It's UCLA Night at Dodger Stadium tonight, when the Los Angeles Dodgers will pay tribute to the university both before and during their game against the San Francisco Giants.
Members of UCLA's ROTC program will present the colors. Eight UCLA alumni have played for the Dodgers , most prominently Hall of Fame member Jackie Robinson, who broke Baseball's color line in 1947, and Eric Karros, who holds the Los Angeles Dodgers career record for home runs.
The Dodgers will hold USC Night Sept. 14.
Tonight's pregame activities will feature renowned kimono designer Nobuaki Tomita throwing a ceremonial first pitch while dressed in a kimono. A group of 100 women from throughout Japan, dressed in kimonos that he designed will watch batting practice on the field and present regional gifts to Dodger players before the game.
The Dodgers' ties to Japan date back to 1956, when the then-Brooklyn Dodgers made a postseason tour of the Land of the Rising Sun.
The Dodgers and Major League Baseball have increasingly turned to international marketing efforts in recent years, including creation of the World Baseball Classic, whose final was played at Dodger Stadium last month.
The Dodgers enter tonight's game with a four-game winning streak which has moved them into a tie for the National League West Division lead with the San Diego Padres. Both teams have 6-3 records.
San Francisco has lost five consecutive games and is last in the five- team division with a 2-6 record.
