Dodger Stadium Is Mana to Them

As much as Southern Section athletes enjoy poking fun at their counterparts from the City Section, there’s no denying the greatest perk of playing sports in the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Tonight will mark the 35th consecutive season in which the City baseball championship game is played at Dodger Stadium.

Go ahead, say what you will about City coaches, teams, uniforms, fields, rules, seeding meetings, umpires.

Here are the facts: Justin Cassel of Chatsworth will be pitching on the same mound Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale made famous. Shortstop Corey Camarillo of Carson will be patrolling the same area Bill Russell and Maury Wills called home. And Coach Tom Meusborn of Chatsworth will be walking in the same dugout Walter Alston and Tom Lasorda once ruled.

For 35 seasons, the Dodgers have been dream makers to high school baseball players and coaches in the City Section.

“As I tell them every year, ‘Thank God for the Dodgers,’ ” City assistant commissioner Jeff Halpern said. “In this time of economic uncertainty, they’re still willing to step up to the plate.”

It all started in 1969, the year of the first City title game played at Dodger Stadium.

“The request came in,” former Dodger owner Peter O’Malley recalled. “We said, ‘Why not?’ It makes good sense. I used to watch the game outside my [office] window, and it’s been a great thing.”

The Dodgers never charged the City Section for use of the facility under O’Malley. When Rupert Murdoch bought the team in 1998, the Dodgers started charging only for expenses. It is a sacrifice much appreciated.

The Dodgers see the value in being a good neighbor and reliable community contributor. For a teenager to have the chance to play at Dodger Stadium is the greatest gift a Southern California high school baseball player could ask.

John Klitsner played in the first City title game at Dodger Stadium. He was the starting first baseman for Lake Balboa Birmingham, which beat North Hills Monroe, 1-0.

“It was thrilling,” he said. “It was just an exciting experience that you never let go. You just looked up into the stands and go, ‘Oh my God.’ ”

Enrique Camacho was the starting third baseman when Venice won the City title in 1972. His son, Sean, started at third base as a freshman for Encino Crespi on Saturday in the Southern Section Division III final at Edison Field. Father and son can debate all they want about who had the more exciting experience, but Dad probably won’t lose this argument.

“It was probably the single most exciting baseball event I experienced,” he said. “I have my 1972 City title trophy on my desk, and every day I look at it and realize how lucky I am.”

To play at Dodger Stadium, the City Section has to change its playoff schedule each season based on the availability of the facility. It caused a 10-day delay between the end of the regular season and the start of the playoffs this season, but players and coaches have no complaints.

After tonight’s game, one team will celebrate victory with a dog pile in front of home plate. Another team will shed tears because of defeat.

But both teams will leave Dodger Stadium with memories that will last a lifetime.

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Final observations on the 2003 baseball season:

Most impressive juniors: 1. Trevor Plouffe, pitcher, Encino Crespi; 2. Jason Corder, outfielder, Mission Viejo Capistrano Valley; 3. Mark Trumbo, pitcher, Villa Park; 4. Jason Dominguez, outfielder, Chatsworth; 5. Matt Aidem, first baseman, Valencia; 6. Phil Hughes, pitcher, Santa Ana Foothill; 7. Jared Clark, pitcher, Valencia; 8. Matt Ware, shortstop, Quartz Hill; 9. Lucas Duda, first baseman, Riverside Arlington; 10. Andy Beal, pitcher, Rolling Hills Estates Peninsula; 11. Nick Casanova, pitcher, Anaheim Canyon; 12. James Scott, pitcher, San Bernardino Cajon; 13. Dane Ferguson, outfielder, Villa Park; 14. Matt Cusick, shortstop, Santa Margarita; 15. Mike Carp, first baseman, Lakewood.

Most impressive sophomores: 1. Blair Dunlap, outfielder, Santa Margarita; 2. Cody Decker, third baseman, Santa Monica; 3. Steve Pujol, pitcher, San Fernando; 4. Tyson Hawley, outfielder, El Segundo; 5. Brian Dunn, outfielder, Anaheim Canyon; 6. Trevor Bell, pitcher, Crescenta Valley.

Impact freshmen: 1. Casey Haerther, pitcher, West Hills Chaminade; 2. Gabe Cohen, outfielder, North Hollywood Harvard-Westlake.

Most underrated player: Junior Felipe Aguilar, catcher, Carson.

Top teams for 2004: 1. Santa Margarita, 2. Chatsworth, 3. Valencia, 4. Crespi, 5. Villa Park.

Eric Sondheimer can be reached at eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.