After going 5-2 on their road trip to start the 2021 regular season, the Los Angeles Dodgers now are poised for a celebration on Friday at Dodger Stadium. They begin a three-game series with the Washington Nationals, but not before receiving World Series rings and raising a banner.
“It’s been marked on the calendar for a while now. I’m excited. I’m excited that we’re going to have a few fans there, first of all. I think that will be really cool,” Clayton Kershaw said.
“It’s kind of the first time we’ve all been together with fans to get to celebrate last year, so I’m very excited about it. We don’t want to look too far into the past, obviously. We’ve got to play, we’ve got to win, but Friday is going to be really special for me for a lot of different reasons.
“Finally get to see that ring, it will be pretty special.”
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts echoed much of that same sentiment, saying, “I’m looking forward to seeing fans, Dodger fans, however many we can put in there but adhere to restrictions. I’m looking forward to getting that big, fat ring, and just to kind of put a bow on 2020.”
The Dodgers will welcome just over 15,000 fans for their home opener, which is roughly 28% of Dodger Stadium’s capacity. Fans for the first time will see the completed renovation of Dodger Stadium, though not all offerings or amenities will be open for the immediate future.
More Dodgers excited for home opener
Max Muncy
“It will be a pretty special day. Obviously I’ve never been a part of something like that, so I can’t really say what I’m looking forward to the most. So I’m going to go with everything. I think the whole day is going to be pretty special.”
Chris Taylor
“Playing in front of Dodger fans again is going to be fun, and obviously getting our rings. But I think mostly looking forward to just playing in front of our home crowd, seeing their reaction and getting back in that environment again.”
Justin Turner
“We finally accomplished what we were trying to accomplish over my last seven years. We fell short a couple times, obviously had some tough endings to some seasons. Seeing the banner go up and getting that ring is going to be a good feeling. That’s what every kid dreams of: winning a World Series. We were able to accomplish that last year and obviously the goal is to win a few more.”
Trevor Bauer
“It’s going to be a special day. Obviously I’m excited to watch the ceremony of it all. Opening Day in general is always great. The flyover, the American flag, excitement about baseball. It will be great to have Dodger fans back in Dodger Stadium. It’s going to be fun.”
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