7/13/03 Lompoc/s first Dodger has more influence on the atmosphere at Chavez Ravine than even the players.

He doesn/t hit for power but he doesn/t get booed.

His on-base percentage is zero, but there have been no snippy columns written in the LA Times about him.

Brad Lilley, Lompoc born and raised, onetime Lompoc High swimmer for Al Jaenicke, skateboarder by avocation, is in his rookie season as Music Director at Dodger Stadium.

Lilley shows up at every Dodger home game and sets up shop on the first base side of the press box. He sits in front of organist Nancy Hefley, and to the left of public address announcer Eric Smith.

Eight feet to his left begin three banks of tables for sportswriters. One day recently with the San Diego Padres in town for a midweek game and the Dodgers amidst a downward spiral, 25 writers leave half the chairs empty.

Behind Lilley and to Smith/s right are a dozen computer technicians at monitors which operate the two out-of-town scoreboards, the pitch-o-meter and the two massive screens, Dodgervision behind left field and Matrix in right, which run nonstop from 5:40 to postgame.

Culture clash?

Lilley, with his shoulder-length hair, funky goatee and XL Dodger t-shirt, is of a different generation than the grandmotherly Hefley or the coat-and-tied Vin Scully, whose portrait looks down on every visitor to the press box.

Hefley, possessor of a saintly smile, knits when not at work on her organ.

Lilley looks like he skateboarded in from the beach in search of Tony Hawk.

"He/s the skate Dodger," smiles Martin McCreary, coordinator of the entire entourage.

Because underneath Lilley/s image he/s all Blue.

"If you saw Brad the first couple of games, you could see him being six years old with his Dodger dog," said McCreary. "He/s thrilled to be here."

Lilley loves to tell the story, from 30 years ago in Lompoc, of sneaking out to the family car for radio reception to listen to Scully call the action.

As an adult, Lilley never changes his clothes after a Dodger win, but always does after a loss. He puts on a different Dodger t-shirt, different Tony Hawk shoes. Though the last home stand stretched his closet/s supply, he has a lot of rally rock ready for tight moments.

At Dodger Stadium Lilley communicates his love of the team in a way only a lifelong disc jockey could do.

He chooses every tune the fans hear.

His encyclopedic knowledge of music is installed in his laptop computer. There are 600 tunes and sound effects in Lilley/s system, available at the click of a mouse. They are divided into 36 categories 77 modern, oldies, TV party, hip hop, patriotic, Latin, Beatles, etc. etc.

Thirty-five choices are on his screen at any one time.

Point and click.

"You could never do it with a CD player," he points out. "When Shawn Green hits a homer I can hit something as soon as the ball clears the fence."

In the sixth inning Green does just that, and instantly "Rock /N Roll, Part Two" by Gary Glitter blasts forth.

"I have a home run page," Lilley explains. "Sometimes I go with Gary Glitter, sometimes with Zombie Nation."

And usually for Green it/s "Song Two" by Blur, but it/s Lilley/s call.

When Andy Ashby comes to bat it/s "American Bend" by Grand Funk Railroad.

For Cesar Izturis it/s "Izzo" by Jay Z, for Hideo Nomo it/s Phil Collins/ "I Don/t Care Anymore," which ends in "no mo/" which Lilley repeats again and again.

When the Dodgers are in the field Lilley has on his screen KC and the Sunshine Band/s "That/s the Way," Clash/s "I Fought the Law," "Oh Yeah" by Yello, Jane/s Addiction "Been Caught Stealing," Johnny Cash/s "Ring of Fire," Roy Rogers/ "Happy Trails," Queen/s "Another One Bites the Dust," and 28 more.

He uses "Matador" when a fan makes a cavalier attempt at a foul ball, and "Jaws" when the bases are loaded with Dodgers.

Before the game, during the Padres/ batting practice, Lilley serves up Buffalo Springfield. Between innings as Dodgervision provides crowd shots he offers "Catch a Wave" by the Beach Boys or "Proud Mary" by Creedence Clearwater Revival.

Sajak

In the top of the sixth inning McCreary announces that television game show host Pat Sajak has been spotted in the crowd. "We got Sajak. You got Wheel of Fortune?"

Of course Lilley has Wheel of Fortune. His fingers blur on his keyboard.

Between innings on Dodgervision there/s Pat giving a casual wave to the camera with his theme playing behind him.

"The taped music gives us more flexibility," Lilley points out.

"We can respond quicker."

Lilley can put out something jolly, or not, depending on the crowd/s mood.

A 12-0 blowout is different from 2-1.

"There/s a reason they call /em laughers," Lilley says.

"Let/s say it/s Giants and Dodgers in August. The fans may not want to be goofy. They may want something with an edge."

McCreary spotted Lilley/s ability to read crowds at the Winter Olympics where he ran the big screens and the Lompocan was music director. McCreary brought him to the Dodgers.

"He has an innate sense of being able to make the music fit the mood," says the director.

"We/ll script the music to a certain extent but Brad will grab me and say /How about this?/ He/s usually right.

"He has such a varied musical base, from Duke Ellington to Metallica."

Maybe the person best able to peg the difference Lilley brings to the Dodger scene is Hefley, who has been at the organ since the 1980/s.

"The last two years there was a lot of hip hop," she offers. "You get all kinds of music with Brad. He really mixes it up."

Lilley also contributes with an endless variety of sound effects.

He/s got "Let/s go" claps, "car wash" claps, trumpet charges, "here we go, Dodgers," cavalry charges, speed up clap, Addams Family, all calculated to engage audience participation, particularly when the home team is at bat.

"Let/s see what they do with /Cotton Eye Joe,/ says McCreary as the Dodgers prepare to come to bat in the third.

McCreary prepares a minute-by-minute script for early pregame, pregame ceremonies, and for every second of each two-minute between-inning break. He interweaves Lilley/s tapes, Hefley/s organ and Smith/s announcements. Lilley provides background accompaniment for Smith.

Enter the Jungle

It/s when National League saves leader Eric Gagne enters the game that Dodger fans receive what Lilley calls "the ultimate Dodger experience."

With the score tied 1-1 after eight innings, McCreary has his binoculars trained on the Dodger bulpen.

As soon as the begoggled reliever steps toward the gate, McCreary orders "let/s do it."

Instantly Lilley has Guns n/ Rose/s "Welcome to the Jungle" blasting at max volume.

Dodgervision shows clip after clip of Gagne punching out hitters and throwing a fist in the air.

The Matrix board shows endless Gagne faces looming out of a black-and-yellow fog.

The fans, cynical before, are on their feet roaring as Gagne jogs slowly toward the mound.

As Gagne takes his warmup pitches the music morphs to "We Will Rock You," by Queen.

Lilley and his cohorts love their Gagne production, and every strikeout he offers them.

When he ends the inning with a 67-mph curve ball strikeout Lilley rips up the script and cranks out AC/DC/s "Thunderstruck" for the entire two minutes between innings.

But this night it/s not enough.

Dodgers lose in 10 and instead of Lilley offering James Brown and "I Feel Good," fans hear Hefley/s comforting organ tones.

For Lilley the vindication of his efforts came in the sixth.

Mike Kinkade homers and Lilley responds with Zombie Nation and "Kernkraft."

An inning later, Lilley/s cell phone erupts ("Take Me Out to the Ball Game").

Yes, Lilley nods, yes, thanks.

"Season ticket holder," he says. "Liked my selection."

Record reporter Steve McGann contributed his musical expertise to this story.

John McReynolds can be reached at 736-2313, Ext. 106, or jmcreynolds@pulitzer.net