Dodgers and Giants relocation
The relocation of the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants in the late 1950s marked a significant moment in Major League Baseball history. Both franchises were highly successful and popular in New York during their time, with the Dodgers winning six pennants in ten years and the Giants capturing the National League crown multiple times, including a dramatic win in 1951. However, in 1957, both teams announced their move to California, driven by financial incentives and the quest for better stadium facilities. This decision angered many fans who felt abandoned after decades of support. Despite the backlash, the relocations were beneficial for the teams financially and led to immediate on-field success in their new markets. The Dodgers won the World Series in 1959, while the Giants claimed the pennant in 1962. This move not only altered the fabric of baseball but also set a precedent for future expansions, paving the way for a shift in the geography of Major League Baseball and the eventual addition of new teams across the United States.
Dodgers and Giants relocation
The Event Transfer of the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants to Los Angeles and San Francisco
Date Announced in 1957; took place in 1958
By moving to California, the Dodgers and Giants initiated the geographical expansion of Major League Baseball beyond its original eastern and midwestern regions.
The Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants enjoyed great popularity and at times considerable success throughout their histories. Both were among the top major league teams of the 1950’s. From the late 1940’s through 1956, the Dodgers, known lovingly as “Dem Bums,” won six pennants in ten years. Before leaving the team in 1950, Branch Rickey, the Dodgers’ president and general manager, had assembled a great collection of star players, including Duke Snider , Roy Campanella , Pee Wee Reese , Don Newcombe, Gil Hodges , and Jackie Robinson . Robinson, an African American player, integrated the majors in 1947. Under Rickey’s successor, Walter O’Malley , the Dodgers continued to excel, finally winning their first World Series in 1955 against the New York Yankees.
Meanwhile, the New York Giants were heated rivals of the Dodgers. In 1951, the Giants won a three-game playoff series with the Dodgers for the National League crown, when Bobby Thomson hit a dramatic ninth-inning home run in the final game. The Giants lost the World Series to the Yankees but again captured the pennant in 1954, this time upsetting the Cleveland Indians in the World Series. By 1954, Willie Mays was the Giants’ greatest star and one of the most popular players in baseball history.
During the summer of 1957, fans were shocked and angered to learn that their teams were leaving for California after the season. Fans blamed O’Malley and Giants owner Horace Stoneham for forsaking the people who had supported the teams for decades in order to capture a more lucrative market in California. Others argued that O’Malley wanted to stay in Brooklyn but was unable to gain support from the city for a new stadium to replace an antiquated Ebbets Field. Once O’Malley decided to move, he persuaded Stoneham to follow suit and continue the rivalry out West.
The move to California was financially rewarding for both teams, whose attendance increased dramatically in 1958 in their new locations. On-field success also came quickly, with the Los Angeles Dodgers winning the World Series in 1959 and the San Francisco Giants capturing the pennant in 1962. However, the beloved Bums and the “Say-Hey Kid” Willie Mays now belonged to the surfers and Hollywood stars of California.
Impact
For more than fifty years, Major League Baseball remained more or less unchanged in the number of teams (sixteen, eight in each league) and in the cities in which they played. Although some switching of cities had started to occur as early as the 1953 season (the Braves’ move from Boston to Milwaukee), these changes had remained within Major League Baseball’s original geographical boundaries. Now, with improved air travel making cross-country competition feasible, the migration of the Dodgers and Giants opened the gates for both geographical expansion and an increase in the number of major league teams.
Subsequent Events
Within the next decade, Major League Baseball expanded beyond sixteen teams and also spread to the South. With the creation of the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 1998, Major League Baseball reached a total of thirty teams, including five in California.
Bibliography
Goldblatt, Andrew. The Giants and the Dodgers: Four Cities, Two Teams, One Rivalry. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland, 2003. Examines the rivalry between the Dodgers and Giants before and after their move to California.
Schott, Tom, and Nick Peters. The Giants Encyclopedia. Champaign, Ill.: Sports, 2000. A lengthy and detailed history of the Giants in New York and San Francisco.
Sullivan, Neil J. The Dodgers Move West. New York: Oxford University Press, 1987. A detailed discussion of the decision by the Dodgers to move to Los Angeles.