Dodgers: Past and Present by Steven Travers

Dodgers: Past and Present by Steven Travers (MVP Books, 2009) 143 pages.

The Dodgers are one of the great American sports franchises, with an illustrious history spanning 125 years and both coasts of the US.  Steven Traver explores this rich history in Dodgers: Past and Present, from the great players who have worn a Dodger uniform to the ballparks in which they played. 

This is the latest instalment in a series of books documenting the stories of the great baseball franchises.  As with Chicago Cubs: Yesterday and Today, it’s a book for a well-proportioned coffee table.  With a hardback cover and glossy pages, this 28cm by 24cm book is perfect both to pick up and flick through or to sit and read for a while.  There are more than 250 photos and illustrations and the large format allows them to be displayed to good effect.  Travers’ descriptive text puts the images into context where necessary and the combination works extremely well.

There are many factors that make the Dodgers such a prestigious franchise and therefore a worthy subject for a book of this type. 

The Dodgers’ long history is particularly captivating because it can be split into three distinct periods.  It started with the early days of Brooklyn baseball where the team’s name varied from the Atlantics to the Superbas before the Trolley Dodgers moniker was initially adopted and then shortened.  The Brooklyn Dodgers were a proud and historically important team whose legacy was in some ways enhanced by the cruel twists of fate that saw a great late forties/fifties team capture only one World Series victory.  And then there was the monumental move to Los Angeles in 1958, beginning a new chapter in the franchise which has seen the team collect a further five World Series wins.

Their history includes the names of many top players who have left an indelible mark on the game. Dodgers: Past and Present brings them together by charting the lineage at each position, from Roy Campanella and Mike Piazza behind the plate to relievers such as Clem Labine and Eric Gagne.  Players from the last season or two are included to provide an up-to-date feel, although it would be fair to say some might not remain if the book was revised in ten or twenty years.  Brad Penny is a serviceable right-handed pitcher, but he looks a little out of place alongside Orel Hershiser and the three Dons (Newcombe, Drysdale and Sutton).

Of course, among those great players is one Jackie Robinson.  The Dodgers’ role in “breaking barriers” is rightfully acknowledged along with the Latin-American and Asian players who have represented the team.  It’s also useful to be reminded of two great Latinos that the Dodgers let slip from their grasp: Roberto Clemente and Pedro Martinez.

The Dodgers have been involved in many memorable moments on the field.  Their rivalries with the Giants (both on the east coast and the west), the Yankees (when the team was in Brooklyn) and several others (notably the Cardinals, Angels and Reds) are brought to life by Travers’ words and the action photos, many of which capture two teams in mid-brawl. 

The Dodgers have also had a flair for the dramatic over the years, whether winning in exhilarating fashion (Kirk Gibson’s famous 1988 home run against the A’s, Brooklyn finally getting the better of the Yankees in 1955) or taking a heart-breaking loss (losing the ’78 World Series 4-2 after winning the first two games, all those painful Fall Classic defeats to those damn Yankees).

All of which has taken place in some of the most iconic ballparks in the history of the sport.  This is where the photos really shine, providing a fascinating and visually stunning insight into the stadiums.  There is an especially brilliant black and white aerial shot of Ebbets Field (circa 1950s) which takes up the majority of one page and shows how the structure was crammed into the surrounding streets of Brooklyn.  The Dodgers’ temporary Coliseum home when they moved to LA was one of the most unusual ballparks ever used in the Majors and there are some great photos of the mass crowds (from 1959 and the exhibition game last year) looking out over the oddly-configured field.

And then there is Dodger Stadium, hailed by many as one of the best places to watch a ballgame.  Certainly the photos of the Dodgers’ home since 1962, which has been sensitively renovated in recent years, make you want to book a flight to LA and experience the place.

Also featured in the book are short sections on topics such as Spring Training, the affiliate teams, fans, ballpark food and legendary broadcasters Red Barber and Vin Scully.

Dodgers: Past and Present is an excellent overview of an iconic franchise.  Whether you are a Dodgers fan or simply a baseball fan wanting to learn more about the game’s history, it’s an enjoyable book to add to your collection.

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