He fought in the Vietnam War, he worked hard all his life,
and he died watching the Los Angeles Dodgers.

When I was a little boy, my Uncle Ruben went with us everywhere. Disneyland, Magic Mountain, the Ventura County Fair and especially Dodgers Stadium. I once asked him why he never went to Vero Beach, Dodgertown and he laughed and said, "It's not Dodgers Stadium." I remember going to games with him and the long lines my father would wait in to buy tickets while me and my Uncle Ruben would take in the view at the top of Dodgers Stadium. We made sure to get seats in the shade, because he hated the sun. We would stop by a stand and get a program to see who all the visiting players were. I even remember him telling me the best seats were high atop on the Top Deck. Not because they were cheap but because you could see the entire field at a glance and you knew what was going on.

His favorite cola was Pepsi but ONLY at Dodgers Stadium, would he settle for a nice cold Coke. We would arrive at least an hour early, a tradition I still uphold today, and before the first pitch we would have: eaten our FIRST Dodger Dogs, gone halfway into our peanuts and be ready for the Ice Cream Sandwiches. He even taught me how to wait until the peanut vendor was a good 7 or 8 rows away until I asked for a bag. It was the only catch I would make at the game. But I still took my glove.

During the off season, we would talk about the Dodgers for hours. He would compare the current team to players I had never heard of. When I heard a name like Clem Labine or Gil Hodges, I would run out and buy a baseball book or use the library to collect stats and other data for our next conversation (this was before the internet was available). It was a never ending conversation. He taught me so much about baseball by telling me stories of games and players he had seen.

I miss him but somehow when I hear a game on the radio, see one on TV or go to a Dodgers Game I feel he is sitting there with me. I can hear his laugh when an error is made and I know exactly what he would be thinking when the Dodgers pull one out miraculously. The best part is, when I'm at the game in the Top Deck I still see the same mountain ranges, I see the same parking lots, I hear the same crowd cheers and I smell the same foods. I know and believe my Uncle Ruben is there watching with me because win or lose, he was a True Blue Dodgers Fan!

Ruben Guzman

January 5, 1943 - July 3, 2002
Beloved Brother and Uncle