Summer's lease hath all too short a date

I was reminded of the Bard's words by Harry Eyres in Saturday's FT Weekend, and, while his solution for putting these fleeting days in context involved going to a festival in the Orkney Islands, my way of dealing with the end of summer usually includes attending a baseball game. This month, Heather and I had the pleasure of attending one American League and one National League game, the latter having occured last Thursday evening at Dodger Stadium in Chavez Ravine.



The Dodgers moved to Los Angeles from Brooklyn in 1958. I have always been fascinated by this event, and its accompanying tragedy (if you are from New York) of the Giants moving to San Francisco that same year. The moves were both a reflection of the population shift in the United States in the postwar era and the profit-making concerns of baseball team owners. Anyone who remembers the short-lived television show Brooklyn Bridge may share my regret that this sad episode in New York history was not included, because the show ended with the announcement that the Soviet Union launched Sputnik (which, conicidentally, occured during the 1957 World Series between the New York Yankees and Milwaukee Braves-- quiz: where did the Braves play before moving to the Midwest?).


The view from the parking lot. It is a nice setting, very different from a crowded street corner in Flatbush (Ebbets field was demolished in 1960).

We had really good seats, courtesy of a Travelzoo special.

After the Giants' and Dodgers' departures, the National League expanded and added the New York Mets in 1962. The Mets played at the old Polo Grounds, former home of the Giants. Ah, the good ol' days of non-corporate stadium names! (... Wrigley Field is an exception but gets a pass because it is so old).

Jetsons-era architecture.

Thursday night game in mid-July.

Who's paying attention to the action on the field?

Unlike Detroit a few weeks ago, summer evenings in L.A. are cool.

The stadium's renovation includes this uniform script for all concession stands, signs, and staff shirts. Yet another reason why design-wise California is the Japan of America.

A victory wave! The Dodgers won 2-0.