Forever Blue by Michael D

I’ve recently come to discover the blog of www.vinscullyismyhomeboy.com.  It is honestly my new favorite Dodger blog.  Great guy and really fun, different content.

Roberto did a story the other day on the new Met’s stadium.  (Follow the Link Here) I haven’t really followed it this year, but not until that post did I realize that the stadium was partially modeled after the old Ebbet’s Field.

The story was all the more relevant to me because of a recent Sport’s Illustrated article.  Not sure if you saw it, but in the March 09, 2009 issue they did an article called “The Wrong Man.”  (Link Here) This article is an excerpt from a new book coming out called Forever Blue by Michael D’Antonio.  (Image with this post.)  I haven’t read the book yet, but after reading the article, I’m ready to buy it.  The book details the life of Walter O’Malley, including the move of the Dodgers from Brooklyn to L.A.  Apparently there were some documents tied to the move that had been locked away, but were recently opened by Walter’s heirs.

The article talks about the bitterness held against Walter O’Malley for moving the Dodgers west.  Without giving it all away, apparently the truth is that Walter O’Malley tried very hard to build a new stadium in Brooklyn, but was stopped by a man named Robert Moses.  This man had a different vision for the section of Brooklyn O’Malley wanted and had the political clout to slowly kill the new Dodger stadium project.  O’Malley bit his tongue and left town to the open arms of L.A., but it was never how he originally wanted it.

As someone who really enjoys Dodgers history, I was fascinated by the article.  It takes a while to read, but it was well worth it.

The thing that sticks with me though, is what if the Dodgers never came out west?  They are such a part of my life and my enjoyment of baseball, but what if it never happened?  I know from other baseball history books that if the Dodgers didn’t come, the Giant’s wouldn’t have either because baseball required two teams out west to help with traveling schedules.

The Angels are down south near where I grew up, so maybe that would have been the draw.  Then again, I’m sure L.A. would have found a different team eventually.  It’s just a funny mind trick to realize how different your life would be if the major sports team wasn’t ever there.  The rest is history applies, but it all started with two men with different views of a section of land in Brooklyn.

I’ll enjoy visiting the new Citi Field to see what Ebbets was like, but I’m sure glad the Dodgers ended up west.