The Dodgers Move West
Chris Naylor
U.S. Expansion and The Dodgers Move West
Baseball in Brooklyn has been in existence since the 1800s with the Brooklyn Grays, but the name that most people remember when they talk about Brooklyn is the Dodgers. Most people remember the Dodgers for their great play and also for a man by the name of Walter O’Malley on moving the Dodgers to Los Angeles. This move was made possible by the political maneuverings of New York City and Los Angeles, families moving away from big cities to the suburbs, U.S. expansion westward, and other factors like air travel becoming more common. This move had a deep impact on not only the baseball world but on the sports world also. Brooklyn teams played high–caliber baseball: they failed to be admitted into a professional baseball league, because they were not suitably proper (in all likelihood) for professional baseball. In 1890 the National League invited the Brooklyn Dodgers, from the American Association. By 1898 the team was taken over by Charles Ebbets, who took over as president and had part-ownership of the team. Ebbets had completely changed this team which was in need of a complete turn around. Ebbets also began the development of players who would be stars in a few a years, and he started the construction of the stadium that would bear his name, Ebbets Field1. The Red Sox met the Brooklyn Dodgers in the Dodgers first World Series appearance. The Red Sox would come out on top winning four games to one.
A major change happened in 1920 when changes were made in how the game was played and also organizational changes arose. The way baseball was operated, changed from a three-member National Commission to one man governing the sport. This man was Judge Kennesaw Landis. The 1920s and 30s were difficult years on the field and off. In the 1925, Charles Ebbets died, leaving half of the ownership scattered among his surviving family2. The Dodgers fell on tough times in the 1930s. The team played horribly on the field
U.S. Expansion and The Dodgers Move West
Baseball in Brooklyn has been in existence since the 1800s with the Brooklyn Grays, but the name that most people remember when they talk about Brooklyn is the Dodgers. Most people remember the Dodgers for their great play and also for a man by the name of Walter O’Malley on moving the Dodgers to Los Angeles. This move was made possible by the political maneuverings of New York City and Los Angeles, families moving away from big cities to the suburbs, U.S. expansion westward, and other factors like air travel becoming more common. This move had a deep impact on not only the baseball world but on the sports world also. Brooklyn teams played high–caliber baseball: they failed to be admitted into a professional baseball league, because they were not suitably proper (in all likelihood) for professional baseball. In 1890 the National League invited the Brooklyn Dodgers, from the American Association. By 1898 the team was taken over by Charles Ebbets, who took over as president and had part-ownership of the team. Ebbets had completely changed this team which was in need of a complete turn around. Ebbets also began the development of players who would be stars in a few a years, and he started the construction of the stadium that would bear his name, Ebbets Field1. The Red Sox met the Brooklyn Dodgers in the Dodgers first World Series appearance. The Red Sox would come out on top winning four games to one.
A major change happened in 1920 when changes were made in how the game was played and also organizational changes arose. The way baseball was operated, changed from a three-member National Commission to one man governing the sport. This man was Judge Kennesaw Landis. The 1920s and 30s were difficult years on the field and off. In the 1925, Charles Ebbets died, leaving half of the ownership scattered among his surviving family2. The Dodgers fell on tough times in the 1930s. The team played horribly on the field
Bibliography: Anderson, Sam. “Exorcising the Dodgers”, nymag.com, November 12, 2014. http://nymag.com/news/sports/37643/ Hirsch, Paul. “Walter O’Malley Was Right”, sabr.com, October 1, 2014. http://sabr.org/research/walter-omalley-was-right. History.com Staff. “The 1950s”, History.com, October 21, 2014. http://www.history.com/topics/1950s. Sullivan, Neil J. The Dodgers Move West. New York: Oxford University Press, 1987. Wattenberg, Ben. “How the Suburbs Changed America”, pbs.org, October 21, 2014. pbs.org/fmc/segments/progseg9.htm. Weingroff, Richard F. "Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956, Creating the Interstate System", fhwa.dot.gov, October 21, 2014. http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/infrastructure/50interstate.cfm