I headed out from Irvine around 2:30pm, and I arrived a little after 4pm and unloaded.
While the characters were changing into costume, I took a few minutes to watch batting practice (which I love to watch), and have R2 take pictures with early-arriving employees and fans.
Around 5:00pm we started making our way to the center field plaza for photos with the fans.
Once we arrived, the staff formed a line for the fans to get pictures with the characters. It didn't take long for the line to grow to well over 100 people, and wrap around the corner and down the aisle behind the right field pavilion.
Occasionally, the pre-game crew would come by to get some live shots of the characters during the broadcast.
The original plan was to just do this one photo op area, but around 6:30pm, there was a change in plans and some of the characters were invited to be part of the "It's time for Dodgers baseball" announcement right before the game starts (at 7:05 pm).
R2 and some of other characters were escorted onto the warning track in dead-center field, and we made our way around to the home plate area. (Note the tracks R2 is leaving behind. Would they still be there at game-time?)
Long time official Dodgers photographer Jon Soohoo called out to me as I passed the dugout. I'm a big fan of his work, and always enjoy catching up with him.
At this point, something kind of funny happened. As we were waiting for the characters to join some fans for the "It's time for Dodgers baseball" announcement, I figured I'd get a quick picture with the characters, which I did.
What I didn't count on was appearing on the scoreboard. As the picture was being taken, one of the camera operators for the scoreboard came over to get a shot that lasted on the board for a good 13 seconds. The scoreboards look high-res and beautiful in person, but the refresh rate of the scoreboard and the capture rate of the phone are out of sync, so they tend to look messed up when photographed.
Next, the characters lined up for the national anthem.
A few minutes later, I was asked to stage R2 first, at the top of the "A" in the LA logo, as the lineup cards were exchanged behind him.
Moments later, the other characters and fans joined R2 and did their thing.
After that, R2 and I high-tailed it off the field and toward the concourse elevators behind home plate. While waiting, I took my traditional photos of the awards on display, along with the Gold Glove of my all-time favorite player, Davey Lopes.
As I got ready to stow R2 back into the Droidmobile, I took a quick picture of the Dodgers crew that helped us with photos and escorting us around.
All the characters were given tickets to watch the game. I decided to make my way down the right field line to see if R2's tracks were still visible on the warning track. Yup! Just to the right of the foul line, haha.
The Dodgers spanked the Giants, 9-1. That improves R2's record to 10-3. I really think they need to invite him during the post-season.
This event combines two of my greatest fandoms (Star Wars and the Dodgers), and I always look forward to it. I hope to be back next year.
The full-sized photoset is here.
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