Webb has been dominating all season and has been listed in the top file of most major pitching statistics categories. He has recently had a couple of very bad outings that have made people begin to question whether he is the best pitcher in the National League. What was once seen as a foregone conclusion that Brandon Webb would earn his second National League Cy Young was not being talked about as a long shot. It was therefore paramount that Webb show the nation and the voters that he truly is the best pitcher this season in the National League.

The Diamondbacks would be facing Aaron Harang who has struggled this season. Harang came into the game with the second highest home runs allowed total in the league. For all intents and purposes this looked like a game that the Diamondbacks should win and win big. Instead Arizona gave every indication that they had left their bats at the airport. Harang allowed only 4 hits during his 7 innings of work. I am sure if you would have asked Aaron Harang or Reds manager Dusty Baker how they would feel about 4 hits in 7 innings they would have jumped at that. With those 4 hits the Diamondbacks managed to score 1 run that being unearned after Harang threw wildly to first base allowing the runner to move all the way to third.

Arizona was able to scratch out one more hit on the Cincinnati bullpen but again made the most of a bad situation scoring 2 runs when Reds pitchers walked 3 batters including a bases loaded pass to Adam Dunn. They followed that up with a wild pitch to give Arizona a 3-0 lead.

Diamondbacks manager Bob Melvin made an interesting call in the eighth inning. With Brandon Webb at 96 pitches and clinging to a 1-0 lead he chose to lead off the eighth inning with a pinch hitter. Normally you wouldn’t question that call but considering that Webb was going for his 20th win and the bullpen has been absolutely horrible over the last 6 games you really had to wonder why Webb would not be allowed to go back out there. The move seemed to pay off when pinch hitter Jeff Salazar hit a triple in place of Webb. The Diamondbacks would end up scoring as a result of the gifts of the Reds pitching staff.

Arizona sent “closer” Brandon Lyon out in the ninth inning to protect a 3-0 lead and break the 6 game losing streak. Lyon started by getting Joey Votto to fly to centerfield for the first out. Reds third baseman Edwin Encarnacion then singled on a slow moving grounder up the middle. Outfielder Jay Bruce struck out swinging to give Lyon his second out. It looked as though things would go smoothly but pinch hitter Javier Valentin hit the first pitch through the left side of the infield to bring the tying run to the plate. Cory Patterson came up and Lyon was able to get ahead in the count. Patterson fought back to bring it to 2-2 then hit a grounder just outside the reach of second baseman David Eckstein to load the bases and bring the go-ahead run to the plate. Jeff Keppinger singled to right field scoring 2 runs and putting the tying run at third. Manager Bob Melvin had no choice but to remove Lyon and replace him with Chad Qualls. Qualls would come in and get Jerry Hairston Jr. to strike out ending the game.

What should have been a shutout for Brandon Webb with the Diamondbacks blowing out the Reds ended up being a nail biter. This game raised more questions than it provided answers. Who will step up offensively and carry this team down the final 3 weeks? Late in the game who can Bob Melvin rely upon to maintain the lead? While I am extremely excited about the win, I am left with a really uneasy feeling about this team’s chances of getting to the post season.

As I got home last night I parked the car and made my way into the house. Standing in the doorway was my family. They were all looking at me with this funny look on their faces. I stopped looking at each one of them wondering what was up. Trina then held out a brand new package of razor blades along with instructions that I needed to shave. I am not sure whether my family was more excited about the Diamondbacks winning or the fact that I would no longer have this scraggly looking beard.

This is the school that banned me from all science fairs after the “Flat Earth Fiasco of 1998″ where I somehow convinced an entire grade that the earth was flat using nothing but a quarter. Regardless of what those kids say, I am not the one responsible for the entire state now being required to take exit tests from school to prove they have gained the appropriate knowledge before graduation. This is just one example of my track record with this particular school. As a result, Trina is usually the one that has to deal the school.

That has not been a bad thing really. The school seems much less confused and the PTO has ceased calling our house asking if we are interested in selling and relocating to another district. In past years the school has only had to deal with our daughters who seem to take after their mother more than their father. Now though we are unleashing the curse upon the school. No I am not talking about the razor blades. Instead I am talking about my mother’s curse.

I had no idea that my mother had delved into the black arts of voodoo and magic but I am now a firm believer. I always thought of myself as a relatively normal child; an assessment that I have realized may have been incorrect. Being a model child I was therefore shocked whenever my mother would tip over about such simple things as finding out her microwave had been used as an experimental lab for seeing a common house fly’s life span when its molecules had been excited; attempting to train the neighbor’s cat to become an astronaut by seeing how long it could withstand the fluff cycle in the dryer. One time my mom got so tipped over she just stood there getting all red in the face. Finally after several seconds; it happened. She became a witch and placed a curse upon me. In a fit of rage she screamed, “One day you will have a son just like you!”

At the time I remember thinking, cool I’ll have someone to talk to and who’ll finally understand me. It was not until we had Dakota that I realized the evil that my mother had proclaimed upon the world. Don’t get me wrong; Dakota is a great kid. Other kids love being around him and coolness just oozes from him. Even the older kids’ friends want to hang out with Dakota. The thing is, that boy is just not wired right. It got to the point that we just had no idea what he was going to say or do. Not that it is wrong; it is just not normal or average.

When Dakota reached school age I knew there were going to be problems just because I remember my parents coming to the school for all kinds of things. I therefore took it upon myself to do a pre-emptive apology. On “meet the teacher” night I would bring a bouquet of flowers along with a card that simply stated, “I am sorry in advance for any damage mental or emotional that my son may be responsible for.” That worked pretty well in elementary school or at least kept us both out of the principal’s office. Things are a little different in middle school.

In middle school we are dealing with a lot more teachers. On the one hand that’s good because the damage can be spread across a larger population. On the other hand, teachers seem to talk to one another and it doesn’t take long for things to escalate.

The cool thing about the school system we are in is that the teachers communicate a lot not just about students but they also coordinate their teaching so that each class builds on the others to help the kids understand how things are connected. Take for example the current assignment. With baseball season winding down the teachers have all gotten together and created a unit based on the best sport in the world. Each class is going to focus on something baseball related.

In their home room each student will be assigned a Major League Baseball team. This team will be the focus of their studies over the next few weeks. In science they will study the physics of pitching and what it takes to throw a curveball or a fastball. They are learning about rotation and velocity. In social studies they will need to find where their team is located. They will also need to locate the other 29 major league baseball cities on a map. In math the students will track the team and their statistics similarly to what is done for fantasy baseball. They will figure Earned Run Average and Batting Averages. In language arts the students will write letters to the team they are assigned to ask if they will send swag that they can use to create a display showing the results at the end of the project.

On paper you would think this would be the perfect assignment especially for someone like Dakota. When the teachers introduced the concept he came home very excited and could hardly wait to go to school. He just assumed he would get the Arizona Diamondbacks and he already had plans to bring in his various artifacts he had collected throughout the season. Unfortunately things did not go exactly according to plan.

Dakota went to school the next day eager for the beginning of the baseball unit. The teacher came around and handed each child a sealed envelope containing the name of the team they would be working with. The kids eagerly opened their envelopes to find out what franchise they would be connected to. Dakota tore his open and read the contents. His heart sank. He waited for the commotion to die down then he went up to the teacher’s desk. She looked at him and he said, “If you don’t mind I’ll just take the ‘F’ now.”

The teacher looked at him confused. Dakota handed her the contents of his envelope. “There is absolutely no way I can do the Los Angeles Dodgers; my dad would kill me or I would kill myself.” Sadly, he was extremely serious. The teacher merely said, “oh yeah you’re right I forgot about your dad.” I am not exactly sure what that meant. The teacher therefore went around the room and rearranged the assignments and returned with a new piece of paper.

“Do you think it would be ok if you got the Chicago Cubs?” she asked.

“Yeah, that should be ok; my dad is a recovering Cubs fan.” Dakota said. The teacher bit her lip so as not to laugh and Dakota made his way back to his seat. When he got home from school he came to find me. At first I thought he had tried to microwave his sister’s polyester socks again the way he was acting. Instead he just wanted to let me know that he was going to have to write to the Cubs and not the Diamondbacks. I tried to be supportive as best as I could so I told him, “That’s ok, those people have been suffering for almost 100 years. They deserve your help.” Yeah my mom’s curse seems to be alive and well dwelling in the body of an 11 year-old boy that is terrorizing the sixth grade.

Today was the day, I could just feel it. This would be the day that Dan Haren would overcome the recent struggles he had been having and the Diamondbacks would find a way to get timely hits. The Giants would send Brad Hennessey to the mound and there were several Diamondbacks players who had very good numbers against him. If there ever were a match-up to favor the snakes, this was it.

The game started out well enough; Arizona held the Giants scoreless for the first 2 innings and then scored themselves in the top of the third. Unfortunately the Giants scored 2 runs in the bottom of the third to take a 2-1 lead. Still that was not a large deficit. Dan Haren still did not look good. He lasted only 4 innings throwing 99 pitches. He gave up 2 runs on 6 hits and walked 3 batters. He just doesn’t look comfortable on the mound. I’m trying to figure out if he is telegraphing his pitches or what is allowing the hitters to square him up the way they are. If the Diamondbacks are going to have any chance of making the playoffs Haren has got to get over this funk.

The Arizona bullpen did an admirable job over the next 3 innings. Leo Rosales threw a perfect fifth inning. Juan Cruz and Chad Qualls both worked a scoreless inning each. Each of them allowed a hit but the Giants could not capitalize. Bob Melvin gambled being down 2-1 and brought in Brandon Lyon in the eighth inning. This decision would come back to bite him.

In the top of the ninth Chris Young hit a triple scoring Alex Romero and Jeff Salazar to give the Diamondbacks a 3-2 going into the bottom of the ninth. Lyon went back out to the mound for his second inning of work. Lyon recorded the first out when Pablo Sandoval grounded out to shortstop. Catcher Bengie Molina singled to left putting the potentially tying run on first. Lyon then got Travis Ishikawa to ground to third for the second out but moving the tying run to second. Aaron Rowand walked putting the winning run on base. It came down to Lyon facing Eugenio Velez. Lyon threw 2 curveballs for strikes meaning they needed just one more strike for the Diamondbacks to get the win. For whatever reason Brandon Lyon threw a fastball belt high on the inner half of the plate and Velez laced a triple to the centerfield wall scoring pinch runner Ryan Rohinger and Aaron Rowand. Just like that the victory was gone replace with yet another loss.

It wasn’t just the bullpen that had problems in this game. The Diamondbacks committed 3 errors, two by shortstop Stephen Drew and a team leading 30th error by third baseman Mark Reynolds. Arizona could muster only 6 hits against a pitcher who had an ERA of 9.64. This is a pitcher that allows 1.6 base runners per inning yet the Diamondbacks could not do anything against him. The team ended the road trip going 0-6. They scored 14 runs in 6 games while allowing the opposition to score 34 runs. Being outscored by 20 runs is definitely not going to make the post season.

When Arizona began this road trip they were in first place by 1.5 games. They now come back to Phoenix with an 0-6 record and find themselves 3.5 games in back of the hot Los Angeles Dodgers. As for me, I am going home and throwing away the whole package of razor blades. Partly because I think they’re jinxed and partly just in case I get suicidal thinking about how the team is now playing.

I like to think of myself as a rational educated man. Notice I didn’t say I was a rational educated man just that I like to think of myself as being one. That’s kind of a big distinction especially as this story plays out.

As a logical thinking rational person who has graduated from college and attended graduate school I have been taught that the concepts of luck and superstitions do not hold bearing in the real world. There is absolutely no scientific evidence that would substantiate the notion that wearing a specific number, putting your socks on in a specific order, eating at a particular restaurant will equate to success regardless of the activity. In school I totally bought into those conclusions. After all, a person’s success is directly related to hard work and putting yourself in a position to take advantage of the external stimuli to coax the desired outcome.

The problem is that all of that logic and knowledge has never played baseball. If those scientists that came up with all of that had actually played the game they would know it is never that simple. I can guarantee that the first time one of those psychologists went 0-20 in their diagnosis or blew a save situation they would be trying to find absolutely anything that would help them out of their slump.

Having been a player I can attest that these superstitions are very real. I remember going 5-5 at the plate one time after eating pancakes. For the rest of the season I had to have a pancake before the game or I would go hitless. Or the time when I stole 3 bases in one game after I tied my shoes left foot, right foot, left foot (untied and retied). I nearly wore out a set of shoelaces with that ritual.

Being a player is one thing, I later realized that what I was doing was trying to equate simple tasks to something where I had confidence. Most of the game is mental and if I could get my mind in the right place I might focus on what I did to make myself successful.

As a fan this stuff has very little meaning. After all, I really can’t control any aspect of the game and therefore it is just silly to get wrapped up in superstitions. Still, I cannot even begin to explain the Lucky Hat and the mojo it contained. So when the Diamondbacks began this losing streak I somehow felt like I needed to find a way to help the team. Since there was no way that Trina was going to let me go to San Francisco it wasn’t like I could do a Glenn Close in The Natural and stand up in a white dress so Robert Redford would hit a home run. First Robert Redford doesn’t play for the Diamondbacks and secondly I look like crap in a white dress.

I needed to find something though. I can barely stand to see the team struggle like they are. I looked back at my life and tried to think if there was anything I was doing that was somehow different than it was before Los Angeles. I racked my brain for two days trying to come up with something, anything. About the only thing I could think of was that I had changed razor blades during that time period. Of course, that had to be it. I got a bad razor blade, one that was full of bad luck.

I went into the master bathroom and threw away the blade. Trina questioned why I was throwing away a blade that had only been used 5 times. I explained that I was sure that the razor was jinxed and that not only did this blade need to be thrown away but it must be destroyed beyond recognition. I asked her where my old razor blade was. She looked puzzled and explained that it was thrown away. I ran over to the garbage can and began rummaging through it looking for my old blade. Trina explained that the garbage had been taken out. She went on to say something about how that was my job but that she got tired of waiting or something like that. I quit listening about part way through the first sentence. I really should have listened because then I might have heard her say that the garbage man had come the day before and emptied our garbage can. That might have been good information to have before I dumped garbage all over our front yard.

When I finally realized that the lucky razor blade was gone and cleaned up the garbage on our driveway, I started to panic a little. What if that razor blade causes the team to miss the playoffs? I started to get a large pit in my stomach like I always do when I can’t fix something. I had lost the lucky razor; that was bad. But I threw away the jinxed razor so that was good. Still the Diamondbacks were losing that’s definitely not good. I had no way of knowing whether it was just one razor blade that was jinxed or if I got a whole package of jinxed blades. I definitely could not take any chances. I decided right then that I would not shave any more until the Diamondbacks win a game. At least then I’ll know whether the jinxed blade was singular or if the whole package was possessed.

The Diamondbacks lost again today even though I didn’t shave so I am now wondering what I need to do. Tonight I took the jinxed razor blade out of the house and put it in the trash can outside. Maybe it was just too close. This is definitely not good. I am starting to stress out a little bit. I think it is affecting the family too. They are looking at me different this week than they did before. I can’t tell whether they can sense something is wrong or if it is just the fact that I haven’t shaved in 6 days.

Game one of the series definitely did not favor the Diamondbacks. They would be facing Tim Lincecum who many were now classifying as the Cy Young front runner after Brandon Webb’s recent struggles. Arizona countered by sending Yusmeiro Petit who had been doing fairly well for the snakes. Through the first two innings the Diamondbacks looked like they would hold the Giants in check. It had all the makings of a great pitcher’s duel. Things of course changed for the worse in the third inning when Petit allowed 5 runs being lifted from the game with 2 outs in the bottom of the third. San Francisco would add an additional run in the seventh inning giving them a 6-0 lead. Arizona would finally get to Lincecum in the ninth inning scoring 2 runs but the Giants bullpen came in and slammed the door to hand the Diamondbacks their fourth straight loss.

One of the things that everyone kept saying is that the Diamondbacks would never succumb to a long losing streak due to the strength of their pitching staff. With co-aces Brandon Webb and Dan Haren followed by future hall of famer Randy Johnson meant that it would be extremely improbable that the team would go on an extended losing streak. What we are now seeing though is that the starting pitching is beginning to show signs of tiring and the bullpen is incapable of holding the other team from scoring. Couple this with an inconsistent offense that can’t seem to get timely hits and it is a recipe for disaster. The question is, when will it stop? Someone is going to have to step up and do something out of the ordinary to remind these players that they have the talent necessary to win not just the game but this division. It needs to happen soon though or it will be too late.

As I was talking to her lamenting about how bad this game was for the Diamondbacks Trina interrupted me, “oh I forgot to tell you that the Diamondbacks called today.” The phone on my end went completely silent. Why didn’t she say that in the first place? I mean anything I had to say could have waited until after she told me why the team had called me.

“What did they say?” I eagerly asked.

“I didn’t answer it; I figured it wasn’t for me anyway.” Trina answered. “What is that banging sound?”

“Sorry, that was my head smacking the wall over and over.” I said. “Did they leave a message?”

“No”, she said. “And I can hear you banging your head again so just stop it, they called back and I answered it this time.”

I was now sitting on the edge of my seat waiting for my wife to tell me exactly what the team had to say. It seems they were not calling for me at all. With that news my shoulders dropped. But if they didn’t want me, who were they calling for? The call was actually for my son Dakota. What is up with that? How come he gets a call from the Diamondbacks? I’m the season ticket holder. I’m the one with the blog. I’m the one who has Chase Field seats in the living room. Before I could continue; Trina cut me off. She didn’t need to be reminded of her troubles. She continued; they were calling to invite Dakota down onto the field for an on-field recognition for his attendance at this year’s games. He has gone to 40 games so far this year which is a lot for an eleven year-old boy.

This is kind of messed up. I have gone to 72 games this year and yet they call my son. Rather than dwell on how unfair this is and how I am going to have to deal with my son’s happy dance when he finds out he is going down on the field. Trina went on to explain that she had the gentleman on the phone who was very excited about this news. Trina listened to the man and then asked if Dakota would be interested in this opportunity. Trina thought he said that the parade was this Sunday. She explained that she was not sure that we would be able to make it since I was in Los Angeles at the Diamondbacks game and I am the one that always takes Dakota to the games.

It was at this point that I interrupted her. “The Diamondbacks are not in town this week” I stated.

“I know, they are in Los Angeles” Trina replied

“Then how can there be an on-field parade if the team is out of town?” I asked.

“Well the parade is Sunday, I thought they would be back on Sunday” she said. With her reply the head banging began once again.

“Trina, they never begin a new series on Sunday. The Diamondbacks finish in LA on Sunday then go to San Francisco.” I replied.

“Oh, no wonder the man seemed confused” she said. “And please stop banging your head it is distracting.”

She then went back to her story. Dakota had been invited to go down onto the field and she told the man that I was out of town. Then she went on to say, “Oh what am I thinking of course he will be there. My husband goes to all the games so I am sure he has thought of this and will be back in town in time to take Dakota.” The Diamondbacks representative listened quietly as Trina went on to tell him that I was kind of a devoted fan that had an obsession with the Diamondbacks. When she finished explaining my “condition” he replied, “Your husband is Jeff right?” I had the exact same reaction that Trina did, I was dumbfounded that they would know that. The representative went on to say that they were well away of who I was and that he was excited to be the one to call about Dakota being selected. He went on to say how he loved reading my stuff and wanted to talk to me.

That’s pretty funny in a weird sort of way. I had to wonder if the Diamondbacks have like an FBI file on me or something. Not that I am dangerous or anything; just probably not the most normal fan that they have. Trina concluded the call by saying that yes I was Dakota’s father and she assured the gentleman that Dakota would be at the game to be on the field. My only question is, I wonder if anyone would notice if I told them that I was Dakota and took his place? I mean that’s only fair right? I’ve been to almost twice as many games as he has. My only hope is that there isn’t a photo in that FBI file the Diamondbacks have.

I’d first like to thank the Arizona Diamondbacks for their assistance in getting tickets to these two games. It was an incredible gesture and I will be forever grateful for their help. I made a few initial observations yesterday but wanted to add a few more comments.

Dodger Stadium is an extremely large structure compared to other ballparks I have visited. The location is beautiful nestled in Chavez Ravine. Approaching it reminded me a little of driving up to Disneyland. You are anticipating seeing the stadium but it is hidden from view until the very last moment. It is not a ballpark that you are just going to stumble upon, you have to be looking for it.

The Dodgers control much of the land around the stadium giving them nearly complete control of the parking. This is both a positive and a negative. On the positive you are probably not going to get gouged too bad during times of high attendance. On the negative side they have a near monopoly on parking so there are no competitors that could drive the prices down. We ended up paying triple what we normally would at Chase Field and we had to park farther away from the stadium.

The fans at Dodger Stadium are very passionate but overall well behaved. They love their team and the stands were filled with fans wearing Dodger blue. Not just the stadium giveaway apparel but thousands were wearing Dodger jerseys. When we arrived in our Diamondbacks gear we were warmly greeted by the Dodger Stadium personnel and the fans but they did let us know that they were going to win. There was good natured ribbing on both sides and never did I feel nervous or worried. I can’t say the same thing for other stadiums or cities. In fact I think they were better behaved than the crowds in Chase Field. I did not witness any fights in the stands; I can’t say the same for our stadium.

Dodger Stadium has some interesting rules and what is allowable and what is not. For example you cannot bring in signs, whistles, brooms, beach balls, flags, air horns, pets, fireworks, bottles, hard sided coolers to name a few. The fans at Dodger Stadium would make great smugglers as I saw more beach balls get tossed around than I did at the beach. The two most interesting ones were signs and flags. When I saw the no flag rule I nearly did cartwheels! Finally a stadium that would banish Rally Sally, what more could I ask for?

Another interesting fan experience point was that during the pregame the Dodgers read the fan code of conduct of how they expected fans to act during the game. This included asking fans to watch their language and their behavior. This is similar to what they do at Chase Field. The difference was that at the end they displayed a phone number that fans could call during the game and security would come and remove the obnoxious fan from the stands. At first I just kind of chuckled but during last night’s game we witnessed this in action. Below us was what could only be described as Rally Sally’s son. He was dressed in some obnoxious clothing and was wearing a Burger King crown. He got up between innings and began dancing back and forth along the row similar to what Rally Sally does in the upper deck. Like the fans at Chase Field, people began to cheer for this bonehead which just made him act crazier. When he finished the crowd roared their approval. It was not offensive but obviously someone didn’t think it was appropriate or they couldn’t see. Either way a call was made and within 4 pitches security was in the section and led the Rally King out of the stadium. Man if I could do that with Rally Sally I would be one happy fan.

Last night I tried a world-famous Dodger Dog at the concessions. It was good but quite honestly I was not that impressed. Today I travelled along the concourse looking for something different. It was interesting to see that every vendor on the level all sold Dodger Dogs. I guess that way you never have to wait too long for a dog. It did seem weird that the Mexican concession and the frozen yogurt vendors both sold hot dogs.

Talking to some of the fans they recommended the sausage if you were crazy enough to buy something besides a Dodger Dog. I had an Italian sausage just so I could compare it to Hungry Hill. I will stack Chase Field’s concessions up against any in the league and feel they would come out on top. The sausage was ok but nothing compared to those we get at Hungry Hill. The sausage cost $6.75. If you wanted grilled peppers that was another dollar. If you wanted sauerkraut that was another dollar meaning that to get a loaded sausage like they serve at Hungry Hill would cost $8.75. It was smaller than Hungry Hill as well making the $6 Italian Sausage at Chase Field one of the best values anywhere and better quality to boot.

Prices across the board all favored the Diamondbacks. From tickets to food to team shop items to programs were all less expensive at Chase Field. The Diamondbacks have long touted that they were the best value in baseball but until this trip I thought this was just a marketing ploy. I have come away from this trip now understanding exactly what they meant.

When you enter Dodger Stadium you do so at a specific level of where your seats are located. The ushers ensure that you are on the right level and are helpful to fans trying to find their seats. We were greeted with a smile and a friendly attitude no matter who we talked to. What I did find interesting was that the ushers made sure that you stayed at that level. We wanted to tour the stadium before the game and look at the various levels but were told that our tickets only admitted us to a specific level. Security was stationed at each stairwell and escalator to make sure you didn’t wander to another level. We therefore were kept away from the areas so I can’t really comment on anything other than the loge level.

We weren’t the only Diamondbacks fans at the stadium. I talked to several people who were also wearing Diamondbacks gear. It was good to see some Sedona Red and I am hoping this trend continues to where there will be patches of red show up in every stadium. Once we get the Diamondbacks fans there we can work on making them more vocal. At today’s game we had an opportunity to sit near Diamondbacks outfielder Chris Young’s parents. Mr. and Mrs. Young were wearing their Sedona Red jersey and shirts proudly. When they arrived they said hello to all the other Diamondbacks fans before finding their seats. I do have to publicly apologize to them as one member of our party went and sat behind them talking to them for a couple of innings. He meant well but that would drive me crazy if someone was talking to me during the game. They were very gracious about it and it was a highlight of his trip. If it is any consolation, he did the same thing to Conor Jackson’s neighbor the night before. We had bets going that Mitch was telling Mr. and Mrs. Young about Conor Jackson’s neighbor.

Overall it was a great experience and we had fun despite the game outcome. As I walked out of the stadium I reflected on the past two days and I realized that Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz was right; there really is no place like home. I can’t wait to get back to Chase Field to watch another game.

When I start to come to this realization things around the house do not go well. I start to pace back and forth, my palms get all sweaty (oh wait, I just washed my hands and couldn’t find a towel), and I start to feel like a guy who is about to walk down death row to the gas chamber. Rather than wallow away in these feelings I did what any normal human being would do; I planned a road trip.

The Arizona Diamondbacks left town after Wednesdays final game against the St. Louis Cardinals. After a day off yesterday they would begin an important 3-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers that could very well determine who would win the National League Western Division. As much as I hate to admit this, I have never been to Dodger Stadium and I began to wonder what it would be like to go to a game there. I started talking to some friends and sharing my thoughts about how much fun it would be to go to LA and see a game. For some strange reason they agreed with me stating that they would definitely be up for a road trip.

That is about all of the incentive I needed was some validation by someone that I had a good idea. That happens so rarely in my life that I had to pinch myself to make sure this wasn’t another one of those dreams I have where the universe makes sense. After that confirmation I went to work on the planning aspects of the trip. First on the agenda was obtaining game tickets. Most people may thing that the first thing when trip planning would be scheduling time off, finding transportation, or getting a room. No, the first step is always to get the baseball part taken care of. After all, what would be the point of a trip to Los Angeles if I couldn’t get tickets to the game?

I sent a message to several friends enquiring whether they could assist me with finding a contact in the Dodgers organization to help with purchasing tickets. Since this would be my first trip to Dodger Stadium I wanted to ask them questions about various seat locations, what could be brought to the stadium, how to get there, what the weather was like (whoa, I need to write these down this is good). Through various contacts I finally found my way back to the Arizona Diamondbacks; I saw this as the baseball equivalent of the circle of life. I talked with team officials to see if they knew of a person I could contact. Instead of a name I was given a quick note that our tickets would be taken care of! Wow, this was unexpected and extremely generous but then again we are talking about the Arizona Diamondbacks one of the best organizations in the game.

With tickets now taken care of it came down to the various unimportant details like figuring out if I could get time off from work, if I had a car to go, oh and whether I would be sleeping in the car in the Dodger Stadium parking lot or if I had a room. Just an FYI, you can’t sleep in your car in the parking lot at Dodger Stadium. That seems to be one of their “rules”. After going back and forth several times we were finally able to decide on a plan of action and had all the necessary arrangements made.

I left the house this morning at 6:15 AM to go to the game that started at 7:10 PM which is a couple hours earlier than I usually begin preparing for a game day. Wearing my Diamondbacks gear I climbed in the car and began driving to meet up with Andre who I would be travelling with. It felt fairly natural being in the car driving towards the ballpark. What was weird was driving past the exit I usually take to Chase Field. Both the car and my arms began to drift towards the exit that would take me to the parking garage at Chase. It took every ounce of strength I had to keep the car on the Interstate and not take the exit. The roof was closed, an indication that the guys at the stadium were not yet at work. It’s a game day, how could they not be at work yet? Oh yeah, it’s an away game.

I met up with Andre and we began our trip to Los Angeles. We stopped off in Blythe for gas and a quit trip to the Truck Stop for something to eat and drink. As I was trying to decide between the generic Twinkies and the generic Cup Cakes with a processed creamy white filling like substance the girl on the PA system announced that shower #4 was now ready. I looked around and noticed the place was filled with smelly truckers. I had expected a rush to shower #4 but no. Rather than perhaps running into the guy just exiting shower #4 I decided it would be best to wait outside. As I exited the Truck Stop I noticed a dude laying on the sidewalk being treated by paramedics. I didn’t want to stare but I was curious whether the unconscious dude was eating either generic Twinkies or generic Cup Cakes. After seeing neither I felt relief and we got back into the car.

We made our way to Los Angeles and after a quick trip to Downtown Disney for lunch and a few souvenirs for the kids (fathers who travel know this is equivalent to having to give the secret password to regain entry into your house after being gone on a trip), we made our way to the ballpark. Dodger Stadium is located in what is called Chavez Ravine. It is pretty much hidden from view. It reminded me a little bit of going to Disneyland. You don’t really see anything then you turn the corner and BAM! there it is.

The stadium is surrounded by a giant parking lot which is different than Chase Field which uses the existing parking structures in the downtown area. Before you can get near the stadium you have to pay for parking. Parking costs $15 and you wait in line like at a toll booth to get your parking ticket and pay. We arrived just as the gates opened and were still quite far back in line. I was somewhat surprised since LA fans are normally generalized as arriving late and leaving early. Considering how early we got there I was surprised at how far away they made us park. It appears that preferred parking gets the spaces closer while general parking is somewhere near the Arizona border.

We made our way to the stadium to the will call window to get the tickets. Since these tickets were obtained through the Diamondbacks there was one specific window we had to go to which coincidentally was on the opposite end of the stadium. After a trek through 2 time zones and 3 zip codes we finally arrived at our destination only to find out that the tickets had not yet arrived. We had a 20 minute wait where we stood there as the Sedona Red eye of a Dodger Blue storm. We met some interesting people while waiting who questioned our sanity wearing Diamondbacks gear to the game. I tried converting some of these Dodger fans to embrace the light and cheer for Arizona but they seemed less than interested.

After getting the tickets we made our way to our seats. The stadium is divided into odds and evens. The odd sections are on the third base side while the even sections are on the first base side. Our tickets were awesome! We were placed in Section 112 Row V which although technically was an even section we were behind the plate on the loge level.

My first impressions of Dodger Stadium is that it appears to be a newer ballpark from the outside but inside it feels like an older stadium. It is much more closed in than Chase Field. I am so accustomed to walking through the doors and being able to see the playing field that I felt claustrophobic when I walked into Dodger Stadium. The playing surface was beautiful. We arrived as the Diamondbacks were taking batting practice in the afternoon sun. It was great seeing familiar faces out there, it made it almost feel like home.

The atmosphere was great, the Dodgers allow some fans to be on the field level in center field during batting practice cordoned off by a temporary fence. It gives them an opportunity at a home run ball and lets them know what it feels like to be down on the field. That was very cool. They also have an area behind home plate that kids could come and have a ball or item signed by a player. They have a different player before every game; another nice touch.

We walked around the stadium looking at the various sights and sounds to get a feel of the place. The food selection is different from Chase Field and did not seem to be as diverse. There is no Hungry Hill Sausage so I was kind of loss. I went with the all-beef Dodger Dog since that seemed to be the signature food. It was good but I would take a Hungry Hill Sausage over a Dodger Dog any day of the season.

Like Chase Field there were several team shop locations and likewise they are filled only with the home team’s items. We had several people attempt to help us in shopping for something Dodger blue to wear in place of our Diamondbacks gear. I thanked them and explained that you just cannot mess with perfection. That went over very well. The seats at Dodger Stadium are yellow rather than the green ones at Chase. They also did not seem to be angled to the plate making it so you had to turn in your seat to watch the action; another plus for Chase Field. There were no hot dog derby races so I was disappointed at that. The video board is old school unlike the high-tech version at Chase Field but did have a sense of history and nostalgia.

The game itself did not play out well for the Diamondbacks as they lost 7-0 in yet another poor showing by Dan Haren. The Dodger fans let us know what they thought about the Diamondbacks with several suggesting that we cut our trip short and go home now. Overall the fans were fun and willing to accept those supporting the opponent. We were not obnoxious and basically cheered for our team without ridiculing theirs. That was appreciated on both sides and while we were definitely given the business as we left after the loss, it was all good natured. Hopefully we can return the favor tomorrow.

It was a fantastic experience and one I will never forget. Each ballpark has its own unique look and feel and this one is definitely one of the better ones I have seen. I am looking forward to going back tomorrow to witness a day game at Dodger Stadium. Hopefully the sun will shine brighter on the Diamondbacks and Brandon Webb.

When the home stand started the Diamondbacks saw their closest rival the Los Angeles Dodgers come to town for a critical series. The Dodgers were in the midst of a 10 game road trip and entered the game 0-7 including sweeps by the Philadelphia Phillies and Washington Nationals. This was the time for the Diamondbacks to put some distance on the second place team. The first game of the series featured a pitching matchup that favored the Dodgers. Arizona would send Doug Davis to the mound to face Hiroki Kuroda. The Diamondbacks took advantage of the Dodgers jet lag and their pitching and scored often winning the game 9-3. Things looked bright for Arizona with a real possibility of getting a sweep with Haren and Webb pitching the next two games.

Game 2 of the series saw another start by Dan Haren where he was hit hard. Haren threw 98 pitches in just 6 innings allowing 5 runs on 10 hits. The Diamondbacks bats which were so active the night before were silenced by Chad Billingsley and the snakes were only able scrape out 2 runs from their 10 hits. The Diamondbacks continued to be susceptible to the strikeout fanning 11 times during the game. Instead of a win the Diamondbacks saw the Dodgers snap their losing streak and inch a game closer in the standings. With the series now tied the Diamondbacks would rely on ace Brandon Webb to give them the series win.

Like Dan Haren, Brandon Webb looked out of sorts. He looked more like someone going for their 20th loss than for their 20th win. Webb gave up 4 runs in the top of the first inning and the Dodgers never looked back. Brandon lasted just 3 1/3 innings, his shortest outing of the season. He gave up 8 runs on 8 hits and walked 5 batters. Not exactly the kind of performance you expect from the guy being touted as the Cy Young award favorite for the National League. The Dodgers who had come in battered and torn; left town winning the series and gaining on the Diamondbacks in the standings.

Following the Dodgers were the St. Louis Cardinals who themselves had been struggling. Arizona sent Randy Johnson to the mound to attempt to win his 295th game of his career. Instead of a pitcher’s duel we instead saw a home run derby as both teams combined for 8 home runs. Diamondbacks shortstop Stephen Drew made history becoming the first Diamondbacks player to hit for the cycle at Chase Field. Arizona came from being behind 5-1 to winning the game 8-6. Johnson did not figure into the decision and remains with 294 wins.

As dominating as the Diamondbacks looked in game one they looked equally inept in game 2 Yusmeiro Petit who has been pitching well as the fifth starter was hit hard lasting only 4 2/3 inning giving up 5 runs on 4 hits including another 2 home runs. The five run deficit became eight before the Diamondbacks would score their first run of the game. The Cardinals destroyed the Diamondbacks in an 8-2 romp to even the series.

The final game featured Doug Davis on the mound and looked to be starting very similar to the other two games in this series. St. Louis jumped out to an early lead and the Diamondbacks hitters struggled at the plate. They had no answer for Cardinals starter Kyle Lohse but quickly found a groove once he was out of the game. Arizona scored 2 runs to make it 3-2. It looked as though they would fall just a little short of winning when Stephen Drew, Conor Jackson, and Adam Dunn came alive in the bottom of the ninth with the final blow being Dunn’s walk-off double to score Jackson from first base giving the home team a 4-3 win.

The crowds were decent for this home stand. The Dodgers always draw well and this weekend series was no exception. The Diamondbacks recorded a sell-out for Saturday’s game. The Cardinals also drew well. The most popular game of the series was the opening game which was a holiday day game. The least popular was the final game of the series which was also an afternoon game. During the summer the afternoon games draw well but now that kids are back in school and football season is about to begin these seem to be much less popular.

The Arizona Diamondbacks introduced a new All-You-Can-Eat section in the upper deck where on specific game days you can buy a ticket that includes all the food you can eat. There are special concession stands for the food and beverages. The choices include hot dogs, nachos, popcorn, bottled water, and soda. Guests are allowed to get up to 4 items at a time but can come back as many times as they would like. Fans in these sections are identified by a white wrist band that is given just before they reach their seats. The promotion seemed to be quite popular as these seats are rarely filled but during All-You-Can-Eat night they were packed. It will be interesting to see if they are packed every night or if this was just because the Dodgers are in town. The Diamondbacks will offer this for 4 more games this season: September 13, September 15, September 17, and September 27. Of those dates I expect September 13 to be the most popular as it is Dan Haren Bobble Head night and there is a Jessica Simpson concert after the game.

The playing surface looks very good considering how late in the season we are getting. The grounds crew at Chase Field should be commended for the job that they do. I constantly get comments from first time fans asking if the turf is real since it looks so good. This is especially impressive since the roof has remained closed even for night games due to the prolonged monsoon season we have been experiencing. Hopefully we’ll soon be able to play with the roof open for the remainder of the season.

This home stand marked the first time the stadium was set up for instant replay. Major League Baseball started to utilize that during the series with the Dodgers but there was not an instance where it was called upon so there is no telling how that will impact the game at Chase Field. The monitor for the umpire to see has been located near the visitor’s dugout near the on-deck circle. I could not tell if there were additional cameras positioned in the stadium besides what are there for Fox Sports Arizona broadcasts. I am hoping to get to the stadium a little earlier to check it out during the upcoming series.

The Saturday game against the Dodgers was the last food sample day for Season Ticket Holders. We were admitted 30 minutes prior to the gates opening and offered samples from some of the concessionaires. For the final testing we had Panda Express, Peter Piper Pizza, and Cold Stone Creamery. Panda was offering bite size pieces of orange chicken. The chicken was good but I was disappointed that they chose to offer their most popular item rather than use it as an opportunity to allow fans to try one of the lesser known menu items for a change. Peter Piper Pizza gave full slices of pizza and included all of their menu items giving you the choice of what you wanted to try. Trina had the Chicago and really liked it. Cold Stone was giving away bowls of their ice cream again offering all of their flavors on the menu. Trina had wedding cake while I tried mint chocolate. They were both very good and I highly recommend them. My one suggestion is that if you are going to get this item do so before the fifth inning. After that the lines go on forever and you’ll miss at least a couple of innings waiting.

Overall the games and the experience were very good. The Diamondbacks continue to focus on guest experience. The on-field product is getting better although the bullpen continues to struggle and the offense is very inconsistent. It was a lot of fun and I am looking forward to the final 9 games of the season that will happen the latter half of this month.

It was another afternoon baseball game at Chase Field. These have happened with regularity this season. Unlike the other afternoon games, this one happened after school was in session so the crowd was definitely smaller than what the Diamondbacks are accustomed to having. The attendance was announced as 24,350 many of whom were senior citizens who came by the bus load to the game.

Diamondbacks pitcher Doug Davis threw 6 innings allowing 8 hits while walking only 1 batter. Of those 8 hits, one was a home run by former Diamondback Troy Glaus which was his 23rd of the season. Through the first 6 innings the Diamondbacks were unable to do anything against Cardinals starter Kyle Lohse who threw 6 innings allowing only 5 hits and 2 walks. He struck out 7 Diamondbacks and it looked as though the Diamondbacks would drop a second consecutive game.

The Diamondbacks fortunes changed in the seventh inning when they scored 2 runs off Cardinals reliever Kyle McCellan. Down by only a run the Diamondbacks bullpen did the job allowing only 2 hits and 1 walk over the last 3 innings. This kept the Diamondbacks close to the Cardinals going into the ninth inning.

In the ninth inning the St. Louis Cardinals brought in closer Chris Perez who began by giving up a lead-off triple to the sizzling Stephen Drew. Second baseman David Eckstein then few out to right field not deep enough to score Drew. The next batter was left fielder Conor Jackson who hit a ball through the pulled in infield to tie the game up.

Up to the plate strode hired gun Adam Dunn. He took two pitches then rifled a ball down the right field line and into the corner. Conor Jackson raced from first base and rounded third at about the time the ball was being thrown. Jackson slid under the tag to score the winning run on Adam Dunn’s double.

For the second game in the series the Diamondbacks fans stood and roared their approval. The players rushed out to second base to congratulate Dunn for delivering on a walk-off double. It was an amazing sight and one I hope will build momentum for the upcoming final series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Arizona Diamondbacks. This is why they call it a pennant race.