Surf Dawgs

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The Vyuz.com nine-inning guide to the Surf Dawgs

By David Moye

June 12, 2006

San Diego--This season, Vyuz will be covering the San Diego Surf Dawgs, a minor league baseball team in the Golden Baseball League. Here's your early-season guide to the team...

Inning One: The Season Begins

This past week marked the first home stand of the season for the San Diego Surf Dawgs, the city’s representative in the Golden Baseball League.

For those not in the know, the GBL is an independent minor league that has six teams: the Chico Outlaws, Fullerton Flyers, Long Beach Armada, Reno Silver Sox and the Yuma Scorpions.

The League has an 80-game season from June to August and the Surf Dawgs play their home games at Tony Gwynne Stadium at San Diego State.

It worked last year. The Surf Dawgs led the league from beginning to end and attracted as many as 2000 fans a game.

This year, the Dawgs have the benefit of one year’s experience and a loyal group of supporters called the Kennel Club but, so far, are only attracting a few hundred folks to the game.

Inning Two: Everybody Is A Star

Going to a Surf Dawgs game can remind a person of a line in the Beatles song “Penny Lane”; the one that goes, “and she feels as if she’s in a play. She is anyway.”

That’s because all the employees, from the ushers who are called “hosts,” to the dancers, to the mascot, to even the guy that handles the inflatable slide, seem to be gung-ho about the Surf Dawgs and providing the complete fan experience.

Honestly, this pays off big. It’s hard to be in a bad mood at a Surf Dawgs game – and believe me, I’ve tried – because even if the team loses, it’s still baseball, it’s still summer and the Firehouse beer is still flowing.

It’s nice to see former Padres like Terry Kennedy and Garry Templeton (who coaches the rival Fullerton Flyers) making themselves available to fans who want to thank them for the wonderful memories of the 1984 World Series team and it’s nice to see former Detroit Tiger Darrel Evans (even though I don’t want to thank him for the memory of him defeating the Padres).

Still, it’s a lot of fun watching the people – those in the stands, not on the field.

There’s the 14-year-old girl who runs up and down the aisles during every Surf Dawg at bat, living and dying over every pop fly or fielder’s choice.

There’s the dance team that performs routines on top of the dugout during the 7^th inning stretch and spends time debating what name they should be called. Obviously, none of the girls are dogs, so they’re currently struggling between Dugout Divas and Diamond Dolls, among others.

There are the smart asses in the general admission section who keep trying to help the team by providing offbeat nicknames to their favorite Dawgs. For instance, one evening Catcher Kevin Reinking went from being called “Lion King” to “Simba” in just two at-bats.

And then there’s SouthPaw….

Inning Three: And A Surf Dawg Will Lead Them

It wouldn’t be minor league baseball without a folksy mascot and the Surf Dawgs have a keeper in SouthPaw, a dog of indeterminate origin, who wears a Hawaiian shirt, flip flops and shorts that presumably keep him from licking balls during the game.

SouthPaw is beloved by kids of all ages and the management uses him as much as possible. During the games, he walks up to little children and gives them hugs and between innings, he performs in on-the-field skits such as a race around the bases with small children.

One regular skit promotes Surf Dawgs sponsor King Stahlman Bail Bonds. At one point during every game, SouthPaw does something delinquent, like tearing off first base and running away with it or stealing some bats and balls. Inevitably, the grounds crew carries him to “Doggie Jail” where he sits until a little child answers a trivia question to free him.

The first time I saw this with my daughter, she was shocked that SouthPaw would be thrown in the slammer without due process of law, (She’s only three so she doesn’t know about Guantanamo Bay.) and was traumatized for three days.

At the next game SouthPaw broke the law again – at the same exact moment at the game – and I felt the need to chastise the mutt for setting a bad example.

Nothing changed. During my third Surf Dawgs game, SouthPaw absconded with more GBL property.

Inning Four: Is This Dawg A He Or A She?

During one early season game, Vyuz editor Larry Knowles and I got into a debate over SouthPaw’s gender.

He felt SouthPaw was a little light in the loafers and chided the mascot for not inspiring tough, gritty play in the Surf Dawgs. “You’re supposed to a Dawg,” he called to the showboating animal, “but you seem sort of feminine.”

SouthPaw expressed his distaste with the knock by putting his hands on his hips.

“See, that’s what I mean,” said Larry. “That’s gay body language.”

SouthPaw immediately flexed his arms in a bodybuilding pose.

Later, the fur around SouthPaw’s ankle furled up, revealing some blue tights with orange polka dots. Larry pointed them out and said, “See, he’s a cross dresser!”

Inning Five: Cheap Eats And Entertainment

Okay, if you’ve seen the prices for food at Petco Park, the eats at Tony Gwynn Stadium are much cheaper. Firehouse Beer goes for $5 but you can get a hot dog and nachos for under $10 total and the tri-tip steak sandwich is a good deal for $6.

Plus, there’s an inflatable slide that kids can go down as many times as they want for $2. (continued)

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