City of the Angels

In a followup to an earlier blog entry about ESPN's graphic for the Los Angeles Dodgers, ESPN is the first national network to recognize the name change of the (previously) Anaheim Angels. During a Tuesday game between the Angels and the Chicago White Sox, ESPN listed the team as the Los Angeles Angels, and the scoring graphic showed the abbreviation "LAA."

Also, Wednesday was the first pre-season game that Dodger broadcaster Vin Scully has worked this spring. For the Dodgers' radio-only broadcast, he announced the first three innings, and then Charley Steiner and Rick Monday took over for the rest of the game.

Predictably, Scully is already in prime, mid-season form. He riffed about the origins of Holman Stadium and Dodger Stadium (they were the first stadiums built into excavated land), and shared a story that when Bob Gibson wasn't pitching well, a young catcher would never assume he could approach him.

One interesting addition to the Dodgers radio broadcast is a tagline added to the "bumper" leading into commercials. It's a gentle reminder that, "You're listening to L.A. baseball."

The Dodgers are marking their territory.

This season's going to be an interesting one for baseball in Los Angeles.