Los Angeles Angels Spring Training 2021

Along with volunteering at Sunshine Acres Children's Home we also volunteered again this year for 13 home games of the Los Angeles Angels Spring Training.  I was really quite surprised that fans would be allowed to attend games although it was at a 25% capacity.

 I needed this distraction:

Since we were at Sunshine Acres with Linda and Randy, we all carpooled to the games.  This is three years now since we met Linda and Randy at Tempe Diablo Stadium and we've been good friends every since! 

 

 

 

The Angels are celebrating 60 years this season

There were some changes this year for Covid-19.  75% of the seats in the stadium were block with zip ties.  It didn't work so well in the bleacher seats as it was easy to slide them.   

Jim and Janie's season ticket seats were zip tied.

The grass area was sectioned off into boxes where people could sit socially distanced.

Grass seating boxes

There were even socially distancing guides in the dugout!

 

 

 

Each of the ushers were provided with a paddle sign to remind fans to wear a mask.  This proved to be quite a task.  In my sections I asked people to wear their masks if they were not actively eating or drinking.  If I walked down to the bottom of my aisle and turned around to looked at the fans, I wanted to see a drink in their hand or peanuts or sunflower seeds or a mask.  Most people were really good about it and it became a joke when they saw me looking at them they would quickly pick up a drink.  I felt it was my job to make sure my sections were wearing masks since the TV cameras pick up people in these areas regularly being so close to home plate.  I didn't want the Angels fans to be blasted on social media for not wearing masks.

 

 

The owner of the Angels, Arte Moreno, sits in the front row of the section next to me.  Here he's wearing a mask but he was terrible about wearing it while seated.  Some fans complained to me that the owner wasn't setting a good example by not wearing his mask.  

A couple of young security guards actually went to him and asked him to wear his mask. 

At the time it was recommended to double mask so we did since we were around lots of strangers while we were at the stadium and had not received our vaccinations.

But with all these changes, we were happy to be watching baseball again!

At one of the first games, before they let fans into the stadium, the new Angels manager, Joe Madden was giving base running instruction.  As volunteers, we get in to the stadium earlier and get to watch practice.

Manager Joe Madden giving instruction to the guys

At one point, Joe started at first base and ran all the bases and slid into home plate.  Linda, Randy, Al, and I were seated near home base just watching the instruction and we erupted into applause.  All the players turned to look at us and started laughing.  I think they were all surprised to be hearing fans again.  

The birthday celebration continues.

Here is how the stadium looked at 25% capacity.

 

My view of the games from my Usher Post

Over the three years of volunteering at Angels Spring Training, I've observed the owner, Arte Moreno, give baseballs to young fans that are seated nearby.  Here one lucky fan was called over to get a ball from Arti.  I caught this and took photos because the boy's Dad was up getting food and missed the whole interaction.  I then texted my photos to the guy so he saw what he missed. 

The boy is wearing a mask but Arti is not.

One game this couple stopped by me and the guy looked really tired from his walk from the parking lot.  He asked if I had any seats close by as his tickets were further down the steps.  I offered the two handicapped seats near me until someone came who had those tickets.  He was so thankful.  When the guy got up to go to the restroom, I asked his wife if he was okay.  She told me that he is recovering from a double lung transplant.  I mentioned that I saw on the news that a guy had a double lung transplant and she told me that it was him.  He was a firefighter from Oklahoma who contracted Covid-19 and required the lung transplant.

Here is his story:  https://kfor.com/news/local/oklahoma-firefighter-receives-double-lung-transplant-after-contracting-covid-19-released-from-hospital/

He was so happy to be at a baseball game and after knowing his story I could understand.

What is unique in this next photo?  Take a closer look at the first base coach for the San Francisco Giants.

Alyssa Nakken is the first full-time female coach in MLB history and the first to coach on the field during a major league game.  This was a big deal for me.

Alyssa Nakken

I think due to Covid, Joe Madden started holding batting and fielding practice on the complex practice fields instead of inside the stadium.  That was one thing I really enjoyed about volunteering so one day we went to see if we could get a better look.  This was the best views we could get of practice during these restricted times.

 

Practice fields at the complex

View of the practice fields from Westcourt Way

Here are some random photos:

2-way player Shohei Ohtani

Mike Trout

Albert Pujols

It was nice to see these two greats together at spring training but recently the Angels let Pujols go.

Albert Pujols and Mike Trout

Let's hope the Angels have a good year and make it to the playoffs!