I came to this project knowing a lot about the Dodgers, but I knew I also had a lot more to learn. Without a safety net, I wouldn’t have dreamed of writing a book about even one thing Dodgers fans should know and do. Alex Belth, Eric Enders, and Bob Timmermann, each exceptional baseball writers in their own right, reviewed drafts and offered important corrections and suggestions, not to mention much valued encouragement. The same is true of longtime Dodgers insiders Brent Shyer and Robert Schweppe. Also, if ever I had a question, Fred Claire, Carl Erskine, Mark Langill, Rich Lederer, and Josh Rawitch did not hesitate to help me. You could say the same for Peter O’Malley, who of course deserves special mention for honoring me with his foreword.
By the time I finished work on this second edition of the book, I had celebrated my 10th anniversary of writing Dodger Thoughts—before then embarking upon a hiatus. There was much evolution in the online world between the first and second editions, but at the site’s height, the readers of Dodger Thoughts formed, quite simply, an unsurpassed online community. Funny, thoughtful, insightful—occasionally brazen, but basically a dream group of people. Many members had suggestions for this book and particularly valuable support for me. Though I can’t mention them all, there are a few I would like to single out: David Ambrose, Molly Knight, Martin Leadman, Craig Minami, Stan Opdyke, Sam Sokol, and Eric Stephen, who himself became a Dodger blogger par excellence for True Blue L.A.
On a research level, Baseball-Reference.com and Baseball Prospectus were invaluable, as were the various archives I consulted. There are a lot of people behind the scenes involved in maintaining those resources, and I just want them to know I appreciate them.
For making it possible for me to write this book in the first place, I’d like to thank Michael Emmerich and Adam Motin of Triumph Books, as well as Jeff Gerecke and Ed Stackler, who provided critical guidance. But also, I’d like to acknowledge those who helped raise my profile as a baseball writer through the years, from my many friends and colleagues when I started out as a professional sportswriter, to those who had faith in me years later when I resumed writing about baseball as an amateur. In particular, I want to express appreciation to Jacob Luft, who hired me to write for SportsIllustrated.com.
Finally, to my friends, who not only have been supportive of my efforts but understanding about how bad I’ve been at staying touch with them while being hunkered down in front of the computer—thanks. And my family—I’d mention you in every chapter if I could. Of course, I’d tell the kids 100 things to know and do if I thought they’d listen.
Thanks, finally, to the Dodgers, who provided me with the thrills and memories to inspire this book. If I couldn’t be Vin Scully, writing about the Dodgers is the next best thing.