Dodgers Game Sells Out Due To Hello Kitty Blanket Giveaway

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — The Los Angeles Dodgers game was sold out Wednesday evening, but not because they were playing division rivals, the San Diego Padres.

KCAL9's Jeff Nguyen said the capacity crowd could be attributed to the promotional giveaway of 50,000 Hello Kitty fleece blankets.

Even five hours before the start of Wednesday night's game, Jose Fuentes and his wife walked away from Chavez Ravine with some disappointment.

"We came to get some tickets for tonight's game. My daughter wanted a Hello Kitty blanket. It's all sold out," Fuentes said.

At the Sanrio store in little Tokyo, the official Little Kitty venue, 10-year-old Nancy Trevino of Minnesota said she would love to go to tonight's game simply for the blanket.

"I would want it badly," she said.

Kids like these are perfect examples of the global reach of the Hello Kitty brand, which is similar to the international popularity of the Dodgers.

"Whether it was Jackie Robinson, Sandy Koufax, Fernando Valenzuela, Hideo Nomo, Chan Ho Park. We just reach out to every sector of our society. We are very proud of that legacy and hope to continue it," Stan Kasten, Dodgers President and CEO said.

Susie Mata said she doesn't care much for baseball but a Hello Kitty keepsake is a game changer.

"It would be my excuse to go to a Dodgers game," she said.

As for Jose Fuentes —  he had to explain to his daughter why he struck out.

"We're going have to go to Shakey's or something," he laughed. "Something to make up for it."

The Dodgers will also have a Hello Kitty bobble-head night in September.