Normally this kind of item would be in a potpourri post, but I’m being pulled hither and yon today, so I may be putting up some minor matters piecemeal.
Dodger pitching icon Sandy Koufax was a spectator at all three of the 2025 World Series games at Dodger Stadium last week, including the epic 18 inning Game 3. However, his seating in Game 5 was the object of some controversy. The Dodgers were called out by Mets announcer Howie Rose, among others.
“How does Sandy end up in the second row?” Rose asked on social media. “Maybe those are his permanent, personal seats but Sandy Koufax takes a back seat to no one. Especially at Dodger Stadium.” Others were infuriated that Koufax would rank supposedly lesser seats than celebrity hucksters Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, who were also at Game 5 in the seats in front of Sandy.
I like to see American taking the opportunity to denigrate the Renegade Royals: it seemed especially timely given the stupid “No Kings” rallies and L.A.’s position as Trump Derangement Central. Yeah, why not sit the Royals in the bleachers? Behind a pole, maybe! (There are no obstructions in Dodger Stadium.) But the complaint made no sense for many reasons.
- As even Rose noted, those are Sandy’s regular seats.
- I speak from experience: at the field box level, the front row is inferior to a few rows higher. Harry and Meghan’s seats were inferior to Sandy’s
- Magic Johnson, like Koufax an LA sports icon, was in the same row as Koufax—and he’s a part owner of the team.
Still, bashing the Royal Family still feels a lot more American to me than when everyone was salivating over the late Princess Diana. This is progress.
Ethics Alarms 
Agreed, Jack. Koufax didn’t seem bothered. It just makes me want to meet him. And it recalls a great memory. ~1972, my late dad got 4th row seats at Wrigley, between home plate and third base. It was bat day. Around the forth inning, the late HOF player-manager-turned Cubs radio color man, Lou Boudreau, sat down just across the aisle from us. My dad said to me and my brothers “boys, that’s Lou Boudreau there; go ask him to sign your bats.” And we did—and Lou couldn’t have been a more gracious mensch, signing our bats in the of penmanship no one under 80 today has. Then … in the 8th inning, it started pouring. Our autographs were washed away and Lou had already gone back up to the radio booth. Ah, baseball. Great Series, this.
My maiden aunt took me on an across the country trip, from Miami to LA to San Francisco to Salt Lake to Denver to Memphis and then home to Miami in June of 1963. Every stop was a high point, but we did go to a Dodgers game in the newly opened Dodgers Stadium, then referred to commonly as Chavez Ravine. We sat high up above first base. Sandy Kofax opened for the Dodgers. Unfortunately, he got shelled and was gone after two-thirds of an inning. That was sixty-two years ago! My goodness, Sandy Kofax looks great!
Also ironic that the announcer is suggesting Koufax get the King’s Pass, when he is sitting behind a Prince.
But this reminds me of a story I heard from a friend of mine who was a Minneapolis cop. He worked the Metrodome during the ‘87 World Series. Twins won the series in Game 7. The state’s first professional championship after 4 Super Bowl losses.
My friend was in the restroom at the same time as Tom Kelly, the Twins Manager.
They started talking. I think he asked if the officer was working the Vikings game the following day. Then, he asked, “Do you think I might be able to get tickets to the game?”
My friend said, “You just won the World Series! Of course you can get in tomorrow!”
-Jut
Did you know. The current ownership team recouped the entire purchase price paid for the Dodgers when they sold their broadcast rights.
Did you know that were you to combine the total of the top five (5) Dodgers’ contracts (pitchers Tyler Glasnow, Blake Snell, Shohei Ohtani, SS Mookie Betts, and 1B Freddie Freeman) you could BUY the Milwaukee Brewers.
PWS
They won, did they not?
Did they ever. I’m no Dodgers fan, but the team deserved it. Amazing gutsy performances in two games with their backs against the wall. And I have great sympathy for the Jays. In the 9th in Game 6 and the 9th and 10th in Game 7, the odds were in their favor to tie or win those games, and they didn’t score in any of them. Astounding, and unlucky too…What a great Series.