Opened: 1962
Capacity: 56,000
What the authors say: “Carved into the Elysian Hills in an area known as Chavez Ravine, the stadium stands like a shining beacon on the gloried hill of baseball success.”
Learned from the book:
• Believe it or not, Dodger Stadium is now the third oldest ballpark in the majors, behind only Fenway Park and Wrigley Field.
• The team has a gardening crew that beautifully maintains the many flower, bushes, and trees on the 300-acre property.
• This is the largest stadium in the majors, yet when first opened, it probably seemed relatively intimate compared with the L.A. Memorial Coliseum, where the team played until its home in Chavez Ravine was completed.
• Given L.A.’s freeway/car culture, maybe it only makes sense that there’s a gas station in the parking lot.
• The symmetrical outfield is the only one left in the National League.
• The wavy-topped roofs over the bleacher seats are a distinctive architectural detail.
• In Roger Owens, the Dodgers boast baseball’s most famous peanut vendor, a guy with 50 years experience tossing bags to customers with amazing accuracy and flair.
