Facts About LA Dodgers To Read If You Are A Baseball Fan

If you are a baseball fan, you must know the iconic team Los Angeles Dodgers, who play in Major League Baseball, known as the National League (NL).

Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional American baseball team based in Los Angeles, California and are members of the National League West division. They are one of the most iconic teams in the country.

Los Angeles Dodgers have won seven World Series Championships and 24 National League pennants. If you are a fan of the sport, it's important to learn about this team and its history. Learn some interesting facts about the Los Angeles Dodgers that all fans should know.

History

The Los Angeles Dodgers were founded in 1883 as the Brooklyn Atlantics. They relocated to Los Angeles and the team joined the American Association in 1884, becoming the Los Angeles Dodgers. A few years after moving to Los Angeles and joining the American Association, they won the league pennant in 1889.

Dodgers play their home games at Dodger Stadium, located in Los Angeles, California, Elysian Park neighborhood. It was built between 1959 and 1962 and underwent a major renovation between 2003 and 2009.

Dodger Stadium has a seating capacity of 56,000 people. The original cost of Dodger Stadium was 23 million dollars (197 million dollars in 2020). Emil Praeger, American Architect, designed the Dodger Stadium.

There were nearly 32 managers in the history of the Dodgers franchise on an interim basis. The noblest Hall of Famers are Walter Alston and Tommy Lasorda. Alston has been a manager of both LA and Brooklyn Dodgers for over two decades; he finished with a record of 2,040-1,613.

Championships Won

Being one of the most successful MLB franchises, Dodgers won seven World Series Championships and 24 National League Pennants. In 1955, the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the New York Yankees in seven games, now known as their best games. Let's read about the journey of the Dodgers.

Ebbets Field was the first stadium that the Dodgers played in; the stadium was built in 1913 and had a capacity of 22,000 people. Ebbets was the Dodgers' home until 1957.

During their time at Ebbets Field, the Dodgers were known by different names; The Grays, The Superbas, The Bridegrooms, and The Robins. At their first game at Ebbets Fields, the Dodgers beat the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Brooklyn won their first National League Pennant in 1890, the inaugural season in the league. The team played in the West Division for their first league, where Brooklyn was one of the four American Association teams to join the National League (NL) Pennant.

The Dodgers had played four seasons at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum before they moved to Dodger Stadium in 1962, their current home. After Alston became the Dodgers manager, they won six World Series Championships (1955, 1959, 1963, 1965, 1981, 1988), and recently won the Championship again in 2020, making it a total of seven wins.

They also won 24 National League pennants between 1883 and 2020.

Eleven players from the Los Angeles Dodgers have won Major League Most Valuable Player Awards (NL MVP). Besides, they have also won eight CY Young Awards (Cyclone Young Award), awarded for the best pitchers in the National and American Leagues.

However, it doesn't end here, the team has 18 Rookie of Year Awards, as from 1979-1892, they won Rookie awards consecutively, and again from 1992-1996, Dodgers won the Rookie of Year Award for five years in a row.

Famous Players

Notable players who have played for the Dodgers in the world series include Jackie Robinson (Player Number 42), Sandy Koufax (Player Number 32), and Roy Campanella (Player Number 39). So here we have interesting Los Angeles Dodgers facts featuring famous players.

The famous pitchers of the Los Angeles Dodgers are Clayton Kershaw, Sandy Koufax, Don Drysdale, Dazzy Vance, and Don Sutton.

The famous infielders are Steven Garvey, Maury Wills, Michael Young. And famous outfielders Willie Davis, Zach Wheat, Duke Snider, Matt Kemp, Yasiel Puig, Chris Taylor, Enrique Hernandez, and Joc Pederson.

Jackie Robinson was the first African-American to play in the Major League Baseball National League. He was born Jackie Roosevelt Robinson on January 31, 1919, in Cairo, Georgia.

On April 15, 1947, as a 28-year-old player, Jackie broke the color line and began his winning streak by joining the major sports team. He received the Rookie of the Year Award in his first game with 175 hits, 0.297 batting average, and 12 home runs.

In 1956, Jackie retired and became a 10-year Dodgers veteran with 137 homers, 724 RBI, and nearly 1,000 runs. At the time, he had a 0.983 career fielding percentage and in 1962, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Born as Sanford Braun, Sandy Koufax is an American baseball player known as the best pitcher. He was the youngest player to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972 at the age of 36. He was a seven-time All-Star awardee and four-time World Series Championship.

Don Drysdale is a right-handed pitcher and television commentator for the Los Angeles Dodgers who spent his entire career in the Major League. He won CY Young Award in 1962 and was added to the Hall of Fame in 1984.

Roy Campanella, popularly known as Campy, is one of the most productive catchers in the history of this sport. In his 10 year career, he was selected to eight All-Star games; he hit 0.276 with an average of 32 homers in his Brooklyn career.

Campy is the first to be awarded a Major League Award three times. Like Jackie, Campy was the first African-American catcher to enter a major sports team breaking color lines.

Fernando Valenzuela, born Fernando Valenzuela Anguamea, is a former professional player who had a record of 173 wins and 153 losses. Fernando was the first Dodgers player to win the Rookie and CY Young Award in the same season, winning the Dodgers' fifth World Series Championship.

He played 11 of his 17 years in the Major League and got his rookie award in 1986.

Kirk Gibson is the most successful pitcher in Dodgers history with a career record of 353–375. He was also named the Most Valuable Player Award (MVP) of the 1988 World Series.

There are several nicknames for Los Angeles Dodgers throughout their careers, some are Ward's Wonders, Superbas, Robins, Foutz's Fillies, Bridegrooms, and Grays.

FAQ's

What are the Dodgers known for?

The Dodgers are most famous for their victory in the 1955 World Series against the New York Yankees, their first championship win in Brooklyn.

Why are they called the Dodgers?

The Dodgers' name is believed to have originated in 1896 from the Brooklyn Trolley Dodgers. The team was named after the heavy construction of electric trolleys that ran through the Eastern Park of Brooklyn.

Who was the first black Dodgers player?

The first black Dodgers player was Jackie Robinson, who played for the team from April 15, 1947, at Brooklyn's Ebbets Field and was the first African American to play Major League baseball.

What were the Dodgers called before?

The Dodgers were originally called the Brooklyn Atlantics.

How many world championships do the Dodgers have?

The Dodgers have won seven world championships and 24 National League pennants. The first year that the Dodgers made it to the playoffs was 1974.

Where can I watch the Dodgers?

You can watch the Dodgers play live at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. Or you can also watch them on TV on Fox Sports West or MLB Network.

What happens if the Dodgers lose the wild card game?

If the Dodgers lose in the wild card game, they will be eliminated from the playoffs.

What does the name Dodgers mean?

Dodgers sometimes refers to artfulness and strong in all situations.

Why did the Dodgers move to LA?

The Dodgers get their name from the Brooklyn Trolley Dodgers, who were named after the trolleys that ran through the streets of Brooklyn. The team moved to Los Angeles in 1958 because they could not compete with the New York Yankees financially.