Historically, when a member of the Dodgers is honored with a bobblehead evening at Dodger Stadium, somebody from their household will throw out the ceremonial first pitch.
However on Saturday, on the evening of his bobblehead commemorating the ultimate out of final 12 months’s World Sequence championship, Dodgers supervisor Dave Roberts had a distinct thought for the pregame visitor.
4 months in the past, within the weeks after the devastating wildfires that ravaged Pacific Palisades, Roberts obtained a message from a pal concerned with the Palisades Constitution Excessive Faculty baseball crew, inviting him to talk at one among their preseason practices.
It was the beginning of a private connection between Roberts and the college’s resilient baseball program; making the World Sequence-winning supervisor a supply of ethical help amid their catastrophic circumstances, and extra merely one among their largest followers.
Palisades Constitution Excessive Faculty pitcher Jett Teegardin, left, leaves the infield together with his teammates after throwing out the primary pitch at Dodger Stadium on Saturday.
(Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Instances)
Thus, when it got here time for Roberts’ bobblehead celebration Saturday, he helped coordinate a Dodger Stadium shock for the Palisades gamers.
Throughout the Dodgers’ batting follow Saturday afternoon, the Palisades’ varsity and junior varsity groups had been invited all the way down to area degree, the place they watched the Dodgers in awe from behind house plate.
“This has been the coolest thing ever,” senior pitcher Ian Sullivan stated, one among greater than a dozen gamers in this system whose household was displaced by the fires. “I don’t have words.”
The ceremonial first pitch was delivered by junior infielder Jett Teegardin, whose household has bounced between dwelling out of accommodations and with associates within the space since their house was misplaced within the flames.
Dave Roberts hugs Palisades Constitution Excessive Faculty pitcher Jett Teegardin after Teegardin threw out the primary pitch at Dodger Stadium on Saturday.
(Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Instances)
“I just spoke with Dave Roberts!” he exclaimed after Roberts got here by to greet the crew earlier than the sport — not even realizing Roberts could be behind the plate hours later to catch his throw from the mound. “How many people can say they’ve had a full conversation with him? It’s so cool.”
Even the normal name of “It’s Time for Dodgers Baseball” had a Palisades twist, recited by a bunch of different gamers who had been personally impacted by the tragedy.
“Just with what they’ve been going through, I just kept in touch with them,” Roberts stated. “And then the bobblehead night comes up, and I was like, ‘I want to do something. I want to make this a special night for them.’”
Lengthy earlier than then, although, Roberts’ influence had already been felt.
Within the fast aftermath of January’s Palisades fires, which worn out greater than 6,800 buildings and far of the neighborhood’s iconic highschool, there was doubt about whether or not the baseball program would even survive.
“When this happened, people were telling our kids we’re not going to have a team, and to transfer to other schools, and stuff like that,” Voelkel stated. “But we were a little bit stubborn. We made sure we were gonna have a team.”
As soon as the season began weeks later, many across the baseball world rapidly volunteered to assist.
Corridor of Fame supervisor Joe Torre and entertainer Billy Crystal made a shock go to to one among their early practices. Texas-based baseball gear firm Bruce Bolt donated a whole lot of {dollars} value of substances for every participant.
However few days had been as significant as Roberts’ go to in late January, when he spent nearly two hours with the crew throughout their follow at a park close to Century Metropolis.
“It was brutal,” Roberts stated. “But they were having fun. And I was so excited.”
Dodgers supervisor Dave Roberts talks with Palisades Constitution Excessive baseball gamers whose lives had been disrupted by the Palisades fireplace.
(Steve Galluzzo / For The Instances)
“It was definitely something to bring up the mood,” Teegardin stated. “Because it was still kind of recent to everything that was happening [with the fires]. So I think it was one of the coolest things that has happened [this season].”
Roberts’ message to the crew that day was easy: “Don’t make excuses.”
Voelkel appreciated such sincerity, discovering Roberts’ phrases refreshing forward of what he knew could be a frightening season.
“It was just like sitting in your backyard, talking baseball,” Voelkel stated of Roberts’ interplay with the gamers. “I think that was a different kind of communication than those forums normally take on.”
Ever since, Roberts has stayed in common contact with Voelkel for crew updates.
“He’s wanted to know how our kids are doing,” Voelkel stated. “I communicated with him when he was over in Japan.”
And shortly earlier than first pitch Saturday, your entire program gathered close to the third bottom line — carrying their blue “Palisades” jerseys — and had been greeted by Roberts with a quick tackle.
“He has been absolutely golden during this whole process,” Voelkel stated.
Baseball alone has been a welcome distraction for the Palisades gamers.
“It’s like a normalcy in my life,” Sullivan stated. “Something that hasn’t changed.”
However the complexities of this season haven’t been simple.
Early within the 12 months, Teegardin recalled having to scramble to easily discover gear for follow.
Dodgers supervisor Dave Roberts laughs with Palisades Constitution Excessive baseball coach Mike Voelkel as they stroll off a area.
(Steve Galluzzo / For The Instances)
“I didn’t have anything, I didn’t have any baseball clothes,” he stated. “So my friends came and dropped me off some stuff.”
Standing subsequent to him, Sullivan solemnly nodded his head.
“Yeah, me too.”
Practices have been a logistical nightmare, with this system discovering refuge at a number of native parks after their on-campus area was broken within the fires — and formally leveled simply this previous week.
And whereas the crew’s play has been up-and-down this season, coming into Saturday 13-9 in an nearly totally highway schedule within the CIF Los Angeles Metropolis Part, Voelkel stated the easy indisputable fact that they’re even nonetheless taking part in collectively stays a degree of delight.
“If you look at it realistically, it’s a victory just having a team,” stated Voelkel, who final month was acknowledged by the CIF with a Mannequin Coach Award. “That supersedes anything.”
Nonetheless, with a couple of weeks to go till the playoffs, the Palisades’ varsity crew has a singular purpose in thoughts: To return to Dodger Stadium for the Metropolis Part finals subsequent month.
“Now being so close to it, it’s like a need at this point,” Sullivan stated, his eyes vast as he gazed towards the diamond. “That would be the best way to cap off our season. So this is kind of an insane experience, and just another motivator for us.”
In the event that they get there, few will likely be happier to see it than Roberts.
“I cannot tell you how valuable he’s been to the growth and stability of our program,” Voelkel stated. “When you have the World Series champion manager give you their time and authentic care, it’s priceless.”
