Nov. 19, 2013
PHOENIX -- This Diamondbacks-Dodgers rivalry should
be boiling hot by the time the two NL West rivals meet down in Australia
in March in the opening volley of the 2014
season.
Even in the dead of the off-season, there's
no shortage of fuel being added to the
fire.
Appearances to the contrary, however, it's not
the D-backs fanning the flames.
The most recent spark
came this week when a photo of the Chase Field pool was posted on the
Ballpark
History twitter feed showing a sign that reads "No
Dodgers Allowed."
Disclaimer, this sign @Dbacks Chase Field does not really exist. I added it. Just so there's no confusion. pic.twitter.com/4nvkV8Zm67
— Ballpark History (@MLBcathedrals) November 18, 2013
Photoshop is an amazing
thing.
The initiators of the post put up a
disclaimer, saying that they thought the doctoring was obvious, but that
didn't stop the post from making the internet rounds of various citizen
bloggers and click
chasers.
"It's a fake,"
Diamondbacks managing partner Ken Kendrick said
Tuesday.
"It makes no sense we would do
that."
For those just emerging from summer
hibernation, the whole thing started when the Dodgers clinched the NL
West title in Arizona on Sept. 19 and some players found their way to
the Chase Field pool to do some post-game
celebrating about a half hour
later.
After downing some bubbly in the clubhouse,
some Dodgers apparently made some bubbles
of their own after storming the
pool.
It did not go over very
well.
If it helps, both teams will have a a lot of
water to work with in their next series.
The D-backs
and Dodgers are to open the 2014 regular season with a two-game series
in Sydney, Australia, on March 22-23 at the hallowed Sydney Cricket
Ground, considered the Fenway Park of Australia. The 46,000-seat
stadium, normally home to cricket, rugby and Australian rules football
matches will be reconfigured to host baseball.
Should
either team feel like taking a celebratory dip afterward, the
serendipitously named Double Bay is only about four kilometers north of
the stadium. The Tasman Sea is right around the
corner.
Follow Jack
Magruder on Twitter
