Tagged: Nomar
Collecting Trading Pins
Have you ever seen some long-time Dodger fans at a game, you know, the ones that have pins all over their hats, or the ones that have pins on their lanyards? You might’ve seen one and thought they were a little weird, or odd. Fact is, they’re pin traders and collectors. If you sit down and ask them, they’ll tell you and probably show you their collection and probably some pretty interesting stories about their pins. It’s an old timer’s hobby, that’s for sure. I’ve always thought I had a vintage soul. I’m very traditional. Love listening to stories from the past (especially Dodger stories) and I find myself always making conversation with the older fans at the game. I decided to start my own pin collecting. I’ve had a pin since the 2007 season. It was never unwrapped until just two weeks ago. I’ve added two pins since then. One for each game I’ve been to since the Yankee series. I think it’s a great hobby. It’ll definitely help me recall stories from each time I bought one. Anyway, below are some shots of the pins on my lanyard. Here is a link to the Joys of Collecting Trading Pins. Hope you enjoy!
Furcal Shirt pin from the 6/27 Yankees @ Dodgers game
Lil
Arriba Los Doyers!
PS thanks to MLBlogs for having me as a featured blog! It’s an honor. Thank you so much 🙂
♥Nomar
Nomar, Nomar, Nomar! What can I say about him?? I will begin this entry
with my story of his bobblehead SGA day:
4/26/2007: I had purchased my most expensive tickets to date: $80 a piece
in 38 FD. I wanted to be as close to Nomar that day so he’d hear me yell
his name & proclaim my love for him lol. Of course, I had to invite
Chris. He of course accepted. Since I bought both tickets, he drove.
Let me preface the next part by saying there are many ways to get to
Dodger Stadium. I didn’t know it then, but I can make my way around
Elysian Park quite expertly now. Freeways, side streets, shortcuts,
traffic. You must calculate all this into your route and time schedule.
My dear friend Chris decides to take the following: 710 N, off on Cesar
Chavez all the way to Dodger Stadium….at 5:30pm on a giveaway day.
Needless to say, we didn’t arrive before the first pitch. We didn’t
arrive for the first inning. We didn’t arrive until the 3rd & of
course, bobbleheads were gone by then. I was sooo upset. I listen to
games on the radio all the time, but never when I’m on my way. I always
have to get there to watch the first pitch or be in the stadium by the
first pitch. I didn’t get my bobblehead. It was a good game and seats
were awesome. I still never let Chris forget it!
The next month, a year after introducing me to the Dodgers, Chris
invites me to his yearly family Dodger game. His entire family (20+ at
least) all attend a game in one of the pavilions. It was my first time
in AYCE RF Pav. While waiting in line for food, he disappears randomly.
Being that so many people were there, I couldn’t see him. He comes back
with a bag. In the bag is my very own Nomar bobblehead & a Cinco de Mayo Nomar pin
(the day of my first game). He definitely made it up, but I wish we both
would’ve gotten that bobblehead for free =(
I most likely will be seeing Chris and his family this Saturday during
their pre-game bbq. He wanted me to mention our bet. If Nomar hit a
homer while we both were at a game, I would give Chris a kiss. Nomar never hit one
when we were there LOL.
And this is Chris & I (wow, blonde hair. Kind of miss it =/) in RF Pavilion when he bought me my Nomar Bobblehead
Tomorrow’s Game: Looking for the big money, Dodgers send Bills (6-3, 3.80) to open the Freeway Series at home against Pineiro (4-6, 5.23) & the Halos. We last saw Bills on the 5th of June where he gave up 3 ER in the win to the Braves. His ERA is slightly higher at home. Let’s hope he gives us a good game.
Love @ 1st Strike!
I was first introduced to the Dodgers in 2006. Cinco de Mayo to be exact. Chris, a long-time friend, invited me out to the ballpark the month before & that was the fabled day he chose. Never having been to a baseball game before, let alone to a Dodger game, I had my typical girl moment where I had nothing to wear. Chris was nice enough to let me borrow his brother’s Dodger jacket. So we headed out to Dodger Stadium at 4:30pm from my house (Wow, super early! It wasn’t even a giveaway night lol). From the first pitch, I was sucked in & it didn’t let up. Dodgers were tied against the Brewers 3-3 in the bottom of the 9th. I know what you’re thinking, “That’s too fairytale-like for me!” I kid you not, it WAS. Furcal had just slapped a single and managed to get on first & advanced to second thanks to Cruz, Jr. Then Nomar came up to the plate, took his 10-15 seconds with his OCD-like ritual that, to this day, I am still mesmerized by! I mean, he adjusts his gloves maybe 4 times and circles the bat while tapping his feet about 3-5 times JUST to set up (I actually do the glove adjusting before batting in softball, but that’s another story for another time), but true to fairytale form, Nomar gets that hit on the perfect pitch to line it barely fair of the right field foul line & scores Furcal! Dodgers win 4-3. Dodgers celebrate & Nomar steps out in a Dodger poncho for a curtain call. This is what dreams are made of & this is where my romance with the Dodgers began, with a strong passion for baseball following quickly thereafter. Russell Martin made his MLB debut on this day. He went 2-for-4 with two RBI’s & remains with the organization at the present time 🙂
I can only describe how I felt that night by painting this picture for you:
It was firework night as were most Friday night games that year. Lights were turned off with the exception of the light blues that illuminated the stadium in a way that made it seem surreal. Maybe it was the high of the win (that I later found out ended their five-game losing streak). Fireworks started and it was something out of Sandlot where the world stopped except for you & all you heard was fireworks in the background. It told me it was the beginning of something beautiful.
Four years later, here I am, hardcore Dodger fan as I’ve ever been & loving every minute of it. Owner of a mini-plan for the 2010 season & attending every other possible game I’ve been able to. Recently introduced to the amazing fans that sit in LFP & I must say, that section is the place to be. There are some die-hard fans there. I’d heard much about LFP, but you don’t know anything until you’ve sat there yourself.
Today’s game: Godsend Ely will go up against Hudson & the Braves in the rubber match. Ely is 3-2 with a 2.54 ERA. Giving the Dodgers much-needed quality pitching, he has just given up 13 runs on 35 hits over 46 IP, none of which have been homeruns. Let’s get a W today, boys. Arriba Los Doyers!
Love for The Boys in Blue 