By Steven Booth
The scariest thing about the Dodgers fifth straight loss was not that they were now tied for fourth place with the Rockies, it’s not that Charlie Haegar is the only thing standing between the Dodgers and another sweep, nor is it the cold shower effect that AL teams have on Dodger bats. I used to like the idea of interleague play, but I think I am changing my mind. Isn’t it funny how a losing streak will quickly turn you into an anti-interleague, anti-DH purist?
The truly scary thing was the sea of red that greeted the Dodgers at the once-friendly confines of Anaheim Stadium. Not only were the cheers louder for the Angels than they were the Dodgers, it had a playoff atmosphere. When the Angels would get a hit or a Dodger would strike out, you would hear a roar that would intimidate the most hardcore fans.
All you guys east of the sierras wouldn’t understand. You say, “Well of course they’ll be a sea of red, you’re playing in their home park!”, and what I say to you is, imagine when the Mets go to Miami, or the Yanks go to St. Pete. There are more Yankee fans than Rays fans, even when the Rays are in first place! We all remember Opening Day when the pre-Strasburg Nationals walked into their own park being welcomed by a barrage of Philly fans?
See, not too many years ago, Southern California was the Dodgers stomping grounds. Although the California/Anaheim/Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim were an AL team, they never challenged the Dodgers for supremacy in Socal. The Padres? Fugget about it. At the last series the Dodgers played there, there were twice as many Dodger fans as there were Padres fans. Even when the Padres are good, which they are this year,
Things changed when Arte Moreno took over. He made the Big A into a much more fan-friendly stadium. He lowered beer prices. He actually thought it was a good idea to pay your players. He paid for guys like Vladimir Guererro and Tori Hunter, and narrowly missed signing Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee. He at least tried. It wasn’t about having a fancy title in front of your name and trying to get away as cheaply as you could (Frank McCourt). It was about winning and bringing fans in, and not trying to figure out creative ways of cutting your payroll while screwing over your fans by charging them more and more.
You knew he meant business when he built that billboard on the 110 not far from the Dodger Stadium entrance. It was his way at raising his middle finger to the Dodgers. His team is better run, and although they are not having the greatest year so far, their division, like the Dodgers in the NL West, is very winnable nonetheless.
At this rate, Moreno not only is seeking to give the Angels a permanent niche in Southern California baseball, he wants to out-do the Dodgers. While McCourt is conferring with his divorce lawyers and diverting sizable profits away from the team, Moreno is probably telling his team to try and get a front-line starter or another bat to bring down the Rangers.
Who would you rather cheer for? Who would you rather pay your money too?
