As you move through life, there are always passions that you attach yourself to. It could be a girl, who shifts your vision and opens your eyes. It might be a job, challenging you in new ways and leading you through adversity towards new successes. It may even be a sports team, vanquishing a rival as you cheer them on, or falling in defeat as you learn a lesson in humility.

These things will take you through highs and lows, leaving your emotions soaring one minute and drowning the next. We found out what both sides felt like as we went to Dodger Stadium to watch the hometown Los Angeles Dodgers face off against their longtime rivals, the San Francisco Giants.

We arrived bright and early on a Sunday morning, on the heels of our late night adventure with Common. We found an empty stadium, peaceful and calm before the competitive storm to come. Inside the home dugout, we caught up with manager Joe Torre as he met with the media. We asked if the game today had any special meaning, since it was with the hated Giants.

"Every game to me is important to win," said Torre. "I grew up with this, and I'm not trying to make light of what you're asking me. Growing up, maybe it was just the impression of a youngster on what Brooklyn and the Giants were all about when they were both in the same city. This is certainly a rivalry, and it has been one for a long, long time. When we go to San Francisco, there are more boos for us. Even if we don't have a full house, people let you know that they don't like the Giants."

It was fascinating to be this close to a baseball icon. He was patient with our questions, and though we were the new faces among a handful of familiar ones to him, he didn't single us out as novices with flimsy cardboard day passes while our colleagues had laminated permanent ones.

"I think a lot of times, when there is a rivalry," Torre told us, "the players are energized by the emotion in the stands. You don't have to remind them who you're playing." He continued by clarifying that there is never full-blown hatred though. "It's the uniform more than the individual. "

This particular day was a lengthy affair, with a 13-inning game that lasted almost five hours. We dined on Dodger Dogs, brushed past Tommy Lasorda and Vin Scully in the Dodgers press box, and even followed up the game in the locker room. Afterwards, we even left to cheers of adoring fans, who were waiting around for autographs from their favorite players.

Though the Dodgers were defeated 7-5 in heartbreaking fashion, it was an incredible time and one we'll remember. The fans hung their heads as they lumbered towards the gates, but the things Torre said before the game rang eerily true in the moments that followed.

"You play this game every day, and even though you have the elation of winning yesterday, you still have more work to do today. Unless you look at it as a day at the office, not that it doesn't mean anything, but you can't let the emotions get in the way of letting you play baseball."

As the sun's rays began to fade, we left the once again empty stadium, feeling as though we had just put in a very gratifying full day at the office too.

THE DETAILS: Los Angeles Dodgers
losangeles.dodgers.mlb.com

Next games: 5/22, 5/23, 5/24 vs. LAA

Story by Alex Storch and Ryan Simoneau.