A Conversation with Dodger Vendor Extraordinaire Ronald E. Nelson

Around the final Dodger home stand of the regular season 2008, I was fortunate enough to be acquainted with a Dodger vendor by the name of Ronald Engvald Nelson. 

 

In fact, I would not hesitate to say, that Ronald is a Legend of the Chavez Ravine for his service to the people of Los Angeles and Dodger fans everywhere.  At the actual first game the Dodgers played in Los Angeles in 1958, Mr. Ronald Nelson was there; selling soft drinks and peanuts up and down the monstrous isles of the Los Angeles Coliseum.  He has seen more highs and lows with the Dodger organization than 95 percent of this city; he as witnessed the changes of the growing baseball culture of Los Angeles fans and West Coast Major League Baseball since the beginning; Ron Nelson has experienced more Dodger games than anyone else, only next to Vin Scully himself.

 

Just a little preface: Ronald was born on the Day of the Super Bowl February 1, 1936.  A descendant of a Norwegian father and a German mother, raised in the United States since he was a “baby” according to Mr. Nelson himself, his father followed his grandfather to Seattle, Washington to catch fish.  Red Snapper to be exact.  His father sent checks to Norway every month after long expeditions to Alaska.  Married once and divorced, Ronald did not attend college, but worked as a cook in two restaurants for a number of years, no exact number.  He also worked as a security guard for 8 years and at a Chevron for 16 years.  Ronald just renewed his drives license, has no children and lives in North Hollywood today.

 

On game days at the Stadium, Ronald and the rest of his vendor ilk, usually hang out near the employee check-in area on the Reserve Level before scattering off to their areas throughout the stadium.  Dressed in there red jerseys and black slacks, some armed with box straps or belts over the shoulders, the vendors pretty, much catch Dodgers batting practice, have short discussions about current events in the news, and almost always jabbering about, what or how much, product, they had sold the day or night before.  Business as usual.     

 

When I first noticed Ronald, he was looking down to at the field minding his own business.  He looked significantly older than the rest of his gang.  I had in inkling of an idea that he was special.  The next few times I saw Ronald I spoke with him a little bit, and each time our conversations got a little longer (time permitting) about various things, like, the Dodgers chances to make the playoffs, the newly acquisition of Manny Ramirez, or a bit of Dodger Stadium related memories he might share with me.  Ronald soon recognized me.  Another fellow vendor Mort Rose, another Legend, sometimes joined our conversations.  Mort used to teach middle school with my cousin Patricia somewhere in West Los Angeles.  Every time I bring up my cousin to Mort he smiles and always asks how she is doing teaching at the school.  I had to interview these guys I thought.  An interview with Mort didn’t pan out.  Eventually, I asked Ronald if I could talk with him about his experiences at the Stadium.  He obliged with a “sure.”   

 

The following is part of my interview that took place at a Denny’s on Burbank Blvd.  The meal was on me.

 

Tony: Are you ready for the season that’s about to start.  Can’t wait for the season to start            . . . or you can’t wait any longer; you can wait?  What is going on Ronald?

Ronald: I can go either way.  It doesn’t matter to me.  Just when then the time comes;                    that’s all I think of.

T:  Do you work every game?

R:  Oh . . . I haven’t missed any for a good time.

T:  Are you every announced on the field; like how they do for workers that work every  

     single game of the season.  You know, they take you or employees on the field and

     recognize your hard work with certificate in front of the crowd?.

R:  Oh yeah, I was announced on the field like that a few times.

T:  And they announce the employees that work every game of the season.

R:  That’s right.

T:  Ha ha

R:  I got a little pin about that a few times.  Last year they didn’t do that to me and I

     didn’t miss anything tho.  I

     don’t think they do that anymore since its Levy’s but when it was Aramark I got to go

      out on the field a few

     times, and be announced

     at.

R:  I don’t think they are thinking of things like the O’Malley’s used to do it.

T:  Right.  You mean like congratulating our workers and giving them, um, some credit,                 

     where the credits due, because all of us work so hard, right.

 

Ronald’s Ice Cream Sundae was brought to our table and we started to eat for a log pause but in between bites, Ronald was an open book.

 

 

Ronald: Do you live around here?

Tony:  Yes.  Do you know where Scott St. and Echo Park is?

R:  Do you live a few blocks from that Pioneer Chicken?

T:  Yes, a few blocks up from the Pioneer Chicken.  Exactly.

 

Tony: Ok Ronald, so, when did you first start working at Dodger Stadium?

Ronald:  December 57’ I was in a Union meeting, I was told about the Dodgers moving

               to Los Angeles and I was offered a stand worker (position) or either a vendor.  I

               took the vendor.

 

T:  You took the vendor position.

R:  That’s right.

R:  I already knew stand work and I wanted to get experience vending too.  I was told that

      vending . . . that I didn’t have to worry cookin’ or gettin’ food ready, and so I decided

      to see.  I liked it.  Then saw, I got to leave early, like in the seventh or eight inning. 

      And, because, I worked grave yard shifts.    

T:  What was your graveyard shift job?

R:  I worked as a security guard.

T:  So Ronald you have been a vendor since day one.

R: That’s right.

T:  You started working with the Union two years before the Dodgers came (to LA),

      right? 

R:  That’s right.

T:  You started working for the Union in 1956? 

R:  I started the Union in 1956 but I didn’t start the vending until 58’.

T:  Who owned the Dodgers then, the uh, um. .

R:  Walter O’Malley.

T:  Where you excited about the job?

R:  Oh yeah.

T:  So, how old where you when you got the job?

R:  26.

T:   26!  Wow, you have been (at the stadium) over fifty . . .

R:  Fifty years now.

T:  Wow. Has anyone else been at the stadium longer than you?

R:  Oh well . . . that guy Rodger Owens has been working since then.

T:  Since then, 1959?

R:  That’s right.

 

 

T:  Where did you grow up?  Where did you grow up in California . . . Did you grow up  

      in L.A.? 

R:  Well when I was a baby I was raised in Washington State, Seattle, and them

     Olympia. 

      Then I came here to California.

T:  Around what time?

R:  55’

T:  So, you were around 25 years old when you moved to California.

R:  23.

T:  23?  Cool.

 

T:  Ronald, do regulars at Dodger Stadium, or passer-by-ers; Fans, do they say hello to

      you.  You know, consistently every year.

R:  Yes. 

T:  Oh! Cool Ronald!

T:  Where do you work now?

R:  Oh well, I only work at the Stadium.  And I am retired now.

T:  OK. Where do you work in the Stadium?

R:  I work down, on the yellow level (Dodger Stadium Field Level), on the third base   

      side. 

T:  Is it fun.  Do you like vending in that area?

R:  Yea.

T:  So what exactly do you vend in the field level.

R:  I vend and sell pizzas, night games.  Then if it’s a day game. I um, sell frozen  

     lemonade.

T:  Do you make a “pretty penny?”

R:  That’s right.

T:  Ha ha ha!  That’s awesome.

 

 

Tony :  Well I work as a stand worker in the concession stands over the last 12 years. 

     You know the job.  You passed it up for your gig.  So, I have to come early and I do

     Have to work late.  While, you get to start late and leave early.  You are a lucky.  You

     Have been doing what you do best, vending, and leaving early for the past 50 years. 

      . . . Hah!

R:  That’s why I have always liked that.

R:  Most of my graveyard jobs, I had to be in at 11pm.  It worked out.  I used to have an

      oil job too that started at 11 or 12 midnight so vending made me get out there as quick        

      as I could.

T:  Nice.

R:  I always liked day sleeping because I don’t like the smog.

 

T:  How many companies have you been employed by as a vendor at Dodger Stadium?

R:  Well, there was Tom Arthur.  That was the first man, I worked for: Arthur Foods.  He

      had four different names.  He had . . . first, there was America’s Best Concessions

      (ABC) . . .

T:  OK.

R:  Then he went from that name to Stadium Concessions; then he went to, uh, Arthur

      Foods.  That was as far as he went.  He had four different company names, and he    

      had them from 59’ up to 90.’  Then in 91’ came Marriot, and Marriot had it for a year

      or two, then Aramark took it; then Levy’s just took over three years ago. 

T:  Do you have a preference for one of the company, your favorite one?

R:  Oh, I liked them all for whatever reason or another.

T:  I liked Aramark.

R:  Oh I had good times with Aramark, alright, but Arthur foods, there was this man there

     named, Tommy Adturn.  Tommy Adturn was a good man and he really liked me.  He     

 

 

      saved me from getting pushed out by a man that was managing the vendors at one

      time.

T:  No kidding.  Tommy vouched for you to keep your job

R:  1959 to 1961, a man named George Apkey; at first he was o.k., but at first he didn’t

like that I showed up.  Then one day in 1958.  I had to go up to the Hollywood Bowl,       t he guy said to me . . .  go over to the Hollywood Bowl.  Then I worked in the restaurant, I put my money on the table of what I had, then he picked it up, he shoved it in my pocket, and said, “Ronny, I apologize, you are one of our best Coke vendors,” on the commissary #14,” that I worked.  And then he said: “I thought the way you looked, when I first met you; that, you were gonna just be there to watch the game and not try to do much.  Then she says:  But you know you sold more Coke out of commissary 14 than any vendor.  So I apologize and I am paying for your meal.”

 

T:  Nice.  And here you are!

T:  Do you have any regular fans that say hello to you?

R:  Oh yea. 

T:  Every game.

R:  That’s right.

T:  Are there any Hollywood Stars that you see at the Stadium?

R:  I’ve run into a few of them.

T:  Any in particular, you remember?

R:  There’s a man named Wes Thompson I saw every game.  He had a shooting ranch

      past West Hills way out there.  I used my 38 Smith Wesson at his shooting ranch and    

      he charged me a penny and he wouldn’t even let me give him a penny.

T:  Ha!

R:  I would go there every once in a while, shooting.  Then one time, he said:  My

     doctor says don’t eat peanuts; that’s what’s giving you your heart problem.      

R:  Then I said:  Well Wes, life is more important.  You don’t have to give money, just to

      have those peanuts to ruin your life.  Quite buying them, I said.  You’re nice to know. 

      Stop eating them.  But he still kept buying them.  And he did pass away years later. 

      That’s right, Wes Thompson. 

 

T:  So, you recently got your divers license back.  Was it expired before you got it back?

R:  Oh no, it wasn’t expired.

T:  Oh you just renewed it again.  Well, now that you got your drivers license renewed,

      you can work every game this year.

R:  That’s right.

 

T:  So, were you ever employed at the Coliseum? 

R:  That’s right, that’s where I started.  That’s where the Dodgers started.  It was always

      nice meeting the ball players once in a while . . . In 58’ I enjoyed selling Coca Cola at

      night, because there was no alcohol in there.  And I caught a lot of guys with alcohol

      in there sock.  A little bottle.  And it (beverages), were selling good for me, but a

      lots of vendors don’t like selling that because it’s so heavy to carry!  But the way its

      heavy to carry, due to sails; the weight goes down.

T:  Well yeah.  If you’re selling a lot- the weight goes down.  Did you carry glass bottles?

      around?

R:  Yeah.

T:  Wow.

R:  The glass Coke bottles.

T:  How many did you have to carry at a time? 24.

T:  They still sell them in sets of 24, huh?

R: Yea.  They were only a quarter a bottle.

 

T:  Do you remember one of the events, um, I mean, was there any important moments in

      baseball history that you remember?  Did you witness anything, which is historically

      archived. 

R:  Well, one exciting game.  I have three or four exciting games out of my years.      

      Number one, over there in the Coliseum, I don’t remember the guys name to well, but

      It comes up once in a while.  He was a reliever with 15 victories, I think, and no

      defeats.

 

T:  Wow.

R:  And one day, he came in relief for Pittsburg, and Larry Sherry, came in, and relieved 

      against Pittsburg for the Dodgers, and Larry Sherry gave him his first defeat.

T:  Cool.  And he was a reliever?

R:  That’s correct.

T:  What else?

 

R:  The next excitingest game I ever saw was, uh, lets see; Wally Moon going back

      1959, and being a homerun hitter, a lot, he hit a lot of “Moon Shots.”  To people

      when you think of Moon Shots, you think of (homeruns) hit to the moon in the sky. 

      So, it was exciting that to have (Wally Moon).  Wally Moon was always so nice to

      me, that when I would be finished vending, we (vendors) were dressed up always in a

      white shirt, black tie.  I’ll be walking out of the park.  There were some wonderful

      children . . . that thought . . . I was the ball player Wally Moon.  They was chasing me

      for autographs.  Then it was so nice and exciting to get into an elevator once in

      while and see Wally Moon in there, and he always smiled; liked shaking hands with

      me.  Any time, I knew, I saw a child, thinking I was him.  I’d take him over to Wally

      Moon, and say, “See I’m not Wally Moon, that’s him right there.”

 

T:  Did you use to wear uniforms that were kind of like a ball players uniforms at the

     Coliseum?      

R:  No we had black pants, we had our own white shirt; we were always told to wear a

      white shirt.  I always wore a white shirt with two French cuff links on them.  I had

      sport cuff links, sometimes I had baseball ones, a bowling one. 

 

Tony:  What other events do you remember?

Ronald:  Then, ah, It was so exciting that they ended up being champions in 59’ they

      were champions at the Coliseum.  Its was so exciting, and 63’ and 64’ and 66’ they

     (the Dodgers) got sweeped by the Baltimore Oriels.  And reading the paper, I would

     see that Cincinnati traded a player to the Oriels; I forget his name, it will come to me

     in a while.  And I said: “Oh Boy!  Those Oriels are gonna be champs next year.”  And

     boy they sure were.  They swept the Dodgers. 

T:  Wow.

R:  Then the other exciting game I liked; right where Kofax had some no-hitters, I could

      be shouting one night when the Giants were pitching a no-hitter, it was so exciting to

      know . . .

T:  To be there in person?

R: Yeah.

T:  So you saw a couple of Sandy Kofaxes no-hitters then.

R:  Yes.

T:  What about is perfect game?  Was that in L.A.?

R:  His perfect game was, Cubs, right there in Dodger Stadium.

T:  Do you know what year that was, 1968, maybe?

R:  Well he had to retire in 66’ because a arthritis, remember?  I think (the perfect game)

 

      Was either 66’or 65’.

T:  Yeah.  Wow!

R:  Right there, it was so exciting because a Cub pitcher was just traded to the Giants, and

      that was exciting because he was having a no-hitter too.  He had to lose on a one

      hitter, to Kofaxes’ no-hitter. 

T:  Wow.

R:  And that was, uh, I forget the name; then another exciting game that I ever saw was

      the one that Kirk Gibson hit the homerun to make the World Series.

T:  That was the Dodgers’ first win against the Athletics in a best out of seven games.  So

      you saw that?!

R:  That’s right.

T:  The crowd must have been livid.

R:  That’s right.

T:  What were the vendors doing when the (homerun) happened?

R:  Uh, I guess they were just happy.

T:  Ha ha!

 

R:  Then I was happy to meet some of the players; happy to meet some of the stars.  They

      were always so nice at the Coliseum, seeing Jeff Chandler, on a Sunday, and some

      days I would sell lemonade.  It was regular drinking lemonade and Jeff Chandler

      always bought a lemonade off me.  And right there I even got to see Nat King Cole

      and I was so excited.  Then I got to see the guy from the Wheel of Fortune.

T:  Pat Sayjack.

R:  It was always nice to see them, only if you worked there.  It was always so exciting

     meet them and get to see them.  So that was a happiness job!

T:  Nice!

 

T:  Lets see, so who are some of your favorite employees to work with?  Like do you

      have any favorites?

R:  Well lets see.  You mean some of the vendors?

T:  Yes.

R:  Well at the beginning of Dodger Stadium, a guy named Garland Houston, he was a

      big smoker.  Always went by his last name.  He’d take a break a lot, and that helped

      me have good nights selling a lot of peanuts, with him.  And I liked working with

      him. 

R:  And I always enjoyed life and having a lot of vendors, thinking, that I wasn’t paying

     attention to what’s going on to some things; But I did!  But I always looked like: to

     keep it quiet, and I’m glad to look like a dummy, that don’t know anything because t

     he more I see the more I learned.

T:  Fantastic.  You were silent but conscience and aware.

 

T:  So at 77 years of age . . .

R:  I’ll be 77 this year (2009). 

T:  Do you ever get tired of working?

R:  Nope!

T:  Stronger that ever before, huh?

R:  I could say, a lot a people . . . In my 50^th season, it was 2008, and they would say: 

     “How could you put up with his?”  .  .  . “You have been here so long and have been

     through so much.”  And then I’d said:  It’s easy to walk to (do) walking down-and-up

     stairs.  It’s easier to me than jogging is.

T:  Right!

R:  Then I said: “Well, I could burn my weight off when I’m working this job and so I

      don’t have to go to the gym.  And during the Winter, during the holidays, you eat. 

      Too much food gets me overweight, so I come here and I get my weight down.

T:  That’s great. Get some good exercise.  Actually my back hurts after working my first

     game because I haven’t bent over that often.

 

T:  So, do you have a favorite team, or Dodger team that played (over the years)?  What

     was your favorite Dodger team? 

R:  I kinda always liked them so much in the 50s and then I always liked them in the 60s

     years because there was some world series; then in the 80s they won the two or three,

     but not every time the championship. 

 

R:  And then there is another exciting thing . . .

T:  Yes . . . yes . . .

R:  Bobby Welch . . . an alcoholic, they always say, but what was so funny about that . . .

      he’s the only pitcher to strike out the Mr. October, during the World Series, Reggie

      Jackson of the Oakland A’s.  He is the only one that could strike him out.  No one

      else could.  So whatever you hear . . . that maybe sometimes sound nasty or bad; It

      still could be good in some other ways.

T:  Booby Welch might have had some problems but he was a competitor.

T:  Do you have a favorite player?

R:  Oh, I used to see a lot of them, Drysdale, Kofax . . .

 

T:  Did you see Jackie Robinson play?

R:  Oh no, I didn’t see him.

 

T:  Maury Wills?  Manny Mota?

R:  That guys that just died three years ago.  Johnny Padres.

T:  Did you ever speak to Tommy Lasorda?

R:  No.

T:  How about the O’Malley’s?

R:  Oh I did one time a long time ago.

T:  Did you introduce himself to him?

R:  Well I (was) kinda happy to meet him and see him.  I even wrote him a letter one

      time, first, too; and he said thanks for telling Ronnie.  I sent him a letter when we had

      strikes going on, that I said:  “You know I am ashamed of the players wanting more

      money and begging you for money; and I got some fans now that say ‘Sorry we are

      not coming to see you anymore cuz we’re not coming now cuz the players just want

      the money instead of doin the playin’, and so we are losing a lot of fans that come

      here everyday, I told him.  And that was it.

 

 T:  That’s a good letter to write about.  I remember writing a letter to T.J. Simers about a

      year ago about the Dodger organization not giving employees shuttle service from the

      parking lot.  Remember that, the Dodgers organization not establishing a shuttle from

      the parking lot to the stadium?

R:  Yup.

 

T:  Have you spoken to the McCourts at all?

R:  Oh . . . I haven’t talked to him.

T:  I said hi to Frank McCourt once.  He shook my hand, said it was nice to meet me right

     in front of the stand I was located at on the Field level.

 

R:  One guy at (Dodger Stadium), Sam.  My cousin’s son, made the frozen lemonade; he

      made them.  And here I am selling them (at the Stadium).  Once, my cousin’s son

      Sam made a sign that said “Nelson’s Golden Year” and Sam had a sign for me that

      said “Nelson 50 Seasons,” and I forget what the other one said . . . Oh, “Still Selling.” 

      I made a Christmas signs . . . with a picture of me with that sign and underneath it

      said “ Cool!”

 

R:  What was so exciting also . . . one day, when I was working and started at the stadium

     . . . two brothers, their dad always had them in isle six.  There, they always got to sit

     there . . . then, they grow up; have their kids; and their kids told me, well one of them

     told me that their daughter, in 88’, went to an artist store in North Hollywood and saw

     an oil painting picture of Dodger Stadium and she said: Ronnie, your in that picture!     

T:  Wow

R:  And a tall guy that was our (Union) shop stuart for a while, his name: Javier Estrada.  

     Well about four years ago, on a trip to New York with his wife, I told him:
     Hey would you mind going to that restaurant Mickey Mantle’s and getting a picture,

     of a picture, I’m in, I understand.  And he did.  So from that picture I had Christmas

     card pictures made, sent to many people; and it was so nice, you know?  I just enjoyed

     it knowing.  And I sent a picture of myself to Mickey Mantle and I get a letter from

     Mickey Mantle saying:  Will you please come down here and visit . . . I’ll be glad to

     see you in person.  That is absolutely you in this picture that I got of Dodger Stadiuim. 

T:  Who said this to you?

R:  Mickey Mantle.

T:  And Mickey Mantle owned that painting?

R:  That’s right.

T:  Wow.

R:  And I think I got his letter stored away somewhere too.

T:  Wow.

R:  I don’t throw away things that are pretty memorable.

T:  Cool.

R:  Well, (Mickey Mantle) had that, watcha call it . . . disease and died . . . I didn’t get to

     do it.

 

R:  So that was enjoyable that I lived my life knowing that I may be pictured; and almost not know it.  I don’t even know that man that made that picture.  He took a picture, then he oil painted it . . . So life could be happiness, if it looks to even be bad or sad, or anything, just stay happy and live happy.

T:  Thanks Ronald.

 

That was the end of our conversation.  I drove Ronald back to his apartment and we agreed to keep in touch when the 2009 season begins.  I have called him to see how he is and he mentioned that he is ready for the new season.  It was great to meet gentleman like him with so much history.  I originally did the interview during December, so I had been anxiously sitting on our taped discussion until I had the time to write it. 

 

Just last home stand I saw Ronald in a rush.  I approached him but he had no time to talk and sped off.  The next day I caught him again.  Shook his hand and sure enough he recognized me.  I told him that I would call him soon.  I promised him a copy of the interview.  He had a great big smile when I mentioned it would be on the internet for everybody to read and learn about him.  He had a real big grin o his face when I mentioned that. 

 

I am looking forward to finding more people from the Stadium to interview this season with their own experiences.  I just want to thank Ronald Nelson for his time.

 

84ever