Amidst the sea of orange that is AT&T park on a San Francisco Giants game day, caps colored in Los Angeles Dodger blue stand out from the crowd. e Giants versus Dodgers rivalry has been a large part of Major League Baseball since its creation. While most baseball fans in San Francisco wear orange, there is still a community of Dodger fans, including junior Brenda Cornelio.

Cornelio has been a Dodgers fan since she was six, discovering a connection with
the Southern California team through her frequent visits to Los Angeles to visit her family. Cornelio’s family is divided, with her mother and father being fans of each other’s rival teams. “Although my mom was a Giants fan, I felt a stronger connection to Los Angeles and decided I wanted to support the Dodgers with my dad,” Cornelio said.

However, being a fan of the rival team comes with a price, as the Dodgers have not been especially successful in recent years. “I always get hate for being a Dodgers fan. Of course it isn’t to an intense extent, but it’s always fun to hear ‘ ey haven’t won a single World Series since 1988,’” she said. Regardless of how the team does, Cornelio supports them for reasons besides winning. “Although they haven’t won a World Series since I’ve been alive, I admire their passion and willingness to grow as a team regardless of whether they win or not,” she said.

Cornelios support of the Dodgers also brings her closer to her family in Los Angeles, serv-ing as a reminder of her fond family bonding memories. “It’s always great to watch them play and because most of my family lives in Los Angeles, we all bond watching Dodger games either at their stadium or just by FaceTiming while watching,” she said.

Brenda’s favorite player to watch is Justin Turner, who has been a key player on the team since 2014. Not only does she support him for his playing abilities, but also for his personality. “I like how well he has t into the team and how he has been performing,” Cornelio said. “But on a less serious note, he’s so funny…he doesn’t feel the need to keep up a professional persona.” They may not be the most successful franchise, but Cornelio sticks with her Dodgers.