LOS ANGELES − It wasn’t a domestic season-opener Thursday at Dodger Stadium, it was a Hollywood premiere.
The Los Angeles Dodgers’ home opener against the Detroit Tigers, culminating with a 5-4 victory, belonged on the big screen, not on a grass field in front of a frenzied sold-out crowd of 53,595.
There was Shohei Ohtani homering for the second time this season, with Hollywood stars Tom Hanks, Mary Hart and Rob Lowe celebrating as if they just won an Oscar.
There was Teoscar Hernandez with the biggest hit of the game, a go-ahead 3-run homer, making manager Dave Roberts look like a genius for putting him third in the batting order.
There were the Dodgers winning once again, baseball’s only 3-0 team, with visions of winning more regular-season games than any team in history.
And once again, there was Randy Newman’s “I Love L.A.,’’ blaring into the night as fans headed for the exits.
When the night was over, all the Dodgers could talk about was their spectacular pre-game ceremony, making the game almost anticlimactic.
“It was amazing,’’ Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy told USA TODAY Sports. “It just gives you chills kind of seeing everything and seeing the trophy back on the field. It’s just really cool. They went above and beyond.
“But it’s kind of what you’ve come to expect out of this city, out of this organization, and that’s a good thing.’’
The party began with fans driving early in the morning to grab a close parking spot, walking briskly into the ballpark, and three hours before game-time, the gift shops were jammed, the concession stands were long, and everybody was buying everything they could find with the Dodgers’ name on everything from uniforms to shot glasses to hats.
Why, even Dodgers CEO Stan Kasten was parading around with an eight-time World Series championship leather jacket in the clubhouse and on the field, reminding everyone that they’re available for $300 in Dodger souvenir stores.
The continuation of the World Series celebration began at 6:34 p.m. ET when the Dodgers, wearing gold trim on their white uniforms and gold numbers on the back, strolled out through the center-field gate. They were accompanied by blue pyrotechnics and white smoke machines, and skipped along the blue carpet on the field as the crowd screamed louder and louder.
They lined up along the third-base line, when everyone was instructed to look at the scoreboard. There was a video of rapper Ice Cube driving a dark blue Chevy Bel-Air convertible with the World Series trophy in the passenger’s seat. The center-field gate opened, and there he was live, driving along the warning track and parking in front of the Dodgers dugout where he walked out and handed it to Magic Johnson, who took it to home plate.
The Dodgers weren’t done. They wanted to commemorate Freddie Freeman’s historic walk-off grand slam in Game 1 of the World Series against the New York Yankees, so they brought the entire Freeman family out on the field with his wife, kids, dad and stepmom. Freeman’s father, Fred, was handed the mic, who said, “I’m living the Dad’s perfect dream.’’
Dodgers broadcaster Joe Davis reminded everyone that Freeman’s homer was so eerily reminiscent of Kirk Gibson’s 1988 home run in Game 1 of the World Series against Oakland that he felt it was time the two should get together on the field.
“Gibby, meet Freddie,” said Davis, a reversal of his Game 1 call last year when he said, “Freddie, meet Gibby.”
Out came Gibson, who also led the Detroit Tigers to the 1984 World Series title, and the crowd roared. He walked onto the field to shake Freeman’s hand, took pictures, and stepped to the mound to throw the ceremonial first pitch, with Freeman catching it, of course.
Now, it was time for the unveiling of the World Series banner, with the Dodgers’ ownership group huddled in the center-field pavilion, and with Johnson and tennis legend Billie Jean King tugging on the rope, hoisted the banner high into the air next the American flag. The 2024 World Series plaque was then unveiled in the right-field corner by captains of the Los Angeles and Pasadena fire departments.
The teams lined up for the national anthem, sung by Josh Groban, followed by a flyover with four jets, two F-15Cs and two F-35 Lightning fighter jets, and then Ice Cube grabbing the mic and announcing, “It’s time for Dodger baseball.’’
“I thought the ceremony was fantastic,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said, “a beautiful day, acknowledging what we accomplished in 2024. I thought the fans were really into it. The presentation with Freddie meeting Gibby, I thought Gibby throwing out the first pitch was fantastic.
“Every day is special in its own right, but having these gold hats and uniforms, we nailed it.”
The game was a thriller, too, but paled in comparison to the pre-game festivities, even with two-time Cy Young award winner Blake Snell making his Dodgers debut against reigning AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal. Snell gave up nine baserunners in just five innings, but the Tigers couldn’t capitalize, going 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position off Snell, and 0-for-15 in the game.
“I’m excited to get that one out of the way,’’ Snell said. “They’re a scrappy team.’’
Snell would have loved to catch the pre-game ceremony, but he figures he’ll watch the replay, and would trade off missing Thursday’s ceremony for Friday’s ring presentation any day.
“I can’t wait for that,’’ said Snell, even though he won’t be getting a ring since he pitched last season for the San Francisco Giants. “I’m just excited to see what they look like.’’
Meanwhile, the decision of the day belonged to Roberts when he decided to bat Hernandez third in the lineup, dropping Freeman, a left-handed hitter, to the cleanup spot with left-handed Skubal on the mound.
“There’s a Teoscar tax to get to Freddie a third time,’’ Roberts said before game. “It makes it tougher for a pitcher and manager to navigate though our lineup with Freddie facing a lefty.’’
So what happens?
Hernandez, with two men and two outs and the Dodgers trailing 2-1, belted Skubal’s 96-mph fastball into the center-field seats for a 3-run homer, a lead the Dodgers never surrendered.
“Obviously, I put the best show that I can give to the fans,’’ Hernandez said, “so they can enjoy the game.’’
Next up, the World Series ring ceremony Friday. They’ll be facing Tigers starter Jack Flaherty, who just so happened to help them win that ring, and will get his ring Saturday.
Besides infielder/outfielder Enrique Hernandez feeling sick and unable to even come to the game, the only glitch of the Dodgers’ day came in the early afternoon when Ohtani entered the Dodgers’ glitzy new two-level clubhouse, which looks more like a bar “W’’ with its lighting than a baseball locker room. Ohtani, one of the last to arrive, quickly dressed, but he couldn’t find his uniform belt. He summoned a clubhouse attendant. He searched the three enclaves in Ohtani’s locker. He looked into the bottom four drawers in Ohtani’s locker. Still nothing. Finally, he stood on his tip-toes, reached into the space high above Ohtani’s locker, and pulled out his duffel bag.
Ohtani and the attendant fumbled through the bag, and finally, there it was, the shiny new blue belt.
The show could go on, and, yes, Ohtani was wearing the same belt when he smacked a home run into left field, with everyone going home happy and believing this could be yet another season to remember.
“This was technically not the opening series for us so I was able to play the game the way I wanted to,’’ Ohtani said. “But with that being said though, playing in front of these fans, and this circumstance, it does make want to motivate myself to win another championship.’’
In the words of Roberts, “We want to run it back.’’
Again and again and again.
“There’s a lot of excitement with our fanbase,’’ Roberts said, “and our players can feel it.’’
Three down, 159 more games, and the month of October to go.
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