Happy 50th Anniversary Los Angeles Dodgers

Oh, and happy 20th anniversary since the last World Series.

Don’t get me wrong, the past 49 years really have been fun. Or at least most of the last 34 years that I can speak of. Making the trip from wherever I am calling home to beautiful Chavez Ravine has never failed to show me a good time. I can say that I was a part of some truly magical baseball moments. There was Kirk Gibson’s miraculous homerun in the ’88 World Series. There was the unbelievable four consecutive homeruns the Dodgers hit in the ninth inning to tie the game and eventually win it in extra innings two years ago. There was the three hit shutout that Jose Lima threw against the eventual champs, the St. Louis Cardinals, for the first post season win since 1988 (a truly magical scene). And how can we forget Fernando-mania. These are memory’s I will never forget. And I am sure there will be more. But here we are at our 20th year from the last World Series, and they have one (1) playoff win since. That is unacceptable. Heck, the Florida Marlins have somehow found a way to win two World Series titles and it seems like every other year they are trying to lose.

The hiatus from the World Series has not kept me from the ole ball park though, as I will undoubtedly continue to make the trip as long as they stay competitive. There is no doubt, however, that I am getting a little anxious.

The thing for me, and most Dodger fans, is that even if they stay mediocre or a little above average, I am still going to show up and cheer them on. But that’s just it. Just good enough to be competitive seems to be enough for us Dodger fans. We have shown up in droves each year in hopes of a significant run, just to see it end in disappointment. The Dodgers have been second to the Yankees in attendance for the past four years. In that time the Yankees have 10 postseason wins. The Dodgers have one. The Dodgers are always among the top revenue generators. Yet they haven’t been able to land any of the marquee free agents. That translates into 19 years of baseball without even coming close to the World Series. So, if you want to talk about the bottom line as a business, then the Dodgers are successful. But if you want to talk about the bottom line as a premier baseball team, they are not. They should be both.

I know this is not at the level of the old Red Sox or current Cubs slumps where a curse had to be blamed, but this is L.A. and 20 years is a long time. So, as one of the biggest markets in the league with a city full of loyal fans, I think we deserve more.