Red Sox-Dodgers Exhibition At L.A. Coliseum Draws Record Crowd

Red Sox-Dodgers Exhibition At Memorial Coliseum Draws Record Crowd Of 115,300

To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Dodgers' arrival in L.A., 115,300 fans Saturday “squeezed into every corner” of L.A. Memorial Coliseum to watch a Red Sox-Dodgers exhibition game, according to Pringle & Bloomekatz of the L.A. TIMES. Nostalgia “ruled, but the charity event also was part logistical nightmare -- some of the parking, shuttle and hot dog queues were epic -- and part national pastime freak show." More than 23,000 extra tickets were sold for "bench-style seating beneath the peristyle and a standing-room area behind the right-field fence, a sort of baseball mosh pit." The event raised more than $1M for the Dodgers' charity, ThinkCure (L.A. TIMES, 3/30). The crowd was the "largest in baseball history." But the field was so small the Dodgers only used two outfielders (L.A. TIMES, 3/30). In Boston, Tony Massarotti wrote the "scene on the streets outside the Coliseum was that of a North End festival. Inside, it felt more like the Fourth of July congregation at the Esplanade" (BOSTON HERALD, 3/30). In California, Jim Alexander wrote, "It is truly amazing that what was essentially a novelty game ... could have captured people's imaginations the way it did" (Riverside PRESS-ENTERPRISE, 3/30). Time Warner Cable served as the title sponsor of the event, and the Dodgers received financial support from 15 corporate sponsors (Dodgers).

SQUEEZE PLAY: Red Sox DH David Ortiz said of the Coliseum, "We gonna play here? No way." In Boston, Dan Shaughnessy wrote the Coliseum "really had the feel of backyard Wiffle ball" (BOSTON GLOBE, 3/30). In Providence, Sean McAdam wrote, "It was like a full-blown production." Red Sox manager Terry Francona: "I'd say it's more of an event than an exhibition game" (PROVIDENCE JOURNAL, 3/30). In L.A., Bill Shaikin wrote that the game "counted for nothing, except a glorious start to the [Dodgers'] summer celebration of 50 years" in L.A. Dodgers Owner Frank McCourt: "It's bringing the spirit of the Dodgers alive again. This is the awakening of a sleeping giant. This is Dodgertown" (L.A. TIMES, 3/30).