The Los Angeles Dodgers are a historic franchise that has won more games than any other team in the National League since their inception in 1883. They have also won more World Series championships than any other team based in California—and they're not done yet. The future is bright for this storied club, led by Hall of Fame manager Dave Roberts since 2016.
Their stadium, Dodger Stadium, has been voted best ballpark in America by Baseball America readers four times since 2008 (with an average rating of 4 stars). Dodger Stadium is located in Chavez Ravine, a neighborhood just south of downtown Los Angeles and about three miles from Hollywood. It's the third oldest ballpark in Major League Baseball, opening its doors on April 10, 1962. The Stadium has a seating capacity of 56,000 people. It has hosted numerous celebrities, including Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton (who threw out a first pitch at Game 2 of this year's World Series).
Roberts took over for Don Mattingly after the 2015 season and has guided Los Angeles to its third straight National League West title. The team has won four pennants under Roberts' watch and played in five World Series overall (1955, 1959, 1963). New York Yankees icon Yogi Berra also served as a coach on this staff before being hired away by the Houston Astros in 1985; he would later become manager there too!
Clayton Kershaw: Clayton Kershaw, the Los Angeles Dodgers ace pitcher, is one of the most recognizable players on an iconic team. The 2011 and 2014 Cy Young Award winner has also won three National League MVP Awards and a World Series title since his debut in 2008. He was named Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year for 2014 after recording an MLB-best 1.83 ERA en route to leading the league in strikeout rate (9.7 per nine innings).
Sandy Koufax: Sandy Koufax was a left-handed pitcher who played for the Dodgers from 1955 to 1966. During that time, he was an 11-time All-Star and won three Cy Young Awards. He became the youngest player ever inducted into Cooperstown when he received his Hall of Fame plaque in 1972 at age 36.
Yasiel Puig: Yasiel Puig is a Cuban-American baseball player who played for the Los Angeles Dodgers from 2013-2014. He was a right fielder and played in the minor league before joining them.
Puig was a crucial part of their 2013 team that won the World Series. He hit .319 with 17 home runs and 43 RBIs during that season, earning him National League Rookie of the Year honors and making him one of Los Angeles' most popular players ever!
Orel Hershiser: Orel Hershiser is a former pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was nicknamed "Bulldog" and won the National League Cy Young Award in 1988 when he led the league with a 2.26 ERA and 27 wins.
Vin Scully: Vin Scully is the voice of the Dodgers and has been since 1950. He's a Hall of Fame broadcaster, a two-time Peabody Award winner, and a seven-time Emmy winner who has called three perfect games in his career (Don Larsen in 1956, Sandy Koufax in 1965, and 1968). He was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2009 - just one year after being inducted into baseball's Hall of Fame!
The Dodgers have been one of the most successful teams in baseball over the last few years, winning five World Series titles since their founding in 1883. The team has had many great players over its long history, including Jackie Robinson and Sandy Koufax. Today they are led by manager Dave Roberts and superstar pitcher Clayton Kershaw as they aim for another championship run this season!
