Dodgers' Philippine Heritage Night: Reflections & Photo Essay

Words by Edward J. Mallillin, Images by Stephanie Drutman

Okay, now this was fun.  I was already planning on going to Dodger Stadium for their first Filipino Heritage Night (the first of many to come, I am sure).  It's not hard to twist my arm when it comes a beautiful summer night in iconic Dodger Stadium, with a couple of thousand Philippine fans and Dodger Dogs, and with Albert Pujols and the St. Louis Cardinals coming to town.  It's a no-brainer.

But then I got invited by the Dodgers to cover the event for my show Flipped Switch, and that just made the deal even sweeter.

So around 1pm I headed to Chavez Ravine with two of my fellow Flipped Switchers -- Earl Baylon and Stephanie Drutman, whose beautiful photographs accompany this piece.  We arrived at a virtually empty stadium and spent the next couple of hours just enjoying being in a Los Angeles landmark.

We were excited to learn that our press credentials enabled us to stand on hallowed ground; we spent the next several hours on the playing field, meeting and shooting with many Dodgers and Cardinals.

 
"Comedian George Lopez was shooting for an upcoming comedy special" --
photographer: Stephanie Drutman, courtesy of Flipped Switch

As the game drew closer, we got to meet George Lopez, who was shooting some scenes for an upcoming special.  And like us, he seemed more interested in meeting the Dodgers and just being on the field than actually doing his "work."  He joked that he came on the wrong night since this was "Filipino night."

  
9-time Silver Slugger Manny Ramirez, one of only 25 major leaguers with over 500 home runs, was in a jovial mood with his teammates prior to gametime and Manager of four World Series championship teams with the Yankees, Joe Torre hopes to add to his collection with the Dodgers. - photographer: Stephanie Drutman, courtesy of Flipped Switch

Manny Ramirez walked by me and said hello.  I asked him for an interview and he said "maybe later."  I joked, "so that means no," and he just smiled and made sure to ham it up whenever I shot footage of him.  Andre Ethier had lots of time for the kids, signing autorgaphs and smiling for our cameras.  Meanwhile, Yankee legend (now coach) Don Mattingly seemed to be happy that people remembered him from years ago.  Joe Torre only had time to speak with reporters, then a quick chat with the Cardinals officials.

One of only two managers to win a World Series in both the NL and AL, Tony La Russa walks around Dodger Stadium -- photographer: Stephanie Drutman, courtesy of Flipped Switch
 

On the red side, manager Tony La Russa enjoyed walking around, soaking it all in.  Maybe he missed the old Busch Stadium and was just happy to be inside an old-school stadium again.  And the best player in baseball, Albert Pujols, took a lot of time to talk to kids.  He understands that he's also an ambassador to baseball.

As the game drew closer, Jo Koy came out and was in good spirits before throwing out the first pitch.  He joked about just hoping not to screw anything up.  He didn't, his pitch went over the plate.

With his son, Jo Koy jokes around just minutes before throwing out the first pitch -- photographer: Stephanie Drutman, courtesy of Flipped Switch
 

After his pitch, it was time to get down to business.  No, not the game.  It was time to eat. There were some ethnic goodies, like the Philippine-themed adobo, pineapple, and BBQ. Ironically, I saw more people eating the Dodger Dogs, nachos, and other traditional stadium foods.  I guess most people, like me, just enjoyed going to the ballpark on a summer night.

I saw a lot of older Filipinos in the stadium, one Lolo smiled to me and said it was the first time he'd ever been inside Dodger Stadium.  His thoughtful observation: "It's beautiful here."

 Singer Michelle Martinez sings the National Anthem in iconic Dodger Stadium

Sometime in the 3rd inning, after each of us ran into old friends and familiar faces, we sat down with our own family, with our commemorative shirts and Philippine flags to enjoy the game.

Whoever came up with the "This Is My Town" marketing idea and community outreach concepts deserves a raise.  It's a great idea and judging from attendance a popular one, too.  Lots of non-baseball fans came out for the fun, which I'm sure makes the Dodgers' marketing department happy that they've got potential new fans.  I thanked my new friend in marketing for the opportunity, to which she said there would be many more of these nights to come.

Oh, and the Dodgers won, 7-3.

Photography by Stephanie Drutman, photographs courtesy of Flipped Switch.  For more information on Flipped Switch or its cast, visit www.flippedswitch.com.  For more information on the Los Angeles Dodgers and Dodger Stadium, visit www.dodgers.com.  For more information on the St. Louis Cardinals, visit www.stlcardinals.com.  All photographs and footage were taken with the permission of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Major League Baseball.