Los Angeles Dodgers, commonly referred to as the Dodgers or simply LA, is one of the most iconic and successful baseball clubs in the world. Originally established in 1883 as the Brooklyn Atlantics, it changed its name to Los Angeles Dodgers in 1958. The club is based in Los Angeles, California, USA, and plays its home matches at the famous Dodger Stadium, which has a seating capacity of over 56,000.
The Dodgers has a rich history, boasting 7 World Series titles, 24 National League pennants, and numerous other domestic and international trophies. The club enjoyed a particularly successful era under legendary manager Tommy Lasorda, who led the Dodgers to two World Series titles and four National League pennants between 1976 and 1996.
Known for its strategic and aggressive style of play, the club has nurtured some of baseball’s greatest talents, including Sandy Koufax, Jackie Robinson, Clayton Kershaw, and Cody Bellinger. Despite recent challenges and inconsistent performances, the Los Angeles Dodgers remain one of the world’s most valuable baseball clubs, with a global fan base and a rich tradition that continues to influence American and world baseball.
Los Angeles Dodgers is one of the most popular baseball clubs in the world, with one of the highest average home attendances in the United States. The club states that its worldwide fan base includes more than 200 officially recognised branches of the Los Angeles Dodgers Fans Club (LADFC), in at least 24 countries. The club takes advantage of this support through its worldwide summer tours. Accountancy firm and sports industry consultants Deloitte estimate that Los Angeles Dodgers has 75 million fans worldwide. The club has the third highest social media following in the world among sports teams (after Yankees and Red Sox), with over 82 million Facebook followers as of July 2023. A 2014 study showed that Los Angeles Dodgers had the loudest fans in the Major League Baseball.
Los Angeles Dodgers was formed in 1883 as Brooklyn Atlantics by the carriage and wagon department of the New York and Brooklyn Bridge Company at Brooklyn. The team initially played games against other departments and bridge companies, but on 20 November 1884, they competed in their first recorded match; wearing the colours of the bridge company—green and gold—they were defeated 6–0 by New York Giants' reserve team.
In October 1957, the impending resumption of baseball after the war led to the managerial appointment of Walter Alston, who demanded an unprecedented level of control over team selection, player transfers, and training sessions. Alston led the team to second-place league finishes in 1958, 1959, and 1960, and to World Series victory in 1959. In 1962, the club won the National League, its first league title for 41 years.
On 8 May 1996, Tommy Lasorda announced that he was to retire as manager at the end of the baseball season, but would remain at the club as a director and club ambassador. He retired as the most decorated manager in baseball history. The club announced the next day that San Francisco Giants manager Dusty Baker would replace him from 1 July, having signed a six-year contract. Don Mattingly took over as interim player-manager 10 months later, on 22 April 1997, when Baker was sacked after a poor season in which the club failed to defend their National League title and failed to qualify for the World Series for the first time since 1992.
Originally funded by the Brooklyn Dodgers, the club became a limited company in 1932 and sold shares to local supporters for $1 via an application form. In 1958, majority ownership passed to four local businessmen who invested $500,000 to move the club to Los Angeles, including future club president Walter O'Malley. After his death in 1979, the club faced financial difficulties yet again but was saved in December 1981 by Peter O'Malley, who assumed control of the club after an investment of $2,000,000. Peter promoted his son, Tom, to the board in 1998, but stepped down three years later; the O'Malley family retained ownership of the club through Peter's wife, Annette, but the position of chairman passed to former player Bob Graziano.
Promoted to the board a few days after the 1994 Baseball Strike, Frank McCourt, a friend of Tommy Lasorda, began acquiring shares in the club; for an investment of approximately $430 million, he accumulated a 54 per cent shareholding and took control in January 2004. When Annette O'Malley died in January 2011, her shares passed to Tom O'Malley, who sold a percentage of his shares to Frank McCourt's sons, Drew and Travis, in 2012; Drew McCourt went on to become chairman upon his father's divorce in 2011. Media tycoon Rupert Murdoch attempted to buy the club in 1998, but did not meet McCourt's asking price. In 2012, chairman Mark Walter attempted to sell the club to Magic Johnson for $2 billion, but the sale fell through and Johnson joined the board of directors instead.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are one of the most triumphant clubs in Major League Baseball in terms of championships secured. The club's first trophy was the National League pennant, which they won as Brooklyn Robins in 1916. In 1955, the club won their first World Series title. Since then, they have gone on to win a total of 7 World Series titles and their total of 24 National League pennants is among the highest in the league. The Dodgers have also won the West Division title 14 times.
Domestic
Individual Awards
Los Angeles Dodgers - Wikipedia: Detailed history, statistics and records of Los Angeles Dodgers. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Angeles_Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers Official Site: Official news, roster, schedule, scores and more about Los Angeles Dodgers. https://www.mlb.com/dodgers
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