50 Years of Dodger Stadium- The Vision

April 10, 2012 will mark the 50th anniversary of our beloved Dodger Stadium. In celebration of this golden anniversary, I’d like to dedicate some words to our sacred baseball shrine nestled in Chavez Ravine.

Dodger Stadium is the third oldest ballpark in Major League Baseball behind Wrigley Field in Chicago and the Red Sox’s Fenway Park in Boston. Dodger Stadium was constructed from 1959-1962 and cost $23 million which was paid for by private sources.

“It’s still the most beautiful ballpark in the major leagues,” said Dodger Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully. “Over the years, the backdrop beyond the outfield has increased in beauty and the landscape is so inspiring, especially at twilight on those cool summer evenings. There isn’t anything to distract a baseball fan when coming to a game at Dodger Stadium. The ballpark is surrounded by beauty and everyone can focus on the game. Even fortysomething years after it was built, the stadium is a tribute to Walter O’Malley’s vision.”

Walter O’Malley’s vision would be a long process to fruition. O’Malley tried for 10 years to build a replacement stadium for Ebbets Field in New York to no avail. On May 2, 1957 O’Malley met with Los Angeles representatives and took a helicopter tour of the land. After negotiations with New York officials regarding a new stadium fell through, O’Malley and Los Angeles agreed to exchange 300 acres in Chavez Ravine for a commitment to build a 50,000 seat stadium.

The Dodgers would play at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum after making the expansive leap to the West Coast from Brooklyn. There was still a lot of work and planning to be done before construction on O’Malley’s dream stadium could begin.

Next time we will revisit the planning and construction process which ultimately resulted in Dodger Stadium, the crown jewel of West Coast sports and baseball.

Do you have a favorite moment or game spent at Dodger Stadium from the past 50 years? Share it with us in the comments.