Over the offseason the Los Angeles Dodgers changed the Dodger Stadium lighting system for the first time since 2007, and only the second time since the ballpark opened in 1962. The organization switched to LED bulbs, which have been touted as more energy efficient.
The Dodgers unveiled the new lights during their Opening Night matchup against the Arizona Diamondbacks, and while they received plenty of praise, there have been some growing pains as well.
The new Dodger Stadium lights briefly went dark on a Will Smith RBI single into right field, which upset Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo. A similar instance occurred while Carlos Vargas attempted to warm up for the eighth inning.
The Dodgers apologized to the Diamondbacks for the mistakes after the game, and president and CEO Stan Kasten admitted the team is still trying to figure out how to utilize the lights before attempting to be more creative with them, per Jorge Castillo of the L.A. Times:
“I think we’re gonna learn what we have before we can really spend time doing more creative things,” Kasten said. “But we said that ahead of time. It’s gonna take a couple of weeks for us to figure out what we can do, what it does, what works for these fans and stuff like that. Pretty straightforward.”
Kasten’s comments indicate the team is working hard to make sure the aforementioned blunders don’t happen again. He also remains optimistic that the new lights will change the game experience in a positive way.
“In a lot of ballparks, you now see they darken the whole place, do all kinds of effects, all kinds of colors whether it’s a base hit, or a strikeout, or home run, or end of game,” Kasten said Dodgers FanFest.
“We’re going to be able to improve the game experience in a way that has never happened before. We’re very happy about that. I’ve already seen some of the configurations and really cool effects that we can have, and I’m very excited.
“You can watch baseball and go to a nightclub. It’s great. Every night here is fun, but this year is going to be more fun than ever.”
While the Dodgers corrected some issues, during their last homestand the lights were shut off before Max Muncy’s home run ball landed in the pavilion. There wasn’t any doubt as to whether or not his monster shot would clear the fence, but Dodger Stadium going dark while it was in the air presumably made it more difficult on fans trying to catch the souvenir.
And after no longer dimming the Dodger Stadium lights during an opposing team’s pitching change, the Dodgers again started doing so for their series with the St. Louis Cardinals.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts enjoyed new Dodger Stadium lights
While recognizing there were some missteps, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has enjoyed the new setup at Dodger Stadium. “Loved them,” he said last month.
“The lights were amazing. There was something in the middle of a play we got a little aggressive with the dimmer switch. The LED, deal in between, really good.”
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