Major League Baseball grants two of New York City’s staple franchises the right to relocate to California
On May 28, 1957, National League owners voted to allow the New York Giants and Brooklyn Dodgers to move to San Francisco and Los Angeles, respectively.
This move by both teams was driven by financial incentives, a desire for newer stadium facilities, and the opportunity to bring baseball to the West Coast for the first time. The Dodgers had been playing at the aging Ebbets Field, while the Giants’ Polo Grounds was also in disrepair. The California economy was booming at the time, and the rapid migration to that area of the country had made LA and San Francisco intriguing markets to explore.
For the first half of the 20th century, New York City hosted three Major League teams, with the Yankees playing in the Bronx, the Dodgers making their home in Brooklyn, and the Giants playing in Upper Manhattan. Suddenly, there was only one team left — until the Mets were added as an expansion franchise in 1962.
Both the Giants and Dodgers thrived in their new home, winning multiple World Series championships and featuring some of baseball’s true legends. Their rivalry, which began in NYC over a hundred years ago, continues today… Except now they take place somewhere between Hollywood and the Golden Gate Bridge.
