Dodger Stadium’s flickering LED lights annoy Diamondbacks manager and players
For months, the Major League Baseball universe wondered how the new rules for the 2023 season — most notably the implementation of a pitch clock — would affect games. Would they go too fast? Would players adjust? Is it all too much at once? It was the top story line across the majors for Thursday’s opening day.
Another unveiling, however, snatched center stage and miffed the visitors at Dodger Stadium on Thursday: the ballpark’s new lights.
The fresh LED lights flickered, dimmed and changed colors at various points during the Dodgers’ 8-2 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks. When Dodgers rookie James Outman hit a home run. When the Diamondbacks made a pitching change. While Diamondbacks relievers warmed up. It was impossible not to notice.
James Outman and Miguel Vargas impress for the Dodgers in their victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks. Will the new guys continue to play leading roles?
Fans seemed to love the addition. The Diamondbacks did not. Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said two light shows bothered the visiting club.
The first one was in the fifth inning, when Will Smith poked an RBI single to right field before the lights dimmed and flickered while Jake McCarthy fielded the ball and threw it back into the infield.
“They were celebrating a little too early,” Smith said.
The second problematic light display came during the eighth inning as Diamondbacks reliever Carlos Vargas warmed up on the mound before his major league debut. Arizona catcher Gabriel Moreno had trouble seeing the pitches so home plate umpire Marvin Hudson immediately signaled to have someone turn the lights on.
“I wasn’t too pleased about that,” Lovullo said. “It’s the first game for everybody. Hopefully they figure it out. I’ll definitely bring it up with my group here in the front office here and just see what they think about doing. I don’t think anything was done maliciously. I just think they hit the wrong button at the wrong time and they need to be better at that.”
Zac Gallen was on the mound for the Diamondbacks for Smith’s single. He was perplexed after the game.
“Is that like scheduled? Is that a thing that they’re doing?” Gallen said. “I don’t know. I haven’t seen that before. I was kind of shocked. I mean, it doesn’t seem like it would be something that MLB’s going to allow. I did notice that.
“But, I mean, it is what it is. It seems like it might be a disadvantage. The ball’s coming back in the infield and it’s dark out there. I mean, it’s the home crowd, they’re going to do what they can for the advantage. We’ll see what happens with that.”
The Dodgers replaced the ballpark’s lights for the second time since it opened in 1962 during the offseason. The franchise replaced the original lights in 2007. Over the winter, those were replaced with LED lights.
The organization heralded the change as energy efficient and an upgrade that would enhance the fan experience. They’re brighter. They can turn on and off instantly with full color. It was a step forward in the entertainment category.
“You can watch baseball and go to a nightclub,” Dodgers president Stan Kasten said at FanFest in January. “It’s great. Every night here is fun, but this year is going to be more fun than ever.”
Standout performances by Will Smith, Julio Urías and James Outman help deliver the Dodgers to an 8-2 season-opening victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he enjoyed his first Club Chavez Ravine experience.
“I loved them,” Roberts said. “The lights were amazing. In the middle of a play, we got a little aggressive with the dimmers. But better them than us.”
The lights didn’t affect the game’s outcome. The Dodgers, as Lovullo noted, beat the Diamondbacks “fair and square.” But on a historic night at Dodger Stadium, the first with a pitch clock in a game that mattered, the lights were the most jarring change from years past.
“I guess there’s another advantage to playing at Dodger Stadium,” Roberts said.
The Los Angeles Dodgers bring a vastly new look to the field for the 2023 season. Beat reporter Jack Harris and sports columnist Bill Plaschke talk about the upcoming season and how well the Dodgers might do.
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