So, I didn’t catch a baseball.  Stupid Dodger Stadium rules…

I’d been excited for this game for months!  Michelle was coming with me, I’d had the tickets displayed on my desk for a month, I hadn’t seen a baseball game since September 27th, 2008.  The game between Korea and Venezuela was scheduled to start at 6:00pm so, naturally, we were parked and out of the car by 4:00pm.  The Dodger Stadium website had said gates open two hours early and we headed in for a great evening at the ballpark.

Here’s the view as we approached the stadium:
I’m psyched at this point because there’s hardly anyone around…
 
The Field Level gate:
That’s when things went south.  I told Michelle, “Hey, let’s go to the bleachers for batting practice.”  So, we get there and the lady wants to scan my ticket.  I said I was just there to watch BP and she gets really confused.  She asks the security dude next to her if they’re doing batting practice.  He says they are and where’s my ticket and what section should I be in?  I’m like, “Just here to watch BP.”  He says that this is an international event and only seatholders for the bleachers can get in to the bleachers!  WHAT!?!?  By the way, I’ve got a lower reserve ticket… my seats are better than sitting on a plank in the sun.  Why would I try to sneak in to a section in the outfield?  Totally different rules… OK, so update your website, Dodgers.  Gah!  I hate the stupid security rules at Dodger Stadium.  With a shred of hope, after being denied access to the left field bleachers, I go to the Field Level gate and ask a security guy if there is any way to get close to the action for BP… he tells me there is not.  I cry a little inside.

Regardless, Michelle and I head up the steps to the Reserve Level.  We are there two hours before game time and the closest I can get to the field is:
So I ask loudly (in English AND Korean) for a ball… maybe somebody on the Korean team will show off his arm strength and launch a ball up to me… 100 feet away.  Nope, no dice.  Alas, Michelle is a trooper.  We talk about baseball and batting practice wraps up (apparently Venezuela hit before we even got there… they must have started at, like, 3:00pm.  Another thing I HATE about Dodger Stadium:  once you’re inside you’re locked in on your level.  At this point we can’t do anything that’s not on the Reserve Level… there’s not a lot to do.  Other stadiums have exhibits, games, a plethora of food and merchandise options, and other fun stuff.  Stupid Stadium has three merchandise booths, a half a dozen food stands, and that’s it.  I debated buying a ticket for the Final specifically for the bleacher seats just for BP (I already have my same Lower Reserve seats) and I checked–$55–for outfield bleacher seats.  Now, here’s the main problem with the WBC.  Cost.  Nobody wants to pay 55 bucks to sit in the outfield and watch players they don’t know.  Bum Ho Lee is good, but nobody who doesn’t follow the Korean National Baseball Team cares.

Anywho, Michelle and I checked out some TV/media reporting areas, walked around the whole level, I ran up to the highest and farthest seat from home plate (in Section 58).

Some photos of our mini-adventure: on the left, some decoration for the tournament, on the right, the THINK BLUE sign as seen from waaayy up in the stands.

Pregame ceremonies:

I also found a shirt that had been given away supporting Team Korea. 
Michelle and I had determined that she’d root for VEN and I’d root for
KOR so I kept my free souvenir.
Then we listened to all three national
anthems, grabbed a Dodger Dog (which was good!) and some pretzels and
water and sat down to enjoy the game.

The Koreans scored in the first… five runs.  It didn’t help that Bobby Abreu (new Angel) dropped a fly ball.  Carlos Silva lasted less than two innings and Korea was up 7-0 in the third.  It didn’t get any closer than that.  You know what was awesome?  The energy level around us in our seats.  I’d say that about 3/4 of the crowd was rooting for Korea and they had thundersticks, flags, face paint, drums, trash bags… I don’t know what the trash bags were for… but they were blue and they made noise apparently.  Here are some of my favorite pics of the crowd:

MLB.com said there were over 43,000 people at the game… it didn’t seem like it.  Anyway, it got a bit cold and Michelle and I bundled up as best we could.  We stayed until the last out (like always) and it was cool to see the Korean team acknowledge all their fans before they headed off into the dugout.  Man, they’re a good team.  They pitch well, they play good defense, and they hit the long ball.  It will be interesting to see who makes it to the Final… I’ll post again in a few days!