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Think Blue
© 2002
by Darryl Musick
It's hard to believe that our local Dodger Stadium is now one of baseball's classic stadiums, but it is. Uniquely set into a mountain side, the stadium carves level upon level into Chavez Ravine. The view out of center field is of the hills of Elysian Park with the LAPD academy adjacent. On clear days, the San Gabriel Mountains can be seen in the distance while downtown L.A. sparkles behind home plate.
Dodger Stadium was also privately financed by Walter O'Malley at the end of the 1950's with the help of the City of Los Angeles evicting the ravine's tenants and homeowners. There is still some lingering controversy and ill will harbored by those who were forcibly removed.
Although a beautiful park, it's pretty no-nonsense. It's about the game...period. The focus is what's on field. No home run fireworks, no fountains between innings, no amusement arcades for baseball bored kids. You come here to watch baseball, the other stuff you can get somewhere else.
There are up to four levels of decks in places here, plus two outfield bleacher pavilions with cramped and rather uncomfortable seats. If you sit out there, you have no access to the rest of the stadium.
The food here is remarkably varied with pizza, Chinese, krispy-kreme, sushi, etc. The most famous thing on the menu is the Dodger Dog, a foot long Farmer John wiener. Purists say it must be grilled, not steamed. There are stands for both versions in the stadium. At the risk of incurring the rath of Dodger fans, let me say that in any version this is a really overrated hot dog. I'd rather get a couple of hot dogs from one of the many sidewalk vendors downtown and take it in with me than eat another Dodger dog.
Lines at the food service concessions are also long and slow.
Good things include the team with such outstanding players as Sean Green, Paul Lo Duca, and Dave Roberts. Vin Scully is the best baseball announcer working today.
So how's accessibility? Not up to par, I'm sad to say.
Outside of the expensive Dugout Club, directly behind home plate, wheelers will be seated at the top of the first deck or way up in the upper deck. The overhanging deck above seriously impedes views such as totally obliterating the view of the scoreboard. Ushers will now bring folding chairs for companions but in the past used to require you to bring your own.
There is no public transportation to Dodger Stadium at all. Traffic here is notoriously bad before and after each game leading to that peculiar L.A. tradition of arriving in the third inning and leaving in the seventh inning to avoid the jam (now there's a jam lasting till the third inning and starting up again at the seventh as a result).
Handicapped parking is adequate as are the restrooms. The elevators behind home plate can get very crowded but the ushers will put wheelchairs ahead of AB's who are waiting in line for the lifts.
Tickets start at $5 and you will probably have to haggle with the ticket seller if you want more than one companion seat.
For a wheelchair user who's not a rabid Dodger fan, one trip should be sufficient.
STADIUM FACTS:
Tenants: Los Angeles Dodgers
Year Opened: 1962
Capacity: 56,000
Surface: Grass
Accessible via Public Transit: No
Box Office Phone: (323) 224-1448
HANDY LINKS:
Los Angeles Dodgers: dodgers.mlb.com
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