Dodgers! And the Playoff Dog

The Playoff Dog

and 

The Dodgers

I have been going to Dodger Stadium for games since the classic mid-70's infield line up of Garvey, Lopes, Russell and Cey, but I have to add that I don't really like baseball. I almost never watch baseball on television and if Vin Scully ever retires, I'll most likely never listen to a Dodger game again.

But I've always liked going to Dodger games. A friend's mom when I was 11 or 12 liked to take her son, me and some others to games, and usually she'd take us for double-headers or things like helmet days. I learned how to keep stats in the program, but often I'd walk around the stadium, which I thought was a pretty cool thing to do.

I usually take the family for a game during the season, but mostly I go now with a friends from work. I'm there to hang out, drink adult beverages and eat peanuts and Dodger dogs. 

And though the Dodgers have been in several playoffs over the years, I've never been to a playoff game. So when a friend had a ticket, I immediately said yes. Last Sunday's game, the third in this year's playoff series against Atlanta, was a great game to go to. Sold out crowd-I don't think I've been to a sold out game since the Kirk Gibson era, and tons of energy. It was my first game this season, and with a 13-6 Dodger win, I can't really think of a better way to enjoy baseball.

My buddy and I hit the stadium early, powering down Dodger Dogs as soon as we walked in. Not wanting to just sit, we cruised the Loge level-and then I saw it.

A monster-what appeared to be a huge hot dog covered in pastrami. Then I saw another of those bad boys go by. My buddy and I knew what we had to do-find where that dog was sold. When we saw another one, I asked the person struggling to hold it where she had got it from, and she pointed down the way a bit more.

A picture sign at the Loaded Dogs stand showed the monstrosity, the "Playoff Dog," a giant all-beef wiener, placed on a pretzel roll baguette, with a pile of pastrami, a few dabs of mustard and topped with a pickle slice. I could feel my arteries harden and my heart scream "Noooooo," but I ordered one anyway. $9 and they even threw in a fork! A few steps farther brought us to the fancy adult beverages, which we got, and headed back to our seats.

Then the Dodgers won, and all was right with the world.

And yes, of course we still stopped at Tommy's on Beverly and Rampart to fully cap the Dodger experience. The burgers at the original stand still taste the best.