DODGERS HISTORY

The Los Angeles Dodgers were founded in 1883, they joined the American Association which they won in 1889. The Dodgers became the only franchise in Major League Baseball history to win pennants in different Leagues in consecutive years, after they joined the National League (NL) in 1890. In 1902 Hanlon expressed his desire to buy a controlling interest in the team and move it to Baltimore, then without a team. His plan was blocked by a lifelong club employee, Charles Ebbets, who put himself heavily in debt to buy the team and keep it in the borough. Ebbets's ambition did not stop at owning the team. He desired to replace the dilapidated Washington Park with a new ballpark, and again invested heavily to finance the construction of Ebbets Field, which would become the Dodgers' home in 1913. The Los Angeles Dodgers is a Major League Baseball team formed in 1883. Based in Los Angeles, California. The team plays in the Western Division of the National League. The Dodgers were earlier known as Brooklyn Dodgers 1932 –1957, they moved to Los Angeles in the 1958 season. The Los Angeles Dodgers players wear uniform of colors: “Dodger blue" White and Red with a cursive "Dodgers" printed over a red streaming baseball. The jersey is made of nice looking wool flannel with real arm patches and Duke Sniders #4 on the back. . The Los Angeles Dodgers have won nine Division titles in 1974, 1977, 1978, 1981, 1983, 1985, 1988, 1994 and 1995; have won one Wild Card title in 1996; have won one American Association pennant in 1889; have won six World Series championships in 1955, 1959, 1963, 1965, 1981 and 1988. In their initial years in Brooklyn, the players of the team used to dodge trolley cars to reach the ballpark, Ebbets Field, which earned them their nick, Dodgers. In 1913 the team was officially named dodgers. The Los Angeles Dodgers have their home arena at Dodger Stadium, since 1962. They earlier played at Ebbets Field (1912-1957) and Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (1958-1961). Dodger Stadium is also known as Chavez Ravine, named after the site where it was built. The stadium was inaugurated on April10, 1962 and has a seating capacity of 56,000 fans. On the 15th of April, 1947, Jackie Roosevelt Robinson became the first African American Major League Baseball player of the modern era. The significance of this event in U.S. history is observed by the retirement by each Major League team of his uniform number, 42. This event was the harbinger of the integration of sports in the United States, the concomitant demise of the Negro Leagues, and is regarded as a key moment in the history of the U.S. Civil Rights movement. Walter O'Malley eventually passed control of the Dodgers to his son Peter, who managed the team on his family's behalf. In the late 90's the O'Malley family sold the team to Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation, owner of the Fox network and 20th Century Fox. In 2004, Newscorp sold the Dodgers to real estate developer Frank McCourt. The Los Angeles Dodgers have retired the following numbers; #19 worn by Jim Gilliam, #4 belonging to Duke Snider, #2 worn by Tommy Lasorda who was the manager between 1976-1996, #1 belonging to Pee Wee Reese, #20 belonging to Don Sutton, #24 worn by Walter Alston, #32 worn by Sandy Koufax, #53 belonging to Don Drysdale, #39 worn by Roy Campanella and lastly #42 which has also been retired throughout Baseball worn by Jackie Robinson.