the dodgers moved to la from brooklyn in the 1930s.
when did the dodgers move to la from brooklyn?
in the 1930s
brooklyn dodgers owner walter o'malley had a similar situation to that of stoneham. o'malley's team played in ebbets field, which seated only 35,000 fans, had parking spots for only 700 cars, and was located in a decaying neighborhood. new york officials once again failed to meet o'malley's demands for a new stadium with more parking and that could be more easily reached. the city of los angeles offered o'malley a new stadium in chavez ravine. the area provided easy access to multiple freeways as well as an uncontested media market in one of the nation's largest metropolitan areas. o'malley talked with stoneham about the move, and both agreed that the rivalry between the two clubs should remain intact. on october 8, 1957, o'malley announced the dodgers move to los angeles. on april 15, 1958 the two teams faced in the first regular season game since their relocation. the giants won the game 8-0.
professional sports in the western united states
walter o’malley's mission to move the dodgers from brooklyn to los angeles is a narrative of controversial business negotiations and political debates. gaining full control over the dodgers organization in 1950, o’malley instantly had much success with multiple world series appearances and one world series championship during the 1950s, while also breaking the color barrier with jackie robinson in april 1947. however, ebbets field, the home of brooklyn dodgers, was quickly becoming outdated. at first, walter o’malley desired a new state-of-the-art stadium in brooklyn, but due to political strife with local officials, o’malley's plans were rejected. today, many place blame on robert moses and other new york city officials for the dodgers move out of brooklyn, after they rejected o’malley's proposal. o’malley ultimately turned his sights west after it was clear that he would not obtain what he wanted in new york. walter o’malley decided to move the dodgers to los angeles in 1958, almost a decade from the start of the displacement of the chavez ravine residents. his decision to move baseball out west is considered to be o’malley's most influential legacy. not only was o’malley successful in moving the dodgers to los angeles, but he was also instrumental in moving the new york giants to san francisco. the dual move was disheartening for new yorkers, but ultimately proved to be beneficial for both franchises. the migration out west spurred a national trend of teams seeking new homes in previously untapped markets, proving financially beneficial to major league baseball as a whole. walter o’malley's reputation and legacy is ultimately complicated due to both the stealing of brooklyn's team and the battle of chavez ravine. compared to o’malley, the perspective of those living in, and ultimately removed from chavez ravine, is generally unrepresented. for some, o’malley is seen as a pioneer who helped make america's national pastime truly national; for others, o’malley is seen as a fierce and unforgiving business man who orchestrated the destruction and displacement of one of los angeles's historic mexican-american communities.
battle of chavez ravine