From Gibby to Freddie, a perfect Opening Day in L.A.
The Sporting Tribune's Arash Markazi writes the Dodgers hit the right note with their Opening Day celebration which included a first pitch between World Series heroes Kirk Gibson and Freddie Freeman.
Good morning and welcome to The Morning Column at The Sporting Tribune. It’s the first of our weekday 6@6 series, where you can catch The Morning Column, Arash Markazi’s daily notebook, at 6 a.m. PT, and then watch and listen to The Sporting Tribune Today at 6 p.m. PT on X. The show, which is hosted by Arash Markazi and Grant Mona, will hit on the top stories of the day and will also air on KIRN 670 AM in Southern California, 98.5 The Bet in Las Vegas and The Hawaii Sports Radio Network 95.1 FM and 760 AM in Hawaii.
LOS ANGELES – Six thoughts for Friday:
1. I don’t think the Dodgers could have had a better home opener than the one that played out on Thursday at Dodger Stadium. Every moment hit the right note. From the Dodgers’ players walking onto the field from a blue carpet in the outfield and Ice Cube driving the World Series trophy onto the field in a blue 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air to the 2024 World Series plaque being unveiled in the right-field corner by captains of the Los Angeles and Pasadena fire departments to 1988 World Series Game 1 hero Kirk Gibson throwing out the first pitch to 2024 World Series Game 1 hero Freddie Freeman, it was perfect. Just perfect.
The only part of the day the Dodgers couldn’t script was the game and that went off as planned as well with the team’s new $182 million pitcher Blake Snell getting the win powered by home runs from 2024 NL MVP Shohei Ohtani, 2024 Home Run Derby Champion Teoscar Hernandez and 2024 NLCS MVP Tommy Edman. It was a perfect celebration of last year as the team finally turns the page on a magical 2024 season and focuses on this season. Well, except for one small thing.
2. The one thing missing from the Dodgers’ home opening celebration was a ring ceremony. That’s because the team wanted to spread the celebration across two days and give two sold out crowds at Dodger Stadium the chance to celebrate the team’s 2024 World Series. So, while the team raised the World Series flag and unveiled the banner on Thursday, the team will finally get their World Series rings on Friday.
“I like it,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told me when I asked him the thought process behind spreading the celebration across two days. “I think it gives the fans an opportunity to have something unique and special for two days in a row. Where it’s usually all encompassing on one day, Opening Day, which is special, now the fans that aren’t here today can come tomorrow and get something unique as well. It’s great what the Dodgers did to allow for the fans to get a couple of unique experiences.”
When Roberts and the players get their World Series rings on Friday, it will be the first time they see what it looks like. “I have not seen them,” Roberts said. “They’ve been under wraps.”
3. The Dodgers are doing their best to carry over anything that may have become a tradition last year during the team’s World Series-winning season and Ohtani’s record-breaking season. The first was playing Opening Day overseas, the second was Josh Groban singing the National Anthem before the homer opener as he did on Thursday, and the third was offering a $6 Panda Plate from Panda Express after every Dodgers home win.
The deal had become a fan favorite last season and the team and the fast-food chain, which was founded in Glendale, Calif. in 1983, announced they would be bringing it back this season. I talked to a Panda Express representative and the deal is not only available in Los Angeles County this season but at other select Panda Express locations in Southern California, Las Vegas and Hawaii, which is not only the coverage area of The Sporting Tribune but the broadcast area of Spectrum SportsNet LA, the broadcast home of the Dodgers. To take advantage of the offer and see if it is available near you, just download the Panda Express app, select the "Plate Meal (2 Entree + 1 Side)" for $6 when you login to your Panda Rewards Account (it's free to join) and apply coupon code "DODGERSWIN" in your cart and select the store pickup where available.
4. There are new combo deals at Dodger Stadium this season although some fans might take exception to the word “deals.” I tweeted about one that included four Dodger Dogs, a garlic fry helmet and two souvenir sodas going for $59.99.
For $60 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium you can get:
10 hotdogs ($20)
10 orders of fries ($30)
5 refillable drinks ($10)— Mercedes-Benz Stadium (@MBStadium) March 27, 2025
One of the accounts that responded to the price tag was the official verified account of Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium, which is the Atlanta Falcons. The stadium known for affordable concessions wrote, “For $60 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium you can get: 10 hot dogs ($20), 10 orders of fries (30), 5 refillable dinks ($10).” The only thing you can’t get with that order, however, is a winning team. The Falcons have not had a winning record since 2017 and have gone 47-69 over that stretch. I think the bigger question is do fans mind paying more for hot dogs, fries and drinks if it equates to more wins and championships?
5. If you were not able to make it out to the first two Dodgers home games this season, don’t worry, there are plenty more opportunities to see the “Boys in Blue” this season and not surprisingly it gets progressively cheaper on the secondary market. The cheapest ticket to the Thursday’s home opener was $130, for Friday’s ring ceremony it’s $85, for Saturday’s game against the Tigers it’s $69, for Monday’s game against the Braves it’s $59 and for Tuesday’s game against the Braves it’s $39.
The most interesting ticket pricing tidbit is that the most expensive ticket for the Dodgers’ home schedule through April isn’t the home opener or even Ohtani’s MVP bobblehead on Wednesday ($75). It’s the Freddi Freeman’ bobblehead when the Dodgers play the Chicago Cubs on Friday, April 11. The cheapest ticket for that game is $175.
6. OK, that’s it for this week. Enjoy the weekend because “It's Friday again! Then Saturday, Sunday!”