Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles has only been home to the Dodgers team since 1962. Here’s how the Brooklyn team moved from Ebbets Field to a new city and a new field in Chavez Ravine.
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Pacific Coast League
But first, a quick note about baseball in Los Angeles. The Los Angeles Angels were part of the Pacific Coast League and were based in L.A. from 1925-57. They were a minor league team during those years. At that time, the Los Angeles field was Wrigley Field. The field was built in South Los Angeles in 1925, and its boundaries were Avalon Bouldevard and 42nd Place. The field was a copy of Wrigley Field in Chicago. In 1919, Wrigley visited nearby Catalina Island and loved it. He began buying out shareholders and built a home there. He then brought his team to Catalina for spring practice
Walter O’Malley and the Brooklyn Dodgers
When Walter O’Malley (1903-1979), owner of the Brooklyn Dodgers as of 1943-44, recognized the benefits of being Brooklyn’s hometown team. Brooklynites had a true love affair with their team. But when he failed to work out a deal with Brooklyn to build a new domed field in the New York area, he opted to move his team to Los Angeles. He made the announcement in 1957. Los Angeles agreed to provide free land if the Dodgers would underwrite the cost of a 50,000-seat stadium.
O’Malley had spotted a site, Chavez Ravine, from the air and felt it would be perfect. The city was acquiring land for a public housing project in that area during the early ‘50s. But the spirit behind public housing shifted, when Los Angeles heard that O’Malley might move his Dodgers to town.
The acquisition of the land in what was a Latino neighborhood, however, was not without heightened tension that is still felt today.
The Dodgers Move to L.A. Before the Stadium Was Built
When the Dodgers first arrived in 1958, they initially played in the 92,000-seat Los Angeles Coliseum. The Coliseum is now used primarily for the USC Trojan football team.. The Dodgers played there from 1958-61, including the 1959 World Series game which they won.
When the stadium at Chavez Ravine was completed in 1962, it was home for both the Dodgers and a newly-formed major league team, the Los Angeles Angels. The Angels refused to call it Dodger Stadium and referred to it as Chavez Ravine until 1965 when the Angels moved to Orange County and became the California Angels. In 2005, they changed their name again, calling themselves Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim).
From the time the Angels departed, the stadium has been Dodger Stadium. It is known for its immaculate grooming and its beautiful views of downtown, the Elysian Hills and the San Gabriel Mountains. The Dodgers have also worked to be part of the community and are known for their effort to “give back” to Angelenos.
Dodger Stadium is the third oldest ballpark in the Major League (Fenway and Wrigley are older) and it is the largest in seating capacity.
Dodgers Well-Respected
The Dodgers have always been a quality team. Several former Dodgers are in the Hall of Fame: Sandy Koufax, outfielder Duke Snider, pitchers Don Drysdale and Don Sutton, and managers Walter Alston and Tommy Lasorda. This year the team added baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani to their roster, so it’s only fittng that they will play in the 2024 World Series.
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