In the spirit of Halloween, Backstage Dodgers detailed the famed Dodgers dress-up travel day from 2019.
Without a doubt, it was one of the more candid moments and it featured the entire Los Angeles roster. Within the video, we learn a bit more about some of the details behind the infamous day in 2019 Dodgers’ team history.
First off, Ross Stripling says that the idea originated from veterans Clayton Kershaw and Justin Turner — he confirmed as much with Dodgers Nation on our Blue Heaven Podcast early in October. Notably, the two veterans decided that the entire team should give the costume idea a try. By comparison, most teams just make the rookies do this as a rite of passage.
“I’m not exactly sure where the idea came from. I think it was a mixture of Justin Turner and Clayton Kershaw. They were kind of talking one game and said ‘everyone dresses rookies up, but those pictures you see of other teams like the Cubs where the whole team would be fun too’. Instead of just rookies we decided to change it up this year and do everyone.”
Undeniably, the goofiness of the entire Dodger roster and the willingness to have fun dressed in different skin is a quality that made the 2019 group lovable. While I think of that day – I think of Stripling’s Forrest Gump costume and his sidekick – Tony ‘Lieutenant Dan’ Gonsolin.
“My first thought after dressing up as Forrest Gump, was Tony Gonsolin at Lieutenant Dan. It came together really good. I mean all he had to do was put on a bandana and he looks exactly like him.”
Certainly, the Dodgers 2019 postseason didn’t end how we all wanted it to. And this day happened not long before the NLDS collapse. But one cannot deny the fact that just before baseball brought us a lot of frowns, days like the one the Dodgers’ decided to play dress-up for a trip made us all smile.
