:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/67012705/85968779.jpg.0.jpg)
The Dodgers in 2009 were an exciting team. They were coming off their first playoff series win in 20 years, re-signed Manny Ramirez to bolster an already-strong offense, and had a young pitching staff led by 24-year-old Chad Billingsley and a 21-year-old Clayton Kershaw.
That was the first season for an intrepid SB Nation blogger writing about the team, one who liked the lineup so much that in his first post he challenged the eight regulars to each reach 50 walks for the season (while adding two spaces after each period; the horror!), something that hadn’t been done in the National League in five decades.
Spoiler alert: they did.
After opening the season winning four of seven games in a road trip in San Diego and Arizona, the Dodgers hosted the Giants for their home opener at Dodger Stadium, with Chad Billingsley getting the call on the mound against 45-year-old Randy Johnson, the latter making his 588th career start.
This was the first home start as a Dodger for Orlando Hudson, who had one home run, one triple, and one double on the road trip, a factoid I bring up for no apparent reason.
We’re going to watch this game beginning at 5 p.m. PT on YouTube.