Alanna Rizzo has made the drive countless times through her first six seasons as reporter for the Los Angeles Dodgers. But on a recent afternoon, her arrival at Dodger Stadium represented something new.
Rizzo organized a scorekeeping class for 40 women, which immediately sold out upon tickets going on sale. So she added more spots, and those also quickly filled, resulting in a crowd of 120 filling the Stadium Club.
Participants were greeted by a sign directing them as they pulled into Dodger Stadium from Vin Scully Avenue. It did not bear Rizzo’s name, but instead Guidry’s Guardian Foundation. “It was really heartwarming to see that,” Rizzo told DodgerBlue.com.
“It’s like, ‘Wow, this really happened.’ It was really neat to see it come to life.”
All proceeds benefitted Guidry’s Guardian Foundation, which Rizzo officially launched last July. Its mission is to rescue dogs from being euthanized and provide treatment for those that require medical care. Rizzo’s foundation not only helps mitigate costs but also unites pets with fosters and adopters.
While the scorekeeping event was used to raise funds for Guidry’s, Rizzo very much was mindful of making the day noteworthy for participants. “I was trying to figure out a way to incorporate an event that I felt people would find some value in,” she explained.
“So many people, over the course of time that I’ve covered baseball, have been interested in scorekeeping. I wanted to do it first as a class for women to give them a forum where they could ask questions and not be intimidated.”
“A lot of people don’t want to admit they don’t know certain things and oftentimes women won’t say what their questions really are if it’s in a group with men too. It was a good way to bring together a group of women who wanted to learn about scorekeeping in a safe zone, if you will.”
Jill Painter Lopez of the Associated Press, Maria Torres from the L.A. Times, and Mika Niwa of Sankei Sports, were part of the group who assisted with instruction. Rizzo walked through various highlights to explain how plays are scored, reviewed terminology, and also fielded questions on scorekeeping, baseball in general, and the Dodgers.
The event concluded with a raffle for prizes and went off without a hitch. It has Rizzo motivated to hold more, which could bode well for men as it would be opened to both genders. “The biggest thing is finding the time to do these events during a baseball season,” she acknowledged.
“I definitely want to do another scorekeeping event, because there were a lot of people that weren’t able to get into this one. I’m looking forward to the feedback on how this can be better, and I want to do different types of events.
“A lot of people come to us and ask how to get into the business. I want to do events where you can bring your pets. If I can find a way to incorporate what I do and platform I have with the Dodgers, as someway to benefit the foundation, I’m going to definitely do that.”
Donations can be completed on the official website of Guidry’s Guardian Foundation, and it can be followed on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
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