Dodgers News: Veterans Take Their Hacks in special Dodger Stadium event
LOS ANGELES — Dodger Stadium turned into a playground for military heroes on Tuesday, as the club welcomed hundreds of active-duty service members, veterans, and their families for a Veterans Day batting practice event on the field.
From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., the organization opened the gates and let service members do the stuff fans always dream about: stepping into the cage, playing catch on the grass, taking a private tour of the stadium, and posing for photos with the World Series trophy. The Dodgers also hosted a resource fair on the concourse with the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health to make sure veterans knew where to find support, not just applause.
Kristin McCowan, the Dodgers’ Vice President of Government and Community Affairs, had said ahead of the event that Veterans Day was “a powerful reminder of the courage and selflessness shown by those who served,” and the day played out exactly like that. The team didn’t just say thank you. They handed the field over.
Several Dodger alumni came out to make it feel like a real Dodger day. Orel Hershiser, Dennis Powell, Kenny Landreaux, and Billy Ashley all spent time with the crowd, signed, posed, and watched veterans take their hacks.
Powell looked around at the crowd on the field and laughed that it “looked like about 500 veterans out here.” He said, “We were taking batting practice, throwing off the mound down in the bullpen. They had lunch. The Dodgers were just really showing gratitude to our men and women of the armed services. It was a special time. The Dodgers do so much in the community, and they do so much for veterans and mental health.” He added that it still meant something to wear Dodger blue: “For me, it was just an honor to still be able to put this Dodger jersey on and represent them at an occasion like this, because that’s what it was all about.”
Hershiser, still one of the most beloved Dodgers in the building any time he walks in, addressed the group and reminded them that this wasn’t a one-off photo op. “This was a long-standing tradition with the Los Angeles Dodgers to honor you and to give you some fun,” he told the crowd. “We were proud to represent this uniform, but the uniforms that you all represented, we were so proud and thankful for you. And as we remembered you, we wanted to remember you every single day.”
The event was more than baseball nostalgia. It was also about making sure veterans and military families knew help was available. Dr. Lisa H. Wong, Director of the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health, spoke about why the partnership with the Dodgers mattered. She said they hosted the event “to really celebrate our veterans and help them to feel recognized and valued,” but also to spread the word about mental health. “A lot of times they carry burdens with them that nobody else sees,” she said. “We wanted people to be aware that being able to talk about that was so important. It wasn’t a weakness. It didn’t mean something was wrong. It meant that they were strong enough to want to do better.”
That fit neatly with what the Dodgers have been doing for years with their Military Hero of the Game recognitions and other ticket programs. Tuesday’s event just put it all in one place: the field, the trophy, the alumni, the food, and the services.
It was, in the best Dodger Stadium way, a simple exchange: the club opened the ballpark, and the people who’ve worn a different uniform got to enjoy it from the inside. On Veterans Day, the Dodgers didn’t just thank them on the video board. They handed them a bat.
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