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136-671: The Los Angeles Dodgers previously fielded a Rookie-level team in the Gulf Coast League (GCL) from 1983 to 1992 and then from 2001 to 2008, known as the Gulf Coast League Dodgers . The team played its home games in Vero Beach, Florida , on Field One of Historic Dodgertown . Dodgertown includes Holman Stadium , which was the spring training home to the major-league Dodgers. The GCL Dodgers originally played from 1983 to 1992, and then became absent from

272-494: A broadcaster for NBC ; uncomfortable in front of cameras and with public speaking, he resigned after six years. In 1979, Koufax returned to work as a pitching coach in the Dodgers' farm system; he resigned from the position in 1990 but continues to make informal appearances during spring training . From 2013 to 2015, Koufax worked in an executive position for the Dodgers, as special advisor to chairman Mark Walter . In 1999, he

408-655: A double play to end the bases-loaded threat and picking up another strikeout in a perfect sixth. Koufax's first start was on July 6, the second game of a doubleheader against the Pittsburgh Pirates . He lasted only 4.2 innings, giving up eight walks. He did not start again for almost two months. On August 27, Koufax threw a two-hit, 7–0 complete game shutout against the Cincinnati Redlegs for his first major league win. He struck out 14 batters and allowed only two hits. His only other win in 1955

544-448: A three-game playoff . With an overworked pitching staff, manager Alston asked Koufax if he could start the first game. Koufax obliged but, still being rusty, was knocked out in the second inning, after giving up home runs to Willie Mays and Jim Davenport . After winning the second game of the series, the Dodgers blew a 4–2 lead in the ninth inning of the deciding third game, losing the pennant. In 1963, Major League Baseball expanded

680-541: A $ 14,000 signing bonus – and not to officially sign until after the season ended, with Irving Koufax and owner Walter O'Malley making a handshake commitment. Returning to university, Koufax also had a tryout with the Milwaukee Braves after which general manager John Quinn made him a $ 30,000 offer. Having already committed to signing with the Dodgers, Koufax turned down the Braves' offer. He also turned down

816-548: A 13-inning contest against the Chicago Cubs for his 18th win of the year. He pitched a complete game, throwing 205 pitches, striking out fifteen batters. In 1962, the Dodgers moved from the Los Angeles Coliseum – a football stadium which had a 250-foot (75 m) left-field line and a 40-foot (10 m) tall screen – to Dodger Stadium . The new park was pitcher-friendly, with a large foul territory and

952-434: A 4.91 earned run average, 29 walks and 30 strikeouts. When Koufax allowed baserunners, he was rarely permitted to finish the inning. Teammate Joe Pignatano remarked, years later, that as soon as Koufax threw a couple of balls in a row, Walter Alston would signal for a replacement to start warming up in the bullpen. Notably, teammates Jackie Robinson and Roy Campanella both clashed with Alston on Koufax's usage, noting

1088-488: A World Series victory, aided by one of the most memorable home runs of all time by their star outfielder Kirk Gibson coming off the bench, despite having injuries to both knees, to pinch-hit with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning of game 1, in his only appearance of the series. The Dodgers won the pennant in 2017 for the first time since their world series victory in 1988, aided by a Justin Turner walk-off home run on

1224-405: A ball, how to hold a runner on base, or even pitching signs, later saying, "The only signs I knew were one finger for fastball and two for a curve , and here there were five or six signs." His lack of minor league experience meant Koufax never fully mastered all aspects of the game and took a lot longer to develop as a pitcher. Having injured his ankle in the last week of spring training, Koufax

1360-557: A belated offer from the Pirates, promising him $ 5,000 more than what the Dodgers did. Koufax officially signed with his hometown team on December 14, 1954. At the time of Koufax's signing, the bonus rule implemented by Major League Baseball was still in effect, stipulating that if a major league team signed a player to a contract with a signing bonus in excess of $ 4,000 ($ 55,000 today), they were required to keep them on their 25-man active roster for two full seasons. In compliance with

1496-436: A blue alternate uniform, this time as part of the "City Connect" series in collaboration with Nike . This uniform was similar to the blue alternates they wore in 1999, but with the script "Los Dodgers" in homage to Los Angeles' Latino community. The uniform is also worn with blue pants, and black stripes are added to the sleeves. Initially, the Dodgers wore a special blue cap with the "Los Dodgers" script but switched in 2022 to

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1632-401: A blue interlocking "LA" cap with a black brim. The "Los Dodgers" script was then relocated to the right side. In 2023, white pants with blue piping replaced the blue pants previously worn with the "City Connect" uniform. Midway through the 2024 season, the Dodgers unveiled their second "City Connect" uniform. The cream-based uniform paid homage to the city of Los Angeles and various chapters of

1768-484: A drawing of famous clown Emmett Kelly to depict "Dem Bums": the team would later use "Weary Willie" in promotional images, and Kelly himself was a club mascot during the 1950s. Other team names used by the franchise were the Atlantics, Grays, Grooms, Bridegrooms, Superbas, and Robins. All of these nicknames were used by fans and sportswriters to describe the team, but not in any official capacity. The team's legal name

1904-610: A factor. Rickey was a member of The Methodist Church , the antecedent denomination to The United Methodist Church of today, which was a strong advocate for social justice and active later in the American Civil Rights Movement . This event was the harbinger of the integration of professional sports in the United States, the concomitant demise of the Negro leagues , and is regarded as a key moment in

2040-605: A few local titles with the community center team. Attending Lafayette High School , Koufax would become the basketball team's captain in his senior year. That year, he ranked second in his division in scoring, averaging 16.5 points per game. He made newspaper headlines for the first time when, during a preseason exhibition game between the Lafayette basketball team and the New York Knicks , he dunked twice and showed up Knicks star Harry Gallatin . In 1951, Koufax joined

2176-489: A few times. He was also urged by Pat Auletta, the owner of a sporting goods store and founder of the Coney Island Sports League, to see Koufax pitch. Campanis arranged a tryout for him at Ebbets Field . With Dodgers manager Walter Alston and scouting director Fresco Thompson watching, Campanis assumed the hitter's stance while Koufax started throwing; he later said, "There are two times in my life

2312-483: A gray version with the "Dodgers" script instead of the city name. Since its introduction, however, the road jersey with the "Dodgers" script was used more often than the road jersey with the "Los Angeles" script, so much that the team now considers it as a primary road uniform. In 2018, the Dodgers wore their 60th anniversary patch to honor the 60 years of being in Los Angeles. In 2021, the Dodgers again unveiled

2448-683: A heated rivalry against the former divisional foe Houston Astros after their move to the American League, due in no small part to the controversy of the 2017 World Series . The Dodgers–Giants rivalry is one of the oldest and fiercest rivalries in North American sports. The feud between the Dodgers and the San Francisco Giants began in the late 19th century when both clubs were based in New York City, with

2584-573: A local youth baseball league known as the "Ice Cream League", playing for the Tomahawks. He started out as a left-handed catcher before moving to first base . He joined Lafayette's baseball team as a first baseman in his senior year at the urging of his friend Fred Wilpon . While with the high school team, he was spotted by Milt Laurie, a newspaper deliveryman and baseball coach who was the father of two Lafayette baseball players. Laurie noticed Koufax's strong throwing arm and recruited him to pitch for

2720-861: A member club of the National League (NL) West Division . Founded in 1883 in Brooklyn , New York, the team joined the NL in 1890 as the Brooklyn Bridegrooms and used other monikers before settling as the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1932. From the 1940s through the mid-1950s, the Dodgers developed a fierce crosstown rivalry with the New York Yankees as the two clubs faced each other in the World Series seven times, with

2856-598: A non-exhibition game until 2004, when they played a three-game interleague series. Their last meeting in the regular season was in June 2024, when the Dodgers won two out of three games in New York. The rivalry between the Dodgers and the Houston Astros had initially begun as a divisional matchup, but hostility waned following Houston's realignment to the American League. In 2017, the two teams played one another in

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2992-463: A pitch. A numbness soon developed in his left index finger and it slowly turned cold and pale. Due to his strong performance, Koufax ignored the condition, hoping it would clear up in due time. The condition worsened, however, with his whole hand turning numb by July. During a start against Cincinnati, his finger split open. A vascular specialist determined that Koufax had a crushed artery in his palm. Ten days of experimental medicine successfully reopened

3128-517: A point to report to spring training under his playing weight. During spring training, Dodger scout Kenny Myers discovered a hitch in Koufax's windup, where he would rear back so far he would lose sight of the target. As a result, Koufax tightened up his mechanics, believing that not only would it help better his control but would also help him disguise his pitches better. Additionally, Dodgers statistician Allan Roth helped Koufax tweak his game in

3264-719: A rather volatile rivalry with divisional foes; the Arizona Diamondbacks during most of the 2010s. Their intra-city rivalry with the Los Angeles Angels dates back to the Angels' inaugural season in 1961. The Dodgers have recently revived an old Southern California-based rivalry with the San Diego Padres dating back to the Padres' inaugural season in 1969. Most recently; the Dodgers have also regrown

3400-510: A relatively poor hitting background. Koufax, whose numbers were hurt by the peculiar dimensions of the Coliseum, was an immediate beneficiary of the move. Subsequently, he recorded what would be his first great season, leading the NL in ERA and the majors in hits per nine innings , strikeouts per nine innings , and FIP. On April 24, Koufax tied his own record of 18 strikeouts in a 10–2 win over

3536-490: A result, though he often showed flashes of brilliance, Koufax struggled early on. Frustrated with the way he was being managed by the Dodgers, he almost quit after the 1960 season. After making adjustments prior to the 1961 season, Koufax quickly rose to become the most dominant pitcher in the major leagues, as well as the first major sports star on the West Coast . He was an All-Star in each of his last six seasons, leading

3672-528: A scout for the Brooklyn Dodgers , sent the team a glowing report that was seemingly filed away and forgotten. Gene Bonnibeau, a scout for the New York Giants , learned of Koufax through a Cincinnati newspaper and invited him to try out at the Polo Grounds after his freshman year. The workout did not go well for the nervous Koufax who threw wildly over the catcher's head; he never heard back from

3808-577: A stepsister, Edith, Irving's daughter from a previous marriage. Shortly afterwards, the family moved to the Long Island suburb of Rockville Centre . They moved back to Brooklyn in June 1949, the day after Koufax graduated from ninth grade, settling in the neighborhood of Bensonhurst . As a youth, Koufax was better known for basketball than for baseball. He had started playing it at the Edith and Carl Marks Jewish Community House of Bensonhurst , winning

3944-540: A tryout before the Pirates' front office. Upon seeing Koufax pitch in person, Rickey remarked, "This is the greatest arm I've ever seen." The Pirates, however, failed to offer Koufax a contract until after he was already committed to the Dodgers. Al Campanis , a Dodgers scout, heard about Koufax from sportswriter Jimmy Murphy of the Brooklyn Eagle who covered sandlot teams in Brooklyn and had seen him pitch

4080-629: A two-hit shutout win against the Houston Colt .45s , becoming the first NL pitcher and the second pitcher ever (after Lefty Grove ) to throw two immaculate innings. However, on April 23, he left a game against the Braves after throwing seven scoreless innings due to injuring the posterior capsule of his left shoulder. Koufax subsequently missed two weeks, returning on May 7 against the Cardinals . Koufax threw his second career no-hitter against

4216-491: Is akin to Subway Series which refers to meetings between New York City baseball teams. The term " Freeway Series " also inspired the official name of the region's NHL rivalry: the Freeway Face-Off . Animosity between the team's fanbases grew stronger in 2005, when the Angels' new team owner Arte Moreno changed the name of his ball club from the 'Anaheim Angels', to the 'Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim'. Since

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4352-456: The 2017 World Series in which the Astros won the championship in 7 games. The rivalry was re-intensified after the Astros' widely publicized sign-stealing scandal , in which it was revealed the team had utilized a complex system to steal pitch signs, including during the 2017 World Series. As a result of the scandal, hostility grew immensely between the two teams and their fans. The Dodgers lead

4488-451: The Arizona Diamondbacks was one of the fiercest divisional matchups for multiple years, particularly during the 2010s as both teams were in regular contention for control of the division. In addition to the elevated competition, animosity rose immensely between both sides resulting in multiple incidents involving either team throwing pitches at one another, occasionally escalating into several bench-clearing brawls. Famously; after eliminating

4624-532: The Big Red Machine teams clashed frequently with the Tommy Lasorda -era Dodgers teams. Reds manager Sparky Anderson once said, "I don't think there's a rivalry like ours in either league. The Giants are supposed to be the Dodgers' natural rivals, but I don't think the feeling is there anymore. It's not there the way it is with us and the Dodgers." The rivalry ended when division realignment moved

4760-808: The Brooklyn Atlantics , borrowing the name of a defunct team that had played in Brooklyn before them. The team joined the American Association in 1884 and won the AA championship in 1889 before joining the National League in 1890. They promptly won the NL Championship in their first year in the League. The team was known alternatively as the Bridegrooms , Grooms, Superbas, Robins and Trolley Dodgers , before officially becoming

4896-601: The Brooklyn Dodgers in the 1930s. For most of the first half of the 20th century, no Major League Baseball team employed an African American player. Jackie Robinson became the first African American to play for a Major League Baseball team when he played his first major league game on April 15, 1947, as a member of the Brooklyn Dodgers. This was mainly due to general manager Branch Rickey 's efforts. The deeply religious Rickey's motivation appears to have been primarily moral, although business considerations were also

5032-573: The Chargers and the Clippers both relocated to Los Angeles after being unable to find a secure future in San Diego. The Dodgers currently lead the series 518–419, with the two teams meeting in the playoffs three times. The Dodgers swept the Padres in the 2020 NLDS , won in five games in the 2024 NLDS , and the Padres won in four games in the 2022 NLDS . The rivalry between the Dodgers and

5168-518: The Chicago Cubs in Wrigley Field . On June 13, against the Braves at Milwaukee County Stadium , he hit his first career home run off future Hall of Famer Warren Spahn , providing the winning margin in a 2–1 victory. On June 30, Koufax threw his first career no-hitter against the expansion New York Mets ; it was also the first Dodgers no-hitter since their move to Los Angeles. In the first inning, he threw an immaculate inning , becoming

5304-616: The Coney Island Sports League's Parkviews. Koufax chose to attend the University of Cincinnati after becoming a walk-on for their freshman basketball team. Playing under coach Ed Jucker , he averaged 9.7 points per game. As a student, he was enrolled in a liberal arts major with the intention of transferring to the architectural school , and was a member of Pi Lambda Phi , a historically Jewish fraternity. One day, Koufax overheard Jucker, who also coached

5440-646: The Dodgers sent Koufax to Puerto Rico to play winter ball for the Criollos de Caguas . For the Criollos, Koufax compiled a record of 3–6 with a 4.35 earned run average and 76 strikeouts in 64.2 innings pitched. Two of his wins were shutouts , including a one-hitter and a two-hitter, with Roberto Clemente getting both hits against him in the latter, his last game in Puerto Rico before being released. Besides

5576-513: The Dodgers won 2–0 over the Pittsburgh Pirates . New York remained a one-team town with the New York Yankees until 1962, when Joan Payson founded the New York Mets and brought National League baseball back to the city. The blue background used by the Dodgers was adopted by the Mets, honoring their New York NL forebears with a blend of Dodgers blue and Giants orange. The Dodgers were

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5712-543: The MLB Draft was introduced in 1965 , and have had one top-ten pick ( Clayton Kershaw , No. 7) since 1985. The Dodgers' official history reports that the term "Trolley Dodgers" was attached to the Brooklyn ballclub due to the complex maze of trolley cars that weaved its way through the borough of Brooklyn. In 1892, the city of Brooklyn (Brooklyn was an independent city until annexed by New York City in 1898) began replacing its slow-moving, horse-drawn trolley lines with

5848-435: The Milwaukee Braves , with the Dodgers trailing 7–1 in the fifth inning. Johnny Logan , the first batter Koufax faced, hit a bloop single. Eddie Mathews bunted back to the mound, and Koufax threw the ball into center field. He then walked Henry Aaron on four pitches to load the bases before striking out Bobby Thomson on a 3–2 fastball for his first career strikeout. Koufax ended up pitching two scoreless innings, inducing

5984-562: The NL MVP in the same season. After 68 seasons in Brooklyn, Dodgers owner and president Walter O'Malley moved the franchise to Los Angeles before the 1958 season. The team played their first four seasons at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum before moving to their current home of Dodger Stadium in 1962. The Dodgers found immediate success in Los Angeles, winning the 1959 World Series . Success continued into

6120-490: The National League (NL) in earned run average each of his last five years, in strikeouts four times, and in wins and shutouts three times each. He was the first pitcher in the live-ball era to post an earned run average below 2.00 in three different qualifying seasons, and the first ever to record a 300-strikeout season three times. Koufax won the Major League Triple Crown three times, leading

6256-538: The New York Yankees . This marked the onset of the Dodgers–Yankees rivalry , as the Dodgers would face them in their next six World Series appearances. Led by Jackie Robinson , the first black Major League Baseball player of the modern era; and three-time National League Most Valuable Player Roy Campanella , also signed out of the Negro leagues, the Dodgers captured their first World Series title in 1955 by defeating

6392-420: The San Francisco Giants on May 11, besting Giants ace Juan Marichal . He carried a perfect game into the eighth inning against the powerful Giants lineup which included future Hall of Famers Willie Mays , Willie McCovey , and Orlando Cepeda . The perfect game ended when he walked catcher Ed Bailey on a full count. Koufax closed out the game after walking pinch-hitter McCovey on four pitches with two out in

6528-588: The San Francisco Giants , he broke Dizzy Dean 's NL single-game record of 17 strikeouts and tied Bob Feller 's Major League record of 18. That season, the Dodgers won a tight pennant race against the Giants and the Milwaukee Braves . They faced the Chicago White Sox in the World Series . In his first World Series appearance, Koufax pitched two perfect relief innings in Game 1, though they came after

6664-431: The World Series in 1955 . After moving to Los Angeles, the team won National League pennants in 1959 , 1963 , 1965 , 1966 , 1974 , 1977 , 1978 , 1981 , 1988 , 2017 , 2018 , 2020 and 2024 with World Series championships in 1959 , 1963 , 1965 , 1981 , 1988 , 2020 and 2024 . In all, the Dodgers have appeared in 22 World Series: nine in Brooklyn and 13 in Los Angeles. The Dodgers were founded in 1883 as

6800-473: The strike zone to combat what they perceived as too much offense. Compared to the previous season, walks in the NL fell 13%, strikeouts increased 6%, the league batting average fell from .261 to .245, and runs scored declined 15%. Koufax, who had reduced his walks allowed per nine innings to 3.4 in 1961 and 2.8 in 1962, reduced it further to 1.7 in 1963, which ranked fifth in the league. On April 19, Koufax threw his second immaculate inning , this time in

6936-426: The 1930s. The home jersey is white with "Dodgers" written in script across the chest in royal. The road jersey is gray with "Los Angeles" written in script across the chest in royal. The word "Dodgers" was first used on the front of the team's home jersey in 1933; the uniform was then white with red pinstripes and a stylized "B" on the left shoulder. The Dodgers also wore green outlined uniforms and green caps throughout

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7072-403: The 1937 season but reverted to blue the following year. The current design was created in 1939 and has remained the same ever since with only cosmetic changes. Originally intended for the 1951 World Series for which the ballclub failed to qualify, red numbers under the "Dodgers" script were added to the home uniform in 1952 . The road jersey also has a red uniform number under the script. When

7208-786: The 1960s and won two more World Series titles, sweeping the Yankees in four games in 1963, and edging the Minnesota Twins in seven in 1965. The 1963 sweep was their second victory against the Yankees, and their first against them as a Los Angeles team. The Dodgers won four more pennants in 1966, 1974, 1977, and 1978, but lost in each World Series appearance. They went on to win the World Series again in 1981, thanks in part to pitching sensation Fernando Valenzuela . The early 1980s were affectionately dubbed " Fernandomania ". In 1988, another pitching hero, Orel Hershiser , again led them to

7344-556: The 1960s; their ace pitchers Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale were the cornerstones of titles in 1963 and 1965 . In 1981 , rookie Mexican phenom pitcher Fernando Valenzuela became a sensation and led the team to a championship; he is the only player to win the Cy Young and Rookie of the Year awards in the same season. The Dodgers were once again victorious in 1988 , upsetting their heavily favored opponent in each series and becoming

7480-468: The 2008 season, the Dodgers had the most Asian players on its roster of any major league team with five. They included Japanese pitchers Takashi Saito and Hiroki Kuroda ; South Korean pitcher Chan Ho Park ; and Taiwanese pitcher Hong-Chih Kuo and infielder Chin-Lung Hu . In 2005, the Dodgers' Hee Seop Choi became the first Asian player to compete in the Home Run Derby . For the 2013 season,

7616-619: The 2021 National League Wild Card Game. The Dodgers' former rivalry with the Cincinnati Reds was one of the most intense during the 1970s through the early 1990s. They often competed for the NL West division title. From 1970 to 1990, they had eleven 1–2 finishes in the standings, with seven of them being within 5½ games or fewer. Both teams also played in numerous championships during this span, combining to win 10 NL Pennants and 5 World Series titles from 1970 – 1990 , most notably as

7752-400: The 2024 season, the Dodgers signed free agent two-way player Shohei Ohtani with a 10-year, $ 700 million contract, the largest ever in professional sports history . The Dodgers' rivalry with the San Francisco Giants dates back to the 19th century when the two teams were based in New York; the rivalry with the New York Yankees took place when the Dodgers were based in New York, but

7888-1022: The Arizona League was renamed as the Arizona Complex League (ACL). Pitchers Catchers Infielders Outfielders Manager Coaches [REDACTED] 7-day injured list * On Los Angeles Dodgers 40-man roster ~ Development list # Rehab assignment ∞ Reserve list ‡ Restricted list § Suspended list † Temporarily inactive list Roster updated November 27, 2024 → More rosters: MiLB  •  Arizona Complex League → Los Angeles Dodgers minor league players Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles . The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as

8024-432: The Brooklyn pedestrians who dodged streetcars in the city, and the Dodgers nickname was used contemporaneously with Superbas and Robins. In 1932, the team allowed the Brooklyn baseball writers to select a permanent name, and the writers chose Dodgers on January 22, 1932. The only other nickname seriously considered by the writers was Kings. In 1941, the Dodgers captured their third National League pennant , only to lose to

8160-585: The City considered this an empty threat, and did not believe O'Malley would go through with moving the team from New York City. After teams began to travel to and from games by air instead of train, it became possible to include locations in the far west. Los Angeles officials attended the 1956 World Series looking to the Washington Senators to move to the West Coast. When O'Malley heard that LA

8296-422: The Diamondbacks and clinching the division on September 19, 2013; multiple Dodgers' players celebrated the win by jumping into the pool at Chase Field. rather ironically on December 8, 2015; Zack Greinke would sign a six-year, $ 206.5 million contract with the Diamondbacks in free agency. Both teams met during the 2017 National League Division Series as the Diamondbacks were no match for LA as they were swept 3–0 by

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8432-431: The Dodgers en route to their appearance in the World Series . The teams rematched in the 2023 National League Division Series , with the Diamondbacks returning the favor with a 3–0 sweep of their own as they eventually reached the World Series . The Dodgers lead the series 259–193, with the teams tied 3–3 in the postseason. Primarily a playoff rivalry; since 1892, The Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals have met 6 times in

8568-417: The Dodgers losing the first five matchups before defeating them to win the franchise's first title in 1955 . The Dodgers made history by breaking the baseball color line in 1947 with the debut of Jackie Robinson , the first African American to play in the Major Leagues since 1884. Another major milestone was reached in 1956 when Don Newcombe became the first player ever to win both the Cy Young Award and

8704-424: The Dodgers moved to Los Angeles in 1958, the rivalry retained its significance as the two teams represented the two largest cities on opposite sides of the United States since the 1980s . Although the rivalry's significance arose from the two teams' numerous World Series meetings, the Yankees and Dodgers had gone 40 years without meeting in the World Series from 1981 until 2024 . They would not play each other in

8840-459: The Dodgers playing in Brooklyn and the Giants playing at the Polo Grounds in Manhattan . After the 1957 season, Dodgers owner Walter O'Malley moved the team to Los Angeles for financial and other reasons. Along the way, he managed to convince Giants owner Horace Stoneham —who was considering moving his team to Minnesota —to preserve the rivalry by bringing his team to California as well. New York baseball fans were stunned and heartbroken by

8976-405: The Dodgers second in MLB franchise valuation at $ 5.45 billion. Although the team had no official nickname until 1932, they were informally nicknamed the Bridegrooms in the team's earliest years, then the Superbas around the turn of the century, and then the Robins (named after manager Wilbert Robinson ). In the early 1900s, sportswriter Charles Dryden nicknamed the team the Trolley Dodgers after

9112-407: The Dodgers signed starting pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu with a six-year, $ 36 million contract, after posting a bid of nearly $ 27 million to acquire him from the KBO 's Hanhwa Eagles . For the 2016 season, the Dodgers signed starting pitcher Kenta Maeda with an eight-year, $ 25 million contract, after posting a bid of $ 20 million to acquire him from the NPB 's Hiroshima Toyo Carp . For

9248-496: The Dodgers to a pennant in each of those years. He was the first major league pitcher to throw four no-hitters , including a perfect game in 1965. He was named the World Series MVP twice, leading the weak-hitting Dodgers to titles in 1963 and 1965 . Despite his comparatively short career, his 2,396 career strikeouts ranked seventh in major league history at the time, trailing only Warren Spahn (2,583) among left-handers; his 40 shutouts were tied for ninth in modern NL history. He

9384-510: The Dodgers were already behind 11–0. Alston gave Koufax the start in Game 5, at the Los Angeles Coliseum . In what would have been the series-clincher, Koufax allowed only one run in seven innings but lost the game 1–0 when Nellie Fox scored on a double play and the Dodgers failed to score a run in support. Returning to Chicago, the Dodgers won Game 6 and their first championship in Los Angeles. In early 1960, Koufax asked Dodgers general manager Buzzie Bavasi to trade him because he believed he

9520-403: The Dodgers, the Criollos were the only other team Koufax pitched for in his career. On May 15, the restriction on sending Koufax down to the minors was lifted. Alston gave him a chance to justify his place on the major league roster by giving him the next day's start. Facing the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field , Koufax struck out 13 while pitching his first complete game in almost two years. For

9656-408: The GCL until they reappeared in 2001. In 2009, the Dodgers announced that the team would relocate to Arizona and compete in the Arizona League (AZL). The team plays its home games at Camelback Ranch , the spring training facility of the major-league Dodgers. In 2019, the Dodgers fielded two squads in the Arizona League, differentiated with suffixes " Lasorda " and " Mota ". Prior to the 2021 season,

9792-464: The Giants afterwards. That summer, Koufax began pitching regularly for the Parkviews. In September, Ed McCarrick, a scout for the Pittsburgh Pirates , was highly impressed with Koufax after seeing him in a few sandlot games . At McCarrick's behest, Branch Rickey , general manager of the Pirates, sent scout Clyde Sukeforth to see Koufax. Sukeforth subsequently invited him to Forbes Field for

9928-583: The Giants and Dodgers. However, O'Malley was interested in his park under only his conditions, and the plans for a new stadium in Brooklyn seemed like a pipe dream. O'Malley decided to move the Dodgers to California, convincing Giants owner Horace Stoneham to move to San Francisco instead of Minneapolis to keep the Giants-Dodgers rivalry alive on the West Coast. They were the first MLB teams both west and south of St. Louis . The Dodgers played their final game at Ebbets Field on September 24, 1957, which

10064-415: The Giants following close behind at 23. The Dodgers and the Giants are tied for World Series titles at eight. The 2010 World Series was the Giants' first championship since moving to California, while the Dodgers had won six World Series titles since their move, their last title coming in the 2024 World Series . In 2021 , the Dodgers and Giants both finished the regular season with over 100 wins, with

10200-537: The National League from 1946 to 1957. O'Malley wanted to build a new, state-of-the-art stadium in Brooklyn . But City Planner Robert Moses and New York politicians refused to grant him the eminent domain authority required to build pursuant to O'Malley's plans. To put pressure on the city, during the 1955 season, O'Malley announced that the team would play seven regular-season games and one exhibition game at Jersey City's Roosevelt Stadium in 1956. Moses and

10336-576: The Phillies lost one of the two games played". What is interesting about the use of these two nicknames is that most baseball statistics sites and baseball historians generally now refer to the pennant-winning 1916 Brooklyn team as the Robins. A 1918 New York Times article uses the nickname in its title: "Buccaneers Take Last From Robins", but the subtitle of the article reads: "Subdue The Superbas By 11 To 4, Making Series An Even Break". Another example of

10472-517: The Reds to the NL Central. However, they did face one another in the 1995 NLDS . This rivalry refers to a series of games played with the Los Angeles Angels . The Freeway Series takes its name from the massive freeway system in the greater Los Angeles metropolitan area , the home of both teams; one could travel from one team's stadium to the other simply by traveling along Interstate 5 . The term

10608-624: The Tampa Bay Rays in 6 games, after playing a season shortened to 60 games due to the COVID-19 pandemic . The Dodgers share a fierce rivalry with the San Francisco Giants , dating back to when the two franchises played in New York City. Both teams moved west for the 1958 season. The Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers have appeared in the World Series 22 times, while the New York/San Francisco Giants have appeared in

10744-465: The World Series 20 times. The Dodgers and Giants are tied with (8) World Series titles. When the two teams were based in New York, the Giants won five World Series championships, and the Dodgers one. After the move to California , the Dodgers have won seven World Series while the Giants have won three. In Brooklyn, the Dodgers won the NL pennant twelve times ( 1890 , 1899 , 1900 , 1916 , 1920 , 1941 , 1947 , 1949 , 1952 , 1953 , 1955 , 1956 ) and

10880-485: The Yankees for the first time, a story notably described in the 1972 book The Boys of Summer . Following the 1957 season the team left Brooklyn. In just their second season in Los Angeles, the Dodgers won their second World Series title, beating the Chicago White Sox in six games in 1959. Spearheaded by the dominant pitching style of Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale , the Dodgers captured three pennants in

11016-476: The advice, Koufax struck out the side and finished the game with seven no-hit innings. He went on to have a strong spring training. All the improvements and changes made in the offseason and during spring training resulted in 1961 becoming Koufax's breakout season. He posted an 18–13 record and led the majors with 269 strikeouts, breaking Christy Mathewson 's 58-year-old NL mark of 267, and doing so in 110 innings fewer than Mathewson had. That season also marked

11152-457: The age of 36, the youngest player ever elected. Born in Brooklyn, New York , Koufax was primarily a basketball player in his youth and had pitched in only a few games before signing with the Brooklyn Dodgers at age 19. Due to the bonus rule he signed under, Koufax never pitched the minor leagues . His lack of pitching experience caused manager Walter Alston to distrust Koufax, who saw inconsistent playing time during his first six seasons. As

11288-459: The all-time series 400–334; both teams are tied in postseason wins 6–6. Sandy Koufax Sanford Koufax ( / ˈ k oʊ f æ k s / ; né Braun ; born December 30, 1935), nicknamed " the Left Arm of God ", is an American former baseball pitcher who played 12 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Brooklyn / Los Angeles Dodgers from 1955 to 1966. Widely regarded as one of

11424-467: The artery, preventing the possibility of amputation . Koufax was finally able to pitch again in September, when the team was locked in a tight pennant race with the Giants. However, after the long layoff, he was rusty and ineffective in three appearances and, by the end of the regular season and in part due to Koufax's absence from the Dodgers rotation, the Giants caught up with the Dodgers and forced

11560-452: The city of Anaheim is located roughly 30 miles from Downtown Los Angeles, the Angels franchise was ridiculed throughout the league for the contradictory nature surrounding the name, especially by Dodgers owner Frank McCourt , who filed a formal complaint to commissioner Bud Selig . Once the complaint was denied, McCourt devised a t-shirt mocking the crosstown rivals reading 'The Los Angeles Dodgers of Los Angeles', which remains popular amongst

11696-411: The city's history that are connected to the team. The "Los Angeles" wordmark was inspired by the signage of the Dodgers' original home of Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and was slanted upward. The number font was inspired by the mid-century typefaces that were popular during the team's early years in Los Angeles. The uniform also featured two different shades of blue: cobalt and electric, while "chili red"

11832-494: The college baseball team , planning a last-minute road trip in his office which started in New Orleans . Eager to visit the city, he told Jucker, "I'm a pitcher" and made the team in a subsequent tryout. For the season, Koufax went 3–1 with a 2.81 earned run average, 51 strikeouts and 30 walks in 32 innings pitched. While with the college baseball team, Koufax began to attract the attention of baseball scouts. Bill Zinser ,

11968-533: The decisive Game 5, but would lose in the NLCS to the eventual World Series champions: Atlanta Braves. The Padres' rivalry with the Dodgers has often been lopsided in favor of Los Angeles; however, recent growth between the two teams in competition has added intensity on top of proximity between Los Angeles and San Diego. San Diego fans have often harbored animosity towards Los Angeles due in small part to San Diego being an unstable home for their sports teams as both

12104-566: The early 1960s, particularly regarding the importance of first-pitch strikes and the benefits of breaking pitches. On March 23, Koufax was chosen to pitch in a B-squad game against the Minnesota Twins in Orlando, Florida , by teammate Gil Hodges who was acting manager for the day. As teammate Ed Palmquist had missed the flight, leaving the team short one pitcher, Hodges told Koufax he needed to pitch at least seven innings. Prior to

12240-551: The fanbase to this day. The Dodgers' rivalry with the New York Yankees is one of the most well-known rivalries in Major League Baseball . The two teams have met twelve times in the World Series , more times than any other two teams from the American and National Leagues . The initial significance was embodied in the two teams' proximity in New York City when the Dodgers initially played in Brooklyn . After

12376-454: The faster, more powerful electric trolley lines. Within less than three years, by the end of 1895, electric trolley accidents in Brooklyn had resulted in more than 130 deaths and maimed well over 500 people. Brooklyn's high profile, the significant number of widely reported accidents, and a trolley strike in early 1895, combined to create a strong association in the public's mind between Brooklyn and trolley dodging. Sportswriters started using

12512-496: The final game of the season. Koufax, along with fellow Dodgers pitcher Don Drysdale , served in the United States Army Reserve for two years, from 1957 to 1959. He was often stationed at Fort Dix, New Jersey during the offseason. Koufax began the 1958 season 7–3, but sprained his ankle in a collision with Jim Bolger of the Chicago Cubs at first base on July 5, resulting in a long layoff. Throughout

12648-405: The first Major League Baseball team to ever play in Los Angeles. On April 18, 1958, the Dodgers played their first LA game, defeating the former New York and now new San Francisco Giants , 6–5, before 78,672 fans at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum . Catcher Roy Campanella , left partially paralyzed in an off-season accident, was never able to play in Los Angeles. Construction on Dodger Stadium

12784-524: The first major league team to open an office in Asia. The Dodgers were the second team to start a Japanese player (first in nearly 30 years), pitcher Hideo Nomo , the first team to start a South Korean player , pitcher Chan Ho Park and the first Taiwanese player , Chin-Feng Chen . In addition, they were the first team to send out three Asian pitchers, from different Asian countries, in one game: Park, Hong-Chih Kuo of Taiwan, and Takashi Saito of Japan. In

12920-414: The first time in his career that Koufax started at least 30 games (35) and pitched at least 200 innings (255.2). He lowered his walks allowed per nine innings from 5.1 in 1960 to 3.4 in 1961, led the NL with a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 2.80, and led the majors with a fielding independent pitching mark (FIP) of 3.00. On September 20, in the last regular season baseball game at the Coliseum, Koufax won

13056-416: The first time in his career, he was in the starting rotation , but only for two weeks. Despite winning three of his next five with a 2.90 earned run average, Koufax did not get another start for 45 days. In that start, he struck out 11 in seven innings, but got no decision. On September 29, he became the last man to pitch for the Brooklyn Dodgers before their move to Los Angeles, throwing an inning of relief in

13192-447: The first time since 1944 (when all-blue satin uniforms were introduced). These 1999 alternate jerseys had a royal top with the "Dodgers" script in white across the chest, and the red number on the front. These were worn with white pants and a new cap with a silver brim, a top button, and a Dodger logo. These alternates proved unpopular and the team abandoned them after only one season. In 2014, the Dodgers introduced an alternate road jersey:

13328-415: The franchise moved from Brooklyn to Los Angeles, the city name on the road jersey changed, and the stylized "B" was replaced with the interlocking "LA" on the caps in 1958. In 1970, the Dodgers removed the city name from the road jerseys and had "Dodgers" on both the home and away uniforms. The city script returned to the road jerseys in 1999, and the tradition-rich Dodgers flirted with an alternate uniform for

13464-454: The game, catcher Norm Sherry told him: "If you get behind the hitters, don't try to throw so hard." This was due to Koufax's tendency to lose his temper and throw hard and wildly whenever he got into trouble. The strategy worked initially before Koufax temporarily reverted to throwing hard and walked the bases loaded with no out in the fifth. Sherry reminded Koufax of their discussion, advising him to settle down and throw to his glove; heeding

13600-526: The greatest Jewish athletes in history; his decision to sit out Game 1 of the 1965 World Series because it coincided with the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur garnered national attention and made him an iconic figure within the American Jewish community. Since retiring, Koufax has kept a low profile and makes public appearances on rare occasions. In December 1966, he signed a 10-year contract to work as

13736-672: The greatest pitchers in baseball history, Koufax was the first three-time winner of the Cy Young Award , each time winning unanimously and the only pitcher to do so when a single award was given for both the leagues; he was also named the National League Most Valuable Player in 1963. Retiring at the age of 30 due to chronic pain in his pitching elbow, Koufax was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 1972 at

13872-480: The hair on my arms has stood up: The first time I saw the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel and the second time, I saw Sandy Koufax throw a fastball." After the tryout, Koufax's father negotiated the contract with the Dodgers, asking for a bonus which would allow his son to finish college if his baseball career failed. They agreed on a $ 20,000 contract ($ 227,000 today) – $ 6,000 then-league minimum salary, with

14008-419: The help of Robinson, three-time MVP Roy Campanella , Cy Young Award winner Don Newcombe , Jim Gilliam and Joe Black . Robinson would eventually go on to become the first African-American elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962. Real estate investor Walter O'Malley acquired majority ownership of the Dodgers in 1950 when he bought the 25 percent share of co-owner Branch Rickey and became allied with

14144-643: The history of the American Civil Rights Movement. Robinson was an exceptional player, a speedy runner who sparked the team with his intensity. He was the inaugural recipient of the Rookie of the Year award, which is now named the Jackie Robinson Award in his honor. The Dodgers' willingness to integrate, when most other teams refused to, was a key factor in their 1947–1956 success. They won six pennants in those 10 years with

14280-638: The latter clinching the division with a record of 107–55. The Dodgers were one game behind with a record of 106–56, relegating them to the NL Wild Card Game , in which they defeated the St. Louis Cardinals. This resulted in the first postseason matchup between the Dodgers and Giants in the NLDS . With a combined 213 regular season wins, this is the most number of regular season wins between competing teams in any MLB postseason series. The Dodgers ultimately won in

14416-461: The many popularized names of the team were used are available from newspaper articles before 1932. A New York Times article describing a game in 1916 starts out: "Jimmy Callahan, pilot of the Pirates, did his best to wreck the hopes the Dodgers have of gaining the National League pennant", but then goes on to comment: "the only thing that saved the Superbas from being toppled from first place was that

14552-535: The most successful and storied franchises in MLB, the Dodgers have won eight World Series championships and a record 25 National League pennants . Eleven NL MVP award winners have played for the Dodgers, winning a total of 14. Eight Cy Young Award winners have pitched for the club, winning a total of 12—by far the most of any Major League franchise. The Dodgers boast 18 Rookie of the Year Award winners, twice as many as

14688-480: The move. Given that the cities of Los Angeles and San Francisco have been bitter rivals in economic, cultural, and political arenas for over a century and a half, the new venue in California became fertile ground for its transplantation. Each team's ability to endure for over a century while moving across an entire continent, as well as the rivalry's leap from a cross-city to a cross-state engagement, have led to

14824-520: The name "Trolley Dodgers" to refer to the Brooklyn team early in the 1895 season. The name was shortened to, on occasion, the "Brooklyn Dodgers" as early as 1898. Sportswriters in the early 20th century began referring to the Dodgers as the "Bums", in reference to the team's fans and possibly because of the "street character" nature of Jack Dawkins, the "Artful Dodger" in Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist . Newspaper cartoonist Willard Mullin used

14960-441: The next club. This includes four consecutive Rookies of the Year from 1979 to 1982 and five consecutive from 1992 to 1996. From 1884 through 2024, the Dodgers' all-time record is 11,432–10,068–139 (.532). Since moving to Los Angeles in 1958, the Dodgers have a win–loss record of 5,808–4,778–6 (.549) through the end of 2024. Today, the Dodgers are among the most popular MLB teams, enjoying large fan support both at home and on

15096-449: The only franchise to win multiple titles in the 1980s. Next came a 32-year championship drought, despite 12 postseason appearances in a 17-year span and eight consecutive division titles from 2013 to 2020. It was broken when the Dodgers won the 2020 World Series. The Dodgers signed global sensation Shohei Ohtani in 2024, who set league and franchise records with the team en route to their eighth World Series title that season. One of

15232-515: The postseason with 2 meetings in the NLCS won by the Cardinals. Both teams have recently grown a history of animosity towards one another since the late 2000s as both teams often met frequently in the postseason. The Dodgers have not fared as well against the Cardinals in the postseason. In five prior postseason series matchups, the Cardinals have won four with the Dodgers winning only the 2009 NLDS and

15368-527: The rivalry being considered one of the greatest in American sports history. Unlike many other historic baseball match-ups in which one team remains dominant for most of their history, the Dodgers–Giants rivalry has exhibited a persistent balance in the respective successes of the two teams. While the Giants have more wins in franchise history, the Dodgers have the most National League pennants at 24, with

15504-520: The road; they are widely seen as one of National League's most dominant teams. They maintain a fierce rivalry with the San Francisco Giants dating back to the two clubs' start in New York City, as well as a more recent rivalry with the American League 's Houston Astros due to the controversy over the Astros' sign stealing scandal in the 2017 World Series . As of 2024, Forbes ranked

15640-421: The rule, the Dodgers placed Koufax on their major league roster. As it subsequently turned out, Koufax never played in the minor leagues . During his first spring training , Koufax struggled with his new training regime and suffered from a sore arm most of the time. Having pitched less than twenty games in the sandlots and in college combined, he did not know a lot about pitching such as how to properly field

15776-541: The same night of Gibson's iconic walk-off home run 29 years earlier. They went on to face the Houston Astros and lost in 7 games; however, the series became embroiled in controversy due to the Houston Astros sign stealing scandal . The Dodgers won the pennant in 2018 for a second year in a row, moving on to lose to the Boston Red Sox in 5 games. They went on to win the World Series again in 2020 by defeating

15912-483: The season, he was also plagued with back pain which was the result of a benign tumor on his rib cage, necessitating him to undergo surgery in the offseason to have the growth removed. As a result, he finished the season at 11–11 and leading the majors in wild pitches . In 1959, on June 22, he set the record for a night game with 16 strikeouts against the Philadelphia Phillies . On August 31, against

16048-539: The sixth NL pitcher and the 11th overall to throw one; he remains the only one to do so in a no-hitter. His no-hitter, along with a 4–2 record, 73 strikeouts and a 1.23 ERA, earned him the Player of the Month Award for June. It was the only time in his career he earned this distinction. Throughout the first half of the season, Koufax dealt with an injured pitching hand. In April, while at bat, he had been jammed by

16184-399: The stadium's spacious dimensions, along with other factors, gave defense an advantage over offense and the Dodgers moved to take advantage of this by assembling a team that would excel with its pitching . Since moving to Los Angeles, the Dodgers have won twelve more National League Championships and seven more World Series rings . The Dodgers have had only three top-five draft picks since

16320-495: The trash, having decided to quit baseball and devote himself to an electronics business in which he had invested. In his first six seasons, he had posted a record of 36–40 with a 4.10 earned run average. Nobe Kawano , the clubhouse supervisor, retrieved the equipment in case Koufax decided to return the following year. Koufax came to regret his decision to quit, having found working in the offseason boring. He decided to give baseball another try, remarking years later, "I decided I

16456-462: The use of the many nicknames is found on the program issued at Ebbets Field for the 1920 World Series , which identifies the matchup in the series as "Dodgers vs. Indians" despite the fact that the Robins nickname had been in consistent use for around six years. The "Robins" nickname was derived from the name of their Hall of Fame manager, Wilbert Robinson, who led the team from 1914 to 1931. The Dodgers' uniform has remained relatively unchanged since

16592-401: The widow of another equal partner, Mrs. John L. Smith . Shortly afterwards, he was working to buy new land in Brooklyn to build a more accessible and profitable ballpark than the aging Ebbets Field . Beloved as it was, Ebbets Field was no longer well-served by its aging infrastructure and the Dodgers could no longer sell out the park even in the heat of a pennant race, despite largely dominating

16728-412: The young pitcher's talent and objecting to him being benched for weeks at a time. Pitcher Don Newcombe stated years later that Koufax faced antisemitism as a young pitcher from white players on the team who shunned him and used antisemitic slurs when referring to him. This led to black teammates rallying to Koufax's defense and supporting him during his early years. To prepare him for the 1957 season,

16864-404: Was also a shutout, a five-hitter against the Pirates on September 3. In his rookie year, Koufax threw 41.2 innings in 12 appearances, striking out 30 batters and walking 28, with a record of 2–2 and 3.02 earned run average. The Dodgers went on to win the National League pennant and the 1955 World Series over the New York Yankees , the first title in franchise history; however, even though he

17000-831: Was based on the chest number colors the team had worn since the 1950s. The cobalt blue cap featured the "interlocking LA" and script "D" from the "Dodgers" logo merged to form the LAD team code; the said logo also appears as a sleeve patch. Above the manufacturer's tag is the hashtag #ITFDB, a reference to broadcaster Vin Scully 's catchphrase "It's time for Dodger baseball!". The Dodgers have been groundbreaking in their signing of players from Asia; mainly Japan , South Korea , and Taiwan . Former owner Peter O'Malley began reaching out in 1980 by starting clinics in China and South Korea, building baseball fields in two Chinese cities, and in 1998 becoming

17136-401: Was completed in time for Opening Day 1962. With its clean, simple lines and its picturesque setting amid hills and palm trees, the ballpark quickly became an icon of the Dodgers and their new California lifestyle. O'Malley was determined that there would not be a bad seat in the house, achieving this by cantilevered grandstands that have since been widely imitated. More importantly for the team,

17272-542: Was looking for a club, he sent word to the Los Angeles officials that he was interested in talking. LA offered him what New York would not: a chance to buy land suitable for building a ballpark, and own that ballpark, giving him complete control over all revenue streams. When the news came out, NYC Mayor Robert F. Wagner, Jr. and Moses made an offer to build a ballpark on the World's Fair Grounds in Queens that would be shared by

17408-718: Was named to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team . His number 32 was retired by the Dodgers in 1972 and he was honored with a statue outside the centerfield plaza of Dodger Stadium in 2022. That same year, Koufax became the first player to mark the 50th anniversary of his election to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Koufax was born Sanford Braun to a Jewish family on December 30, 1935, in Borough Park, Brooklyn . His parents, Evelyn (née Lichtenstein) and Jack Braun, divorced when he

17544-570: Was not getting enough playing time, a request that was denied. On May 23, he pitched a one-hit shutout against the Pirates , allowing only a second-inning single by pitcher Bennie Daniels and striking out 10 batters in the process. However, the game was a highlight in an otherwise bad year for Koufax in which he went 8–13 with a 3.97 earned run average. After the last game of the season, frustrated with his lack of progress as well as resentment towards Dodger management, Koufax threw his equipment into

17680-551: Was on the World Series roster, Koufax did not appear in the series. During the fall, he had enrolled in the Columbia University School of General Studies , which offered night classes in architecture; after the final out of Game 7, Koufax went straight to Columbia to attend class. The 1956 season was not very different from 1955 for Koufax. Despite his blazing fastball, Koufax continued to struggle with control. He saw little work, pitching only 58.2 innings with

17816-495: Was placed on the disabled list for 30 days; he would be activated by the Dodgers on June 8. To make room for him, they optioned their future Hall of Fame manager, Tommy Lasorda , to their Triple-A affiliate, the Montreal Royals . Lasorda would later joke that it took "one of the greatest left-handers in history" to keep him off the Dodgers major league roster. Koufax made his major league debut on June 24, 1955, against

17952-417: Was really going to find out how good I can be." During the offseason, Koufax underwent tonsillectomy due to recurring throat issues and, as a result, reported to spring training thirty pounds under his normal playing weight. He later stated that it forced him to regain the lost muscle mass and weight through exercise and nutrition, allowing him to get into the "best shape" of his life. From then on, he made it

18088-415: Was revived with their East Coast/West Coast World Series battles in 1963, 1977, 1978, and 1981. The Dodgers' rivalries with the Philadelphia Phillies and St. Louis Cardinals also dates back to their days in New York, but were most fierce during the 1970s, 1980s, and 2000s. The Dodgers also shared a heated rivalry with the Cincinnati Reds during the 1970s, 1980s and early 1990s. The Dodgers had even shared

18224-562: Was the Brooklyn Base Ball Club. However, the Trolley Dodger nickname was used throughout this period, simultaneously with these other nicknames, by fans and sportswriters of the day. The team did not use the name in any formal sense until 1932 when the word "Dodgers" appeared on team jerseys. The "conclusive shift" came in 1933, when both home and road jerseys for the team bore the name "Dodgers". Examples of how

18360-412: Was the first pitcher in history to average more than nine strikeouts per nine innings pitched , and the first to allow fewer than seven hits per nine innings pitched . Koufax, along with teammate Don Drysdale , became a pivotal figure in baseball's labor movement when the two staged a joint holdout and demanded a fairer contract from the Dodgers before the 1966 season. Koufax is also considered one of

18496-460: Was three years old. The son of a single working parent, he spent most of his childhood with his maternal grandparents and spent his summers at Camp Chi-Wan-Da, a Jewish summer camp in Ulster Park, New York , where his mother worked as a bookkeeper . Evelyn, a certified public accountant, remarried when her son was nine to Irving Koufax, an attorney, whose name Sandy took. Koufax also gained

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