July 28th was circled on every SONEs’ calendars. Taeyeon, Sunny, and Tiffany journeyed back to California to take part in Los Angeles Dodgers versus the Cincinnati Reds baseball game. Celebrating Korea Day, the girls were invited to sing the national anthems of Korea and America, as well as throw out the first pitch.
Nearly every SONE arrived as soon as the parking lot and stadium opened, two hours before the 1:15 PM PST game time. Fans lined up all around the stadium, even before the field was set up for the girls’ performances. The stadium was packed, with it later being revealed that more than 48,000 people attended the game. Among all the Dodgers and Reds fans in the stadium, many of whom were donning Ryu and Choo jerseys, the color pink could be spotted throughout the stadium. SONEs came out in full force, many gathering and organizing behind the Dodgers dugout. I counted close to 100 SONEs in that area alone, with many more spread around the stadium, including the upper levels. We all waited for more than hour before the festivities of Korea Day began around 12:20 PM. The Korean national Taekwondo demo team and Heejun, from “American Idol”, were introduced first. Then, the moment we all waited for; the three beautiful ladies walked out onto the field.
Cameras from everywhere, both from the media present on the field and from fans up in the stadium seats, started flashing and clicking. Cheers, screams, and “SONE-demonium” began. Taeyeon stepped out first, wearing a stunning long strapless blue dress. Tiffany followed, wearing an elegant white dress, smiling for fans. If that wasn’t enough to make us go crazy, Sunny cutely followed, donning her own Dodgers jersey, looking absolutely as gorgeous and cute as ever. She turned around and waved to all of us, making everyone forget how tired, hungry, or hot we were in the L.A. heat. My natural reaction was, “Taeyeon is a goddess, Tiffany looks absolutely stunning, and Sunny is the cutest person in the world.” Almost immediately, the sisterly bond between the girls was apparent, as Tiffany waited for Sunny to walk up the stairs and onto the field, then grabbed her hand as they both walked to the batting area behind Taeyeon. There they greeted the media, Dodgers officials, indviduals from the Korean Tourism Organization, who were responsible for planning Korea Day, and of course, SONEs on that side of the field. Tiffany also greeted Courtney Jones, a Dodgers side reporter and MC who seemed to remember Tiffany from the last time she was at Dodger stadium. They had a short interview together, speaking to everyone in attendance.
Taeyeon was the first to perform, singing the Korean national anthem. Her rendition was as perfect as how she looked. She not only lived up to her reputation as a singer, she more than exceeded it and blew everyone out of the water. Here we were, listening to Taeyeon sing the Korean national anthem in Los Angeles, something I would’ve thought I’d have to travel to Korea for. She left us all speechless and somehow, we were supposed to recover because immediately following her, Tiffany was next up with the American national anthem. With all the pressure on her, singing in her hometown at Dodger stadium, something she grew up with, Tiffany absolutely killed it. You could see her passion as everyone intently listened. Her performance marked a tremendous accomplishment in the career of Girls’ Generation. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I would be able to listen to the girls sing the American national anthem in my home state. She truly gave a beautiful performance, and Taeyeon was right there to congratulate her, hugging her afterwards followed by a fist bump.
Last but not least, Sunny went to the pitcher’s mound for the first pitch. Compared to Ryu Hyunjin, who acted as her catcher, Sunny was even more tiny and cute as ever. But you could tell how focused she was, determined to not only give a great pitch, but redeem the reputation of Girls’ Generation as pitchers. Standing just in front of the mound, she did the trademark pitching poses and then threw the baseball as best as she could, after all the practices during the concerts and on her own. She must’ve released the ball too early, since it flew in the air like a rainbow, and nearly made it back to home plate, a definite improvement over Jessica and Tiffany’s. She was still slightly embarrassed, even though everyone, SONEs and baseball fans alike, cheered wildly for her.
Afterwards, she posed for pictures with Ryu Hyunjin, giving him a hug also. Tiffany hastily walked out onto the field to high-five Sunny, as the two teased Ryu Hyunjin a bit as Taeyeon and Choo Shinsoo both came out on the field for more photos for the Korea Day celebration. As they were walking off, the girls bowed to everyone around them while also waving to fans all around the stadium. Taeyeon also briefly stopped to plant a small kiss on Sunny’s cheek, again showing just how much the girls support each other. Not to be left out, Tiffany, a few steps ahead, waited for the pair and grabbed onto Sunny’s arm, and the trio walked off the field, proudly, as SONEs cheered for them as loudly as they could. To cap it all off, the three ladies posed for a few pictures with the Korea Day mascots. The whole time, the trio stuck close together, showing their affection and happiness for each other. And finally, Taeyeon, Sunny, and Tiffany kicked off the game by saying, “It’s time for Dodgers baseball!”. The girls walked off the field through the opposite dugout.
For the SONEs in attendance, we were all surprised to find out that the girls did in fact stay for the game. During the middle innings, Taeyeon and Sunny were seen on the big screen of the stadium, decked out in Dodgers gear and blue sunglasses while enjoying the game. In fact, Taeyeon and Sunny both uploaded videos on their Instagram accounts during the innings.
Along with their own various SNS updates, the girls appeared on others’ as well. SONEs learned that Taeyeon, Sunny, and Tiffany ended up watching the whole game, extra innings and all, with friends and family. Celebrities, Dodgers players, and some lucky SONEs were also able to spot and meet the girls, some delivering gifts as well.
With 3 beautiful ladies Tiffany, Sunny, and TaeYeon at the Dodgers Korea Day!! Look out for the…
Along with Korea Day at Dodger Stadium, the girls and Ryu Hyunjin were also named “Honorary Ambassadors for Korean Tourism”, a tremendous honor presented to them at a special press conference a few fans attended. Some also stuck around to see the girls off as they left the stadium to enjoy the rest of their time in Los Angeles. As they left, the girls waved to fans and even posed with peace signs, ending a wonderful outing in which Girls’ Generation once again introduced themselves to Los Angeles, the United States, and the rest of the world.
The girls drew praise from fans and the press alike, making the occasion even more special. Throughout the weekend, the love, support, and bond between the girls were something so special and exactly what SONEs have come to know the girls for. Though Taeyeon, Sunny, and Tiffany may have been nervous, they each were fantastic. But what I take away most from this game, and Tiffany’s first game at Dodger stadium, is that not only do SONEs enjoy their time, but baseball fans ask all of us, draped in pink, about Girls’ Generation. “Who are they?” is a common question and I’m excited to answer every person to ask, possibly bringing in a new SONE into the fandom. Being veterans of the industry, Girls’ Generation has accomplished so much already. Yet July 28th will always be in SONEs’ memories because it was a first of sorts, with the girls accomplishing something so amazing as representatives of Korean Tourism. We were all proud of Taeyeon, Sunny, and Tiffany and really hoped they enjoyed their time back in Los Angeles, of course praying they come back soon.
Disclaimer: Views expressed are solely those of the author and are not representative of the Soshified community as a whole.
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