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USA Today
28-03-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Dodgers raise World Series banner, then Shohei Ohtani homers in home opener in Los Angeles
Dodgers raise World Series banner, then Shohei Ohtani homers in home opener in Los Angeles Show Caption Hide Caption With the Dodgers favored to repeat, is the MLB becoming too top-heavy? Bob Nightengale and Gabe Lacques discuss whether or not the MLB is lacking parity and could be facing a potential problem in the future. Sports Seriously LOS ANGELES − It wasn't a domestic season-opener Thursday at Dodger Stadium, it was a Hollywood premiere. The Los Angeles Dodgers' homer 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 sellout 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 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 anti-climatic. '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 sellout 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.' Gibby, meet Freddie! Kirk Gibson throws out the first pitch to Freddie Freeman prior to the @Dodgers game. #OpeningDay — MLB (@MLB) March 27, 2025 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 Billy 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-moh 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 Dodger' 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. Follow Nightengale on X: @Bnightengale
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Hidden Away For Decades, 1955 Chevy Bel Air Racer Looking At Restoration
⚡️ Read the full article on Motorious The 1950s were an incredible time for the automotive and drag racing communities to emphasize insanely powerful and unique race cars. Of course, the steel-bodied masterpieces of that era became instantly iconic due to the owners' ability to modify the exterior to fit their personality exactly. Under the hood were some of America's most significant engines, which pushed out massive amounts of horsepower and torque. This meant that straight-line speed was the main focus for most American automotive enthusiasts in that period. Without a doubt, these cars did their job exceptionally well and have gained an insane reputation and following from the older car crowd. Watch a Gasser race a new Supra here. This car is a perfect example of that intense image, a 1955 Chevrolet Gasser! While the vehicle may not look like much of anything in its current state of not having a drivetrain of most of the front half of the car, it was an incredible racer in its prime. After sitting in the woods for an unknown amount of time, the car was finally purchased and transferred to an indoor storage facility for decades. The car's creator was a man named Tommy Clayton, who initially slapped together a 301 ci Chevy small-block which was paired to a three-speed transmission. While the transmission may have been an odd choice for the time due to the popularity of the four-speed manual, the combination worked very well as the car was known at the local tracks as a great performer. Unfortunately, the car was met with tragedy at Harriman Drag Strip when the clutch exploded, destroying most internals. The racer salvaged what he could and put it all into a Chevy Bel-Air, which would use a four-speed transmission and received the name "Phantom." Nowadays, the car is looking down the barrel of a massive restoration project ahead of the current owner. In contrast, it may seem nearly impossible due to its current lack of engine, transmission, and many of the necessary working parts, as well as a ridiculous amount of rust. Nevertheless, he has already made good progress and has big plans for this piece of American automotive history.
