This Day In Dodgers History: National League Owners Vote Unanimously To Approve Move From Brooklyn To Los Angeles
On May 28, 1957, National League owners voted unanimously to approve the Brooklyn Dodgers’ move to Los Angeles. The owners’ decision also granted permission to the New York Giants for their relocation to San Francisco. The Dodgers didn’t formally announce their move until Oct. 8.
The decision — handed down during the midseason owner’s meeting in Chicago — came two weeks after former owner Walter O’Malley announced plans to move his club from Brooklyn to Los Angeles.
O’Malley and the Dodgers were required to recruit a second team with them, as at the time the St. Louis Cardinals were the only NL club within close proximity. O’Malley committed to the relocation after meeting with officials in Los Angeles.
The agreement outlined plans for the city to acquire and deed 350 acres in Chavez Ravine for the purpose of building a new stadium. That was at the center of O’Malley’s decision to move from Brooklyn, as he sought financial assistance to build a new stadium for the Dodgers.
The team uprooting from their Brooklyn roots stung fans as the Dodgers were in the midst of having won four pennants (1952, 1953, 1955, 1956) and a World Series (1955) during an eight-year span. To this day, many Brooklyn citizens remain angered by the decision, with younger generations also electing to root against the team.
Overall, the Dodgers spent 74 seasons in Brooklyn. They were founded as the Brooklyn Atlantics (1884) and were also knowns as the Brooklyn Grays (1885-1887), Brooklyn Grooms (1891-1895), Brooklyn Bridesgrooms (1888-1898), Brooklyn Superbas (1899-1913), Brooklyn Robins (1914-1931) and Brooklyn Dodgers (1911-1957).
The Dodgers spent time playing at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum before Dodger Stadium officially opened on April 10, 1962, with a matchup against the Cincinnati Reds. The Dodgers returned to the Coliseum for an exhibition game against the Boston Red Sox in 2008.
More recently, to commemorate the team’s move to Los Angeles, Adidas and Philippe’s hosted a special event that was attended by Justin Turner and Kiké Hernandez.
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