The Brooklyn Dodgers.
The history of each prominent city has its tragedies, and Brooklyn is no exception. When the Dodgers left Brooklyn in 1957, they took a piece of the borough’s identity with them. The Dodgers had been a core cultural and economic piece of Brooklyn for decades. In this article, I will discuss the Brooklyn Dodger’s history, famous players and the team’s impact on Brooklyn. The Brooklyn Dodgers:
Won league titles and had multiple World Series Championship appearances; 1 World Series title
Produced historical all-star players, including Jackie Robinson and Pee Wee Reese
were an integral part of Brooklyn's identity culturally and economically
A Brooklyn baseball team originated in the second half of the 1800s. The team started as a group of amateurs called the Brooklyn Atlantics. From there, they became the Brooklyn Bridegrooms around 1882 as a result of multiple players recently getting married getting married at the time. And in 1890, they transitioned from the American Association to the National League. In 1911, the team changed its official name to the Trolley Dodgers because the team moved to a new stadium, Ebbets Field, in East Flatbush. For fans and locals, the area was infamous for its heavy trolley traffic on Eastern Parkway which resulted in the new name. It was then shortened to the Dodgers in 1913 [1].
As the Brooklyn Dodgers, the team had an incredible run over the decades. Their rivals would be the other New York teams, the Yankees and the Giants. Commercially, the Yankees would represent the upper-class Manhattan fans who had a comfortable trip to the Bronx to watch a team that consistently won, and the team remains in the Bronx to this day. The Giants also had easier access to the people of Manhattan that could travel to Upper Manhattan which led to a strong fan-base. The competition between the Yankees, Giants and Dodgers was known as the Subway Series, until the Giants moved to San Francisco and Dodgers to Los Angeles in 1958 [2].
The Brooklyn Dodgers would appear in the World Series Championship on 9 occasions, mostly in the 40s and 50s. However, the slogan, “wait ‘til next year”, became an unofficial motto for fans as the Dodgers routinely lost in the championship series, multiple times to their longtime rivals, the Yankees. In 1955, “The Boys of Summer” finally won their first and only World Series as the Brooklyn Dodgers [1].
The Dodgers acquired many great players in the 1940s and 1950s. One of the most notable was Jackie Robinson, #42. He was the first black major league baseball player to play on the field, and collected multiple accolades during his career. Robinson, with career batting average of .311, was awarded the first Rookie of the Year Award in 1947, and later, the award was named after him. He was given the MVP award in 1949, and participated in winning the World Series in 1955. Also, a loyal honorable man, Robinson chose to retire rather than be acquired by arch rivals, the Giants, in 1956 [3].
Pee Wee Reese, #1, was instrumental to accepting Robinson on the team and developing a successful final decade of baseball. He was captain of the Dodgers and refused to sign a petition to reject Robinson. With Robinson playing on opening day in 1947, Brooklynites quickly accepted their new teammate. While the team received conflict on the road, Reese demonstrated strong symbolic camaraderie with Robinson [2]. Moreover, Reese had impressive numbers for his career as well, and was essential to leading his team to league championships and the World Series many times between 1940 and 1957. He played his final year under the LA Dodgers 1958 [3].
All in all, the Brooklyn Dodgers were a significant team in the American baseball league. The team broke racial lines which shifted attitudes for the entire sport. This was a team from a borough with a diverse working-class population, and touched the hearts of many people of New York City. Brooklynites for a long felt they were the sole owners of two things not shared with the general New York City: the Brooklyn Bridge and the Brooklyn Dodgers. Their team demonstrated acceptance, success and provided strong economic support to the community. Then, the owners devastated Brooklynites when they abandoned them for Los Angeles. Walter O’Malley, majority owner, would and should be forever known as the villain [4]. There were tears when the wrecking ball struck the stands of Ebbets Field, and some of Brooklyn’s flourishing economy was disrupted in the years following the Dodgers departure. The only thing left to say is: Bring the Dodgers back home!
By Nick Borak
Places to Visit
Jackie Robinson Grave - Cypress Hills Cemetery
Jackie Robinson burial in a Queens cemetery.
Jackie Robinson & Pee Wee Reese Monument - Coney Island
Outside of the Brooklyn Cyclones Stadium (Minor League team) is a statue of the two most profound Brooklyn Dodgers players.
Sources
[1] Historical Moments. Brooklyn Dodgers. www.sportsecyclopedia.com. Tank Productions. 30 January 2018.
http://www.sportsecyclopedia.com/nl/bdodgers/brooklyn.html
[2] Brooklyn Dodgers. Baseball Reference. Sports Reference LLC. 30 January 2018.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Brooklyn_Dodgers
[3] The top 5: Greatest Brooklyn Dodgers. SB Nation New York. SBNation. Vox Media, Inc. 30 January 2018.
[4] The history of the Brooklyn Dodgers. Explore Brooklyn. ExploreBK. Brooklyn Chambers of Commerce. 30 January 2018.
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