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You’ve got to wonder if all the trade rumors finally lit a fire under Kemp. Either that, or he’s trying to show the veterans on the club that he’s serious about winning. Regardless of the reason, Dylan Hernandez at the LA Times reported back on January 18 that Kemp’s dropped 25 pounds and has been working out in Arizona all winter. Now that’s impressive - Matt could have easily sat back and waited for Spring Training. After all, the guy’s only 23 and he certainly wasn’t fat by any stretch. What this shows me is that he wants to be a part of this team, and I’m all for keeping guys that want to be here (as Ned Colletti has said many a time). If Matt’s efforts at becoming an everyday starter are successful, the question then turns to who is the #3 outfielder: Juan Pierre or Andre Eithier? I’ll reserve judgement until Spring Training, but it seems a shame to pay Pierre all that cash to ride the pine, but an even bigger shame to play him because of a contract.

Really, is there anything better than a grilled Dodger Dog from the top deck at Dodger Stadium?  I think not.  After all, Dodger Stadium grills up over 20,000 dogs a day for home games.  Frankly, that’s an incredible amount, but LA fans know a good thing when they taste it. 

But what about other ballpark delicacies from across the country?  Personally, I think the Gilroy Garlic Fries at AT&T Park in San Francisco and the cheese steaks at Citizens Bank Park in Philly are worthy of second and third place, but all of us here at Dodgerfan.net are open to suggestions. 

Email us your ballpark favorites and we’ll list the best suggestions in an upcoming posting!

Dodger players of past and present, along with veteran Dodger broadcaster Vin Scully, kicked off the 50th anniversary of the Dodgers heading to Los Angeles by riding on the Dodgers’ first ever Rose Parade Float. 

Key Dodger greats on the float included famed pitcher Fernando Valenzuela and first basemen Steve Garvey and Erric Karros.  Hall of Fame manager Tommy Lasorda was also in attendance and said, “This is the daddy of them all.”

Said Garvey, “This is back to our youth…to be on a float in the greatest parade in the world and representing the Dodgers — it’s just going to be a great morning and a great day.

“You have great former players and, of course, the great voice of Vin Scully, great managers and the young players — it really is a generational float that will touch everybody’s heart. I was a bat boy at the age of 6 with the Brooklyn Dodgers and today I’ll be standing next to Carl Erskine, so it’s going to be very sentimental. And to look at Tommy Lasorda and to look at Vin and to look at the future in players like James Loney, it’s going to be fun, fun for the crowd too.”

Garvey, coincidendally, went to the Rose Bowl game featuring USC and Illinois and sat several rows behind Dodgerfan.net contributor Alex Volk who happened to snap a picture of the legend exclusively for Dodgerfan.net!