Giants and Dodgers fans set aside rivalry after attack, drop off donations

A slow, but steady stream of drivers made their way to Dodger Stadium on Monday as part of a drive-thru fundraiser for Bryan Stow, the Giants fan who was severely beaten in a stadium parking lot on opening day.

Santa Monica resident Victoria Caldwell, 40, a bookkeeper for an entertainment accounting firm, said she saw news of the fund drive on morning television and came down with her miniature pinscher, Minnie.

A Dodger fan since childhood, she said she was shocked by the violence but believed it was important "to stick together and show our commitment" by helping with Stow's healthcare costs. She said she believed the March 31 attack was an isolated incident.

Stow, wearing Giants apparel, was in the stadium parking lot after the game when two young men began taunting him. According to police, one of the men blindsided him with blows to the back and head. Both men repeatedly kicked and punched Stow on the ground before fleeing in a car driven by a woman. Police said it appeared a 10-year-old boy was also in the car.

Stow suffered a fractured skull and damage to his frontal lobe. He remained in critical condition Monday in a medically induced coma at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center. He is undergoing further testing, but no improvement has been reported since his admission, a hospital spokeswoman said.

Brothers Matt and Noah Glazer bicycled in from their home in Highland Park with a check. Noah, 27, a production assistant, tugging on the brim of his Lakers cap, said he worried that a police crackdown with uncertain standards in the wake of the Stow beating would squelch the normal fun-loving rivalry between the two California National League teams.

"I have a lot of friends in the Bay Area. I go to games in San Francisco and heckling is part of the game," Noah Glazer said. "That doesn't mean I'm going to stab someone in the parking lot."

At the same time he said he hoped that participating in the benefit would help stop the violence from escalating to the point where security would become overwhelming. "Hopefully some goodwill comes of it and some of the fringe element learns regular fans aren't going to tolerate it," he said.

Patrick Odell, 38, of West Los Angeles, a "die-hard Dodgers fan" arrived in his Dodgers' Hawaiian shirt. "Hearing what happened just killed me," the paralegal at a downtown law firm said. "I don't think that's what Dodger fans are about. "

Already, he said his friends were saying there's no way they'd bring their kids to Dodger Stadium, which he said he believed was wrongheaded. He came with a check to show "it wasn't real baseball fans who were responsible. It was people who came apparently for no reason but to savagely attack someone."

Andrea Murphy, 33, a Giants fan, said her heart went out to Stow, his family and fellow Giants fans.

Murphy, an aspiring real estate agent from Modesto now living in Santa Monica, she said she had attended Dodgers games in Giants regalia, most recently a preseason game where she wore a black  Giants shirt, with no trepidation. But she worried the Stow beating would make the rivalry turn ugly.

"Let's hopefully never let this happen again," she said. "It's so sad that something like this would happen at a baseball game of all places."

Giants and Dodgers players also planned Monday night to take part in a pregame ceremony when the teams face off again at AT&T Park in San Francisco. The ceremony will honor Stow and "encourage civility in the rivalry," Dodgers spokesman Josh Rawitch said.

The money collected Monday will go to a trust fund established by Stow's mother at the San Francisco Police Credit Union, and will benefit him and his two children.

The drive was scheduled to end at 3 p.m. Checks should be made out to the "Bryan Stow Fund."

RELATED:

Drivers line up at Dodger Stadium to drop off money for beating victim Bryan Stow

-- Gale Holland at Dodger Stadium

Photo: Dino Leasure, with Kodi, chats with paramedics after driving into Dodger Stadium on Monday afternoon to drop off a donation, one of many drivers who contributed cash and checks for a relief fund for paramedic Bryan Stow, the Giants fan who was severely beaten on opening day. Credit: Al Seib / Los Angeles Times

Comments

[skyharbor]

RE: "Who's To Blame For the Problems at Dodger Stadium?"

Frank McCourt replaced the Dodger Stadium head of security with a realtor and failed to maintain a minimum level of security staff resulting in the Los Angeles Police Department moving in and essentially taking Dodger Stadium security out of McCourt's hands. It should be obvious that McCourt was compromising the safety (and enjoyment) of 3,000,000 fans for financial gain. I agree Los Angeles has a far more insidious problem than Frank McCourt...Steve Lopez was making the point that Frank McCourt is one part of that insidious problem and not the solution.

[Doug]

I've seen similar behavior at the Raider games when they were here and recently at a Lakers game, when the only reason a guy in his late teens or early twenties didn't get beat-up by a bunch of thugs was because security stepped in to stop an ugly scene. Don't think this is isolated case of good guys that just took something too far. They're punks who should get exactly what they gave to their target. It's a hate crime anyway you look at it.

[Ron Wasserman]

Was just considering bringing my 7 yr. old to Dodger games about a month ago. Ain't gonna happen. (I live north of L.A.)

I had no idea it was such an unorganized and unsafe venue.

Angel stadium here we come.

[tbplayer]

The majority of Dodger fans--the majority of Angelenos--are wonderful, decent people. It's that small percentage of the population that make life in our society a challenge and give the city a bad reputation. It's so important that the good people of the city stand up and fight back and not let the haters drag the entire city down into the gutter. Fight evil with good. Fight hate with love.

Good job LA.

[David G]

Security is just another area that the owners are bleeding dry. When are fans going to wake up and realize that the Dodgers are a third rate team? The only reason that the Dodgers are not a contender is that the fans fill the stadium anyway!
I will not buy another ticket until the Dodgers play win a pennant and the owners stop squeezing every dollar they can from us...

DONE WITH DODGER BLUE

[mariop]

The Dodger organization and the LAPD should have seen this coming for a long time. Before the games people are tailgating and intoxicated long before the first pitch. I hope there is good news for Bryan soon.

[and the 150k reward]

"Los Angeles detective P.J. Morris said investigators reviewed surveillance tape, but couldn't make out the suspects among the thousands of people in the parking lot."

Why haven't they released the surveillance tape to the public? Releasing the tape may very well catch these guys.

[Gab]

Heckling is not "part of the game." Heckling was never as predominate as it has been in the past few years, especially during the Dodgers/Giants games. I've never heard so many using the slurs for gay men towards the Giants as I did at a game by Dodgers fans. I thought the point of being a fan was to support your team and cheer for your own team, not heckle the other team with obscene words and gestures. Whatever happened to sportsmanship? What happened to teaching your kids respect for others? Cheer your team, show team pride, but heckling is not "part of the game."

[DodgerforLife]

The cat calls and heckling was part of Dodger vs. Giants rivalry. However, we would never touch the other fans. The other fan (Giants) has a family, a job, and has the same problems I have in life. For two hours we have a baseball rivalry, Dodgers-Giant game, then the next 22 hours we are family.

Get well Bryan Stow...from one baseball fan to the other :-))

[yo]

People act like this is the first time this has happened. Just glad he's still hagging in there.

[thecanimal]

Why are all Dodgers fans so violent?

[Chuck]

That the Dodgers are asking for people to donate is an atrocity in itself.....this happened on LOS ANGELES DODGER PROPERTY, the Dodgers should be assisting better than their $25,000.....that's pretty sad even for Frank.

[Sanchez]

As a native Angelino and Dodger fan I was flat out outraged and heartbroken to hear the news that an innocent man was beaten at a baseball game. Those men are COWARDS by every definition of the word. They beat him senseless for no real reason then fled.

I was recently in SF and I felt so bad because I was never hassled or yelled at for wearing my Dodger blue in Giants Town. A few teases here and there but nothing serious.

I will be making a donation today. It's unfortunate that an event like this is what finally got Dodger Stadium and the local police/government to step up their security efforts.

I hope they catch these monsters.

[peter ruiz]

its a green light for giant fans tonight

[peter ruiz]

and i thought philly fans where brutle

[Team Colors]

The incident is repulsive and by no means am I saying it's okay but I'm willing to be my last bite of a Dodger Dog that had the victim in this case been of the same color or caliber of human being as the suspects not one person would give a rats a**.

[Rosario]

It would be nice if the Dodger Organization paid for all medical care and impending financial hardship that will be eventual due to Mr. Stow's injuries. But, I also feel that our hearts and wallets should help Mr. Stow and his children's financial and collegiate fund.

And, hopefully, once they catch these LOSERS, Dodgers can get restitution for the medical expenses and damages.

[erik R]

hahaha look at the dog! :p

[Maria Ayon]

yea, don't foot the bill McCourt.., u will be sued for lack of security and failure to respond in an appropriate manner. unfortunately, your ex is not the only smart lady here. i'm sure Stow's mother will come after you!

[Eddy Cramm]

I have a minor beef with the writer of this article. I am very happy to hear about how both sides of the rivalry are coming together to help in this terrible situation, but anyone that truly understands the rivalry knows that the title of this article is way off-base. Dodgers fans and Giants fans are not "setting aside" the rivalry to make donations. They are SHOWING what the rivalry is.

The reason that this rivalry is what it is, is not borne out of hatred, it is borne out of respect. It is a tradition that has spanned many lifetimes, and two coasts. It comes from the fact that these two teams are the two winningest franchises in the history of the National League (Win%). The true fans of these teams will argue like hell for their team, cheer like hell against the other, and expect blood sweat and tears from our players when they play each other. But that is because we, as true fans, understand who each other are. We don't get up like this for D-backs games, or the Padres fans. You have to care about someone to hate them.

What happened on opening day is a terrible thing and equally disgusts true Dodgers fans as much as true Giants fans. All of the support shown from both sides since is NOT setting aside the rivalry, it is showing, for people who understand it, what the rivalry truly is.

I hope this make it to the writer of this article.

[Mary R. Blanco]

I am a giants fan have been since I was born. My family and i went to the saturday game after the incident and everything was fine no incident. The only thing I say is that they need to also screen the workers who are selling at the concession stands. My son was wearing his Giants hat no gear because he was told don't wear it because they will target you since you are young around the 30's. But while he was buying ,this women kept starring at him shaking her head though as he thought do I know you finally he said what is your problem she said well you have already lost two games smurking at him who cares he said.

[Ron B.]

I can't say I'm all that moved by the show of Dodger support. It's lackluster at best, and the Dodger fans I know weren't even fazed by it, one even said "I wouldn't have it any other way."
My point is these things don't happen in a vacuum. How many murders/savage beatings have occurred at any other ballpark in the past decade? I'm willing to bet none. At least none unprovoked, on this level. How many in Dodger Stadium? Two.
There's a serious problem with mob violence at Dodger stadium, and a show of sentimentality is not going to cure it.

[elysian]

No, the majority of Dodger game attendees ARE fans. Yes, there is a subset of attendees who are lowlifes and are just out to drink and/or act like thugs. I am a longtime fan (40 years) and a season ticket holder, and there definitely has been a change over the last several years. But the majority of people are there to enjoy themselves, not make trouble. The idiocy tends to be concentrated in specific sections, namely the pavilions and the top deck. Gee, coincidence? Cheapest seats, worst behavior...

For those of you who would cast all Dodger fans or even all Angelenos in the same light, how would you respond if someone said the same things about you if it had been in your city? And for anyone who claims this could only happen in Los Angeles, that is pretty laughable. YOUR hatred is showing through, and you're using this appalling incident to spew your own vitriol. And you talk about other people not having class or civility?

[Rod]

Dodger fans can say this is an isolated incident all they want, but if you study the violence happening at dodger stadium or committed by fans that support the dodgers, you can't deny that there is a trend happening. If you don't believe it, do some research.

[Shag]

As a rabid Dodger fan since the early 60s, I've had lots of fun joking back forth with Giants fans over the years. Never, ever did violence cross my mind. This is shameful.