Mike’s retirement adventures led to L.A., taking advantage of my wife’s business trip that included a company-paid  hotel room.  The evening before, I joined the “Tre Amigos” for an Oregon State victory over Portland University, preserving OSU’s #1 ranking in the college polls.  Wednesday morning, a flight to LA, and a Metro Pass tour of the city, stopping at the Staples Center and sipping a couple Tito’s martinis at L.A.’s Union Station.  XXX – eXtra dirty, eXtra dry, eXtra olives- my trademark drink, perfected in Austin, Texas where I met Tito of Tito’s Vodka fame.

I did have a Waldorf Salad (Am I in NY?) and Diet Coke to get both something healthy and effervescent  in my stomach. Diet Coke and martini’s are a strange combination, but I need the caffeine to offset the sedative effects of alcohol.  Who am I kidding? – I need the caffeine to keep me from taking a nap any afternoon.  The prior night, I enjoyed a Widmer Crystal Gayle beer to tolerate the rainy conditions and  get me in a baseball mood.  “I feel the almost certain need for a beer and hot dog at Dodger Stadium tonight when they host the Padres.”

Here are some other random excerpts that I jotted down, waiting for the shuttle to the stadium:

“As I sat at the Union Station Traxx bar,  I observed the other patrons partaking of a late afternoon drink.  Many aren’t old enough to be retired like me, just taking a break from a frustrating Wednesday or perhaps contemplating a work victory or set-back by checking out early.”

“I won’t say that the day was without hassles. Navigating an unfamiliar city is stressful.  I did some planning but had some reservations on finding my way.  I am definitely direction-ally challenged, so the potential of getting lost was a constant concern.  As it turned out, the Metro is definitely affordable and relatively easy to negotiate.  I even found this shuttle from Union Station to Dodger Stadium, but could not find the L.A. Coliseum and some other sports landmarks that were in the area.  I will join my wife on several other visits to the city going forward, as I learn from my mistakes.”

“I’m not a Dodgers fan, having adopted the Chicago White Sox as my first baseball love.  The Sox lost to the Dodgers in the 1959 World Series.  I was only 8 years old, but it was my first exposure to the game on television.  Sherman Lollar, White Sox catcher, has always been my hero.  I wrote a tribute to him two months ago in in this blog titled, “Who Was that Masked Man?”

“A friend of mine was legendary Dodger Manager, Walter Alston’s nephew.  He got us great seats at Wrigley Field when the Dodgers played the Cubs.  I got to meet him after the game along with several Dodger players.  Also, a friend of mine’s father was Karl Spooner, who was a pitcher with the 1955 World Champion Brooklyn Dodgers.  With these connections in mind, I will enjoy seeing the stadium and watching at least half of the game before finding my way to my wife’s hotel room in Beverly Hills”

As it turned out, I called Uber after the sixth inning and made my way out of the stadium.  It was an eventful evening, the highlight was shaking hands with Tommy Lasorda.  Lasorda actually replaced Walter Alston in 1976 as the Dodgers skipper.  Between the two they won all six of the Dodger World Series Championships; The last was in 1988.  Lasorda also guided the 2000 U.S.A. baseball team to an Olympic Gold Medal in Sydney, Australia.  He was in a wheelchair in the suite area of the stadium, so that’s when I took the opportunity to speak with him.  He’s 89 years old, seemed frail, but still had a spark in his eye.  It’s difficult to see some of your childhood heroes in that state of life.

All these Dodger connections of mine were on that 1955 Dodger Championship team.  Alston was the manager and both Spooner and Lasorda were pitchers.  Alston died in 1984 at age 73, just a year after he was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.  Spooner died the same year at age 52.  There were many pictures of each of them in the museum area of the stadium, as well as a picture of #10 Sherm Lollar, catching against the Dodgers in one of the only World Series games played at the L.A. Coliseum in 1959.  Walter Alston was the Dodgers manager for that World Series victory, as well.   Baseball memories are some of my most treasured.

It was Fernando Valenzuela jersey night at Dodger Stadium so I walked away with some good experiences and a #34 jersey honoring the Dodger pitcher.  He helped Lasorda’s Dodgers win the 1988 World Series, despite not playing in the post-season due to a shoulder injury.  In 1990 he pitched his only no-hitter.  His granddaughter threw out the ceremonial opening pitch.

The next day I did my morning run through Beverly Hills and toured the city on a Hop-On-Hop-Off bus.  I saw most of the major sights and had lunch at In N’ Out Burger (this was an absolute must on my list of things to see and do).  On the Uber ride back to the airport, I finally spotted the L.A. Coliseum.  The Olympic torch over the entrance was burning, so I tried on-line to identify the reason why?  It was recently lit for the 50th Anniversary of the J.F.K. assassination, to salute the L.A. Olympic Committee’s recent bid for the 2024 Olympics, and the opening game for the new L.A. Rams.  I could not find an explanation for its glowing presence on my way out of town – maybe just a way to say Good-Bye?