Latino attendance at Dodger Stadium "seems to stand apart" from that of other MLB ballparks, according to David Waldstein of the N.Y. TIMES. Longtime Dodgers Spanish-language radio announcer Jaime Jarrin "believes" 45% of all Dodger Stadium attendees are Latino. Jarrin: "It is the most of any park. ... But we have also seen many Japanese people and Korean people here, too." Waldstein notes much of the "available evidence about the diversity at Dodger Stadium is anecdotal." Dodgers President & CEO Stan Kasten said that he had "no statistical data regarding the ethnic composition of the fans at Dodger Stadium." But he added that the team "cherished that its fan base was noticeably diverse." Waldstein writes when the Dodgers brought Baseball HOFer Jackie Robinson to MLB in '47, many African-American fans were "drawn to the team." There is also the "legacy" of former MLBer Fernando Valenzuela. Jarrin said, "People who were into soccer and boxing, they became big baseball fans because of Fernando. Many of them still love the Dodgers." In '94, P Chan Ho Park became the first player from South Korea to join MLB, and he "tapped into the large Korean-American community" in L.A. The next year, Japanese P Hideo Nomo "became such an instant sensation" that fans from Japan would come to L.A. just to see him pitch. The Dodgers "currently have two Japanese players on their playoff roster." There are also "two players from Cuba; one from Puerto Rico" and one from South Korea (N.Y. TIMES, 10/26).
STAY THIRSTY: USA TODAY's A.J. Perez notes the Dodgers sell a "century-old drink from Mexico that has a loyal following at Dodger Stadium" called the Michelada, which is "referred to by some as the Mexican Bloody Mary." The total cost "runs at least $21 for the Micheladas sold at nearly 20 locations" throughout the ballpark. The Michelada, which has been sold at Dodger Stadium for several seasons, is "another nod to the Hispanic community that was once leery of supporting the team" (USA TODAY, 10/26).
