COVER STORY
“There
really is
a field-ofdreams
quality
about this
place.’’
—Dodger broadcaster
113
On another, retired Hall-of-Fame manager Tommy Lasorda, who
famously said “I bleed Dodger blue,” was cracking jokes and
offering unsolicited advice to anyone who would listen. “Hey,
Gonzo,” Lasorda shouted to Luis Gonzalez, a veteran signed by the
club over the winter. “You ought to be down on your knees thanking
God that you are finally a Dodger.”
A laughing Gonzalez nodded as he signed autographs for dozens
of fans lined up near the batting cage. “Luis, I hope you hit 35
home runs this year,” one fan told him.
“Only 35? I was hoping for 45 or 50,” joked the personable, 39-
year-old Gonzalez, who hit 15 homers for the Arizona
Diamondbacks last year.
UNIQUE IN BASEBALL
The proximity to the players is what draws people like Phil
Rosen to Dodgertown. A fan since Brooklyn days, the New Yorker
has been coming here since 1971. “The players used to be even
more accessible, but still, there’s nothing like it,” Rosen said. “You
can just feel the history here. I don’t know what I’m going to do
now.”
Charley Steiner
Top left, Dodger second baseman Greg Kent signs autographs for excited
young fans before the start of the spring training game. Above, R.J. Palmer
of Vero Beach works the computers that simulate the organ music for the
Dodgers during spring training games. “This is my second year doing the
music,” Palmer said. “But I was also a bat boy for five years.”
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