This has been quite an Opening Week for me.  I went to two Opening Days this year, first in San Diego, the first time I’d ever  been to Opening Day outside of Dodger Stadium, and of course, our home opener as well.   San Diego was , as always, a fun trip, on the way to SD, I bumped into Jaime Jarrin ( Dodgers Spanish Broadcaster ) at Union Station.  He would be riding the same train with us down south ( I thought he would’ve been on the team bus, instead he was riding with us regular folks….) than I got to see the Dodgers open the season with a 4-1 victory over the Friars.  Not only that, it was their first win over Jake Peavy since Sept. 13, 2003.  In between the season opener and the home opener, an Angel buddy of mine took me to the Red-Sox vs Angels game on Easter Sunday as well.  Then of course, our home opener.  It too, had it’s pomp and circumstance, beginning with the national anthem, sung by the Phillipines own Charice Pempengco ( Hey, as a fellow Filipino, I just had to get this in ) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WG4IkWqHtg followed by a thumping of our hated ones up north, 11-1, highlighted by Orlando Hudson being the first Dodger in 39 years to hit for the cycle.  Oh yeah, on both openers, I was a part of the largest crowds in Dodger Stadium and PETCO Park history.  Unfortunately, baseball this past week hasn’t been void of any tragedy, as we have lost 3 members of the baseball family.  L.A. Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart , who had just pitched 6 shutout innings in his first big league start the previos evening, was killed by a drunk driver along with 3 of his friends.  Harry Kalas, the longtime voice of the Phillies and voice of many of NFL Films productions, passed away Monday of heart disease , and later that same day, 1976 AL Rookie of the Year Mark Fidrych would also pass away.  For Nick Adenhart, he was taken away too soon for us, he had just realized a dream of many to come.  For Harry Kalas, I will always remember him doing voice overs for NFL Films, and as the broadcaster of the Phillies, although our boys in Blue would bow out to the Phillies in last years NLCS, I’m glad he got to see the Phillies win it all before he too, would leave us.  And for Mark Fidrych, another one gone to soon, and he too, will be missed, his ecentricity added so much color to the game.  RIP NICK, HARRY,  and MARK. 

And finally, a link to my slideshow on photobucket of pics I took from SD, Anaheim, and Dodger Stadium, including the memorial outside of Angel Stadium for Nick Adenhart. 

http://s195.photobucket.com/albums/z146/dreispics/?action=view&current=00afc3ac.pbw

I hope you’ve enjoyed these pics.  And now, the rest of the season…..GO DODGERS !!!!