Dodgers’ fans and Pasadenans can soak in the history of the iconic Dodger Stadium and learn its origin story with team historian and publications editor Mark Langill at the University Club of Pasadena on Thursday evening.
Langill is set to delve into the history of how the 56,000-seat venue, set in the heart of Los Angeles in the valley of Chavez Ravine became home to the Los Angeles Dodgers and discuss milestones of the last 60 years in a presentation at the University Club of Pasadena on Thursday, August 4.
Together, the Pasadena Museum of History and University Club of Pasadena will commemorate the 60th Anniversary of Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles with a presentation by Langill starting at 7 p.m on Thursday.
Since 1962, Dodger Stadium, located only about 11.7 miles from the Pasadena City Hall, has become an iconic fixture in Los Angeles.
Jeannette Bovard, the Pasadena Museum of History’s spokesperson, said Dodger Stadium is such an iconic feature in Los Angeles, and one of the oldest ballparks in Major League Baseball. A Dodgers-themed presentation, she said, is always a fun and exciting topic for all, especially during baseball season.
“We have wanted to work with Mark Langill after hearing him give an unforgettable presentation a few years ago. Our sports teams unite our far-flung communities throughout Los Angeles County,” Bovard said.
“The Stadium’s history is an important part of the Southern California community,” Bovard said. “It will be especially poignant in light of the passing of the esteemed and beloved voice of the Dodgers, Vince Scully.”
Scully, who was play-by-play broadcaster for the LA Dodgers for 67 years until 2016, died Tuesday in Los Angeles. He was 94.
In his presentation at the University Club of Pasadena, Mark Langill will explore the history of the iconic stadium and how it became home to the Dodgers. Dodger Stadium was the first MLB stadium since the initial construction of the original Yankee Stadium to be built using 100-percent private financing, and the last until Oracle Park in San Francisco opened in 2000.
The Dodgers were originally based in Brooklyn. After 68 seasons, Dodgers owner and president Walter O’Malley relocated 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 Dodger Stadium in 1962.
As Team Historian of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Langill has written five Dodger-related books, including “Dodger Stadium” and “Dodgers: Game of My Life.” In his hardcover “Dodger Stadium,” Langill describes how team president Walter O’Malley, in 1962, envisioned the stadium to become one of professional baseball’s most striking pieces of architecture, standing in the shadow of the dramatic San Gabriel Mountains.
Langill writes regularly for the Dodger Insider blog.
Bovard said the Pasadena Museum of History has also long wanted to collaborate with the University Club of Pasadena, which is celebrating their centennial.
“The Club’s mission – to serve as a center for professional, academic, and social life in the community – ties in seamlessly with the Museum’s mandate to preserve and share the history, art, and culture of Pasadena and all our neighboring communities,” she said.
To purchase tickets, visit https://tinyurl.com/53h3ykzd. Dinner is not included in the ticket price.
The University Club is offering an optional dinner service from 4:30 to 7 p.m. before the presentation begins. To RSVP for the dinner, email dnevarez@pasadenahistory.org or call (626) 577-1660.
The University Club of Pasadena is at 175 N. Oakland Ave.
