By: Cassidy Reyna
The Los Angeles Dodgers have always had a special place in the hearts of Angelenos.
The Dodgers made the city proud by winning the World Series after 32 years. Over the last four years, Dodger fans have been heartbroken and frustrated with the outcomes from the playoffs and World Series games.
Now, the Dodgers came back and redeemed themselves.
Los Angeles Dodger fans are very passionate and have stood by the team all these years. In East Los Angeles the pride for the Dodgers is strong.
Many Los Angeles locals have been by the Dodgers’ side all these years and are proud of their “boys in blue.”
Jean Carlos Ruiz is a student at East Los Angeles College and has always been inspired by the Los Angeles Dodgers.
“The Dodgers have always been here for us, they’re like real-life superheroes.
“The boys in blue, as they’re also known, always give back to their community with donations, fundraisers, sponsoring our local park fields and much more.
“The Dodgers make us citizens proud each and every day with their hard work and representing Los Angeles wherever they go,” said Ruiz.
Ruiz also said that when he was younger he hoped he could represent Los Angeles just like the Dodgers. He hoped to be lucky enough to be a part of the Dodger(s) organization one day.
Claudia Palos is also a student at East Los Angeles College. She is a mother of two and keeps the Dodger pride within the family.
“Watching the Dodgers win the World Series was a dream come true. As a kid, Dodgers were everything. I remember playing baseball with my cousins and pretending to be specific players such as Fernando Valenzuela, Orel Hershiser, and Mike Piazza. When I was six, the Dodgers had won the World Series as well, but I don’t remember it,” said Palos.
When Palos recently saw the Dodgers win the World Series, it gave her a sense of hope.
With the chaos of this year, seeing the Dodgers win with her children gave her peace of mind that despite the negativity of this year that things would be okay.
Stephanie Vargas is the assistant art director and assistant CampUs director at After-School All-Stars, Los Angeles. Vargas has been a Dodger fan for as long as she could remember.
Living in East Los Angeles all her life, she has been surrounded by love for the Dodgers, especially through her father.
“The Los Angeles Dodgers have made a huge impact in our family that as we won, lost and now won again.
It’s unbelievable to think that after so many years, this day has come again.
“The Dodgers aren’t just a team to us. It isn’t about the gear, it’s about the countless hours spent watching games on the edge of our seats, the priceless family gatherings and the countless Dodger dogs, peanuts and Crackers Jacks. The song ‘Take Me Out to the Ballgame’ is forever embedded in my head as it reminds me of how important family is,” said Vargas.
Vargas remembers how her father aspired to be a baseball player and possibly play for the Dodgers.
However, due to a medical condition was never able to play.
He continued to live vicariously through his family members who played for fun and through the Dodgers and their games.
The Los Angeles Dodgers mean a lot to Vargas and in ways brought her family together.
Monica Salinas, the CAPA guidance counselor at James Abram Garfield High School, did not give up on the Dodgers. Salinas said how she understands the saying
“We bleed blue” as it came down to waiting 32 years to see the Dodgers win the World Series.
“As a young child, my family and I lived two blocks from the stadium, in what was once called the Chavez Ravine.
“Listening to the roars of the crowd when Fernando Valenzuela pitched is a memory I will never forget.
“He made the Hispanic community feel proud to be Dodger fans and brought the city together in the name of baseball,” said Salinas.
Salinas also said she felt as though it was finally the Dodgers’ time to shine in the World Series.
Cedrick Wallace is one of the deans at James Abram Garfield High School and was in awe to see how connected the city of Los Angeles was when it came to how connected the citizens came to be when the Dodgers won the World Series.
Wallace also believes that the passing of Kobe Bryant had a major impact on the performance of all teams in the sports community and the impact it caused in the sports community, which powered each team to do it for Bryant’s legacy.
“The championship run by both the Lakers and the Dodgers were obviously, in part, inspired by the late Kobe as both teams brought that mamba mentality to the forefront and used it to reach the finish line.
“Immediately following the Lakers championship win that old feeling of togetherness and happiness that we all felt in the early 2000s was evident. With the Dodgers winning after enduring all they have, as a fan, I was overwhelmed with a long coming sense of relief.
“A relief that if we remain hopeful in unity we can eventually win the fight together,” said Wallace. Wallace also said he was devastated after the passing of Bryant.
However, seeing how both the Dodgers and the Lakers made Los Angeles proud, Wallace was nothing but joyful.
The Los Angeles Dodgers have played a huge part in the lives of Los Angeles citizens. The journey to the recent victory has been a roller coaster ride of emotions.
Agreeing to disagree with the politics of MLB and finding different ways to view the sport be it on television or on our phone screens, Los Angeles has and always will be proud of their “Boys in Blue” and will forever show that well-known Dodger pride.