Team History

After 1988, the Dodgers did not win another postseason game until 2004, though they did reach the playoffs in 1995 and 1996, narrowly missed in 1991 and 1997, and led the NL West when the end of the 1994 season was cancelled by a strike. Hershiser, like Valenzuela before him, suffered an arm injury in 1990 due to overwork, which took the edge off his effectiveness for the remainder of his career. From 1992 to 1996, five consecutive Dodgers were named Rookie of the Year: Eric Karros, Mike Piazza, Raúl Mondesí, Hideo Nomo, and Todd Hollandsworth, which is a record. After nearly 20 years at the helm, Lasorda retired in 1996, though he still remained with the Dodgers as an executive vice-president. He was replaced as manager by longtime Dodgers shortstop Bill Russell.

Nearly a half-century of unusual stability (only two managers 1954–1996, owned by a single family 1950-1998) finally came to an end. After L.A. city officials rejected a proposal to bring an NFL stadium and franchise to Chavez Ravine in 1998, the O'Malley family sold the Dodgers to Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation, owner of the Fox network (which also owns broadcast rights to MLB games) and 20th Century Fox. Among the new ownership's early moves were trading away popular catcher Piazza, and replacing Russell with celebrity manager Davey Johnson. Johnson's volatile tenure ended two years later, and he was followed as manager by Jim Tracy. To fans accustomed to the personal touch of the O'Malleys, the Fox corporate ownership often seemed clumsy and distracted. Huge contracts were awarded to injury-prone pitchers Kevin Brown and Darren Dreifort, unprofitably tying up money that could have improved the team in many other areas. Fox made the first changes to the home uniform since the club moved from Brooklyn and introduced the team's first alternate jersey and cap, adding silver to the team's official colors (although they have rarely been used since). The team became more steady on the field in the early 2000s, with four consecutive winning seasons under the leadership of manager Tracy, starting pitcher Chan Ho Park, slugger Shawn Green, third baseman Adrián Beltré, and catcher Paul Lo Duca. The 2002 season was marked by the emergence of Éric Gagné as one of baseball's top relief pitchers. Gagné later won the Cy Young Award in 2003, converting all 55 of his save opportunities that year, and holding the league to a 1.20 ERA and striking out 137 batters in 82 1/3 innings. Gagné would later establish a new major league record for consecutive saves, with 84 saves spanning parts of the 2002, 2003 and 2004 seasons.

Los Angeles built powerful teams from 1974 to 1988, winning five NL pennants and two World Series titles. Stars of those teams include Ron Cey, Steve Garvey, Kirk Gibson, Davey Lopes, Don Sutton, and Fernando Valenzuela. You can search for Baseball Tickets on this page. Click on click on any MLB Team link such as Dodgers Tickets or Angels Tickets to search for your team. We also purchase Cheap MLB Tickets plus all other Sports Tickets, Concert Tickets .

The Dodgers trace their origins to the 1860s, when the Brooklyn Atlantics dominated the early baseball leagues. In 1884 the team renamed itself the Brooklyn Bridegrooms and joined the American Association (AA), the rival to the NL, winning a league title in 1889. After the AA folded in 1891, the club joined the NL as the Brooklyn Superbas, winning NL pennants in 1899 and 1900.The club struggled from 1901 to 1916. Renamed the Dodgers in 1913, Brooklyn won its first modern-era pennants in 1916 and 1920 under manager Wilbert Robinson while playing at Ebbets Field. Starring on both teams were pitcher Jeff Pfeffer and outfielder Zack Wheat. The club lost both World Series, to Boston and Cleveland, respectively.

After a 20-year pennant drought, the Dodgers won the 1941 NL pennant under Manager Leo Durocher, a former Brooklyn shortstop. In 1942 the franchise hired Branch Rickey as president and general manager.

Rickey made history when he signed Negro League superstar Jackie Robinson, who in 1947 became the first African American to play in the major leagues. The move ushered in what became known as Brooklyn's golden decade—a ten-year span that yielded six NL pennant titles and a World Series championship. Robinson had an immediate impact. Along with teammates Pee Wee Reese, Arky Vaughan, and Gil Hodges, Robinson led the club to the 1947 pennant. That year he also received the first-ever rookie of the year award. Catcher Roy Campanella, who joined the team in 1948, and pitcher Don Newcombe, who joined in 1949, helped the Dodgers dominate the league. The Dodgers faced the New York Yankees in five World Series from 1949 to 1956, but beat them only once to capture their first World Series title in 1955.

In 1958 owner Walter O'Malley moved the club to Los Angeles, and the next year the Dodgers again won the NL pennant. Manager Walter Alston, who had taken the Dodgers to the World Series in 1955 and 1956, led them to their second World Series championship in 1959, with a victory over the Chicago White Sox. Alston produced four more pennant-winning teams in the 1960s and early 1970s as Dodgers' pitching dominated the era: Drysdale won one Cy Young Award, and Koufax three. The Dodgers swept the Yankees in the 1963 World Series, and two years later they defeated the Minnesota Twins to capture their fourth World Series title. Los Angeles earned the NL pennant in 1966 but was swept by the Baltimore Orioles in the World Series.

After a brief rebuilding period, Alston led the Dodgers to his seventh and final pennant in 1974. Third baseman Ron Cey, first baseman Steve Garvey, and outfielder Jim Wynn powered the offense, while right-handers Andy Messersmith, Don Sutton, and Mike Marshall (winner of the 1974 Cy Young Award) anchored the pitching staff. But the Oakland Athletics matched the Dodgers in pitching and, with Reggie Jackson, dominated in hitting to win the 1974 World Series. Future Hall of Fame manager Tommy Lasorda arrived at the end of the 1976 season and steered the Dodgers to pennants in the next two seasons, but the club fell to the Yankees in both World Series. Beginning in 1979 Los Angeles players won the NL rookie of the year award for four seasons: pitcher Rick Sutcliffe in 1979, pitcher Steve Howe in 1980, pitcher Fernando Valenzuela in 1981, and second baseman Steve Sax in 1982. Valenzuela, a 20-year-old rookie in 1981, was also named NL MVP that year after leading the league in strikeouts, shutouts, and complete games and boosting the Dodgers to a victory over the Yankees in the World Series.

In 1988 Orel Hershiser pitched 59 consecutive scoreless innings to break a 20-year-old record set by Drysdale. Hershiser won the Cy Young Award that season and Dodgers outfielder Kirk Gibson earned NL MVP honors. In the World Series, Los Angeles defeated the heavily favored Oakland Athletics. The Dodgers took game one on a ninth-inning home run by Gibson, who limped to the plate to pinch hit. In 1992 the Dodgers posted their first last-place finish in 87 years, although the team came back to claim division titles in 1994, 1995, and 1996. Driving the offense were first baseman Eric Karros and catcher Mike Piazza, both former rookies of the year. Dodgers pitcher Hideo Nomo, a former star of the Japanese League and top NL rookie of 1995, led the league in strikeouts and shutouts. Lasorda stepped down in 1996 after 20 seasons as manager and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1997. Before the start of the 1998 season, Dodgers owner Peter O'Malley, son of Walter O'Malley, sold the team to Australian-born media magnate Rupert Murdoch.