I totally went to the Dodger game last night.  We had decent seats, we were at field level down the right field line.  Anytime you sit at field level it’s a completely different experience, but the biggest difference I noticed wasn’t about where we were sitting.  It was the first time I’d been to Dodger Stadium in about 3 years, and I’ve been to Angel games in Anaheim several times in that span.  What a difference it is being in Dodger Stadium compared to Anaheim, or any other stadium for that matter.  I always enjoy going to Angel games, don’t get me wrong, but it’s a completely different atmosphere at Dodger Stadium, partly because of the stadium and the history there, and partly just because of the fans.  Other stadiums, especially the newer ones, have all these frills like swimming pools and waterfalls and crap.  Dodger stadium is simply a baseball stadium though, and I mean that in a good way.  People come to Dodger games to watch a baseball game and cheer for their team together, kinda like a big party.  It’s hard to explain, but people are just so much more into it in L.A.  It helped that Furcal led off with a homer, and later Blake DeWitt and Matt Kemp did the same, with DeWitt’s being the first of his career, and the Dodgers wound up winning 5-1.  But I think my favorite thing that I saw was this huge fat mexican guy who was wearing a big sombrero and a shirt that looked just like a Dodger shirt as far as coloring and lettering and everything, only instead of saying “Dodgers” across the front it said, and I quote, “Los Doyers”.  Good stuff.  I’m so glad I was fortunate enough to have been introduced to the Dodgers at an early age, to have Dodger Blue in my blood.  It’s hard to explain to an Angel or Padre fan what they are missing or what the difference is, you just have to be one to understand.  I liken it to someone who grew up not celebrating Christmas.  No matter how you explain it, you can’t put the magic into words.  At Christmas, you get some presents and hang out with your family, right?  But it feels like more than that, and you just have to be there to understand it.  Same with a Dodger game, or being a fan in general, the product is way more than just the sum of the parts.  Sorry Barry, Dave, Don, Justin, and all you other schmoes who grew up rooting for the Angels or Padres.  I feel bad for you guys, for you’ll never truly understand what it’s like to be a Dodger fan, or to have a sister-in-law with a deal on her neck, for that matter.