Continuing this series of Interviews, I decided to reach out and interview a Dodger fan that is a regular at Dodger Stadium. Her name is Randi Radcliffe but most people know her as, ‘Dodger Randi’. I stumbled upon her YouTube channel one day and enjoyed the content that she uploaded. Naturally, I thought she would be a perfect candidate for my Interview series here on Leadoff Dodgers. This interview was roughly one month in the making, due to scheduling and distances but nonetheless, here is my interview with ‘Dodger Randi’!
- Tell me about yourself in regards to the Dodgers. How did you become a fan? Who are some of your favorite Dodgers over the years?
“I was born into it. From the day I was born, my Dad raised me to love the Dodgers. Shawn Green is my all-time favorite, I was also a big fan of Russell Martin, Eric Gagne, Rafael Furcal, Nomar Garciaparra, Matt Kemp, Corey Seager, Justin Turner and Walker Buehler.”
- Why do you like the Dodgers?
“I’ve never actually thought about this before but I just like what the organization stands for. Winning has always been important. The Dodgers don’t hang up banners at the stadium unless they win it all, unlike other teams. I love the classic look of the uniforms and how the logo really hasn’t changed much over the course of the franchise. I love what they do for the community and I also just love the people (fans) at games. It feels like home.”
- What is the best game you’ve been to and why?
“When I think back to the best game I ever attended, the first one that comes to mind was Game 1 of the 2017 World Series. I’ve played Chris Taylor’s 1st inning Home Run over in my mind countless times and every time I do, it gives me a feeling I’ve never had before. This was also the Dodgers World Series game in my lifetime so it was a pretty special moment being there and hearing the crowd just absolutely lose it when that ball left the field. However, I was at Game 2 of the 2017 NLCS when Justin Turner hit his Walk-Off Home Run against the Cubs. I happened to be sitting in the Left Field Pavilion that night as well. That game is right up there with Game 1 of the World Series.”
- You’re a season ticket holder, how did you get into that? Did you just do single game tickets, mini plan and then fo full season?
“I actually purchased the bobblehead mini plan (20 games) at first and then the Dodgers sent me an email saying I could show up and do ‘select-a-seat’ if I wanted to upgrade. After seeing that it was only a few hundred dollars more, I decided to pull the trigger. They’ve now sucked me into doing it for at least another season. However, I won’t be attending all 81 home games this season.”
- Do you have any cool Dodgers memorabilia items?
“Outside of your usual autograph balls, I don’t. I do have a Vin Scully autograph though which is my favorite Dodger possession by far.”
- How do you think the Dodgers will do this year? Do you think 3rd time is the charm?
“As a Dodger fan, every year is our year. Putting my bias aside, I actually think the Dodgers will do better than what most fans think based on the current lineup. As of now, I do see the Dodgers still being the best team in the National League but, I don’t see them getting past some of the strong American League teams without making a couple of upgrades. I think those will come at some point in the season.”
- Did the Dodgers go the cheap route in signing Pollock over Harper?
“Yes and no. They went the ‘cheap route’ only because Pollock is A LOT cheaper than Harper. I don’t think the Dodgers got Pollock because he was cheaper. I think they got him because he fits the team better. He’s a very good right handed bat, when healthy, and he hits lefties really well. Something the Dodgers always struggle with. He’s also a true Center Fielder which we don’t necessarily have. In addition, he plays solid defense.”
- Who else do you think the Dodgers should add to their team before the season starts?
“I’d really like to see them pull off the JT Realmuto trade. He may not be the best defensive catcher in baseball but he’s certainly the best offensive catcher in baseball. A big step up from Russell Martin or Austin Barnes. Realmuto gives the Dodgers a better chance at winning now instead of hoping Will Smith or Keibert Ruiz are ready to go in 2020. Also, I’d really like to see Manny Machado come back but I know that is highly unlikely. This forces a lot of changes in the infield which would be unnecessary. So Machado is more of a luxury than a need. I could just imagine an infield of Machado, Turner, Seager and Bellinger.”
- Favorite food at Dodger Stadium?
“Carne Asada nachos would have to be my go to because I just love nachos. The lobster roll as well as the buffalo chicken with bleu cheese bites were also amazing. If we’re being honest here, I’d actually really like to see the Dodgers step up their food game, compared to a lot of other teams. I mean, this is Los Angeles.”
- Do you have any stories you can share about meeting a player or something along those lines?
“One of my favorite meetings with a player would be from Spring Training last season with Walker Buehler. I had noticed Buehler hadn’t signed for any fans yet and that he wasn’t necessarily acknowledging them when they’d say ‘hello’ or ‘good morning’. So I tweeted out, ‘I’ve yet to see Walker Buehler sign for anyone. Today he walked past everyone and didn’t even acknowledge the fans saying hello.’ The next day, I’m standing at practice still hoping to get Walker Buehler to sign a ball for me. As soon as practice was over, he walked straight up to me, grabbed my pen and ball for an autograph. As he was signing he said, ‘So I saw that tweet about me where you said I didn’t sign for anyone.’ Rightfully so, everyone around me laughed and I could only do the same. I told him I didn’t mean for it to come off negative but that I was just tweeting out what I saw. The best part is Buehler did all of this with a smile on his face and was totally awesome about it. He didn’t try to make me feel dumb but he was just giving it back to me and I can respect that. Especially since he took the time to sign for me. Always be careful what you tweet, you never know what player will see it.”
- What is your response to people that criticize the Dodgers for losing back to back World Series?
“I totally get where they are coming from but at the end of the day, nobody wants to win more than the guys on the field. Losing back to back World Series was rough, no doubt. The joy from both of these last two seasons and the road to the World Series is way better than what they were doing the previous 29 years. I want to win just as bad as every other fan out there but, I love going into every season knowing the Dodgers have a real chance at winning it all instead of knowing we have no chance.”
After this long read, I hope you enjoyed the interview and gained some new insight to the Dodgers via another fans’ opinion. Randi is a totally cool person that everyone should check out on Social Media. You can find Dodger Randi’s social media sites here:
Again, if you’d like to see more of these interviews, let me know who I should interview next. Whether it is yourself or someone you know, let’s get talking!
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