| Dodger Stadium Los Angeles, California |
Architect: Captain Emil Praeger U.S.N.
Builder: Vinell Construction Company
Cost: $23 million
Owner: Los Angeles Dodgers
Seating capacity: 56,000
Playing Field Dimensions:
Foul lines: 330 ft.
Power Alleys: 385 ft. (1962); 375 ft. (1969)
Center field: 410 ft. (1962); 395 ft. (1969)
Height of Fences:
Foul poles to bullpens: 3'6'' (1962); 4' (1995)
Bullpen to bullpen: 10' (1962); 8' (1973)
Builder: Vinell Construction Company
Cost: $23 million
Owner: Los Angeles Dodgers
Seating capacity: 56,000
Playing Field Dimensions:
Foul lines: 330 ft.
Power Alleys: 385 ft. (1962); 375 ft. (1969)
Center field: 410 ft. (1962); 395 ft. (1969)
Height of Fences:
Foul poles to bullpens: 3'6'' (1962); 4' (1995)
Bullpen to bullpen: 10' (1962); 8' (1973)
| Source Credits ---------------------------------- NOTES, FACTS AND FEATURES On the facade of the left field pavilion was a bronze plaque honoring Hank Aaron's final home run at Dodger Stadium (#676) in 1973. At the edge of parking lot #37 in center field was a Japanese garden featuring a 6-foot tall Japanese lantern. The lantern was a gift from Japanese Sportswriter Sotaro Suzuki, who was instrumental in planning the Dodgers 1956 goodwill tour of Japan. Suzuki and his wife were guests of Walter O'Malley at the stadium's opening in 1962 and were so taken with the new park that he commissioned the lantern as a gift to the stadium. Next to the gift shop at the top of the park is Dodger Stadium's dedication plaque. Behind that plaque - buried in the brick wall is a time capsule placed on April 9, 1962 containing among other things: Programs from the 1959 All-Star Game and World Series from the Coliseum, Yearbooks from the Dodgers first 4 seasons in Los Angeles and a program from the first game at Dodger Stadium. The infamous LF screen from the L.A. Coliseum was covered with black fabric, brought to Dodger Stadium and used as the CF batters-eye screen. In the mid 1940's, Walter O'Malley had begun consulting with architect Captain Emil Praeger about different ideas for a new ballpark for the Dodgers. One design was a translucent domed multi-purpose stadium in Brooklyn (17 years before the Astrodome opened). O'Malley, hated though he still is by broken-hearted Brooklyn fans, has to be regarded as one of true visionaries. Several of his ideas for Dodger Stadium (both used and unused) were later implimented in the renisants ballparks of the 1990's. While visiting Japan following the 1956 World Series, O’Malley was inspired by the dugout-level seats at Korakuen Stadium and would incorporate these “Dugout� seats in his Dodger Stadium plans. Other innovations included Closed circuit TV sets in restaurants and near concession stands; A field-view Club/restaurant with large picture windows and terraced levels for tables, and extensive park-like landscaping including Royal Palms and flora. Some other ideas O'Malley planned for Dodger Stadium included a large cascading fountain in center field with multi-colored spotlights triggered after a Dodger home run; Didneyland-style trams to transport fans from the parking lots to their seating levels; A radiant-directed heating system in the grandstand seats for cool nights; A 200-feet high tower-sculpture of a baseball and crossed bats in a tripod able to be seen from several miles. Chavez Ravine was a difficult site because of a network of washes, gullies and gulches that were interlaced with hills and twisting roads. Elevations in the ravine ranged from 400 feet to 700 feet above sea level. In order to compensate for this rough terrain, more than 8 million cubic yards of earth was moved to reshape the area. The steeply terraced bowl of the towering hillside site became an integral part of the main grandstand structure and located the stands on a slope in the shelter of the U-shaped hill. The Northern face of the rock and sandstone hill was cut down and shaped into a rough amphitheater and benches were cut into the sloping floor to support the stadium foundations and pedestals. To control erosion, a two inch-thick concrete was sprayed over the area. The 124-foot-high grandstand has three major cantilever tiers built on 78 precast bents. Dodger Stadium's architect Emil Praeger, a distinguished Navy captain who developed the original design of the concrete floating breakwater during World War II, was in charge of all engineering projects for the Department of Parks in New York City, and also played major roles designing the renovation of the White House and the Los Angeles Public Library. Before opening, Dodger Stadium employees were taken to Disneyland to study their customer service quality. Hands down, the best view of the downtown L.A. skyline from anywhere in the city is from the Top Deck concourse at Dodger Stadium, especially at night. “If baseball is dying, as so many Cassandras have lamented, somebody forgot to tell Walter O’Malley,� wrote New York sports columnist Bob Considine. “The arena he has built with the cooperation of the City of Los Angeles is a temple, indeed a shrine, to the old game. No rich doting patron of the past, including (former Yankees owner) Jake Ruppert, ever made a contribution of such scope and imagination.� In 1962, tokens instaed of tickets were sold for admission to the pavilions. 9 no-hitters thrown at dodger stadium: Bo Belinsky 1962, Sandy Koufax 1962, 1963, 1965(perfect game), Bill Singer 1970,Fernando Valenzuela 1990, Dennis Martinez 1991(perfect game), Kevin Gross 1992, Ramon Martinez 1995. Designed to be expandable to 85,000 seats. Parking for 16,000 cars Dodger Stadium unveiled baseball's first ever Diamond-Vision color video scoreboard in 1980. For the 2000 season, two rows of field level seats down the foul lines beyond the dugouts and new dugout-club seats with an adjacent club area was added. Also, 70% of the Club level box seats were taken out and transformed into modern luxury suites. were also upgraded to provides the same amenities that ones in newer ballparks provide. After the 2002 season, the Dodgers installed a bigger video board in left field, a state-of-the-art matrix board replacing the old one in right field, and 2 out-of-town scoreboards in the left and right field walls. The Dodger Stadium field was named the best in baseball by Sports Illustrated in 2003 in a poll of Major League players. Of the responses, 23.2 percent of players rated Dodger Stadium as the best-quality playing field, more than twice as many as any other stadium. The Dodgers topped 3 million in attendance in '78, '80, '82, '83, '84, '85, '86, '90, '91, '93, '96, '97, '98, '99, '00, '01, '02, '03, '04, '05, '06, '07, '08 and 2009. Eight of the top 25 NL single-season attendance marks have been recorded at Dodger Stadium. During the 20th century, the only privately-financed ballparks in Major League Baseball were Yankee Stadium (built in 1923) and Dodger Stadium. The stadium hosted the first Olympic baseball competition in 1984. Dodger Stadium has been the site of several non-baseball major events, as Pope John Paul II celebrated Mass at Dodger Stadium on Sept. 16, 1987. Entertainers from around the world have performed there as well, such as KISS, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, The Bee Gees, Elton John, Simon and Garfunkel, Michael Jackson, David Bowie, Genesis, Eric Clapton, U2, the Dave Matthews Band and in August, 2003, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. Dodger Stadium also staged one of the world's greatest entertainment events of 1994 when internationally renowned tenors Jose Carreras, Placido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti reunited for a spectacular concert performance "Encore - The Three Tenors" with conductor Zubin Mehta. -- ----------------------------- -- |
| Recommended Reading List Click on titles for more info Dodger Stadium (Images of Sport) by Mark Langill The Dodgers Encyclopedia by William F. McNeil The Perfect Pitch: The Biography of Roger Owens, the Famous Peanut Man at Dodger Stadium by Daniel S. Green True Blue: The Dramatic History of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Told by the Men Who Lived It Steve Delsohn Sandy Koufax: A Lefty's Legacy Jane Leavy Take Me Out to the Ballpark: An Illustrated Guide to Baseball Parks Past & Present by Josh Leventhal, Jessica M. Macmurray The Ultimate Baseball Road-Trip by Joshua Pahigian, Kevin O'Connell Fodor's Baseball Vacations: Great Family Trips to Minor League and Classic Major League Ballparks Across America by Bruce Adams America's Ballparks by Kenneth Hogan Ballparks of North America: A Comprehensive Historical Reference to Baseball Grounds, Yards and Stadiums, 1845 to Present by Michael Benson Storied Stadiums: Baseball's History Through Its Ballparks by Curt Smith |
Tenants: Los Angeles Dodgers (NL 1962-present); Los Angeles Angels (AL 1962-65)
Groundbreaking: September 17, 1959
1st National League Game: April 10, 1962 (Cin 6, LA 3)
1st American League Game: April 17, 1962 (KC 5, LA 3)
Last American League Game: September 22, 1965 (LA 2, Bos 0)
Surface: Grass
Groundbreaking: September 17, 1959
1st National League Game: April 10, 1962 (Cin 6, LA 3)
1st American League Game: April 17, 1962 (KC 5, LA 3)
Last American League Game: September 22, 1965 (LA 2, Bos 0)
Surface: Grass
Hosted World Series: 1963, 1965, 1966, 1974, 1977, 1978, 1981, 1988
Hosted All-Star Game: 1980
Hosted Olympic Games: 1984
Hosted All-Star Game: 1980
Hosted Olympic Games: 1984
In the mid-1950s, Brooklyn Dodger team president Walter O'Malley had tried to build his own stadium
in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, but was unable to reach an agreement with city officials
in regards to land acquisition. O'Malley eventually got his land and his stadium, except it was in Los
Angeles, California. The land for Dodger Stadium was purchased from local owners and inhabitants in
the early 1950s by the city of Los Angeles using eminent domain with funds from the Federal Housing
Act of 1949. The city had planned to develop the Elysian Park Heights public housing project, which
included two dozen 13-story buildings and more than 160 two-story townhouses, in addition to
newly rebuilt playgrounds and schools.
Before construction could begin, the local political climate changed greatly when Norris Poulson was
elected mayor of Los Angeles in 1953. Proposed public housing projects like Elysian Park Heights lost
most of their support as they became associated with socialist ideals. Following protracted
negotiations, the city was able to purchase the Chávez Ravine property back from the Federal
Housing Authority at a drastically reduced price, with the stipulation that the land be used for a
public purpose. It was not until June 3, 1958, when Los Angeles voters approved a "Taxpayers
Committee for Yes on Baseball" referendum, that the Dodgers were able to acquire 352 acres of
Chavez Ravine from the city. While Dodger Stadium was under construction, the Dodgers played in
the league's largest capacity venue from 1958 through 1961 at their temporary home, the Los Angeles
Memorial Coliseum, which could seat in excess of 80,000 people.
Los Angeles-based author Mike Davis, in his seminal work on the city, City of Quartz, describes the
process of gradually convincing Chávez Ravine homeowners to sell. With nearly all of the original
Spanish-speaking homeowners initially unwilling to sell, developers resorted to offering immediate
cash payments, distributed through their Spanish-speaking agents. Once the first sales had been
completed, remaining homeowners were offered increasingly lesser amounts of money, to create a
community panic of not receiving fair compensation, or of being left as one of the few holdouts.
in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, but was unable to reach an agreement with city officials
in regards to land acquisition. O'Malley eventually got his land and his stadium, except it was in Los
Angeles, California. The land for Dodger Stadium was purchased from local owners and inhabitants in
the early 1950s by the city of Los Angeles using eminent domain with funds from the Federal Housing
Act of 1949. The city had planned to develop the Elysian Park Heights public housing project, which
included two dozen 13-story buildings and more than 160 two-story townhouses, in addition to
newly rebuilt playgrounds and schools.
Before construction could begin, the local political climate changed greatly when Norris Poulson was
elected mayor of Los Angeles in 1953. Proposed public housing projects like Elysian Park Heights lost
most of their support as they became associated with socialist ideals. Following protracted
negotiations, the city was able to purchase the Chávez Ravine property back from the Federal
Housing Authority at a drastically reduced price, with the stipulation that the land be used for a
public purpose. It was not until June 3, 1958, when Los Angeles voters approved a "Taxpayers
Committee for Yes on Baseball" referendum, that the Dodgers were able to acquire 352 acres of
Chavez Ravine from the city. While Dodger Stadium was under construction, the Dodgers played in
the league's largest capacity venue from 1958 through 1961 at their temporary home, the Los Angeles
Memorial Coliseum, which could seat in excess of 80,000 people.
Los Angeles-based author Mike Davis, in his seminal work on the city, City of Quartz, describes the
process of gradually convincing Chávez Ravine homeowners to sell. With nearly all of the original
Spanish-speaking homeowners initially unwilling to sell, developers resorted to offering immediate
cash payments, distributed through their Spanish-speaking agents. Once the first sales had been
completed, remaining homeowners were offered increasingly lesser amounts of money, to create a
community panic of not receiving fair compensation, or of being left as one of the few holdouts.
Many residents continued to hold out despite the pressure being placed
upon them by developers, resulting in the Battle of Chavez Ravine, an
unsuccessful ten-year struggle by residents of Chavez Ravine, to
maintain control of their property. The controversy surrounding the
construction of the Dodger stadium provided the inspiration for singer
Ry Cooder's 2005 concept album, Chávez Ravine.
The top of a local hill was removed and the soil was used to fill in the
actual Chávez Ravine, to provide a level surface for a parking lot and the
stadium.
Dodger Stadium was also the home of the Los Angeles Angels between
1962 and 1965. To avoid constantly referring to their landlords, the
Angels called the park Chávez Ravine Stadium (or just "Chávez Ravine"),
after the former geographic feature in which the stadium had been
constructed.
The stadium was originally designed to be expandable to 85,000 seats,
simply by expanding the upper deck over the outfield pavillion. However,
the Dodgers have not pursued such a project. Dodger Stadium was the
first Major League Baseball stadium since the initial construction of the
original Yankee Stadium to be built using entirely private financing, and
the last until AT&T Park was built.
As of 2009, Dodger Stadium was one of thirteen major league parks
without a corporate-sponsored name; the others: Rangers Ballpark in
Arlington, Turner Field, Yankee Stadium, Fenway Park, Wrigley Field,
Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Kauffman Stadium, Angel Stadium of
Anaheim, Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Nationals Park, and
Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum.
upon them by developers, resulting in the Battle of Chavez Ravine, an
unsuccessful ten-year struggle by residents of Chavez Ravine, to
maintain control of their property. The controversy surrounding the
construction of the Dodger stadium provided the inspiration for singer
Ry Cooder's 2005 concept album, Chávez Ravine.
The top of a local hill was removed and the soil was used to fill in the
actual Chávez Ravine, to provide a level surface for a parking lot and the
stadium.
Dodger Stadium was also the home of the Los Angeles Angels between
1962 and 1965. To avoid constantly referring to their landlords, the
Angels called the park Chávez Ravine Stadium (or just "Chávez Ravine"),
after the former geographic feature in which the stadium had been
constructed.
The stadium was originally designed to be expandable to 85,000 seats,
simply by expanding the upper deck over the outfield pavillion. However,
the Dodgers have not pursued such a project. Dodger Stadium was the
first Major League Baseball stadium since the initial construction of the
original Yankee Stadium to be built using entirely private financing, and
the last until AT&T Park was built.
As of 2009, Dodger Stadium was one of thirteen major league parks
without a corporate-sponsored name; the others: Rangers Ballpark in
Arlington, Turner Field, Yankee Stadium, Fenway Park, Wrigley Field,
Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Kauffman Stadium, Angel Stadium of
Anaheim, Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Nationals Park, and
Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum.
| Dodger Stadium nearing completion - 1962 |
Renovations under the McCourt Family
At the conclusion of the 2005 season, the Los Angeles Dodgers made
major renovations during the subsequent off-season.
The largest of these improvements was the replacement of nearly all the
seats in the stadium. The seats that were removed had been in use since
the mid-1970s and helped give the stadium its unique "space age" feel
with a color palette of bright yellow, orange, blue, and red. The new
seats are in the original (more muted) 1962 color scheme consisting of
yellow, light orange, turquoise, and sky blue. Two thousand pairs of
seats were made available for fans to purchase for $250 with the
proceeds going to charity.
The baseline seating sections have been converted into retro-style "box"
seating, adding leg room and a table for fans. Other maintenance and
repairs were made to the concrete structure of the stadium. These
improvements mark the second phase of a multi-year improvement plan
for Dodger Stadium.
In 2008, the Dodgers announced a $500 million dollar project to build a
Dodger museum, shops, and restaurants around Dodger Stadium.
* Dodger Way - A tree-lined entrance will lead to a landscaped grand
plaza where fans can gather beyond center field. The plaza will connect
to a promenade that features restaurants, shops and the Dodger
Experience museum showcasing the history of the Dodgers in an
interactive setting.
* Green Necklace - The vibrant street setting of Dodger Way links to a
beautiful perimeter around Dodger Stadium, enabling fans to walk around
the park, outdoors yet inside the stadium gates. This Green Necklace will
transform acres of parking lots into a landscaped outdoor walkway
connecting the plaza and promenade to the rest of the ballpark.
* Top of the Park - The Green Necklace connects to a large scale
outdoor plaza featuring breathtaking 360 degree views spanning the
downtown skyline and Santa Monica Bay, the Santa Monica and San
Gabriel Mountains, and the Dodger Stadium diamond.
In the 2008-2009 offseason, the upper levels of the stadium were
supposed to be renovated to match the repairs and improvements made
to the field level. The improvements were to include the removal of the
trough urinals in the men's restrooms, new concession stands and
earthquake retrofitting to the concrete structure. It was also to include
the replacement of the outfield scoreboards and monitors to new HD
monitors. Due to the 2009 World Baseball Classic hosted at Dodger
Stadium, these renovations were put on hold, but are likely to proceed
after the 2009 season.
In 2008 the Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously to give the
Dodger Stadium area bounded by Academy Rd, Lookout Dr. and Stadium
Way its own zip code. This will also give the area a new name,
Dodgertown. The signs from the old Dodgertown spring training facility
will likely be integrated to the $500 million dollar project.
At the conclusion of the 2005 season, the Los Angeles Dodgers made
major renovations during the subsequent off-season.
The largest of these improvements was the replacement of nearly all the
seats in the stadium. The seats that were removed had been in use since
the mid-1970s and helped give the stadium its unique "space age" feel
with a color palette of bright yellow, orange, blue, and red. The new
seats are in the original (more muted) 1962 color scheme consisting of
yellow, light orange, turquoise, and sky blue. Two thousand pairs of
seats were made available for fans to purchase for $250 with the
proceeds going to charity.
The baseline seating sections have been converted into retro-style "box"
seating, adding leg room and a table for fans. Other maintenance and
repairs were made to the concrete structure of the stadium. These
improvements mark the second phase of a multi-year improvement plan
for Dodger Stadium.
In 2008, the Dodgers announced a $500 million dollar project to build a
Dodger museum, shops, and restaurants around Dodger Stadium.
* Dodger Way - A tree-lined entrance will lead to a landscaped grand
plaza where fans can gather beyond center field. The plaza will connect
to a promenade that features restaurants, shops and the Dodger
Experience museum showcasing the history of the Dodgers in an
interactive setting.
* Green Necklace - The vibrant street setting of Dodger Way links to a
beautiful perimeter around Dodger Stadium, enabling fans to walk around
the park, outdoors yet inside the stadium gates. This Green Necklace will
transform acres of parking lots into a landscaped outdoor walkway
connecting the plaza and promenade to the rest of the ballpark.
* Top of the Park - The Green Necklace connects to a large scale
outdoor plaza featuring breathtaking 360 degree views spanning the
downtown skyline and Santa Monica Bay, the Santa Monica and San
Gabriel Mountains, and the Dodger Stadium diamond.
In the 2008-2009 offseason, the upper levels of the stadium were
supposed to be renovated to match the repairs and improvements made
to the field level. The improvements were to include the removal of the
trough urinals in the men's restrooms, new concession stands and
earthquake retrofitting to the concrete structure. It was also to include
the replacement of the outfield scoreboards and monitors to new HD
monitors. Due to the 2009 World Baseball Classic hosted at Dodger
Stadium, these renovations were put on hold, but are likely to proceed
after the 2009 season.
In 2008 the Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously to give the
Dodger Stadium area bounded by Academy Rd, Lookout Dr. and Stadium
Way its own zip code. This will also give the area a new name,
Dodgertown. The signs from the old Dodgertown spring training facility
will likely be integrated to the $500 million dollar project.
Design
Dodger Stadium was one of the last baseball-only facilities built before
the dawn of the multi-purpose stadium, also referred to as
"cookie-cutter" stadiums or "concrete donuts". Architecturally speaking,
it has little in common with the concrete donuts other than having a
symmetrical outfield; however, like the concrete donuts, it was built
near freeways, away from the city center, to allow for placement of an
expansive parking lot surrounding the stadium. With the construction of
many new MLB ballparks in recent years, it is now the third-oldest park
still in use, and the oldest on the West Coast. One of the park's
distinctive features is the wavy roof atop each outfield pavilion.
A unique terraced-earthworks parking lot was built behind the main
stands, allowing ticketholders to park at roughly the level that their
seats are, minimizing their climbing and descending of ramps once they
get inside the stadium. It was also designed to be earthquake-resistant,
an important consideration in California, and has stood the test of
several serious earthquakes.
Strobe lights were added in 1999; they flash when the Dodgers take the
field, after a Dodger home run and after a Dodger win.
In addition to those of Drysdale, Koufax, and Sutton, the retired
numbers of Pee Wee Reese, Jackie Robinson, Duke Snider, Tommy
Lasorda, Walter Alston, Roy Campanella and Jim Gilliam are mounted
below the pavilion roofs behind the outfield fence.
The Dodgers devote significant resources to the park's maintenance. For
example, it is repainted every year, and a full-time crew of gardeners
maintain the site. No plans are in the works to replace it. Renovations
were made beginning in 2004 that initially added additional field level
seats, particularly behind the plate where previously the only person
seen there was scout Mike Brito in his trademark Panama hat tracking
pitch speed. After some criticism of the sightlines with these new seats,
they were replaced with box seats.
Built in the Los Angeles community of Chávez Ravine, the stadium
overlooks downtown Los Angeles and provides breathtaking views of the
city to the south, the green tree-lined hills of Elysian Park to the north
and east, and the San Gabriel Mountains beyond the outfield pavilions.
The ballpark has had a good run of luck with rain. Due to dry summers in
Southern California, rainouts are exceedingly rare. Prior to 1976, the
Dodgers were rained out only once, against the St.Louis Cardinals, on
April 21, 1967. That rainout ended a streak of 737 consecutive games
without a postponement. The second home rainout, on April 12, 1976,
ended a streak of 724 straight games. No rainouts occurred between
April 21, 1988 and April 11, 1999 - a major league record of 856 straight
home games without a rainout. April 21, 1988, was the last of three
consecutive rainouts from April 19. That is the only time consecutive
games have been rained out at Dodger Stadium.
Seating
Dodger Stadium is the only current MLB park (excluding the most
recently-built parks) that has never changed its capacity. It has always
held 56,000 fans, due to a conditional-use permit limiting its capacity.
Every time the Dodgers add seats, they always remove an equal number
of seats in the upper deck or in the pavilion to keep the capacity the
same. Through the sale of standing room only tickets, though, the
Dodgers' 2009 home opener managed to draw 57,099 fans, the largest
crowd in stadium history. Although beer was not available in the left
field pavilion until recently, it is now available in both pavilions. A new
addition to Dodger Stadium in 2009 is the Bleacher Beach sponsored by
Bud Light. Bleacher Beach is in the upper deck in left field and the fans
sitting there have access to free food.
With the retirement of Yankee Stadium and Shea Stadium in 2009, the
park claimed the title of being the largest capacity stadium in the Majors.
Dodger Stadium was one of the last baseball-only facilities built before
the dawn of the multi-purpose stadium, also referred to as
"cookie-cutter" stadiums or "concrete donuts". Architecturally speaking,
it has little in common with the concrete donuts other than having a
symmetrical outfield; however, like the concrete donuts, it was built
near freeways, away from the city center, to allow for placement of an
expansive parking lot surrounding the stadium. With the construction of
many new MLB ballparks in recent years, it is now the third-oldest park
still in use, and the oldest on the West Coast. One of the park's
distinctive features is the wavy roof atop each outfield pavilion.
A unique terraced-earthworks parking lot was built behind the main
stands, allowing ticketholders to park at roughly the level that their
seats are, minimizing their climbing and descending of ramps once they
get inside the stadium. It was also designed to be earthquake-resistant,
an important consideration in California, and has stood the test of
several serious earthquakes.
Strobe lights were added in 1999; they flash when the Dodgers take the
field, after a Dodger home run and after a Dodger win.
In addition to those of Drysdale, Koufax, and Sutton, the retired
numbers of Pee Wee Reese, Jackie Robinson, Duke Snider, Tommy
Lasorda, Walter Alston, Roy Campanella and Jim Gilliam are mounted
below the pavilion roofs behind the outfield fence.
The Dodgers devote significant resources to the park's maintenance. For
example, it is repainted every year, and a full-time crew of gardeners
maintain the site. No plans are in the works to replace it. Renovations
were made beginning in 2004 that initially added additional field level
seats, particularly behind the plate where previously the only person
seen there was scout Mike Brito in his trademark Panama hat tracking
pitch speed. After some criticism of the sightlines with these new seats,
they were replaced with box seats.
Built in the Los Angeles community of Chávez Ravine, the stadium
overlooks downtown Los Angeles and provides breathtaking views of the
city to the south, the green tree-lined hills of Elysian Park to the north
and east, and the San Gabriel Mountains beyond the outfield pavilions.
The ballpark has had a good run of luck with rain. Due to dry summers in
Southern California, rainouts are exceedingly rare. Prior to 1976, the
Dodgers were rained out only once, against the St.Louis Cardinals, on
April 21, 1967. That rainout ended a streak of 737 consecutive games
without a postponement. The second home rainout, on April 12, 1976,
ended a streak of 724 straight games. No rainouts occurred between
April 21, 1988 and April 11, 1999 - a major league record of 856 straight
home games without a rainout. April 21, 1988, was the last of three
consecutive rainouts from April 19. That is the only time consecutive
games have been rained out at Dodger Stadium.
Seating
Dodger Stadium is the only current MLB park (excluding the most
recently-built parks) that has never changed its capacity. It has always
held 56,000 fans, due to a conditional-use permit limiting its capacity.
Every time the Dodgers add seats, they always remove an equal number
of seats in the upper deck or in the pavilion to keep the capacity the
same. Through the sale of standing room only tickets, though, the
Dodgers' 2009 home opener managed to draw 57,099 fans, the largest
crowd in stadium history. Although beer was not available in the left
field pavilion until recently, it is now available in both pavilions. A new
addition to Dodger Stadium in 2009 is the Bleacher Beach sponsored by
Bud Light. Bleacher Beach is in the upper deck in left field and the fans
sitting there have access to free food.
With the retirement of Yankee Stadium and Shea Stadium in 2009, the
park claimed the title of being the largest capacity stadium in the Majors.
Field dimensions and playing surface
For various reasons, Dodger Stadium long enjoyed a reputation as a
pitchers' park. At first, the relatively deep outfield dimensions were a
factor, with the power alleys being about 385 feet. Home plate was
moved 10 feet toward center field in 1969, but that move also expanded
foul ground by 10 feet, a trade-off which helped to offset the increased
likelihood of home runs caused by the decreased field dimensions. Also,
during evening games, as the sun sets, the surrounding air cools quickly
due to the ocean climate, becoming more dense, and deep fly balls that
might be home runs during the day might instead "die" in the air for
routine outs. The park has been home to 10 no-hitters, while players have
hit for the cycle just twice in Dodger Stadium.
Recently, however, Dodger Stadium has actually been neutral with
respect to home runs. The stadium does depress doubles and triples quite
a bit, due to its uniform outfield walls and relatively small "corners" near
the foul poles. However, the extremely short outfield walls near the foul
poles also make some balls that would bounce off the wall in other parks
go for home runs. With some expansion of the box seat area and the
removal of significant foul territory, the ballpark has become neutral for
both pitchers and hitters alike. Baseball-Reference's Park Factor
measurement of 102 for the 2006 and 2007 seasons is evidence of this. In
addition, foul territory, once very spacious, has been significantly
reduced over the years.
With the opening of Citi Field and the demolition of Shea Stadium in 2009,
Dodger Stadium became the only stadium with symmetrical outfield
dimensions remaining in the National League and only one of four total in
Major League Baseball. The other three symmetrical fields are Kansas
City's Kauffman Stadium, Toronto's Rogers Centre, and Oakland-Alameda
County Coliseum.
Pitchers such as Sandy Koufax, Don Drysdale, Don Sutton, Fernando
Valenzuela, and Orel Hershiser became superstars after arriving in Los
Angeles. The pitcher's edge is also evident in the fact that 10 no-hitters
have been thrown in the stadium, including two perfect games (by the
Dodgers' Sandy Koufax in 1965, and by Dennis Martínez of the former
Montreal Expos in 1991). Bo Belinsky threw the first ever no-hitter in
Dodger Stadium on May 5, 1962 while pitching for the Los Angeles Angels
(that club referred to the park as "Chavez Ravine".)
The park's significant advantage was eroded somewhat in 1969, in general
because MLB rules were changed to lower the maximum height of the
pitcher's mound, and more specifically because the Dodgers lowered the
outfield wall from 10 ft to 8 ft, and moved the diamond about 10 feet
towards center field. This also gave the fielders more room to catch foul
balls, so there was some trade-off. Following the 2004 season, the
stadium underwent a renovation which significantly reduced the amount
of foul territory. Seats were added which were closer to home plate than
the pitcher's mound, the dugouts were moved closer to the field, and
previously open space down the foul lines was filled with new seats. To
pay for an outstanding loan with the Dodgers former owner News
Corporation, current owner Frank McCourt used Dodger Stadium as
collateral to obtain a $250 million loan.
For various reasons, Dodger Stadium long enjoyed a reputation as a
pitchers' park. At first, the relatively deep outfield dimensions were a
factor, with the power alleys being about 385 feet. Home plate was
moved 10 feet toward center field in 1969, but that move also expanded
foul ground by 10 feet, a trade-off which helped to offset the increased
likelihood of home runs caused by the decreased field dimensions. Also,
during evening games, as the sun sets, the surrounding air cools quickly
due to the ocean climate, becoming more dense, and deep fly balls that
might be home runs during the day might instead "die" in the air for
routine outs. The park has been home to 10 no-hitters, while players have
hit for the cycle just twice in Dodger Stadium.
Recently, however, Dodger Stadium has actually been neutral with
respect to home runs. The stadium does depress doubles and triples quite
a bit, due to its uniform outfield walls and relatively small "corners" near
the foul poles. However, the extremely short outfield walls near the foul
poles also make some balls that would bounce off the wall in other parks
go for home runs. With some expansion of the box seat area and the
removal of significant foul territory, the ballpark has become neutral for
both pitchers and hitters alike. Baseball-Reference's Park Factor
measurement of 102 for the 2006 and 2007 seasons is evidence of this. In
addition, foul territory, once very spacious, has been significantly
reduced over the years.
With the opening of Citi Field and the demolition of Shea Stadium in 2009,
Dodger Stadium became the only stadium with symmetrical outfield
dimensions remaining in the National League and only one of four total in
Major League Baseball. The other three symmetrical fields are Kansas
City's Kauffman Stadium, Toronto's Rogers Centre, and Oakland-Alameda
County Coliseum.
Pitchers such as Sandy Koufax, Don Drysdale, Don Sutton, Fernando
Valenzuela, and Orel Hershiser became superstars after arriving in Los
Angeles. The pitcher's edge is also evident in the fact that 10 no-hitters
have been thrown in the stadium, including two perfect games (by the
Dodgers' Sandy Koufax in 1965, and by Dennis Martínez of the former
Montreal Expos in 1991). Bo Belinsky threw the first ever no-hitter in
Dodger Stadium on May 5, 1962 while pitching for the Los Angeles Angels
(that club referred to the park as "Chavez Ravine".)
The park's significant advantage was eroded somewhat in 1969, in general
because MLB rules were changed to lower the maximum height of the
pitcher's mound, and more specifically because the Dodgers lowered the
outfield wall from 10 ft to 8 ft, and moved the diamond about 10 feet
towards center field. This also gave the fielders more room to catch foul
balls, so there was some trade-off. Following the 2004 season, the
stadium underwent a renovation which significantly reduced the amount
of foul territory. Seats were added which were closer to home plate than
the pitcher's mound, the dugouts were moved closer to the field, and
previously open space down the foul lines was filled with new seats. To
pay for an outstanding loan with the Dodgers former owner News
Corporation, current owner Frank McCourt used Dodger Stadium as
collateral to obtain a $250 million loan.
