululemon...

[DarkShadow]

Anyone had a look at the Renovation(s)? I'm curious if they put in a Lululemon...

Sorry for the wall of text, but:

From the Dodgers -

The Los Angeles Dodgers today announced their plan for improvements to 51-year-old Dodger Stadium for the 2013 season. Upgrades include:

New High Definition video boards in left field and right field. Existing message boards, including ribbon boards at the Loge level and outfield wall, will be replaced with the new technology as well. The unique hexagon shape of both scoreboards will be restored.

A new sound system directed to minimize echoes and sound migration outside the stadium

A state-of-the-art Wi-Fi network and cellular antenna system to support cell-phone and internet connectivity from mobile devices

Wider concourses and additional locations for wheelchair bound fans and their companions on all levels

Expanded and renovated restrooms with substantially more fixtures

Food service enhancements to loge, reserve and upper reserve levels including new stands, cooking facilities and menus. Details will be announced prior to the start of the season.

New Field Level entry plazas and bullpen overlooks to create standing room areas with a view of the game

A new home team clubhouse, expanded and enhanced training/conditioning areas, and new batting cages for both teams

“The mission of Dodger ownership is to create ways to enhance the experience for all of our fans,” Dodger President and CEO Stan Kasten said. “Dodger Stadium is a treasured piece of the Los Angeles community and we will respect that heritage while restoring and enhancing the venue for our fans in the 21st century. When the improvements are completed, the stadium will retain its classic look, but it will have a more comfortable feel.

“This is a most ambitious program for a single off-season. We are grateful to Dodger fans for their input into the improvements that will be most meaningful to their game experience.”

“Dodger Stadium is a jewel in the heart of Los Angeles. It's a place where Angelenos from all walks of life have come together for decades,” said Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. “I'm very pleased to see that the team's owners are investing in exciting and needed upgrades that will help attract new fans and refresh this civic icon.”

“From the outset the new ownership of our Los Angeles Dodgers committed to putting fans first and to being good neighbors,” said Councilmember Ed P. Reyes. “As a fan I appreciate everything they are doing to enhance the Dodger Stadium experience, and as councilmember I appreciate that they have taken the surrounding neighborhood into account particularly with regards to their echo-reducing sound system.”



The planned improvements are being overseen by Janet Marie Smith, Senior VP of Planning and Development, who is known throughout the sports world for her work with the Baltimore Orioles (Oriole Park at Camden Yards), Boston Red Sox (Fenway Park) and Atlanta Braves (Turner Field). Smith’s accomplishments are recognized in Baseball’s Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY.

Following is more detail regarding the improvements to be in place for the 2013 season at Dodger Stadium.

The ability of fans and media covering games at Dodger Stadium to communicate will improve as a result of the new Wi-Fi and cellular antenna system that is being installed as part of a partnership with Major League Baseball Advanced Media.

The new sound system will provide for a much more enjoyable audio experience for fans as they listen to live and recorded music and announcements before, during and after games at the stadium. Sound will be directed to each seating section, minimizing echoes and migrating sounds outside the park.

The new video screens will be the first 10mm 1080p light emitting diode (LED) displays in MLB. While the new scoreboard structures will be 22% larger, the active viewing area of both video boards will be 66% larger than before, thus providing the capability for a greater amount of video content and statistical information than ever before. Driven by a new high-definition broadcast quality control room, the scoreboards will feature the latest outdoor display technologies which will offer some of the most impressive visuals in all of sports. The original distinctive hexagonal shape which presently only exists in right field will be restored to both boards.

Two to four rows of seats will be removed from the back of the Field, Loge, Reserve and Upper Reserve levels to provide greater walking space on each concourse, as well as more wheelchair locations and “drink rails” for fans who may wish to leave their seats during games and explore the stadium.

Restrooms will be expanded, renovated and ADA compliant on the Loge, Reserve and Upper Reserve levels and in the Pavilions. There will be an average increase in fixtures of 62 per cent for women and 32 per cent for men. Family or Unisex restrooms will be created for each level at the stadium. Restrooms in the outfield will be relocated under the Pavilions which will be more convenient for fans.

The Dodgers will also be going green instituting many measures toward being energy efficient. Included in the plans are new water valves, low flush fixtures, waterless urinals, hand driers to eliminate paper waste, automatic faucets to control water flow and new power and lighting energy efficient systems.

The Dodgers also will increase the number of positions for wheelchair patrons. Each position will have a companion seat and will also be positioned so these patrons can see the game, even if someone stands up in front of them.

One of the “most fun things” among the enhancements, according to Smith, is the bullpen overlooks that will enable fans to socialize while watching the game from a location above the bullpens where there will be dramatic field views. Each entrance, including the center-field entrances, is being given careful attention to create better circulation and enhanced concession and retail spaces.

Playground and interactive areas for children also will be created at both the Pavilion and Reserve levels that will include life-size bobbleheads, oversized World Series rings and retired number displays.

The players will appreciate the renovation doubling the size of the footprint of the existing clubhouses, enhance their training room and home batting cage and add a batting cage for visiting teams so they won’t have to share the Dodgers’ batting cage.

The Dodgers will display many of the team’s historical items for the first time. Fans will be able to enjoy Dodger memorabilia and artifacts such as MVP awards, Cy Young awards and Gold Gloves awarded to Dodgers.

A new retail store will be built at the Top of the Park location behind home plate. This will be open daily on a regular basis along with the Top of the Park ticket office. Tours of Dodger Stadium will be conducted daily from this location.

Artist's renditions:





(Phantom34's son is apparently an apprentice doing some of the work on the renovations, so I can always get updates from him)



New jumbotrons:





Apparently, Vin is happy with the renovations:



Bird's eye:

[City Dad]

That's all well and good, but what would really be cool is some kind of parking access/exit renovation that had anything to do with addressing current realities. Also, I know there is a shuttle from Union Station... but unless you live on Olvera St. it really isn't any more convenient than driving to the game. Damn SoCal urban sprawl.

[DarkShadow]

That's all well and good, but what would really be cool is some kind of parking access/exit renovation that had anything to do with addressing current realities. Also, I know there is a shuttle from Union Station... but unless you live on Olvera St. it really isn't any more convenient than driving to the game. Damn SoCal urban sprawl.

CD,

Traffic situation after and before games is a nightmare, but I have no idea how they can actually solve it unless they hire NASA to do a 3 million dollar study. But, quite honestly, I think that a lot of the problem has to do with the actual fans themselves, and you know how the saying goes, "you can't fix stupid."

I've heard people ask why they don't have a subway that goes into the stadium. Apparently these same people think LA is like New York or San Francisco, where there is an established system of rail and you can just hop on the #4 or the B or D line and get to the Bronx in a jiffy. I would LOVE to bring that suggestion to the City of LA and watch them laugh me out of the room. I don't think it's feasible to construct a billion dollar subway line just to get fans to the stadium. (Although the bros in Silver Lake and Echo Park would love that. "We're like real New Yorkers, bro! Pass me my Kombucha!")

I'm still up in the air regarding the shuttle from Union Station. I've used it, basically because I stay 5 minutes away from Union Station. If you live near a light rail line (Red Line, Purple Line, Blue Line, Green Line) or dedicated busway (i.e., The Orange Line, The Silver Line), getting to Union Station is not that difficult. But if you don't live near one, your only option is to drive to a Park and Ride location near one of these lines, and hop on to get to Union Station. e.g. You can drive to the North Hollywood station, park in the Park and Ride lot, hop on the Red Line, and in 22 short minutes, you're at Union Station. The shuttle ride to the stadium is going to be longer than the subway ride from NH to Union. It'll be $3.00 round trip on the Red Line, which is a lot less than what McCourt is still charging for parking. (He still owns the lots, right?)

The only problem is that you can't engulf the six pack you bought for yourself before the start of the game in your own car. Which is you know, a big problem.

They've also been cracking down on neighborhood parking. No more can you just park on Scott Avenue and walk to the stadium. When I lived in Echo Park, it was a free for all trying to find parking on the streets outside the stadium during a game. Now, apparently it has become a 'problem' for the local residents and the city was quick to bow down to their demands. Go figure.

[Lady Quagga]

The only problem is that you can't engulf the six pack you bought for yourself before the start of the game in your own car. Which is you know, a big problem.

Why worry DS? The word is you had no problem sneaking in banana schnapps via your crotch.

[DarkShadow]

Why worry DS? The word is you had no problem sneaking in banana schnapps via your crotch.

That was ONE time.

And that's ONLY because Billingsley was starting that day. I needed to be comatose by the 3rd.

[City Dad]

I know I sound like a doosh, but when I went to Wrigley, I was like, "Oh, this is where a ball field should go."

I complain all the time about the island-like separation of Dodger Stadium from everywhere else. I have to admit that I would be supportive of an effort the make the area someplace people wouldn't be trying to flee at end of the 7th. I'm not saying turn the stadium itself into a mall, like they have in Anaheim, but if these was a way(s) to mitigate the mass exodus at the end of the game, I'd probably spend a bit of my scratch in those places.

[DarkShadow]

I know I sound like a doosh, but when I went to Wrigley, I was like, "Oh, this is where a ball field should go."

I complain all the time about the island-like separation of Dodger Stadium from everywhere else. I have to admit that I would be supportive of an effort the make the area someplace people wouldn't be trying to flee at end of the 7th. I'm not saying turn the stadium itself into a mall, like they have in Anaheim, but if these was a way(s) to mitigate the mass exodus at the end of the game, I'd probably spend a bit of my scratch in those places.

I think parking would still be an issue.

We have to be honest with ourselves here and say that even if Dodger Stadium was placed in the middle of 7th and Fig, which has access to major rail lines, nobody would take advantage except the 5 cholos that are left in Echo Park who haven't been gentrified out of their apartment.

You have to take into consideration, as a constant, that Angelenos will NEVER use public transportation. "Nobody Walks in LA." Never knew how true that statement was until I started using public transportation heavily. You tell people that you use public transportation to get to and from work and people look at you like you're a leper. Putting Dodger Stadium in areas where parking is limited would be a disaster. You'd have $40 parking, like you do when the Lakers play at Staples. And Staples holds 18k. Imagine 50k?

If anything, they could tear DS down, and construct a new stadium with multi level parking. Construct all the "LA Live-esque" stuff you want in the areas that you've gained from the multi level parking, and then we can talk. But quite honestly, moving the stadium into a more dense environment would make the situation even worse. I'd hate to think that I'd have to mingle around for hours after the game in a retail environment just so that I can leave the area more quickly.