Forever Dodger Blues...

Opening week 2012

One of my favorite days of the year arrived on April 10th when Dodger Stadium hosted its 50th home opener.

I still made it to the game in the 3rd inning despite horrible traffic but once i got inside the stadium it felt like i was at home (it’s my 2nd home lol)

Dodgers won the home opener 2-1 on some stellar pitching by Kershaw and a HR by Ethier in the 8th inning.

It was good to see the Dodgerfam again it was like a reunion.

I went again on Thursday to see a sweep which it occured and glad it didn’t rained that day it was a bit on the cool side.

Had some good seats field level near the foul pole Dodgers needed only 3 runs to win.

On Saturday it was Stadium replica night and it was a good crowd on that night i got there 2 hours early so i can get one of those replicas which i did i sat in the loge section which is one of my favorite sections.

Kemp had 2 HR’s in that game and Ethier had one they’ll have stellar years if this continues.

Dodgers easily won 6-1.

It was a long while since i last went to opening day but i finally got to experience it.

Can’t wait till the next homestand we’re 9-1 best record in the majors it’s MAGIC!!!

THINK BLUE!!!

After winning the ‘65 World Series the 1966 Dodgers hope to repeat as Champions which would be their last in the 60s.

April 12th: The home opener the Defending champs beat Houston 3-2 before a crowd of 34,520 claude osteen drew the start and pitched a complete game.

April 14th: Don sutton makes his major league debut allowing three runs and seven hits in seven innings losing 4-2 to Houston at Dodger stadium.

April 18th: Don Sutton wins the first of 300 plus over the Astros.

By may the Dodgers were 15-14 7 games behind the giants who held 1st place.

May 17th: Since the Aug. 22 incident from the year before the Dodgers beat the giants 2-1 in 13 innings. Marichal made his first appearance in Los Angeles since the incident with Johnny Roseboro.

May 21st: Drysdale strikes out 13 batters in eight innings to beat the Pirates 5-4 in 12 innings.

May 25th: Wes Parker hits a game winning two run single to beat the Phillies 2-1 at Chavez Ravine.

June 1st: Koufax pitches a 1-0 shutout over the cardinals in St. Louis.

July 5th: about a month later he pitched a 1-0 shutout over the Reds at Dodger stadium.

July 12th: Walter Alston Manages the NL all-stars to a 2-1 victory in 10 innings in st. louis game time temperature was 105 degrees… o_O

July 24th: Playing the Mets in a doubleheader at Dodger Stadium Dodgers take both games 5-0 and 6-0.

That same year the Dodgers were the first team to draw 2 million fans at home and on the road.

August 16th: Don Sutton throws a two-hitter over the reds at Dodger Stadium.

August 21st: Koufax wins his 20th over the Cardinals 4-1 at Dodger Stadium.

August 28th: The Beatles played their next to last concert at Dodger Stadium.

By September The Dodgers, Pirates and Giants were in a heated race for the NL pennant.

September 10-11th: Dodgers sweep Houston

September 16th: Dodgers extend their winning streak to 8 with a 5-1 win over the Pirates and lead the NL race at 3.5 games.

September 20th: Koufax wins his 25th pounding the phillies 11-1.

September 29th: Koufax won his 26th striking out 13 cardinals in a 2-1 win.

October 2nd: Dodgers clinched the NL pennant by Koufax on only two days rest beating the phillies 6-3 in a second game of a doubleheader while losing the first one they were scheduled to play on oct. 1st but the game got rained out by then the Dodgers lead the NL race by 1.5 games.

October 5th: The 1966 world series the Dodgers faced the Baltimore orioles (game 1) at Dodger stadium before a crowd of 55,941 Drysdale pitched game 1 losing 5-2.

October 6th: (Game 2) Koufax pitched but allowed 4 runs one earned in six innings losing 6-0 on 3 costly errors by Willie davis. few if any knew that game would be the last of Sandy Koufax’s career.

October 8th: (Game 3) Dodgers lose 1-0 in Baltimore

October 9th: (game 4) Dodgers lose the series on the same score of 1-0

November 18th: After winning his 3rd CY Young award with a record of 27-9 and a 1.94 ERA Sandy Koufax announces his retirement at only 30 years old. He would be elected to the baseball hall of fame in 1972 at only 36.

News would get even worse Maury Wills was traded to the Pirates.

The Dodgers would not win another pennant until 1974.

After a 6th place finish in 1964 the 1965 Dodgers would not be the only team in a 5 team race for the NL pennant.

April 12: In the season opener the Dodgers beat the Mets 6-1 in New York.

April 20th: Dodgers lose the home opener 3-2 to the Mets at Chavez Ravine before 36,161.

May 13th: Koufax pitches a three hitter over Houston 3-0 at Dodger Stadium.

May 17th: Dodgers played their 1st game in the Astrodome baseball’s first indoor stadium and won 5-3 in 11 innings.

May 19th: Dodgers take 2 out of three from Houston 4-2 in 11 innings.

May 22nd: Koufax strike out 12 cubs with a 3-1 win in Chicago.

May 25th: Don Drysdale pitches a one hitter beating the Cardinals 2-0 at Dodger Stadium.

May 29-30th: Drysdale strikes out 12 batters beating the braves 5-3, Koufax strikes out 13 batters beating the Reds 12-5 both games at Dodger Stadium.

By June the Dodgers were 31-17 and lead a 5 game lead in the NL race.

June 20th: Koufax strikes out 12 Mets beating them 2-1 at Chavez Ravine.

June 25th: Koufax strikes out 12 batters beating the Pirates 4-1 at Dodger Stadium.

July 27th: Wills extends his hitting streak to 20 games beating the Reds 9-7 at Dodger Stadium.

August 5th: Koufax strikes out 12 batters beating the Braves 6-3 in Milwaukee.

August 10th: Koufax wins his 20th over the Mets 4-3 at Dodger Stadium striking out 14.

When September arrived the Dodgers and 4 other teams were in a heated race for the NL pennant.

September 9: Koufax pitches the only perfect game in Dodgers history beating the Cubs 1-0. “It’s 9:46 p.m. 2-2 to Harvey Kuenn one strike away, Sandy into his windup here’s the pitch… SWONG ON AND MISSED A PERFECT GAME!!!”

By mid-September the Dodgers fell into 3rd place with 16 games left.

September 17th: Dodgers start their long winning streak beating the Cardinals 2-0 with Drysdale winning his 20th.

September 25th: The streak would be at 8 when Koufax strikes out 14 batters over the Cardinals 2-0 his season strikeout total was at 358.

September 28th: The streak would be at 11 and sole possession of 1st place beating the reds 1-0.

October 2nd: Dodgers clinched the NL pennant by 2 games beating the Braves 3-1 while Koufax won his 26th striking out 13.

October 6th: Dodgers faced the Twins in the 1965 World Series game one in Minnesota losing 8-2.

October 7th: Koufax pitched game 2 but lost 5-1 trailing the series 2-0.

October 9th: Game 3 at Dodger Stadium Claude Osteen pitched a 4-0 shutout.

October 10th: Game 4 Drysdale struck out 11, Ron Fairly drove in three runs, Lou Johnson and Wes Parker Homered, a 7-2 Dodger victory evened the series at 2 apiece.

October 11th: Game 5 Koufax pitched a 7-0 shutout to lead the series 3-2 Wills collected four hits.

October 13th: Game 6 With a chance to wrap up the series Dodgers lose 5-1.

October 14th: Game 7 Alston took a gamble and started Koufax with only 2 days rest but pitched a three hitter and a Lou Johnson HR gave the Dodgers their third World Championship in Los Angeles beating the twins 2-0.

Koufax won the second of this three CY Young awards.

Dodgers won 97 games that year by only 2 games to win the NL pennant.

After a world series clincher in 1963 the 1964 Dodgers had high hopes of repeating as world champions.

April 14th: After 50,451 in the home opener the defending world champs blank the cardinals 4-0 on masterful pitching by Koufax.

Maury Wills led the NL in stolen bases with 53 that year.

May 14th: Dodgers beat the cubs in a doubleheader 6-4 and 5-0.

May 28th: in 17 innings the Dodgers and Reds ended in a 2-2 tie due to a 1am curfew that was unable to continue.

June 4th: Koufax pitches the third of his four no-hitters beating the Phillies 3-0 in Philadelphia.

June 24th: Dodgers pounded the Braves 15-4 in Milwaukee.

July 7th: Dodgers skipper Walter Alston manages the NL to a 7-4 victory in the 1964 mid-summer classic in Shea Stadium in New York.

July 22nd: Koufax strikes out 12 batters to beat Houston 1-0 at Chavez Ravine.

August 16th: Koufax strikes out 13 batters to beat the Cardinals 3-0 in St. Louis.

September 19th: in 16 innings the Dodgers beat the Phillies 4-3 at Chavez Ravine they had 20 hits but only collected 4 runs.

October 4th: Dodgers close out the 1964 season beating Houston 11-1 at Dodger Stadium.

Injuries to their key players missed the Dodgers opportunity to repeat as world champions they ended up tied for sixth in the NL west.

1965 would be almost as it was in 1963 but with 4 teams at a run for the NL pennant they would get their chance in late september.

After losing the NL pennant in a best of three playoff in 1962. Things would change for the 1963 Dodgers.

April 9th: On the season opener Dodgers beat the cubs 5-1 in Chicago.

April 16th: On the home opener Dodgers lose in 12 innings 2-1 to the cubs despite 33,758 in attendance.

April 19th: Dodgers beat Houston 2-0 at Dodger Stadium on Koufax’s 14 strikeouts.

May 6th: A 7-4 loss to Pittsburgh drops the club’s record to 12-15.

May 7th: The next day club rebounded after the previous day loss to beat the Cardinals in St. Louis 11-1.

May 11th: Sandy Koufax pitches the 2nd of his 4 no-hitters beating the Giants 8-0 at Dodger Stadium.

May 19th: Dodgers beat the Mets in a doubleheader 1-0 and 4-2.

May 22nd: Dodgers win their 8th in a row beating the Mets 7-3.

June 9th: Despite three HR from Ernie Banks Dodgers still hung on and won 11-8 in Chicago.

Koufax pitched 22 scoreless innings from July 3 to the 16th.

When August arrived the Dodgers held a 7.5 game lead in the NL west.

August 29th: Koufax won his 20th 11-1 over the Giants at Dodger Stadium.

September 18th: With a 4 game lead in the NL West Dodgers beat the Cardinals 6-5 in 13 innings despite trailing 4-1 earlier in the game.

September 24th: With the Cardinals losing to the Cubs the Dodgers clinched the NL pennant with a 4-1 win over the Mets at Chavez Ravine.

September 25th: Koufax won his 25th shutting out the Mets 1-0 at Chavez Ravine.

October 2nd: The Dodgers faced the Yankees in the 1963 World Series (8th time overall) (Game 1) Koufax strikes out 15 yankees for a 5-2 win.

October 3rd: (Game 2) Johnny Podres and Ron Perranoski combined to beat the yanks 4-1 to lead the series 2-0.

October 5th: (Game 3) Dodger Stadium hosted its first ever World Series before 55,912 Don Drysdale pitched a 1-0 shutout the only run was a walk to Gilliam, wild pitch and a single by Tommy Davis.

October 6th: (Game 4) Before 55,912 at Dodger Stadium Koufax pitched a 2-1 win to complete the sweep Frank Howard hit a HR that landed in the 8th row of the loge level. Gilliam scored on a sacrifice fly which they all needed. It was the Dodgers second World Championship in Los Angeles since their first in 1959.

Since their struggle in mid-May the Dodgers were 87-48 winning 99 games.

Tommy Davis won his 2nd straight batting title with a .326 average.

Koufax would win the first of his three CY Young awards.

The scoreboard in the LF pavillion read this after the Dodgers sweep: “CONGRATULATIONS CHAMPS!!!”

April 9th: 2,500 fans attended the stadium’s dedication ceremony

April 10 : the new Dodger Stadium opened its doors for the first time

The Dodgers lost the opener to the Reds 6-3 before 52,564 about 4,000 shy of capacity.

The next day the first night game played at Dodger Stadium Dodgers beat the Reds 6-2. Jim Gilliam hit the first HR at Dodger Stadium.

In just its 1st season Dodger Stadium set an then attendance record of 2,755,184 fans.

May 21st: The Dodgers and Giants played for the first time at Dodger stadium and the Dodgers won 8-1.

June 30th: Sandy Koufax pitches the first of his 4 no-hitters over the Mets 5-0.

Don Drysdale would become the 1962 NL Cy Young award winner with an 25-9 record 232 strikeouts and a 2.83 ERA.

August 3rd: Drysdale won his 20th with an 8-3 victory over the Cubs.

Maury Wills was named NL MVP in 1962 stealing 104 bases.

September 26th: Dodgers walloped Houston 13-1 while Wills stole his 100th base.

Tommy Davis won the batting title with an .346 average.

The Dodgers would win 102 games in 1962 but fell short against the Giants 2-1 in then a best of three playoff to decide the NL pennant.

Things would change however in 1963.

Merry Christmas all…

disneyhoar:

BYE FRANK MCCOURT

(Source: caprisunhoar)