You Dawgs

In October of 2003, The Golden Baseball League announced plans to start a new independent baseball league for the 2005 season in California and western Arizona. One of those teams would be based in San Diego, and Rickey Henderson would play for the team. Last night, the San Diego Surf Dawgs, with Rickey Henderson, played their inaugural game in their inaugural season against the Long Beach Armada. And I was there.

The Surf Dawgs play at a local college where Tony Gwynn coaches the San Diego State Aztecs. There they faced some opening night glitches. Long lines for merchandise were poorly handled and sales were lost to inability to take credit; the sound system was ill-equipped for the 4-man anthem; and in the first inning, concessions ran out of hot dogs. Having had one early, I can attest that no one missed anything. However, the venue had to its credit short lines for beer and bathroom, and vendors selling bags of kettle corn wore the sales price on printed T-shirts. Well done there.

The marketing department, however, fell down on the job when the opposing team's mascot, one already more colorful and attention-getting than our own, was allowed to outwit our hometeam Dawg, Southpaw, by distracting him from a base-running competition with a bone, allowing a child to win. The strategy is absolutely right -- the child should win -- but it should have been our mascot that helped him by distracting the other team's guy. To instill the proper team loyalty -- my mascot can kick your mascot loyalty -- it should have been our guy making theirs look foolish, not the other way around. Poor planning there. The Armada's mascot ruled in the stands, too, so much more visible than the Dawg that one wondered if our guy was even in the park.

The game, though, was fantastic. Rickey Henderson had the first catch and the first at bat for the Dawgs. He went 2-3 with a double, 2 walks, an RBI and a stolen base and was given a standing ovation by the sold-out crowd.


Rickey Henderson, third from right. Pre-game.

Surf Dawgs manager Terry Kennedy told the San Diego Union-Tribune that he thinks Henderson, 46, "wants to be the first one to hit a home run, cross home plate and collect his salary check, pension and social security all at the same time." Continuing to draw a professional paycheck delays Henderson's Hall of Fame eligibility, but the guy wants to play. And to help launch the new league. Well, if the crowd at the team's first game is any indication, he's done that.

All in all, it was a fun night out. And, at 33, I've finally met a mascot. Or two.