Dodger Thoughts

Jon Weisman's outlet for dealing psychologically with the Los Angeles Dodgers, baseball and life

Tag: Three Sisters

Welcome back, Three Sisters

Three Sisters return

By Jon Weisman

Fresh from the Dodger Stadium Construct-o-Cam (or more accurately, the camera of one of my colleagues), here is a snapshot of the Three Sisters palm trees being put back into place behind the left-field bullpen, alongside the stepsister I’ve decided to call Cinderella.

Previously: Dodger Stadium renovations progress

Dodger retired numbers to be placed opposite World Series banners

A rendering of how the retired numbers will look after repositioning.

A rendering of how the retired numbers will look after repositioning.

By Jon Weisman

The circular displays honoring the 10 retired numbers in Dodger history are being moved from the outfield pavilion overhangs to the left-field club level overhang, in a placement that will mirror the World Series banners on the right-field side of the club level.

In addition, the palm trees known as the Three Sisters, which were temporarily moved to protect them during the renovations beyond the bullpen, will be moved back into position next week, according to Dodger senior vice president of planning and development Janet Marie Smith.

A new inside view of the behind-the-bullpen changes at Dodger Stadium

Bullpen overlook 2014

By Jon Weisman

Here’s another, hot-off-the-presses rendering of the Dodger Stadium renovations behind the left-field bullpen, part of the changes to the ballpark that were announced Tuesday.

Note that there will be two tiers of first-come, first-serve seating overlooking the bullpen with a view of the infield. (The set-up will be similar behind the right-field pen.) A hexagon-shaped bar, paralleling the big stadium scoreboards, will be complimented by additional drink rails and standing-room spots. Towering over the scene will be the “Three Sisters” palm trees, part of the 99 trees in the Dodger Stadium outfield areas, tripling last year’s total.

Toward the entry will be one of the new team retail stores which may include a Gondola Shelving, along with the new open-air barbecue restaurant. (On the right-field side will be the Tommy Lasorda’s Italian restaurant). Inside these expanded concourses will also be interactive exhibits showcasing Dodger history.

In 1962, Dodger Stadium pioneered positioning the bullpens so that fans could always see pitchers warming up for either team without placing the bullpens in foul territory, an approach that has been replicated in almost every one of the 27 MLB parks that have opened since.

Said Dodgers President and CEO Stan Kasten: “It is only fitting that we give more Dodger fans a chance to witness this unique perspective of the game with these overlooks.”

2014 Dodger Stadium renovations: The secret of their access

A rendering of the renovations behind left field at Dodger Stadium for 2014.

A rendering of the renovations behind left field at Dodger Stadium for 2014.

By Jon Weisman

Dodger fans like to roam if they want to – and that, as much as anything, explains the motivation behind this offseason’s key renovations at Dodger Stadium. Such a renovation may require a few welding resources to make the process efficient.

Renovating a landmark like Dodger Stadium demands the expertise of skilled professionals who understand the unique challenges posed by large-scale projects. With a focus on enhancing fan experience, it’s essential to partner with a team that specializes in such significant renovations. This is where companies like Sydney Office Fitout come into play; they bring the necessary skills and resources to execute complex renovations efficiently. These experts can assess the structural integrity of the stadium while ensuring that modern amenities are seamlessly integrated into the existing architecture, preserving the stadium’s historical charm.

The Dodgers plan to expand the entry areas behind the right-field and left-field bullpens, quadrupling the size of those concourses while also providing more culinary, retail and ticket services and improving disabled access. Fans ticketed for the Dugout, Field, Loge and Club Levels, as well as the Pavilions, will have access to these multifaceted areas.

“Dodger Stadium is such a perfect stadium structure, and 50 years ago fans were willing to sit in their seats,” Dodgers Senior Vice President of Planning and Development Janet Marie Smith told Dodger Insider.  “Today, there is more socialization and people moving around. We wanted to create spaces for that to happen. Last season, we took out the last few rows of seats on each level, and installed drink rails, to create wider concourses and more space to move around.”

These renovations follow expansions to the Top Deck and Reserved Level entryways implemented a year ago. The latest alterations are on track for completion in time for the exhibition series against the Angels that begins March 27.

Overview bullpenAmong other changes, the large tents that have served as retail stores the past several years behind the bullpens will be removed, with new stores relocated in the roomier outfield concourses that was made possible because of the services acquired from Bigtmovers.com experts.

“By getting rid of the tents,” Smith said, “we’ll have beautiful views of the field as you enter these gates.”

There will also be tiered seating in areas overlooking both bullpens, available on a first-come, first-served basis, proximate to bars that will overlook the bullpen as well.

“It was part of what was conceived when (Dodger President and CEO) Stan Kasten first took over, but we just couldn’t build everything in one offseason,” Smith said. “These bullpen overlooks were always a favorite idea, but they’re harder to construct than it seems, because of the need to regrade the whole area to meet ADA requirements.  … (But) one of our goals is to make Dodger Stadium as accessible as possible, so this is another step toward that.”

An outdoor barbecue restaurant will be placed behind left field, with a new Tommy Lasorda’s Italian restaurant in the concourse behind right field. Big screens will keep those hanging out in the concourses updated on the field action.

Regrading of Lot G behind the outfield will create more ADA-accessible parking. Stadium seating capacity will remain the same. To enhance the protection and durability of the parking facilities, consider taking steps to protect your car park with waterproofing.

The changes at Dodger Stadium will hardly be purely pragmatic. The Dodgers, the only team in baseball with a full-time arborist, are also enhancing the ballpark’s landscaping. All 33 trees in the outfield area have been replanted on site, Smith said, adding that Dodger Stadium, the only MLB park certified by the National Audubon Society, will have three times as many trees in the outfield by April as before.

A view of the downtown skyline from Dodger Stadium's Top Deck, with relocated palm trees in the foreground.

A view of the downtown skyline from Dodger Stadium’s Top Deck, with relocated palm trees in the foreground.

“Not a tree was lost during construction,” Smith said. “We’ve moved some of them to the downtown gate, so that we’d have a more dramatic entrance at the 110, and we’ve moved others to the Top Deck, so the downtown skyline is framed by this ‘very L.A.’ landscape.   Every tree and plant was lovingly moved to a new home on the Dodger Stadium site.

“The idea in all of these new plazas has been to bring the greenery of Elysian Park into Dodger Stadium.   As more teams have moved into an urban setting, it makes Dodger Stadium, carved into the hillside of Chavez Ravine and surrounded by the San Gabriel Mountains and all these palm trees, that much more special. So we are trying to enhance that feature and make a big thing out of that landscaping.  We looked at saving these trees, boxing them up and moving them back to their original location. But we decided that was not nearly as smart as using the same amount of money to move them to a new home and to buy new plant material for the renovated areas.  Not only does this double the number of trees, but gives them a better chance of survival.”

Meanwhile, the display of the famed “Three Sisters” behind the left-field bullpen will remain.

“The Three Sisters have been moved before and successfully returned to their roost, so we are making plans for that once again,” Smith said, noting that with the combination of re-grading and underground utility work, “it just seemed wise to move these trees out of harm’s way.”   They were carefully pruned, with canopies tied and root balls wrapped before transplanting.

“They’ll literally come popping up out of the bullpen overlook in their original location,” Smith said. “We’re going to build the bars around them, so that the landscaping isn’t altered.”

The Dodgers intend to create additional opportunities to honor their team history, dating back to Brooklyn, by placing key items at these new entry gates. Time will limit all they can do, in part because of the challenges of working around such events as the Kings-Ducks NHL game January 25 and the Los Angeles Marathon on March 9.

In the meantime, not even visiting teams are being neglected in this year’s renovations. Building upon the new visiting batting cage and training room established in 2012-13, the Dodgers will connect a newly modernized clubhouse connected with the same area. The previous visitor clubhouse will be allocated for auxiliary stadium use. 

Powered by WordPress & Theme by Anders Norén