For Dodgers organist Nancy Bea Hefley, it all comes down to family – both her own, as well as her Dodger family here at Chavez Ravine.

After all, what else would compel Nancy and her husband Bill to spend three hours each day completing the round trip drive from their in-season home near Lake Arrowhead to Dodger Stadium?  She’s battled snow and fog to make it to nearly every home game in 2010, and every year, in her 22+ year career as the official organist of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

“She is the Dodgers to most people,” said Nancy’s sound engineer, Patrick Sweeney. “She’s very well respected.  When people from other ballparks come here, they go over [to see Nancy].  It’s very special and unique.”

In fact, two hours before the game on the night I visited, Nancy Bea, as she’s known to Dodger fans everywhere, was at her usual spot in the dining room of the Vin Scully Press Box, having dinner with her husband Bill and an old friend from the broadcasting team for the New York Mets.

As she makes the short walk over to her famous corner of the press box before the start of the game, the parade of visitors and well-wishers begins. 

Former Dodger and current Fox broadcaster Eric Karros stops by to say hello. “Nancy, how are you?” he says as he extends a hand over her organ, while also offering her a piece of candy.

Dodger legend Manny Mota arrives with a huge smile.  “I’m her number one fan,” he tells me sincerely.

Broadcaster Steve Lyons stops by and sings along to Nancy’s rendition of ‘Food Glorious Food.’

“I feel so lucky, because I’m right next to her every game,” said Sweeney.  “She’s kind of like my West Coast mom….but also like a best friend.  Just wonderful to be around.”

Team employees, security staff, members of the media and VIP fans constantly swing by Nancy’s organ throughout the game to meet Nancy, take pictures or simply chat about the ups and downs of life.  It goes both ways.  They know about Nancy, and she knows all about their lives outside the stadium.

“As you can see, this is kind of a meeting place.  It goes on like this all night,” said Nancy. “That’s why I stay.”

Nancy Bea Hefley must be considered the Ironwoman of professional organists.  Over the course of the 22 and a half years that Nancy has been playing at Chavez Ravine, she’s missed exactly eight games out of more than 1,800…and only one of those was for being sick.  For the record, two of her absences were so she could attend graduation ceremonies for her granddaughters, one was so the Dodgers could train a replacement in case she ever became sick (she still played the organ that night…just at the MTV Rock & Jock Basketball Game) and the remaining four were while she was on a family trip to Iowa.  But did I mention that she still managed to play a four-game stint with the Iowa Cubs while on that same vacation? 

By my count, as of Sunday, July 25, 2010, Nancy Bea Hefley has played the National Anthem and ‘Take Me Out to the Ballgame’ exactly 1,851 times at Dodger Stadium (she has also played ‘Don’t Stop Believin’ exactly once) .  These totals include all home playoff games since 1988, as well as the World Baseball Classic finals.  Of course, it does not include the daily rehearsals with the Anthem singers (sometimes twice) and the countless times over several decades she has performed the National Anthem at horse shows across the country.  According to my math, Nancy Bea will have her 2,000th public performance of both songs at Dodger Stadium during her 25^th season with the club on or about June 25, 2012 (give or take a few days for future playoff games).   Needless to say, Nancy Bea Hefley truly loves playing the organ.

The Early Years

Nancy’s love for music began when she was just four years old.  She would listen to her 17 year-old sister play the piano and, even at that young age, she could pick out what she was playing.  Her mother convinced a music teacher at their church to give her piano lessons, despite the teacher’s concerns about her young age.  “He discovered that I had perfect pitch,” said Nancy.  “After about six months, he said, ‘I can’t go any farther with her.’”

At the age of seven, Nancy’s mother introduced her daughter to the accordion and she learned to play classical music with it, despite the fact that the instrument was far too big for her.

“I went on with the accordion and became a concert accordionist…and worked Vegas, Tahoe and television.”

But she never gave up on the piano – and was always intrigued by the organ.  “At 13, I talked my piano teacher into at least showing me the basics of the organ.  So I had about six lessons that way.  And that’s my organ [training].”

At 17, she substituted for a friend who was scheduled to play the accordion at a pageant at the Orange County Fair.  While there, the organizer asked her to also try her hand at a neglected organ.  She never looked back.  Nancy went on to play the organ at festivals and horse shoes across the country, including more than 30 years at the Pomona Fair.

But Nancy soon discovered that her musical skills were in demand at places other than horse shows – she was also becoming popular with the local sports teams in Los Angeles.

“I had substituted for the Angels back in 1986.  They spoke to me about taking the job, and I said ‘No, I substituted for a friend.  I won’t take a job away from a friend.’”

Nancy’s husband Bill also stated the Dodgers also had their eye on Nancy in the early years.  “Tommy John tried to get her.  When he was playing, we ran around with Tommy and Sally and [they] tried to get her to do it then.  She said no, I won’t take anybody’s job.”

But things changed in 1987 when then Dodger organist Helen Dell announced she was retiring at the end of the season. “Then I felt comfortable,” said Nancy.  “So I called, and it was at the end of the season…they had auditioned all year ‘round, I guess.  And they said, ‘Come on in and play.’ I played and they said, ‘We definitely want a comeback.’  February 14, 1988, [the Dodgers] played an exhibition game with USC.  There were three of us that played three innings each and they called me that night and said I had the job.  I never thought I’d last this long.  I didn’t think I’d like to play for a baseball game every night.  Helen was here 15 years, and I thought, ‘Boy, I’d be doing good to get that far.’ This is my 23rd, and I’ve got a contract for two more years after this.”

Nancy and Bill

As you might imagine, Nancy and her husband met over music.  At 16, Nancy was called one Sunday morning by the Bellflower Baptist Church, as they were in urgent need of an organist, as their regular organist was sick.

“Well it wasn’t a church that I attended, so I didn’t know how fast they sang the songs or anything.  I ended up staying there, and that’s where we met.”  Nancy ended up playing the organ at Bellflower Baptist, and a few other churches, for more than 55 years.

From then on, Bill has been a constant at Nancy’s side and attends every game with his wife.  “I’m her driver,” said Bill.

“It’s 24/7 with us,” said Nancy. “We’ve been together 53 years now.”

The Dodgers have always been an important part of Bill and Nancy’s life…long before she joined the organization as the official organist.

Bill, a retired steelworker, was involved in the construction of Dodger Stadium, and Nancy was his source for tickets.

“When [the Dodgers] first came to down, I was working for KBIG Radio in Hollywood,” said Nancy. “I would give Bill tickets to the Coliseum to go watch the games.  I wasn’t a baseball fan then.  I was into music.”

But Bill certainly was.  “I was there when Drysdale struck out 18 Giants,” he said.  “I was there the night they honored Campanella.  I went to a lot of games at the Coliseum.”

When she first joined the Dodgers, Nancy played all nine innings of every game.  But that changed in 2004 when a new executive was brought in to run the in-game entertainment.  Nancy found herself only playing the National Anthem and ‘Take Me Out to the Ballgame.’  She wasn’t happy.  “We sold our place here, and bought land in Northern Nevada.  I gave notice Opening Day [2005].”  She planned to retire at the conclusion of the 2005 season.

“Drew McCourt then called me and said, ‘Why?  What can we do?’”  A new schedule was put in place that allowed her to play between select innings and continue to leave after the seventh inning.  Happy once again, Nancy rescinded her request to retire.

The Magic of Music

Besides her extraordinary tenure with the club, what Nancy is most known for is the clever way her song choice reflects the action on the field and in the broadcast booth.  Incredibly, Nancy knows more than 2,000 songs, does not bring any music with her to the stadium and does not pre-plan what she will play on any given night.

“I fly by the seat of my pants,” said Nancy.  “I don’t have anything planned, I don’t have any music.  I know probably my first song and maybe the one after that.”

On the night I visited, I spoke to several Dodger ticket holders about the impact of Nancy’s organ music on the overall game experience.

“She seems to be keyed on the play, so when the action happens, she can hype the fans or bring them down.  She gets everyone going,” said John from West Hills, CA. “I think it help gets the team up, it gets the fans up, it gets everyone going.  It’s that added thrill about coming to the ballpark.”

Cathy from Oxnard added, “She (Hefley) can feel the vibes of the crowd and play that in where you can’t do that with CDs.  It’s the live interaction with the crowd…whether it’s cheering up, or making everyone get to their feet.”

“The first year [the Dodgers] said they wanted me to come with a list of what I was going to play,” said Nancy.  “I opened that up and started to play and then [the team] did something really rotten on the field and I was going to play ‘It’s a Happy Day.’  No, I don’t think so.  So from then, I go with the flow.  Things usually will trigger a song in my head and that’s how it happens.”

Nancy continued, “One time when Hu was on first base, I was walking to the restroom and I heard Vinny [Scully] say, ‘I wonder if in her vast repertoire, Nancy Bea happens to know the song ‘Who.’”  So I’m thinking, wow, how does that go? So I sang it to myself as I came back and the next chance I had, I played it.”

But Nancy’s musical powers can also be used to send a message.  “We had a pitcher from Ohio one time and he couldn’t even go a third of an inning…he could not get a batter out.  They finally pulled him, so I played ‘Why Oh Why Did I Ever Leave Ohio?’  That’s probably the worst thing I’ve ever done.”

Nancy has also made some songs famous at the ballpark.  In 1988 in the Dodger Stadium parking lot, Nancy ran into the general manager for the old Shubert Theatre, and he arranged for her to attend a performance of Les Miserables, which is where she first heard the song ‘Master of the House.’

“I learned it, thinking that I would play it for the umps when they’re introduced, because they’re in control of the game,” said Nancy.  “Vinny came out of the booth…he was so excited.  He started making it Orel Hershiser’s theme song.  And to this day, when Orel is here, I’ll play it for him.  Last time he was here he thanked me for playing it the time before.  I said, ‘You’re getting it again tonight, because I don’t get to play it that often as everyone looks to see where you are!’”

When Friday night’s game started to get away from the Dodgers in the eighth inning, Nancy Bea stepped in.  With Jeff Weaver struggling and Joe Torre heading to the mound for a conference, Hefley immediately started playing ‘Just a Little Help from my Friends.’  Shortly thereafter, Weaver was replaced by James McDonald.  Hefley responds with ‘A Handy Man.’ “Hopefully he will be,” said Hefley.  Unfortunately for the Dodgers, McDonald wasn’t, giving up a sacrifice fly to David Wright.  Eventually McDonald was replaced by Jack Taschner.  Silently noting to herself that he was making his Dodger debut, Hefley responds with ‘Consider Yourself One of the Family’ from the Broadway musical ‘Oliver.’

Nancy truly loves coming to Chavez Ravine each day, and it shows.  Not only is it a way for her to spend time with her husband Bill, but with her extended Dodger family as well.  “I really come here for the fun atmosphere…I don’t come her to work,” said Nancy.  “I just come to see people and talk.  The work is just a sideline.”

Earlier this season, Vin Scully noted to National Public Radio, “I’ve just enjoyed her and Bill. I’m so thrilled for their anniversary the other day.  She’s a very classy, lovely lady and I’m delighted to take a minute to join all of the others and doff our caps and roll the drums and blare the bugles and salute her, because she’s a sweetheart.”

When the game was finally over and the Mets had beaten the Dodgers 6-1, Nancy Bea Hefley wrapped up the evening with two songs ‘We Had Joy, We Had Fun’ and ‘Forget Tomorrow.’  While the players will most likely want to forget Friday’s game, Dodger fans will never forget what Nancy Bea Hefley brings to the ballpark each day.  With just a few full-time organists remaining in Major League Baseball, Nancy Bea Hefley is indeed a Los Angeles treasure.  A great piece of music is often made up of several parts, and the same can be said at Dodger Stadium, with Nancy Bea Hefley, Vin Scully and the team on the field.  So many fans appreciate and recognize the subtlety and nuances of Nancy’s music during the game.  She truly provides the soundtrack for the season – and hopefully many seasons to come.

Photo Credit: Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2010

In the aftermath of the debacle that was last night’s Dodger game, one piece of news seemed to not get the coverage it deserved: Joe Torre said that he would make his decision within the next month or so on whether or not he would return as manager in 2011. 

The timing was a bit of a surprise, as Torre had previously said that he would wait until the end of the season to make this decision.  Why the change of heart?  It’s not like there is a pressing need to make the decision in the middle if the season.  Well, if I were Joe, I’m sure I’d be frustrated by the McCourt’s lack of willingness to loosen the purse strings and bring in top-tier starter and some veteran relievers that can help this club.  And coming over from the Yankees, he’s got to be a little bit spoiled by the resources he had available to him in New York.  The guy wants to win, and knows this team is built to win now.  It’s pretty clear that Torre only trusts a few arms in his bullpen, and he’s going to ride those guys into the ground if they don’t get some more help. 

And, for the record, I generally really like the moves Ned Colletti has been able to pull off at the trading deadline over the past few years.  Outside of Manny Ramirez, none have been blockbusters, but he’s been able to consistently help the club without adding a lot to the payroll. Colletti and Kim Ng are a crafty team, and I’m confident they will bring in some solid, unspectacular pitchers to help this team between now and the playoffs.

I’m not saying Torre’s announcement should be interpreted as an ultimatum to the Dodgers front office (or the players for that matter), but it shouldn’t be completely ignored.  Think of it as a warning shot across the bow of the good ship Dodgers.

I was preparing to write a story about how refreshed I was heading into the second half of the season, the performance of Ethier, Furcal, Kuo and Broxton in the All-Star Game and some of the good stuff we have planned for the next few months.  But then I read Molly Knight’s anticipated story on the McCourt divorce saga (the article is slated to appear in the July 26 edition of ESPN, The Magazine, but is also available online now).  My response? Ugh.

Molly is a great writer and does a fantastic and what must have been an exaustive job detailing the many twists and turns of the McCourt divorce.  This is no easy task, and frankly, I had allowed myself to forget about several of the numerous unfortunate moments since the couple bought the organization in 2004.

Rather than recap the article and what’s happened in the past, I’d like to discuss some of my big concerns for the future of the franchise:

First, I’ve long felt that the Dodgers are spending just enough to win the NL West, without really investing in putting the club “over the top” to win the World Series. 

Take your four best starters from the group of Billingsley, Kershaw, Padilla, Kuroda and Ely, and see how they stack up to the Yankees rotation. Right now, I just don’t think they have enough experience to win without the addition of a #1 starting pitcher; an ace.  I really love a lot of these guys (with Kershaw and perhaps Bills being #1 starters eventually), but my concern remains that the Dodgers just don’t have the pitching firepower to win it all this season.  And that’s a big problem.  Here are both sides of this issue, per Molly Knight’s article:

While the McCourts were living large, the Dodgers, in 2008 and 2009, spent less than any other MLB team on the draft and international-player signings, an area the team once dominated. Frank told reporters during spring training that the divorce has nothing to do with the payroll; and multiple former club execs say there’s truth to the claim. “It was Frank’s plan all along to run a team with a payroll of about $80 million,” says a former high-ranking club official speaking on condition of anonymity. “His thinking since he bought the team was: ‘This isn’t the AL East. Why would I spend $150 million to win 98 games when I can spend half that to win 90, if that’s all it takes to make the playoffs in our division?’ ” So while the Dodgers have spent money on free agents such as Andruw Jones, Juan Pierre, Jason Schmidt, Rafael Furcal and Manny Ramirez – plus Joe Torre, the game’s highest-paid manager — GM Ned Colletti has structured deals creatively, offering fewer years (Furcal, Jones) and deferring payments (Ramirez, Jones).When asked how the McCourts’ divorce is affecting the Dodgers’ payroll, Colletti, weary of the question, joked: “You think I can answer that?” He says he’s never “heard a number” like $80 million and holds the company line, saying the team would add payroll down the stretch if the right deal presented itself. If the Dodgers were to deal for, say, Cubs lefty Ted Lilly at the July 31 trade deadline, Lilly would be owed just $4 million for the rest of 2010, or roughly one-fifth of what McCourt will pay to divorce attorneys this year. “For the life of me, I cannot figure out why he hasn’t just settled,” says another former executive. “It’s like he’s lost his mind.”

Second, will the McCourt’s settle, or will this be a fight to the proverbial death?  Per a brief conversation I had with Molly via Twitter, she stated “As a fan you should hope they settle before Aug 30, though. And I think they might.”  That would indeed be great news, but how is Frank going to be able to pay Jamie off?  He can’t get a loan, and according to court proceedings, is borrowing money from his brother to make Jamie’s monthly spousal support payments.  If that’s the case, won’t the money have to come from keeping the Dodgers payroll in check and making a big enough profit to pay off Jamie?  Or am I missing something? (If I am, please let me know!)

Third, is Frank McCourt trying to hold on financially until the Dodgers’ television rights come up to bid after the conclusion of the 2013 season?  In February 2010, Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times discussed court documents (submitted by Jamie’s team) that reportedly showed that the club intends to shrink the percentage of revenues spent on payroll through the 2013 season and hold thereafter. Per Bill Shaikin:

The document anticipates a significant rise in club revenue, from $295 million in 2008 to $529 million in 2018, and in the average ticket price, from $29.40 in 2007 to $53.50 in 2018.

Dodgers attorney Marshall Grossman, asked via e-mail what the club would tell fans wondering why the rise in revenue might not be accompanied by a similar rise in the player payroll, responded with an e-mail that noted financial plans are subject to regular revisions.

“It is prudent for a well-run business to engage in ongoing financial modeling and planning,” Grossman wrote. “When the Los Angeles Dodgers have financial information relevant to the public and the fans, it will be made public by the Dodgers.

“The Dodgers’ commitment is to operate on and off the field as a premier baseball organization, for the benefit of the fans and the Los Angeles community. The Dodgers continue to honor that commitment.”

The Dodgers spent 46% of revenue on player compensation in 2007 and 42% in 2008, according to the documents. The projections call for that percentage to fall to 25% by 2013 and remain at about 25% through 2018.

Commissioner Bud Selig encourages teams to spend about one-half their revenue on player compensation, according to two high-ranking major league executives contacted by The Times.

If the document cited in the LA Times story is true, a new television network could give Frank McCourt the financial leverage to pay off Jamie in a settlement, right?  I’m definitely not a lawyer or an expert in divorce proceedings, so will leave this to others that are much more knowledgeable, like the always educational Josh over at Dodger Divorce.

And it continues today: both Molly Knight and Jon Weisman have short pieces on the legal wranglings around the post-nup agreement (it involves forensic scientists and staples….seriously!).

Regardless, this is all a LOT for the casual Dodger fan to take in.  I know a majority of the fans out there don’t care about all of this and just want the ownership to deliver the best possible roster of players and managers to make a run at a world championship.  Unfortunately, both sides of this divorce battle seem intent on keeping it in the public eye until the ownership of the Dodger franchise is ultimately resolved.

Photo Credit: AP Photo/Carlos Delgado (File)

Alex, Ron Cey, Chris

The Dodgers get it. I’m not sure that there is another organization in professional sports that gets it the way that VP of Communications Josh Rawtich and the Dodgers get it. 

What the Dodgers “get” is how to engage with bloggers and members of non-mainstream media outlets to expand their outreach into conversations that are happening across the internet. 

Josh and his staff reaffirmed this position when they hosted the third annual blogger night at Dodger Stadium on Monday, July 5th in a luxury suite behind home plate. As with past events, there was a steady stream of Dodger dignitaries that stopped by to engage with the bloggers in attendance, including Dodgers GM Ned Colletti.  Colletti stayed for an hour after commenting that his visit last year ‘felt rushed’ and that he was impressed by the level of questions and discussion at past blogger engagements. 

Ned Colletti

Colletti wasn’t the only front office visitor that the 14 blogs who were in attendance had a chance to meet: Assistant GM Kim Ng, Dodgers legends “Sweet Lou” Johnson and Ron Cey and Dodgers President Dennis Mannion all dropped in for a considerable piece of time to listen and respond. 

Dodgers President Dennis Mannion

The list of blogs represented was also impressive, including many of our favorites, such as Dodger Thoughts, True Blue LA, Sons of Steve Garvey, LA Dodger Talk, and Vin Scully is My Homeboy, just to name a few. These guys were engaged and made the most of their time with Colletti and the others, while also taking time to stay on top of the game that was going on (something Chris and I weren’t able to do nearly as effectively). 

Chris and Sweet Lou

Following are a few thoughts and nuggets of information that were of interest to us: 

Pitching and the Trade Deadline 

Both Colletti and Ng were clear that pitching is their top priority as the trade deadline nears. They didn’t seem to be particularly focused on starting pitching or relievers, but it was obvious that both character and consistency were at the top of their list of traits they were looking for. Ng and Colletti split duties here, and either one might be involved depending on who has an established relationship with the key individuals (player, front office, agent, etc.). 

Digital Media is Growing for the Dodgers 

Chris and I had a great exchange with Josh Lukin who is the Director of Digital Marketing for the Dodgers. Josh started ramping up the digital marketing efforts for the club a few years ago while working on more traditional marketing efforts, but now dedicates most of his time on social media. It’s clear that Lukin is very interested in pushing the envelope in the digital space and leveraging Twitter and Facebook in particular to drive promotional efforts, deliver news and generally get folks more engaged with the Dodgers online. We talked about his recent promotion where he rewarded members of the four new Dodger email clubs with the opportunity to purchase standalone game tickets to the Yankees series before also sending a Twitter broadcast with a similar offer to the team’s followers. Lukin said the ROI on Twitter, Facebook, and SEA engagements have been very strong and that we could expect the Dodgers to do more in this space. 

Continued Blogger Support For Home Games 

The Dodgers are continuing to support a select set of Dodger Blogs with shared credential access to home games – something that MLB and other teams have been very slow to follow-up with on their own. Public Relations Supervisor Amy Summers told me that blogs now cover roughly 30-40% of the home games at Dodger Stadium and that weekend coverage is at almost 100%. She indicated that the Dodgers organization was very pleased with how the program has worked thus far and we discussed the “storytelling” aspect of blogs as compared to traditional journalism. 

Blogger Camaraderie 

Most of us who have been blogging about the Dodgers have met one another a few times over the past three years. What’s most impressive is the sense of mutual respect that runs through the group. Each blog really is unique and has its own slant or type of storytelling, which differentiates it from the others and removes any sense of competition. When we all get together at outings such as this, we share stories, trade insights and generally enjoy one another’s company. It’s a refreshing change from how blogs from other teams or sports interact with one another and something that just seems to have developed amicably. 

Overall, it was a great night in Chavez Ravine. I even saw team photographer Jon SooHoo in the parking lot getting set for a fireworks shot while perched at the top of a ladder (his image is shown below). I’m looking forward to next year’s event and the continued dialogue with both the team and my fellow bloggers in the second half of the season. 

Fireworks at Dodger Stadium - Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers

Slowly, players, coaches and training staff begin to emerge, one by one, and make their way to the field.  Manny Ramirez, Casey Blake, Reed Johnson and Justin Knoedler pass by.  Some are all business, some are playful and nearly all throw a friendly greeting or knowing smile in SooHoo’s direction.

“Where’ve you been?” teases pitcher Scott Lindblom as he passes SooHoo’s clicking camera.

“You guys wore me out!” responds SooHoo, referring to the Dodgers’ trip to Taiwan in which both participated.

Part game photographer and part unofficial visual archivist, SooHoo and his team of photographers are responsible for documenting all aspects of the team’s activities, including games, practices, warm-ups and overall life in the Dodgers organization.

It all begins with the tone that SooHoo sets for himself and his team of photographers.  Over the past 24 years, SooHoo has created a unique dream job that is based on core principles of trust and mutual respect.  That trust has translated into a strong relationship with manager Joe Torre and his team which has resulted in exclusive access to their public and private moments – giving fans a unique opportunity to peek behind the curtain of a major league baseball team.

“It always begins in Spring Training, because [the players and coaches] see me here… they see me in the trenches every day,” explained SooHoo. 

Remarkably, there’s no one else like Jon SooHoo in all of Major League Baseball.  No other club spends as much time or resources as the Los Angeles Dodgers do in shooting what happens between and beyond the lines…especially with a goal of distributing that content directly to the fans on a daily basis through the Dodgers official Web site.

“We’re the ones who started this,” explained SooHoo.  “This is not something new to the Dodgers; we’ve always done a photo gallery.  We’re the only ones doing this day to day.  Other clubs may shoot [behind the scenes moments], but you don’t see it.”

What’s even more remarkable is that 2010 marks Jon SooHoo’s 25^th as the official team photographer for the Dodgers.  That’s more than 4,300 games for those of you keeping score.  And he’s not slowing down.

SooHoo got his professional start doing what he loves – shooting sports while in college at USC.  Working for the Daily Trojan, he was shooting most of the men’s and women’s basketball games when both teams were playing their home games at the Sports Arena, which was also the home of the Los Angeles Clippers.

That’s when SooHoo met the man that would shape his professional career: NBA photographer Andy Bernstein.  Bernstein shot all of the Clippers games in both black & white and color and needed help splitting the workload.  After getting to know Jon from their hours together in the Sports Arena, he offered the young college student a job as a darkroom worker.  From then on, Jon processed Bernstein’s black & white images for all Clippers games, developing up to 500 prints per game at Bernstein’s Hollywood studio. 

Shortly thereafter, Bernstein landed the contract as the Dodgers’ official photographer.  However, Bernstein also had pre-existing commitments with the NBA in Europe, so he asked SooHoo to fill in and process all of the black & white images at Dodger Stadium for him as a sub-contractor.  When Bernstein and his lead photographer went their separate ways, the door opened for SooHoo to step up.

“I just filled right in.  I already had gear and knew what I was doing.  I knew the whole set-up.  So then I was shooting, processing and printing both the Dodgers and the NBA,” explained SooHoo. “It was pretty cool because I could take the back streets to the Forum in a heartbeat.  I could get to the Sports Arena in 10 different ways.  That was the heyday of sports photography when there were teams to shoot.  The Rams and Raiders were both in town.  The Clippers and Lakers were close enough by.  There were a good amount of magazines that were still up.  The Dodgers team job just fell in my lap, just like the whole thing fell in my lap.  The next thing I know, I’m married with three kids, and I’m here 25 years later.  It’s been a good ride.”

One of SooHoo’s staff photographer’s at the Daily Trojan was future All-Star pitcher Randy Johnson.  SooHoo recounted the story of how, as editor of the campus paper, he assigned Johnson to shoot what was supposed to be the last concert ever by the legendary rock band The Who.  A huge music fan, Johnson was excited about the opportunity and talked his way backstage.  “He geeked out,” said SooHoo.  “We still talk photography whenever I see him.  It’s a respectful relationship.  You cherish those…I do.”

A Los Angeles native, SooHoo grew up in Silverlake and was first was exposed to photography in an 8^thgrade darkroom class.  “That was it,” he said.  It was then on to Marshall for high school.  Unfortunately for SooHoo, he discovered that the school did not have a photography class, instead offering a yearbook program as an alternative.  SooHoo wasn’t interested in shooting yearbook photos, and instead chose to work on his basketball game, while also running track.

Coming from a Trojan family, SooHoo grew up going to USC football games with his parents who had season tickets from before he was born.  “Someday I want to be down there,” SooHoo said as he reflected on his time at Trojan football games, noting there was more room on the sidelines than in the stands.  “Something I’d always dreamed about doing was shooting USC football.”

While SooHoo welcomed the advent of digital photography (he was actually processing color film, scanning the images and sending them out electronically to media outlets long before digital cameras came along), it also presented a huge challenge as he had more than a dozen years of color negatives, slides, and black & white images scattered throughout his office and home.

“It’s just made me feel like I’ll never catch up,” said SooHoo when discussing the huge inventory of negatives and photos that he still needs to transfer to digital.  “I didn’t shoot just shoot for the Dodgers and the NBA stuff, I had UPI as a client too, where I was shooting Raiders, Rams and the USFL back then.  It became very unmanageable.”

While SooHoo says he doesn’t have a favorite shot from his career, he does regret not having access to some of his older work, including shots he took of John Elway playing for Stanford and Marcus Allen playing for USC, as well as some of his NFL photos of the San Francisco 49ers and the Dallas Cowboys.

“I can’t find all the stuff I shot back in ’87, ’88 and ’89, other than what I’ve kept aside.  Some of that stuff would be pretty cool to have, like Joe Montana and Roger Craig.”

 “Whenever I go to SC and talk to any of the kids there, I tell them to keep their own external hard drive, load it up, don’t lose it, don’t let it get corrupted, but you’ve got to keep that because then 20 years down the road you won’t be doing what I’m doing and regretting not having it all.  But what can you do?”

After 25 years, SooHoo continues to strive to keep his content fresh, but more importantly, he tries to think of the bigger picture, including his role as the primary visual archivist of the Dodgers.

“I’ve had pretty much carte blanche to go into the locker room with my camera and shoot behind the scenes stuff, and that’s kept it fresh,” said SooHoo.  “Joe Torre’s kept it extremely fresh…he’s made it very easy.  So as I concentrate to get the stuff between the lines, I’m also really trying to think historically and to think beyond that, to get it outside the lines.  In the clubhouse, on the bus, on the plane, you name it.  Just not the stuff that everybody else does.  I try my best to be as independent as possible through the team, but [other photographers] do outstanding work, but they’re not going where I’m going.  I try to think of everything as historically as much as possible.  I think there’s a value to that: Manny [Ramirez] in the bathroom, brushing his hair.  Andre [Ethier] last year fixing his jersey in the locker room.  Casey Blake loosening up in the weight room with his bat in full whites.  There are no more historical [images] than what I’m getting right now.”

But it all goes back to trust and respect for his subjects.  “I still have integrity and believe that character matters,” said SooHoo.  That belief in integrity and character is something that was instilled in the Dodgers photographer early in his professional career.

“I learned it from Michael Zagaris, who is the team photographer for the Oakland A’s, but he was also the team photographer for the 49ers during the heyday.  I saw how he was doing it, what his approach was and how he had to blend into the wallpaper, just like I’m doing here.  Just keep your mouth shut and your head down and don’t stir up anything.  It’s not about me, it’s not about him, it’s about the team.”

When talking of his role as the Dodgers’ unofficial visual historian, SooHoo brings up legendary New York newspaper photographer Barney Stein as someone he tries to emulate.  Stein, an award-winning photographer, covered the Brooklyn Dodgers for 20 years beginning in 1937 and shares many similarities with SooHoo, but they also have some notable differences.

“Stein had one set of guys – which were pretty great guys.  We’ve had so many players go through here…just tell me how many players I’ve had in these 25 years?  I’m just trying to achieve as good a shot as possible that’s something different.  I’m always trying to be aware of what’s going on visually.”

Another role model for SooHoo is presidential photographer Pete Souza, the official photographer for President Obama and previously for President Reagan.

“I have so much respect for him, it’s not even funny.  I’ve idolized what he does.  He’s where I would want to be.  The closest thing I have is Joe Torre, and that’s pretty tremendous because nobody hates Joe Torre.  Even going to Taiwan with him was just phenomenal.  He’s got a presence that people just cling to.  It’s magic.  The Dodgers in general got the treatment over there, but Joe was the closest thing I’ve had to a presidential run.”

While SooHoo’s images have widely been heralded as seeming to capture the emotion of a particular moment in time, it’s not something he focuses on when shooting.  Instead, SooHoo relies on having his lens pointed in the right direction at the right time.

“I don’t put any real pressure on myself to come up with crazy stuff.  I just don’t want to miss anything. The emotion will come as you’re shooting.  You can’t plan it.  Either it happens or it doesn’t happen.  I’m not planning anything other than, if there’s a play at second, I’m moving my camera to second.  If there’s a play at home, I’ve got to turn and come home.  I’m aware that if there’s a runner on first, there might be a double play at second.  Any kind of little outfield line drive, I try and swing around as fast as I can.”

“As much as you see that looks good, there’s so much more that no one sees, because it’s out of focus, it’s the wrong timing, I’ve got a first base coach or umpire in my way or a player crossing my path.  Stuff happens all the time here and it’s just a matter of adjusting and having enough material to make it through the day.  What I pride myself on is getting a gallery out every night.”

Is there anything else SooHoo would rather be doing after 25 years than shooting the Dodgers?

“Sports have always been the passion, but I’d rather be playing basketball.  I’d rather be playing in the NBA,” SooHoo joked.  “But I’m better off where I am.  I’m happy as hell where I am.”

While the Dodgers organization is where his heart is, SooHoo clearly maintains a love for his beloved Trojans.  “I’ve always been shooting USC football since I was at school.  These last two years have been the first time I’ve been given the access like I’ve had with the Dodgers.  Pete [Carroll] gave me the green light and I was all over it.  I would hustle my way to get to games when there was no way I should have even been at those games.”

“Right after [the Dodgers] lost in Philly, I was at the USC – Oregon State game and I got a [two-page spread] in Sports Illustrated with a picture in the locker room of Pete and all the guys.  It was pretty exciting.  It’s just a different perspective outside the lines when I had the access that he gave me.  The intensity inside the locker room for football is just far beyond anything going on in a baseball clubhouse before a game.  They’re just so amped up.”

SooHoo also believes in doing the right thing.  To thank the players, coaches and managers for all of the support and access he receives, SooHoo went out of his way to create custom, hardcover books commemorating the 2009 Dodgers and the 2009 Trojans.  They’re beautiful works of art and chronicle the iconic and everyday moments from the past year.  “Last year, the guys took care of me, so I made each one of them a book,” SooHoo simply states.

That’s an even more incredible feat when you consider a typical day during the MLB season involves SooHoo dropping his kids off at school at 8:00 a.m. and then heading home for a few brief moments of work around the house.  He then arrives at Dodger Stadium by 10:00 a.m., where his day begins reading memory cards, uploading photos to the server and making discs and prints for key individuals.

In the early-afternoon, he begins getting his gear ready for that night’s game, lugging two or three camera with him depending on the night.  At 3:30 p.m., SooHoo is on the field shooting batting practice and pre-game warm-ups.  Once the game begins, the team’s official photographer is often found in either the first base or third base photo wells, shooting the action on the field.  He also routinely eats on the fly while making his way through the concourses, capturing fan reaction and the game from a different perspective, while patiently answering questions and posing for pictures with his fans.

“The key is not to be missing walk off situations, or monumental pitching moments like no-hitters.  You have to be conscientious of everything,” explained SooHoo.

After the game wraps up, SooHoo returns to his office where the real work begins, editing, archiving all of the images he shot, while transmitting that day’s photo gallery to all key stakeholders.  By the time he finally shuts off his computer, it’s not uncommon for the clock to read 1:30 a.m.

As SooHoo enters his 25^thyear with the Los Angeles Dodgers, it’s impossible to not appreciate the thousands of visually stunning images he shoots throughout the course of a season, as well as the care he takes in forging the relationships which allow him to be in the right place at the right time.  In many ways, SooHoo’s images provide a visual bookend to the words of Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully.  While photographers are not elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame,  his tenure with the club and the diligence with which he approaches his craft make Jon SooHoo a revered part of the Dodger family.

Story by Chris Volk and Alex Volk

Next up: Shadowing SooHoo: A Day in th Life of the Photographer of the Los Angeles Dodgers

Photo Credit: Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2010, Chris Volk/dodgerfan.net (we think it’s pretty obvious who shot what!)

Photo credit: Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2010

A full recap of our exclusive interview and time with Jon will be up on Monday.  We think you’ll love it!

Photo credit: Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers

I took in the game from the first base line with a bunch of Cubs fans who seemed to make up about 50 percent of the crowd on hand.  Here are a few pics from yours truly.  Enjoy!

Furcals steals second base.

Billingsley opens the game for the Dodgers.

Matt Kemp congratulates Manny Ramirez after his two-run home run.

Reed Johnson celebrates his two-run blast in the 7th inning.

Peter Gammons chats with Greg Maddox before the game.

Alex and I will be at the Dodgers-Padres game on enemy territory in Peoria tomorrow night, so more to come on Friday!

As a refresher, each week we select one person from the world of Major League Baseball and then beg, bribe, cajole and/or twist their arm until they participate.  We ask them five questions, they tweet their responses back to us, and we post ‘em here.  The questions do not change, but how people interpret and answer them does.  Think of this as our way to learn a little more about the people that play, cover, work with, tweet about and cheer on professional baseball teams, with an emphasis on the Dodgers.

Note: Keep in mind that Roberto kept to the spirit of the project by answering his questions via Twitter, so he had to make do with the 140 character limit for each answer. 

Five Tweets with… Roberto from Vin Scully is my Homeboy

1. What excites you the most about this season?

Matt Kemp & Clayton Kershaw. It will be a big year for them. 20 Wins & 40/40!

2. What is your biggest concern about this season?

I’m not worried about the Pitching. I’m worried that Russell Martin and Manny Ramirez will struggle all season long.

3. What is your earliest baseball memory?

1991 Dodgers. I still hate the Atlanta Braves. One game behind them… Strawberry, Samuel, Butler, Daniels, Morgan, Martinez…

4. What is your favorite baseball memory?

Karros/Piazza/Mondesi/Nomo/Hollandsworth. I grew up watching these guys. I thought it was going to be a dynasty. Boy was I wrong.

5. Why do you love the game?

I don’t know. I remember my dad drew a baseball field on a paper. Explained the positions to me. Catcher, 1st, etc. Been hooked since. 

Fans take cover during the downpour.

Hyang-Cam, Gabriel Gutierrez, Robert Boothe and Chin0lung Hu sit during a rainout.

Dodgers reliever Hong-Chih Kuo eats during a rainout in Taiwan.

Eric Stults and Robert Boothe sign for fans.

Manny Ramirez and teammates wave to the fans.

Hong-Chih Kuo talks to the media after the rainout.

Photo Credit: Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers