|
www.ballparksofbaseball.com |
|
BALLPARKS |
American
League |
National
League |
Past |
Future |
|
FEATURES |
Ballpark
News |
Seating
Charts |
Attendance |
Tickets |
Ballpark
Videos |
RoadTrip
Guide |
Ballpark
Hotels |
Ballpark
Travel Guide |
Directions/Parking |
Merchandise |
PhotoShop |
Comparisons |
Wallpaper |
Ballpark
Experiences |
Spring
Training |
|
INFORMATION |
Feedback |
Advertising |
Index/Sitemap |
|
OTHER STADIUMS |
NFL |
NCAA
College Football |
NBA
Arenas |
|
MEMORABLE MOMENTS
AT DODGER STADIUM |
|
All Star
Game: 1980
World Series: 1963, '65, '66, '74, '77, '78, '81, & '88
Sandy
Koufax's perfect game on September 9, 1965.
Kirk
Gibson's ninth inning homerun in Game 1 of the
'88 World Series.
Cy Young
Award winners Don Drysdale, Eric Gagne, Orel Hershiser, Sandy Koufax,
Mike Marshall & Fernando Valenzuela.
Cardinals' Fernando Tatis's two grand slams in one inning in 1999.
Gold Glove
Award winner Matt Kemp in 2009.
|
|
|
PAST DODGERS
BALLPARKS |
Washington Park
1898-1913
Ebbets Field
1913-1957
Los Angeles Coliseum
1958-1961 |
|
GREAT TICKETS HERE |
Los Angeles Dodgers
Arizona Diamondbacks
Los Angeles
Angels
San Diego Padres |
|
HOTELS |
|
Find Great Hotels Near Dodger Stadium! |
|
|
Dodger
Stadium
Los Angeles, CA
After more than 45
years of existence, Dodger Stadium remains one of the best ballparks
in the country. Originally located in Brooklyn, Dodgers owner Walter
O'Malley began lobbying for a new stadium to be built for his club,
even though
Ebbets Field was still in excellent shape. After a deal could
not be completed to build a stadium, the Dodgers along with the
Giants moved to California after the 1957 season. With the move to
Los Angeles from Brooklyn, a new stadium for the Dodgers was built.
In September 1957, Los Angeles agreed to exchange 300 acres of land
in Chavez Ravine to the Dodgers in return for the Dodgers’
commitment to build a 50,000-seat stadium. Construction began on
September 17, 1959. While
Dodger Stadium was being constructed the Dodgers played at the
L.A. Coliseum. Dodger Stadium was suppose to been completed by
1961, but lawsuits and landslides pushed the opening ahead one year
later. Opening day at Dodger Stadium was on April 10, 1962 when
52,564 fans packed the five level multicolored structure. The Los
Angeles (Anaheim) Angels also began playing at Dodger Stadium in
1962, playing there until 1965. Dodger Stadium was designed to be
expandable to seat 85,000 people. However, the Dodgers never
expanded their home. Also in the original plans of the stadium was a
picturesque fountain in center field in which vari-colored
spotlights would have played on the cascading waters if a Dodger
player had hit a homerun.
Dodger
Stadium, just miles away from downtown Los Angeles, is located in
the valley of Chavez Ravine. The stadium is built into the hillside
with massive parking lots surrounding the Dodgers home. Upon
entering Dodger Stadium, fans encounter a massive stadium with
stunning views. Four of the five seating decks stretch from foul
pole to foul pole at Dodger Stadium. The top upper deck stretches
from the first base side to the third base side. A wavy top roof
hangs over the back of the bleachers that are located behind both
left and right field. Two scoreboards are above the bleachers. For
more than three decades there were few changed at Dodger Stadium.
However in recent years that has changed. After the 1999 season, new
field level seats down the foul lines beyond the dugouts and a new
expanded dugout section, known as the Dugout Club, with an adjacent
club area were added. The luxury suites were also upgraded to
provide the same amenities that ones in newer ballparks provide.
After the 2002 season, the Dodger installed a new video board,
DodgerVision replacing the previous one in left field. Also
new out of town scoreboards are now incorporated as part of the
outfield fence in left and right field. More improvements to Dodger
Stadium occurred after the 2004 season. These included the dugouts
being pushed forward allowing for several more rows of Dugout Club
seats and additional seating down the foul lines. This project added
roughly 1,500 seats to Dodger Stadium.
After the 2005 season, the Dodgers announced plans to replace all
the seats at Dodger Stadium. The seating bowl returned to its
original color that was at the stadium when it opened, yellow, light
orange, turquoise, and sky blue. Additionally, box seating was added
to the baseline area and the stadium bowl concrete was repaired,
resurfaced and refinished. This $20 million renovation project also
included the terrace picnic area that seats 500 people outside the
Loge level seating entrance. In August 2007, the Dodgers announced
the next phase of renovations to Dodger Stadium that widens the
concourses and expands the number of concession areas and restrooms.
Before the 2008 season, renovations were completed on the field
level that included two new Baseline Box Clubs.
Renovation
work to the upper level concourses will begin in upcoming
off-seasons. In April 2008 the Dodgers announced plans that will
bring the most modern amenities to
fans while preserving the tradition of Dodger Stadium and keep it
the team's home for the next 50 years. To be completed by 2012, this
project includes three main components: Dodger Way, Green Necklace
and Top of the Park. Dodger Way will include a tree lined entrance
leading to a landscaped garden plaza beyond centerfield where fans
can gather. This area will connect to restaurants, shops and a
Dodgers Experience Museum. Top of the Park will be an outdoor plaza
behind the top grandstand that will offer 360 degree views of Los
Angeles. The Green Necklace will connect Top of the Park and Dodger
Way. It will transform acres of parking lots into a landscaped
walkway to allow fans to walk around the exterior of Dodger Stadium
while remaining inside the stadium gates.
|