Lori McCullouchs 2018 paper downloaded ticket next to some of her old World Series and Opening Day tickets at her seats behind home plate before Game 3 of the World Series at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Friday, October 26, 2018. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Lori McCullouch, and her son Jeff, has had Dodger season tickets in her family since 1962. She shows off some of her old World Series and Opening Day tickets at her seats behind home plate before Game 3 of the World Series at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Friday, October 26, 2018. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)
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Lori McCullouch, whos has Dodger season tickets in her family since 1962, shows off some of her old World Series and Opening Day tickets at her seats behind home plate before Game 3 of the World Series at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Friday, October 26, 2018. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Lori McCullouch, and her son Jeff, has had Dodger season tickets in her family since 1962. She shows off some of her old World Series and Opening Day tickets at her seats behind home plate before Game 3 of the World Series at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Friday, October 26, 2018. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Lori McCullouch has had Dodger season tickets in her family since 1962. She shows off some of her old World Series and Opening Day tickets at her seats behind home plate before Game 3 of the World Series at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Friday, October 26, 2018. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)
John Gonzalez has been a Dodgers fan since 1965. He waves his Dodgers towel before Game 4 of the World Series at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Saturday, October 27, 2018. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Randi Radcliffe, of Orange, in her seats before Game 4 of the World Series at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Saturday, October 27, 2018. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)
John Gonzalez has been a Dodgers fan since 1965. He waves his Dodgers towel before Game 4 of the World Series at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Saturday, October 27, 2018. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Randi Radcliffe, of Orange, grabs a drink with her friend Ashley Kravitz, of Agoura Hills, before Game 4 of the World Series at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Saturday, October 27, 2018. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Randi Radcliffe, of Orange, grabs a drink with her friend Ashley Kravitz, of Agoura Hills, before Game 4 of the World Series at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Saturday, October 27, 2018. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Randi Radcliffe, of Orange, before Game 4 of the World Series at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Saturday, October 27, 2018. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Randi Radcliffe, of Orange, before Game 4 of the World Series at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Saturday, October 27, 2018. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Randi Radcliffe, of Orange, snaps. Photo from her upper deck seats before Game 4 of the World Series at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Saturday, October 27, 2018. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Randi Radcliffe, of Orange, before Game 4 of the World Series at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Saturday, October 27, 2018. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Randi Radcliffe, of Orange, before Game 4 of the World Series at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Saturday, October 27, 2018. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)
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She could fit under the Dodger Stadium turnstiles. Those were the days her passion for Dodger baseball was born. Those were the days of Koufax and Drysdale, then Garvey and Cey, then Hershiser and Gibson, the days the baseball world regularly tilted toward Los Angeles.
And now, like thousands of other Dodger fans, Lori McCulloch, who has occupied the same season seat since 1962, wants to relive another championship moment like she remembers from her past.
Randi Radcliffe, who has attended more than 100 games this year and traveled to several road games, can feel it too. Thanks to an epic 18-inning victory Friday night/Saturday morning, hope has sprung again.
“I think I went through every emotion possible,” said Radcliffe, who lives in Orange. “After that game, there was a feeling they made staying worth it. There was pride as a fan. It doesnt matter what happened the first two games in Boston.”
These are the fans with Dodger blue in their blood.
“Dodger baseball is part of my family, part of my being,” said McCulloch, clutching World Series tickets from games she attended in 1963, 65, 74, 77,78, 81 and 88. “Its almost like a religion.”
The price on the 1963 ticket: $12. McCulloch, who lives in Yorba Linda, took over paying for the season tickets in 1994 when the seats were $2,500. Now her seat costs about $18,000.
“Its worth it to me,” she said. “”I cant NOT have those seats. I hope my kids can afford them someday.”
Her spark started with her grandmother, Grace Dare, who bought season tickets the first season Dodger Stadium opened in 1962. Grace was 4-foot-10, but she would scream big.
“She would yell, THAT WASNT A STRIKE,” McCulloch remembers. “Now I do the same thing.”
In 1996, Grace won a “True Blue” contest, thanks to an essay McCulloch wrote about her love for the team.
“She took a picture with Tommy Lasorda, and gave him a kiss on the cheek,” McCulloch said.
McCulloch said they would argue which players were more attractive.
“She would say Eric Karros had a better body than Mike Piazza,” McCulloch said. “No way.”
Grace attended games with McCulloch until she was 94. She died of a stroke in 2006.
“She would love to be here,” said McCulloch, watching Fridays game with her 23-year-old son, Jeff.
John Gonzalez of San Bernardino was wearing a jersey that read “Fan Since 65.”
“They won the World Series the year I was born,” Gonzalez said. “Thats an omen. I had hope even when we were down 0-2.”
There are few fans who demonstrate the level of devotion shown by Randi Radcliffe. She is currently a finalist for the Fansided.com “Sports Fan of the Year.” If she wins against four competitors, she could win a trip to New York City.
A year ago, she was working in Human Relations when she was let go. The reason? She was leaving work too often to go to Dodger games.
“It was one of the best things that ever happened to me,” said the 25-year-old Radcliffe, whose uncle, Jim, is an editor with the Southern California News Group.
She got a flexible job as a driver for Uber and Lyft, and she bought a Dodgers season ticket. She goes to the games alone, but she meets up with friends when shes there. She tries not to spend any money on food.
“Its not very comfortable. Its very expensive. Eating is so unhealthy,” she said. “But no matter whats going on in my life, I feel safe here.”
Her goal was to attend 60 games. On Oct. 28, she will attend her 103rd. She has made road trips with the Dodgers to San Diego, Oakland, Arizona, Colorado and Seattle.
“Ive made Dodger baseball a priority in my life,” she said.
Her seat is in the upper deck, where she looks straight at the greenery of Chavez Ravine.
“Its one of the most relaxing views in baseball,” Radcliffe said.
Next year, she is going to change her schedule, going to less home games and trying to make it to more road games.
Shes got her eye on one city in particular.
“I want Boston,” she said.
But first, she wants the Dodgers to beat the Red Sox.
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