Dodger Stadium, officially known as Chavez Ravine Stadium, is a multipurpose stadium situated in Los Angeles, California. The stadium primarily hosts baseball games, being the home ground for the Los Angeles Dodgers, the club that owns it.
The stadium was inaugurated on 10 April 1962 with an exhibition match between the Dodgers and the Cincinnati Reds. It stands as a replacement for the Dodger's previous home ground, Ebbets Field, which had a seating capacity of 32,000. The seating capacity of Dodger Stadium is currently set at 56,000. The stadium was designed by renowned architect Captain Emil Praeger and had a construction cost of $23 million.
A Major League Baseball (MLB) category four stadium and one of the largest stadiums by capacity in the United States (the largest in California), Dodger Stadium has hosted numerous important events. This includes the World Series, All-Star Games, and concerts from famous artists. It was recognized as one of the most beautiful stadiums in the United States in a 2012 poll by ESPN. By its fiftieth anniversary, Dodger Stadium had welcomed more than 125 million spectators. The stadium is one of the potential venues for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which the United States will co-host along with Canada and Mexico.
While the previous Dodgers stadium was also officially named 'Los Angeles Dodgers Stadium', both the old and the new stadiums are invariably referred to by their unofficial name, Dodger Stadium. Dodger is the name of the team for which the stadium was built, on the border between the Elysian Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, which itself derives its name from the nearby Dodgers (a professional baseball team). This unofficial name caught on soon after the original stadium's construction; the people of Los Angeles used to simply call it Dodger ('the Dodger'). Therefore, the stadium's common name became 'Dodger Stadium', which is usually anglicized to 'Dodger Stadium'. This translation, however, could be argued to be accurate, since Dodger refers not to 'dodger' but to the original address of the stadium: 1000 Vin Scully Ave ('Vin Scully Avenue').
Dodger Stadium, also known as Chavez Ravine, was built from 1959 to 1962. The stadium was constructed in less than three years at a cost of $23 million, financed by private sources. It is the third-oldest continually used park in Major League Baseball and stands as one of the most iconic and revered American sports venues. The stadium is unique because it's built into a hillside, offering stunning views of downtown Los Angeles and the San Gabriel Mountains.
The Dodger Stadium has seen many historic moments in baseball, including Sandy Koufax's perfect game in 1965, Kirk Gibson's walk-off home run in the 1988 World Series, and Clayton Kershaw's no-hitter in 2014. The stadium has also hosted the World Series nine times and the All-Star Game twice. Additionally, Dodger Stadium has been the site for concerts by world-renowned performers and a papal Mass by Pope John Paul II.
In 2020, the stadium underwent a $100-million renovation, which added a new center field plaza, elevators, and bridges that connect the outfield pavilions to the rest of the stadium, among other improvements. The renovation also included the installation of a new sound system and the largest videoboard in baseball. Even with these modern updates, Dodger Stadium maintains its classic ballpark feel, making it a favorite amongst both players and fans.
A suitable location, with excellent access and space for future expansion, was located in the Elysian Park neighborhood of Los Angeles. Situated near Downtown Los Angeles, Dodger Stadium was at first known as 'Chavez Ravine Stadium'.
It was always intended by the club to own both the stadium and the terrains, though initially, a lease was made on the municipal terrains, with a final buy-out occurring only in 1958. The plans for the sports complex had been drawn as early as the late 1940s by Emil Praeger, a former U.S Navy engineer.
Driven by the club's owner, Walter O'Malley, the associates coped with an increased fee for supporting the building costs for the new stadium, offered large donations, and some even volunteered themselves on the construction site on holidays or weekends. There was even a 'brick campaign', whereby large quantities of bricks were donated to the club.
The construction officially started on 17 September 1959. Less than three years after, and at a cost of $23 million, on 10 April 1962, a 56,000-capacity crowd filled the stadium for the inaugural match against the Cincinnati Reds.
'Dodger Stadium (1962)' (in English). Los Angeles Dodgers. Archived from the original on 30 August 2017. Retrieved 7 February 2015.
'Dodger Stadium (The Blue Heaven) – until 2003'. StadiumDB.com. Retrieved 7 February 2015.
The Dodger doesn't dodge, Preface, Prime Books, 2003 (ISBN 972-8820-07-0)
Los Angeles Dodgers 100 glorious years - The History 1, Edition and Contents, S.A., 2003 (ISBN 989-554-099-X)
Los Angeles Dodgers 100 glorious years - The History 1, pp.84, Edition and Contents, S.A., 2003 (ISBN 989-554-099-X)
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