NOTE: This musing also appears today on our sister site, Leblanguage. Please visit it regularly for musings on media, sports, politics and life.
Last night, the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres closed out a crucial four-game series with a tense, emotion-filled game that got emotional early and escalated throughout. MLB.com’s Dodger beat writers AJ Cassavell and Sonya Chen have a great recap of what went down last night and during the first three games–all dramatic Dodger wins–that resulted in the chaotic ninth inning that ended without the Padres closer or either team’s manager in the game, and the Dodgers falling a timely hit or two short of pulling off an improbable comeback.
But a significant number of Dodger fans were more concerned with confrontations that took place outside the stadium earlier in the day. THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER’s Bill Plunkett described what went down:
Federal agents were denied access to Dodger Stadium on Thursday morning. Video shows as many as 20 vehicles approaching Gate A at the stadium and being turned around by the security guard there. The same thing was repeated at Gate E.
It is unclear whether the agents were affiliated with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or Border Patrol — or a combination. Both are under the control of the Department of Homeland Security.
News cameras showed some of the vehicles parked outside the stadium entrance for some time before being escorted away around noon by Los Angeles police as protesters arrived at the site.
The Dodgers acknowledged the incident in a statement, saying “ICE agents came to Dodger Stadium and requested permission to access the parking lots. They were denied entry to the grounds by the organization. Tonight’s game will be played as scheduled.”
That acknowledgment was all the Dodgers were legally required to do. They defended their private property and rights, much as those who are being unjustly targeted by these overzealotic vigilantes are doing lately, especially in the wake of the targeted hissyfit these agencies’ man-baby bosses is throwing toward cities which got better turnouts last weekend for their neighborhood pep rallies–a.k.a. “No Kings”–that the birthday jubilee with creaking tanks and half-empty bleachers that one of them threw for himself using–as he has for the entirety of his eight decades on Earth–other people’s money to do so.
But for a lot of folks who showed up later as the crowd–which was arguably a lot larger than any assembly from Saturday including that “military parade”–was trying to file into the stadium, they wanted a much more significant response, as Plunkett continued:
Dozens of protesters stood in front of the Dodger Stadium sign as fans began lining up for Thursday’s game. Singer-songwriter Amanda Carrera stood across the street from Dodger Stadium holding a sign that read, “Proud to be a Latina.” Although the Dodgers blocked federal agents from entering the stadium in the morning, many fans feel the Dodgers can do more.
“As much as I love my Dodgers, I love my people more,” Carrera said. “For the Dodgers to be quiet up until this point is very disappointing. … It’s heartbreaking to know that the team you love doesn’t love you back,” Carrera said. She plans to boycott the Dodgers by not attending any games or buying any merchandise.
It was a scene reminiscent of what went down two Junes ago to the week, when those Dodger Stadium side roads were cluttered with protesters who felt the Dodgers needed to take a more significant stand on an issue that to them was also a line in the sand. A month earlier, the team initially bowed to pressure being mounted by then merely Florida senator Marco Rubio to rescind an invitation to a polarizing group that was tapped to receive an award. NBC NEWS’ and
The Los Angeles Dodgers reversed course and reinvited a group known for its queer and drag membership to its Pride Night event after it faced blowback over its last-minute exclusion. The team announced the move Monday, saying the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence has agreed to appear at the event June 16 at Dodger Stadium during a game against San Francisco. “The Los Angeles Dodgers would like to offer our sincerest apologies to the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, members of the LGBTQ+ community and their friends and families,” the team said.
But as FOX NEWS’ Chantz Martin reported , how it eventually played out was met with a similar level of “you need to do more” as what we saw last night:
More than an hour before the Dodgers game started on Friday night, there was a strong police presence inside and outside the stadium.
The response from law enforcement came after several weeks of outrage leading up to the team’s 10th annual Pride Night at Dodger Stadium. The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence receive a Community Hero Award well before the first pitch of the game was thrown, and long before most of the fans made it to their seats.
The people who did make it inside the stadium in time to witness the pre-game ceremony seemed to have a mixed reaction to the satirical LGBTQ+. But, some of the attendees appeared to applaud as members of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence waved when they were announced to the small crowd.
The Dodgers made good on their word to provide an opportunity for the organization to receive the award and public acknowledgement that they earned. Still, that didn’t pacify a significant number of fans who felt ignored and marginalized.
The Dodgers have also been previously drawn into controversies involving who they choose to employ despite how the legal system and Major League Baseball had already dealt with the issue. MLB. com’s Juan Toribio wrote how the team responded to some off-season news about a once-significant part of their starting staff:
The Dodgers announced on Thursday that they have unconditionally released right-handed pitcher Trevor Bauer, who recently finished serving a 194-game suspension for violating the MLB-MLBPA Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy. Independent arbitrator Martin F. Scheinman affirmed that Bauer violated the domestic violence policy while cutting Bauer’s suspension from 324 games to 194 games on Dec. 22. That reduction made Bauer eligible for immediate reinstatement since he had already missed 243 games between his time on administrative leave and the 144 games he served under suspension in 2022.
Bauer was never found guilty of any criminal charges, as Toribio reminded. There was wide support for the move at the time. But as the 2023 season unfolded and the Dodgers’ vaunted pitching staff suffered injury after injury and as those expected to step up in the post-season once again failed at the worst possible time, losing three consecutive first-round playoff games to the Arizona Diamondbacks, there were literally thousands of social media posts supporting a reaching out to Bauer.
I honestly wonder how many of those who were up in arms last night were at least liking those posts if not writing them themselves.
Please do not miscontrue my views as supportive of anything that is remotely supportive of the games that DHC and their fake-hair MILF-in-chief are playing, nor the tone-deaf “responses” they are putting out as rebuttals to the Dodgers’ statement. As YAHOO! Sports’ Chris Cwik and Jack Baer reported, it’s yet again straight out of the Roy Cohn playbook:
(T)he U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s X account responded to the Dodgers’ post by claiming that Customs and Border Protection vehicles were in the stadium parking lot “very briefly, unrelated to any operation or enforcement.” An ICE spokesperson also told the Huffington Post that none of its agents were at Dodger Stadium and that they never tried to gain access, contrary to the Dodgers’ claims. Despite what the DHS said, the Times reports that two of the vehicles at Dodger Stadium were also seen at a raid at a Home Depot in Hollywood earlier in the day. An agent also allegedly told a community member they were there to process people they had detained.
Throw in the fact that there are credible reports from boots-on-the-ground folks I know (since I do happen to spend more time at Home Depots these days than even Dodgers games) that some of these masked “agents” are Proud Boys in cosplay, playing freelance Bounty Hunters for $1500 a head, and that’s enough to get anyone rankled.
But right now, that’s something that’s being played out amidst lawsuits between warring government factions. And sorry to say, as late as last night the Schmuck-In-Chief won yet another round in that End Times battle. And I hate to remind you: those that are cheering that decision buy a lot of tickets and merch of their own, even if it’s far less likely to have “Los Doyers” emblazoned on it.
The Dodgers’ principal owner just plunked down $10 bil to add the Lakers to his company’s portfolio. He didn’t get to such a point by choosing sides in a battle he’s not fighting.
And for any who wish to make the moral argument, let me take you back to the autumn of 1969, when the Mets were playing host to the Baltimore Orioles in their first-ever World Series. Game 4 just happened to fall on what was being billed as “Moratorium Day”. As the website VIETNAM: THE ART OF WAR tells it:
In New York City, the day… included controversy as Mayor John Lindsay wanted the US flag to be flown at half-mast. However, Baseball Commissioner Bowie Kuhn overruled the mayor and ordered the flag to be flown at full mast. Also, Mets Game 4 starter Tom Seaver had his face depicted on some anti-Moratorium Day literature distributed before the game. Seaver claimed that his picture was used without his knowledge or approval. President Nixon continued to work from the White House without comment as thousands marched around him in Washington.
The event was a clear success, with millions participating throughout the world. Boston was the site of the largest turnout; roughly 100,000 attended a speech by anti-war Senator George McGovern. Future US President Bill Clinton, then a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford, organized and participated in the demonstration in England, which later became an issue in his Presidential campaign.
Hmmm–a political rally that had actual elected officials speaking before actual six-figure crowds. On a Wednesday, no less. Now you know why I’ve been so hard on those thinking No Kings was so revolutionary.
But all baseball did–despite having an elected official urging them to take a more significant stand–was play the game. And all Seaver ultimately did that day was merely pitch ten brilliant innings and led his team to a 2-1 win that gave them a commanding 3-1 lead in what turned out to be their a World Championship season.
The Dodgers are taking particular heat for having these events put a damper on what was expected to be a day where they were going to announce a more pronounced response. As Plunkett reported, there was a change in plans:
“Because of the events earlier today, we continue to work with groups that were involved with our programs but we are going to have to delay today’s announcement while we firm up some more details,” team president Stan Kasten said. “We’ll get back to you soon with the timing.”
And that’s all they SHOULD have to say. If an individual feels compelled enough to speak out about it–as Seaver apparently did at some point despite his image and likeness being usurped–that’s their right. These days, social media accomplishes with even greater impact what pamphlets once did. So far. only one player of note has felt impassioned enough to do so, again per Plunkett:
Popular utilityman Kiké Hernandez has been the only Dodger player willing to comment on the situation. He posted this on Instagram: “I may not be Born & Raised, but this city adopted me as one of their own. I am saddened and infuriated by what’s happening in our country and our city. Los Angeles and Dodger fans have welcomed me, supported me and shown me nothing but kindness and love. This is my second home. And I cannot stand to see our community being violated, profiled, abused and ripped apart. ALL people deserve to be treated with respect, dignity and human rights. #CityOfImmigrants.”
In what could have been a storybook ending, had the batter who ultimately struck out to end last night’s ninth inning rally, rookie catcher Dalton Rushing, reached base, the Dodgers could have been in a position where an extra-base hit could have completed the comeback. The next player due up after Rushing? Yeppers, Kiki Hernandez.
Do you suppose that fans who support DHS’ “efforts” would have rooted for Hernandez to fail in such a situation? I, for one, doubt that seriously.
So I sure hope the likes of Carrera get a similar grip on themselves and stop expecting a private business enterprise to fight their battles for them, and especially stop threatening the team with boycotts. They’ll do more than fine without you, assuming you’re actually so dug in that you’d even do that.
I saw the size and enthusiasm of this year’s Pride Night crowd. The only thing that ruined it for them was the Dodgers’ failure to hit All-Star candidate Logan Webb in an 8-2 loss. And I saw a whole buncha merch with both Dodger and Pride identifiers all over them.
If the Dodgers do take eventually take a more pronounced stand, yahoo. If they don’t, try and grasp the reality that these are exceptionally polarizing and difficult times and your point of view isn’t the majority, even if you can argue it’s a plurality. The color that matters most here is not brown, or green. It’s blue.
Until next time…