Seats at Camelback Ranch

To kick off this list of the Top 7 Things Learned at Camelback Ranch, here’s a  list of the The Best Places to Sit at Camelback Ranch.

First, here’s a tip.  The Dodgers always have the third base side dugout, while the White Sox always have first base dugout.   That’s just something to keep in mind if the Dodgers ever play the White Sox.

If you go for the no-food included seats, here’s the tips from my friends on seating:

“If you want to sit behind the Dodger dugout and see lots of star players no matter if they’re the technically  the home team or not, the best section to purchase tickets in is either Section 20, 21, 22, 23 or 24. Because the dugout takes up the first few rows, the front row would then be row 4. In sections 20 and 21, there are only 8 seats from side to side in each row, so if you want aisles you’ll want seat 1 or 8. But in sections 22, 23 and 24 there are 10 seats per row, so 1 or 10 are ideal. The only section that MAY have some obstruction in views is section 20.  This is because any row at the lower numbered seats, closer to home plate, has the net in front that is black and at the ends it’s strengthened and thicker.  If you have seat 1 or 2 in this section, on any row (the rows go from 4 to 9 I believe), this black line may be in the way.” The tickets described here run ~$45 each, but you’re right behind the Dodger’s Dugout.

If you go for the all food inclusive seats at ~$100 each, a great place to sit is in Section 15, row 8.  Again, from my friends words:

“We were looking slightly to our right (and I mean barely slightly) to see the batter. Batters were almost literally straight in front of us, probably about 20 feet away at most. With the seats in section 15 included in the $100 tickets are two treat/food sections at the top of the stairs toward concessions. There is one area that is for those ticket purchasers, and offers banquet style food (GREAT FOOD) like ribs, slices of beef, side dishes, waters and sodas, etc.

The other side offers beer at a price, but all-you-can-eat peanuts, popcorn, nachos, etc.  It’s the snack side, vs. the FOOD side.  It was incredible food, and I thought the price was great to include all that.  The ushers in this area also bring baskets of water, bags of peanuts and sunscreen TO you in the seats.  We felt like they were there for us personally. “

Bottom Line Verdict after sitting in both sections:

“Still, in our opinion, as far as seats go – all the food and perks offered with the $100 seats were nice, but for just $45 you can sit in the seats we recommended above, behind the dugout. They don’t come with food, free sunscreen packs or bags of peanuts hand-delivered by ushers, but they’re still great seats, and probably, for US, more desirable than the “expensive” seats right behind home plate. When we return, we WILL be sitting behind the Dodger dugout. No doubt.”

So there you have it.  There may be more opinions on best seats, but these sounded conclusive to me.  Leave a comment if you have any other recommendations.  Oh yeah, one more tip, parking was off Camelback Rd on a dirt lot, and was $5.

Next up on the List:

What in the world is a Gabion Wall?

I wasn’t able to make it out to Camelback Ranch this year (A lot closer than Vero Beach, but still pretty far from San Franciso), but thankfully I can live through my buddies. One of the guys in my wedding got the chance to go to Camelback Ranch this Spring. His wife surprised him with a weekend trip (High Points for her) and then sent me back some great stories and pictures. A lot of the lessons will be too late for this year, but hopefully when people are searching for these things next year that they’ll have a head start.

So in honor of Bobby & Jessica Warrick, I give you a list of the “Top 7 Things Learned at Camelback Ranch.

Keep checking back as I do a post on each one.

Top 7 Things Learned at Camelback Ranch:

1.  The Best Places to Sit at Camelback Ranch

2.  What in the world is a Gabion Wall?

3.  The Best Place & Time to Get Dodger Autographs at Camelback Ranch

4.  Yes, Technically You Can Swim in the Pond at Camelback Ranch

5.  How to get Ned Colletti to Stop Signing Autographs and Come Over and Talk to You at Camelback Ranch

6.  You Never Know Who You Are Going to See at Camelback Ranch

7.  The Best Place to Catch Homerun Balls at Camelback Ranch (Bring Gauze…)

And finally, just for fun, I’ll play a game called “Name that Dodger” to end it all.

Forever Blue by Michael D

I’ve recently come to discover the blog of www.vinscullyismyhomeboy.com.  It is honestly my new favorite Dodger blog.  Great guy and really fun, different content.

Roberto did a story the other day on the new Met’s stadium.  (Follow the Link Here) I haven’t really followed it this year, but not until that post did I realize that the stadium was partially modeled after the old Ebbet’s Field.

The story was all the more relevant to me because of a recent Sport’s Illustrated article.  Not sure if you saw it, but in the March 09, 2009 issue they did an article called “The Wrong Man.”  (Link Here) This article is an excerpt from a new book coming out called Forever Blue by Michael D’Antonio.  (Image with this post.)  I haven’t read the book yet, but after reading the article, I’m ready to buy it.  The book details the life of Walter O’Malley, including the move of the Dodgers from Brooklyn to L.A.  Apparently there were some documents tied to the move that had been locked away, but were recently opened by Walter’s heirs.

The article talks about the bitterness held against Walter O’Malley for moving the Dodgers west.  Without giving it all away, apparently the truth is that Walter O’Malley tried very hard to build a new stadium in Brooklyn, but was stopped by a man named Robert Moses.  This man had a different vision for the section of Brooklyn O’Malley wanted and had the political clout to slowly kill the new Dodger stadium project.  O’Malley bit his tongue and left town to the open arms of L.A., but it was never how he originally wanted it.

As someone who really enjoys Dodgers history, I was fascinated by the article.  It takes a while to read, but it was well worth it.

The thing that sticks with me though, is what if the Dodgers never came out west?  They are such a part of my life and my enjoyment of baseball, but what if it never happened?  I know from other baseball history books that if the Dodgers didn’t come, the Giant’s wouldn’t have either because baseball required two teams out west to help with traveling schedules.

The Angels are down south near where I grew up, so maybe that would have been the draw.  Then again, I’m sure L.A. would have found a different team eventually.  It’s just a funny mind trick to realize how different your life would be if the major sports team wasn’t ever there.  The rest is history applies, but it all started with two men with different views of a section of land in Brooklyn.

I’ll enjoy visiting the new Citi Field to see what Ebbets was like, but I’m sure glad the Dodgers ended up west.

Dodgers on The Price is Right - Amber Matsumoto/Dodgers

The Dodgers showed up on the Price Is Right this last week.  My grandpa watches that show every single day, so I had to check out the action.  It took me a little bit to find it, but I was finally successful. Here’s the story from the Dodgers website too.

Below is the video (my apologies for the commercial at the start), but first let me say that the guys shouldn’t quit their day jobs.  They are good ballplayers…but definitely awkward on camera.  Delwyn Young has the enthusiasm, but almost too much.  Russell Martin cracked me up.  The guy is a great catcher, but I don’t think he took his hands out of his pocket both times he was on camera.  He has that look like…”I have to stay cool, but this is really embarassing…”  I think James Loney had that same look…but he always has funny looks in his pictures anyway.  Mark Loretta actually looked fairly comfortable.  I wonder if he has a broadcast career ahead of him.

So when I first heard about them having the showcase showdown, I thought the price was $31,000.  Ends up it was $38,000, so the other guy would have won anyway.  It was a cool prize.  I would have gladly taken the press box, the front row seats, the Camelback ranch experience and the car.  They never say which Dodger legend will visit you in the press box, but I wonder if it’s like Vin Sculley, Tommy Lasorda or Fernando Valenzuela.  Just to be down on the field for batting practice would be cool.

Either way – all for naught.  Joel didn’t win the prize and the Dodgers don’t have to donate it.  I wonder what that would go for if they put it on Ebay.  I’d bid on it.

So special thanks to all of you checking the site and waiting for a new post.  My son had his 3rd birthday this weekend, so everything stopped for the big family shindig.  An easter egg hunt, pin the tail on the donkey, and my son finally able to blow out the candles…sweet times.

So when I heard about Manny going down with a hamstring injury, all that came to mind was Denny’s “Moon’s over my Hammy.”  I can’t tell you why, but it still cracks me up.  In a way though, it totally works.  The world is moons over Manny’s hammy.  Think about it.  It’s the only thing you hear about the Dodgers right now no matter where you live.  Jason Schmidt battling back was a blip on the screen, but not compared to Manny.

I’m not too worried up here.  He’s fresh, he was late to spring training and he just needs time.  He could rest for the next 3 weeks and he’d be fine.  I’m still relishing the fact that Giant’s fans up here still wish he was a Giant and know the Dodgers got a great player.  We’ll let him take his time and get back to it.

Come to think about it, maybe Manny should go to Dennys?  Maybe that would help his hammy….