True Blue LA welcomes Michael Elizondo

I’m very happy to announce that Michael Elizondo has joined True Blue LA as a writer.

Michael goes by elidelajandro aka Eli in the comments — he explained the origin of that here — and graced us with tales from his many travels last season. He traveled to many a road Dodgers game in 2021, and shared his stories with us in the comments throughout the season.

Perhaps you might have seen one of Michael’s comments in various 2021 player reviews, in which he shared what he saw in person from each player, such as Kenley Jansen only allowing one hit in 10 innings with Michael in attendance. Or maybe you read one of Michael’s FanPosts about his sights and sounds from each ballpark.

He’ll continue to share these stories with us, only now on the front page of True Blue LA as well.

Get to know Michael

Michael has been a licensed California attorney since late 2017 after he earned his Juris Doctor degree from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento, California. He graduated as a member of the Order of the Coif, with Great Distinction, and obtained the International Law Concentration. He was trained to be a diplomat but he’s been in practice in various fields in the Bay Area primarily working these days in Wills and Trusts Planning. Michael has a bunch of interesting law stories, one of which involves carrots, which he might share someday.

While in law school in 2016, Michael was selected to intern for one of the defense teams at the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, where he worked on legal research in international criminal law, including genocide. He also spent six months literally living at an Australian bar in Phnom Penh while running pub quizzes every other week and eating way too much kangaroo (among other Aussie foods). During the summer of 2016, Michael also was selected to extern at the Northern Ireland Parades Commission where he had a front-row seat to human rights work while navigating the tension of the looming Brexit vote while trying to visit the Doctor Who Museum in Wales.

In the summer of 2015, Michael also interned for the Honorable Chief Judge Lawrence B. Hagel of the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims in Washington D.C., where he helped draft multiple court decisions and dispositive orders in the field of veterans law...while venturing out to Nationals Park and Citi Field in New York to watch the Dodgers. Among various other prestigious international and domestic legal internships, Michael was also selected to be a published Comment Writer for the University of the Pacific, McGeorge Law Review.

In 2014, Michael graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Criminology and Restorative Justice from Fresno Pacific University. He put himself through school at night while working full-time as a Legal Secretary for a public defender’s office in the Central Valley. While in undergraduate studies, he was trained as a mediator, having conducted several successful mediations.

When not traveling to and writing about the Los Angeles Dodgers, Michael also enjoys building Gunpla, watching Doctor Who, the Expanse, and playing Android: Netrunner.

Please help us extend a hearty welcome to Michael in the comments below.