Dodgers celebrate 60 years of playing in LA
Team will wear patch adorned with City Hall to commemorate anniversary
LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers on Tuesday unveiled their 2018 uniform patch, which celebrates the franchise's 60 years in Los Angeles, and the focal point of the logo is the iconic Los Angeles City Hall.
The patch was on a personalized uniform presented to councilman Gilbert Cedillo by a contingent of Dodgers legends. They were attending a ceremony as the full city council reciprocated with a proclamation marking the anniversary of the club's move from Brooklyn.
The Dodgers marked their first Opening Day in 1958 with a ceremony at City Hall and a parade through Los Angeles that ended at the Coliseum, the team's home from 1958 to 1961 (Dodger Stadium opened in 1962). The 10 stars around the logo's border represent the Dodgers' 10 National League pennants won in Los Angeles, and include five silver stars to denote their World Series championships since 1958. The stars have six points, signifying the Dodgers' six decades in Los Angeles.
"Sports brings communities together. It's more than just a business, it's part of our culture," said Cedillo. "Los Angeles is fortunate to have one of the greatest teams in professional sports, the Los Angeles Dodgers.
"I'm living the dream. I represent their district. I grew up in Boyle Heights listening to games on my father's transistor radio. There is no greater pleasure than to have these players here today. And the contribution to the economy shouldn't be overlooked. What wine is to the Napa Valley, what [agriculture] is to the Central Valley, the Dodgers' economic engine is to the City of Los Angeles."
Former star players Steve Garvey, Fernando Valenzuela, Ron Cey and Steve Yeager, along with broadcaster Charley Steiner, represented the club in one of the numerous events taking place this week as part of the Dodgers' "Love L.A." Community Tour.
"For these 60 years, there's been a love affair with Los Angeles and the Dodgers," said Garvey. "Baseball becomes the soul of the city. The players have been foot soldiers for Los Angeles and the game we love."
Many of the councilmembers, such as third-generation San Fernando Valley resident Paul Krekorian, are native Angelenos who grew up following the Dodgers.
"This is one of the most important institutions we have," Krekorian said of the team. "We are a fragmented city, a city that comes from everywhere in the world, we have the richest people and some of the poorest people. What unites us in the community as much as anything is the Dodgers. We all have grown up with the Dodgers as the soundtrack of our lives."