Dodgers ring in their home opener with an oasis of flair

LOS ANGELES ― It was listed on the official schedule as a “ring ceremony,” as if borrowed from a wedding or a high school graduation. The actual presentation of the Dodgers’ championship jewelry featured Ken Griffey Jr. making a pouty face, Bronson Arroyo singing and playing guitar, and Ichiro Suzuki speaking Spanish.

The pomp and circumstance that preceded the Dodgers’ home opener on Friday afternoon was ostensibly an excuse to continue a time-honored tradition: distributing custom-made rings to the reigning World Series champions before the first home game of the new season.

This year, the ceremony took on new meaning.

For some in the announced crowd of 15,036, it was the first mass gathering they had attended in more than a year, and their first Dodgers home game in at least 18 months. Going through the usual motions of a home opener – a flyover from the 194th Fighter Squadron, players lining up on the baselines as their names were announced before the game – was unusual compared to what the sports world has witnessed over the last 12 months.

For the Dodger players on the field, the ceremony meant even more.

Pitcher Clayton Kershaw said he had an opportunity to see the World Series rings before Friday. He declined.

“I don’t want to see it until the actual day,” Kershaw told MLB Network during a mid-game dugout interview. “There were some pictures (of the rings) circulating around. I did my best not to take a close look at it. I did see it from a distance. To see that thing in person, it was so special.”

“It looked like he was getting emotional, which he should,” Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner said of Kershaw. “That’s why I kept my glasses on. I didn’t want to let anyone see me get emotional.”

Turner became a free agent after last season and re-signed in February. He was not able to celebrate the final out of last year’s World Series on the field with his teammates because of a positive COVID-19 test result that was confirmed during the final game. Being able to receive his ring alongside his teammates wasn’t the reason he re-signed, but Turner said the thought crossed his mind during the offseason.

After collecting three of the Dodgers’ four hits, including the home run that accounted for the only run in their 1-0 victory over the Washington Nationals, Turner wore his ring during his postgame press conference.

“It’s just very simple, clean-cut and it just looks really nice,” he said. “The detail in it’s really cool with the series wins on the inside, the signature on the bottom, and the outside of the ring is just simple and clean-cut. They did a great job.”

Pitcher David Price opted out of last season because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Even though he wasn’t on the Dodgers’ postseason roster, he received a customized World Series ring too.

Price is also an active participant in The Players’ Alliance, a group of more than 100 Black professional baseball players past and present who have donated time and money to projects supporting others in the Black community. On Friday, Price announced he would auction his ring to raise money for The Players’ Alliance.

The ring should fetch a hefty sum. According to manufacturer Jostens, each ring is made of approximately 222 round diamonds, 10 princess-cut diamonds, 45 custom-cut genuine sapphires and eight round genuine sapphires. Players received their rings in blue boxes featuring a personalized nameplate, a rotating ring platform that spins when the box is opened, and an interior light to showcase the ring. In addition, the ring box has an interior LCD screen that plays a 4-minute video of 2020 season highlights, complete with music and sound, each time the box is opened.

Every player who received a ring Friday had one final surprise in store.

A pre-recorded message played on the Dodger Stadium video board as the players waited to receive their rings. The short messages came from a diverse collection of players identified as a personal favorite by the current Dodgers.

Manager Dave Roberts chose Rickey Henderson. Relief pitcher Joe Kelly chose Griffey (who imitated Kelly’s pursed-lip taunt from last July in Houston). Turner chose Gary Sheffield. Shortstop Corey Seager chose his brother, Seattle Mariners third baseman Kyle.

When infielder Edwin Rios chose Ichiro, little did he know the Japanese-born outfielder would record a personalized greeting in Spanish.

Buehler chose retired pitcher-turned-musician Bronson Arroyo, who spent the 2015 season rehabbing at the Dodgers’ spring training facility in Glendale, Arizona. Buehler was assigned there shortly after he was drafted out of college in June 2015. The two bonded.

“Growing up in Kentucky the Reds were my team. He was there a long time,” Buehler said. “Just the start of my career, and having him around, showing me the ropes, it was a really cool point in my life and really cool of him to open himself to get to know me. I figured he would do a good job with it.”

Arroyo’s message to Buehler featured something the others did not.

“Walker Buehler, I knew there was something special about you when I met you, man,” Arroyo said, strumming an electric guitar, before eventually launching into his rendition of the song “Wonderwall” by Oasis.

Buehler wasn’t able to watch the video because he was busy warming up to start the game against the Washington Nationals. He threw six shutout innings to earn the victory. Closer Kenley Jansen pitched consecutive games Tuesday and Wednesday, so Corey Knebel was going to be the one who saved it.

CHAMP! pic.twitter.com/uNCiLGx1Lx

— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) April 9, 2021

JT! pic.twitter.com/0ZwqK9vFXV

— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) April 9, 2021

First #Dodgers manager since Tommy Lasorda to receive a World Series Championship ring, Dave Roberts! pic.twitter.com/Cg5UhWkXQb

— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) April 9, 2021

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