One of the greatest American traditions is

the game of baseball. Living in Los

Angeles has given me the chance to watch
one of the oldest baseball teams in the
history of the game -- the Dodgers. The
team came into existence in New York
City in the 1880s, when they were known by
several names. Until 1956, the Dodgers
played in Brooklyn New York, but in
1957, the team moved west to Los
Angeles, and it has played there ever since.
I recently asked my wife Josie if she
wanted to go to a game one night, and of
course she said yes. "Why wouldn't I want to
go? The weather is great and the stadium is
beautiful. Besides, I think we need a
break in our routine," she said. "You're
absolutely right, baby. Let's go!" I said.
We were off to Dodger Stadium, which is
nestled in the hills just north of downtown
L.A. in a neighborhood called Chavez
Ravine. Even though it is the third oldest
stadium in the country, it is still
beautiful. "Wow. This place never gets old," I
said as we got to our seats. Josie agreed. It
was a perfect night for a ball game. The
temperature was in the low 70s, and it was a
clear, breezy night.
The Dodgers were playing the Giants that
night. The two teams have been playing
each other for about 100 years, ever since
both teams were in New York. The Giants
moved the same year the Dodgers did. only
they moved up north to San Francisco. That
didn't stop the rivalry though. The teams
hate each other today as much as they
did back in New York. The best part of the
night was that the Dodgers won, so I had a
couple of Dodger Dogs. "I don't know what
they do to these hot dogs, but they are
delicious," I told Josie. She wiped some
mustard off her face and said, "Absolutely!"