If you were to ask any old-timer why they migrated to California in the ’40s and ’50s, chances are they would tell you it was because of its year-round (almost) perfect weather. I mean, let’s face it – we are absolutely spoiled out here. Oh sure, we have our moments and have to deal with annual brush fires and an occasional major earthquake every two or three decades, but they don’t happen often enough that we have to give them names like the 15 or 20 hurricanes and tropical storms that hit the east coast every year.

When you consider that Los Angeles has an average annual daytime temperature of 75 degrees and annual nighttime temperature of 56 degrees, it’s easy to see why our fathers, grandfathers and great grandfathers heeded the advice of American author Horace Greeley to “Go West, young man.”

Because our weather is, for the most part, outstanding year round, it’s no wonder that major league baseball teams in the National League and America League West have very few rain-outs during their respective seasons – especially in Southern California. In fact, in its 53-year history, there have been a grand total of 17 rain-outs at Dodger Stadium, with the last occurring on April 17, 2000. That was 15 years ago.

But what about games that have been cancelled at Dodger Stadium for reasons other than weather – more specifically, because of mechanical or man-made reasons? The answer to that is, aside from incidents of civil unrest or national disasters or tragedies, there have been zero games canceled or even postponed at baseball’s third-oldest ballpark because of things like what happened earlier this season at just-renovated Wrigley Field and on Friday night at seven-year-old Nationals Park in Washington DC.

After two lengthy delays, Friday night’s game at Nationals Park was finally suspended when the lights went out for a third time. The apparent cause was a faulty circuit breaker and not the result of a Taylor Swift concert held at the stadium a few days earlier; good news for us Taylor Swift fans. (Photo credit – Jon SooHoo)

To be fair, even though Dodger Stadium officially opened on April 10, 1962, it too has undergone a series of renovations, especially after Guggenheim Baseball Management took over ownership on May 1, 2012. In fact, under the watchful eye of Dodgers President and CEO Stan Kasten and Senior Vice President of Planning and Development Janet Marie Smith, the Dodgers have spent nearly $200 million in much-needed renovations and improvements to the 53-year-old ballpark.

Of course there have been a few unusual occurrences at the place that Hall of Fame manager Tommy Lasorda calls “Blue Heaven on Earth.” There was the time that a game was called prematurely when, after several seriously blown calls (and subsequent ejections) by home plate umpire Jim Quick, angry Dodger fans threw their giveaway baseballs that they had received upon entering the stadium onto the field, causing Quick to stop the game and give the St. Louis Cardinals the 2-1 win under forfeit.

“Obviously, it was an unsafe situation,” said a then much younger “Balkin’ Bob” Davidson, who was the first base umpire that night.”We stopped the game on the third time and the fans here kept throwing baseballs on the field, so for our safety and the St. Louis Cardinals’ safety, we forfeited the game.”

And then there’s the time that fans had to be evacuated from the Reserve and Top Deck levels due to a suspicious fire in a small Dodger Stadium storage room – a fire that occurred on May 28, 2011 – right in the middle of former Dodgers owners Frank and Jamie McCourt’s bitter divorce and bankruptcy trials.

Although completely untrue, many joked that the suspicious fire in a small storage room at Dodger Stadium on May 28, 2011 was Frank McCourt “taking care of” his financial records.
(Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

And who can forget the time that half of the fans seated in the Left Field Pavilion had to be moved (quickly) when a swarm of bees suddenly appeared, or the time that a family of skunks expressed their dislike at being bothered by fans in the LFP.

But aside from the baseball-throwing incident, none of these other incidents forced the games to be cancelled or even delayed.

The point here is that in spite of it’s age, Dodger Stadium is still and always has been the crown jewel of all of baseball – period.

Now, if we can only get new MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred to see it this way and award Dodger Stadium an All-Star Game. Or better yet, have it be the site of the 2015 World Series – under lights that absolutely will not fail.

PLAY BALL!