Orioletown??

The sad reality of Dodgertown in Vero Beach being turned over to another team has supposedly become a reality as reports have surfaced that the Orioles have agreed to a deal with the city of Vero Beach and will move into Dodgertown once the Dodgers leave for Glendale, AZ for good, likely starting in 2009.

The Dodgers will be splitting their Spring Training between Vero and Arizona this year, with games also to be played at Dodger Stadium and the Coliseum as part of the team's 50th Anniversary in L.A.

I have never been to Dodgertown, but I know there is a lot of history there, especially when you hear all the Dodger greats talk about what a special place it is. It really is gonna be strange to not hear all the Dodger Spring Training reports from Vero Beach. But as a businessman myself, I understand the reasons behind vacating Dodgertown. I hope the fans in Vero Beach and those in general angered by the move can understand it.

Dodgers Get Rosey

I'm sure by now many of you know the Dodgers officially kicked off their 50th season in L.A. with their first ever float in the Rose Parade yesterday. Let me tell you as a fan what a thrill it was to see. Dodger legendaries such as Vin Scully, Tom Lasorda, Fernando, The Garv, Manny Mota, Jaime Jarrin and Wes Parker were all on-board the float, as were several current players: Brad Penny, Nomar, Saito-san (who flew all the way in to L.A. just for the event!) and James Loney, to name a few.

The float itself was pretty cool, all decked out in traditional Dodger colors. In the front of the float was a huge Dodger player swinging a baseball bat donning jersey number 50 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Dodgers in L.A. Behind this was a makeshift left field bleacher section with all the greats riding the float and a diamond-vision behind them with an announcement of when Dodger pitchers and catchers are to report to Spring Training. Back in the front of the float, on either side of the float, were four current players riding down near street level facing the crowd waving. It really was a pretty cool event.

The float was preceded by a 350-member L.A. Unified School District Marching Band, with the entire band donning the traditional blue "LA" Dodger caps!