Honestly, I was never a baseball fan until my nine-year old son dragged me into the sport – and I mean, kicking and screaming. I learned to love Little League because he was out there playing, but going to a professional ball game was something I'd never done in my entire life. Now we are the “Number One Dodger family”. It says so on a handwritten sign on our front door. 
Turns out, there are several excellent reasons to become Dodger fan. I’ll going to start with the one I didn’t know about until I actually became a fan: it’s really fun to root for something together as a family. And, lucky for Angelenos, the Dodgers are a great team to start on — they have a shot of going all the way to the World Series this year. They had a shot last year, but didn’t make it, and my broken heart was the first sign that I'd become a true fan. Oddly, the crushing loss was a bonding moment for our family. Which brings me to the second great thing about being a fan. It bonds you to the city and other people in it. During the playoffs my son would call out the car window to other fans when he’d see Dodger baseball caps or stickers on passing cars. Being a fan will get you and your kids smiles, fist bumps, and high fives. I'd even go so far as to say that it can make your child more aware of the city and what it means to be an Angeleno. 
Now that I’ve waxed poetic let me get more specific. The Dodger schedule is fun. There are fireworks every night game during summer (and on the Fourth of July), guest star singers doing the National Anthem, playgrounds on the upper deck, celebrity sightings, and much more… like giveaways and door prizes. My son is now an avid collector of Bobble heads and Dodger paraphernalia. Down load the schedule and let your kids choose games against other teams that might be particularly fun to see. We have cousins in Denver, so we really love when the Dodgers beating the Rockies so we can do a little friendly trash talking. My son now spends a lot of what used to be idle time, putting together play lists and line-ups, collecting player cards, and talking about what he hopes might happen this summer. He dreams about how many games we might see. He’s even memorizing averages and statistics, which kind of makes this an educational pursuit! While I’m distinctly not a fan of dressing alike, every one in the family has found a different ways of sporting Dodger Blue, and this adds another layer of fun to the summer days. My daughters (who are quite a bit older than my son) love their little brother's passion about the Dodgers and have started following along and on nights when we don’t have tickets, we can pop some popcorn, turn on the game, and have a nice family evening. As American as Apple Pie. 
Which brings me to food. Dodger stadium offers a lot more these days than just Dodger Dogs. (Although I do recommend the famous dogs on occasion.) There are new culinary treats, including some that might actually be called gourmet. Tommy Lasorda has opened a Trattoria with fabulous pizza and meatballs. There’s a new spot close to right field called Think Blue BBQ that offers excellent brisket and pastrami, as well as other BBQ delights. There are also Healthy Marketplace carts sprinkled around the various concourses and — of course — the world famous Cool-A-Coo is back! Obviously being a Fan isn’t going to be for everyone, but it’s certainly worth at least one day (or night) of your summer. The simple pageantry will get your American juices flowing – from the National Anthem to the seventh inning stretch. Dodger Stadium is a great place breathe in some good old Americana, with culture and spirit that is uniquely LA. Go Dodgers! Written by Cary Bickley
