Old Blue Eyes Finds Home: A Dodgers Fan’s Journey

Based on a true story

Karl, better known as “Old Blue Eyes,” had spent years navigating sensory overload in preschools – early intervention classrooms, playplaces, gymnasiums, arenas, and 4th of July celebrations. 

Baseball was just another sport he wasn’t sure about, but he signed up on a whim, just in case. 

After forming a strong bond with his basketball teammates and the supportive, inclusive coaches at the rec center—who encouraged his speed, base stealing, and even reaching third—Karl began to find his rhythm.

By his second baseball season, he was hitting with power at the cages and feeling the excitement of the game grow.

His family made it to their first Dodgers game with prime seats over home plate, carefully planning every detail. They parked in a spot perfect for a swift exit, avoiding the post-game madness, which helped keep Karl’s sensory experience manageable. (Noise-cancelling headphones were standing by, just in case, but magically – tolerance had grown.) 

It was during this game that Karl saw Shohei Ohtani not on TV, but in real life, instantly becoming his favorite player. He even got a peek of him when he snuck down to the VIP area for a minute on home plate.

The roar of the crowd, the crack of the bat—it was the day Karl fell in love with baseball.

That love for baseball turned into a membership at the local batting cages. 

So when the afterschool program planned a group trip to another game, Karl was all in. This time, he wasn’t just a spectator. 

Because on this day, Karl witnessed Ohtani make history.

Shohei Ohtani’s grand slam was a two-out, ninth-inning shot that marked his 40th home run after already stealing his 40th base earlier in the season. 

This feat lifted the Dodgers to a 7-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays. With that swing, Ohtani not only became the fastest player in MLB history to achieve 40 homers and 40 steals in a single season but also the first Dodger to do so. 

The stadium erupted. 

Cheers and high-fives rippled through the stands, and Karl found himself caught in a wave of pure, shared joy. The kids around him—some he knew, some he didn’t—were suddenly teammates, all cheering together, chanting Ohtani’s name, and reliving the moment like they had been part of it. For Karl, it wasn’t just history being made; it was a moment that turned Dodger Stadium into a home, where the crack of the bat and the roar of the crowd made everything else fade away.

Old Blue Eyes had found his place.