The Central Coast was packed with baseball fans, some of whom spent part of Friday stocking up on merchandise in preparation for Game 1 of the World Series.
This year, the Los Angeles Dodgers will face the New York Yankees.
Kurt Miller, owner of Sports Card Fantasies in Santa Maria, said he expects the championship series to be “epic.”
Miller also told KSBY that his store saw a surge in customers as fans waited for Game 1 to start.
Miller said most of the shoppers who stopped by Sports Card Fantasy were looking for Dodgers merchandise, but he also saw quite a few Yankees supporters.
At the San Luis Obispo Sports Forum, store manager Jose Cruz reported that demand for Dodgers merchandise is increasing in the lead-up to the World Series.
“Since we went to the postseason, all of our jerseys have flown away. We had a lot of other Dodger-style hats, so we had to restock them from another location in Pismo Beach. That’s a lot. That’s just what the Dodger maniacs are doing: ‘Start now,”’ Cruz said.
KSBY has contacted Derby England. She is a die-hard Giants fan, but she briefly became a Yankees fan.
“My recruiting team is the Giants, but I obviously don’t like the Dodgers, so when the Dodgers play New York, I’m going to wear my New York hat and root for the Dodgers instead.”
Sara Helper, a San Luis Obispo resident who was born and raised in Los Angeles and is a Dodgers fan, told KSBY she is “very excited” for the series to begin.
“I listen to it on the radio and try to watch it when I can, and hopefully go see them win…I went to a game earlier this year and saw some home runs. I’d like to see them.” I’ve seen them come through some close games early in the postseason and I really believe they can beat the Yankees. ”
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