Ben Maller
I don’t get to do this often, but when I do, I make sure it’s with a guy like Ben Maller. We’ve both been around the game a long time—he more than me—and I knew if anyone could talk about Dodger Stadium like it’s a living, breathing thing, it’d be him. I asked him about the view, the traffic, the hot dogs, and what it feels like to be somewhere that still echoes with Koufax and Ohtani. What followed was part history lesson, part fanboy gush, and 100% why I love talking baseball with my friends.
What is it like just walking through the third-oldest ballpark in Major League Baseball? What’s the experience from the time you step in to the time you leave?
The first thing is how massive it is. Most of the time you enter from behind the downtown side of LA, into this huge parking lot. Then you walk in and see this beautiful field and the mountain range behind it—it’s awe-inspiring.
People think LA means traffic and chaos, but Dodger Stadium is like a bubble above the city. It’s pretty crazy.
Do you remember the first time you saw that view from the top of the stadium?
When I started in the media, I had imposter syndrome. I’d watched the games on TV, and suddenly I was there. It felt palatial.
There’s history in that place. They had guys from the Brooklyn Dodgers still playing when the team first moved. And it’s held up so well. Other parks have vanished because they weren’t maintained. But Dodger Stadium—they’ve renovated it, modernized it, but kept the soul intact.
It’s magnificent to walk around. You feel it.
Only Fenway, Wrigley, and Dodger Stadium remain—places where someone could’ve seen Sandy Koufax in the ’60s and Shohei Ohtani today. How cool is that?
It’s one of the endearing things about baseball. The history. Not just Koufax or Drysdale, but the visiting legends too—Hank Aaron, Willie Stargell.
For me, it was surreal being around Tommy Lasorda. I was 19, and this guy was a legend. You’d see Koufax. And the Dodgers have always done a great job welcoming their old players back. That’s a bond you don’t feel at most stadiums.
For fans who may never get there, what would you say to someone going to Dodger Stadium for the first time?
You have to walk the whole park—go behind home plate, then out to the outfield and look back toward the stands.
You see this mass of humanity, and it just hits you. It’s like a piece of art—the colors, the layers, the energy.
Dodger Stadium covers all your senses. It’s something every baseball fan should experience at least once.
What made the Dodger Dog famous, in your opinion?
The grilled Dodger Dog—the original—was iconic. Long, smoky, you got your money’s worth.
But it’s more than the dog—it’s the environment. You hear the crowd, smell the grass, the sounds of the ballpark—and then you bite into that dog. That’s what makes it legendary.
It’s not the best hot dog in the world, but in that setting, it’s perfect.
What was it like seeing Vin Scully around the press box?
Incredible. I wanted to be Vin Scully growing up. And he just kept working my whole life!
But he never acted like a big shot. He was warm. He’d chat with scouts and other media, get stories for the broadcast from the guys at the table. He treated me like a peer, and I had no business being in the same room.
Once, I asked what he listened to on the way home—hoping he’d say my show. He said classical music. I was crushed. But it was so Vin. Cool. Thoughtful. Gracious.
And what about those legendary Willie Stargell home runs?
When I started out, those were like Bigfoot stories. But they marked the spots.
Only a few guys have ever hit balls out of Dodger Stadium. I saw it in BP in the steroid era—guys like Piazza, Billy Ashley. But Stargell’s were real, in games, and they’ve marked them. Vin even told me stories about seeing those blasts.
It’s part of that mythos—how the place holds memory.
Last one—how loud is the music at Dodger Stadium now?
It’s like a concert. That’s probably the biggest change. When I started, it was just organ music—Nancy Bea Hefley was the entire entertainment department.
Players used to complain. Now it’s full-on production. The speakers are insane. Broadcasters complain the most—you need airport-grade noise-canceling headphones. It’s intense. But it’s part of the modern experience.
It’s not subtle. It’s LA.
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NOTE: The above was edited for clarity and length.
You can read the full transcript here.