Welcome to The Monday 9, our new weekly lineup of Things You Need to Know in baseball. The MLB season is a marathon, so get caught up each Monday morning right here at Yahoo Sports.
Leading off: Dodgers-Padres — a new hope
If you want to reside at the center of the baseball universe, may I recommend San Clemente, California? Nuzzled up against the Pacific Ocean, it is a surfing hotbed, and the local high school produced Rian Johnson, director of "Knives Out" and one installment of "Star Wars." That saga will serve up more than 20 hours of communal entertainment if you’re so inclined, but we’re eyeing San Clemente for something even better.