The Los Angeles Dodgers is not only one of the oldest teams in Major League Baseball, it is part of two of the greatest rivalries in professional sports. The Dodgers acquired a nickname, “Da Bums”, from fans of the San Francisco Giants, back in the days when both teams were based in New York. The teams are still arch enemies.

The other rivalry for this team is with the New York Yankees. The Dodgers and the Yankees have gone head to head in a record eleven World Series, with the Dodgers winning only three of those matchups.

Beginning life in 1884, the team tried on six different names before settling on the Dodgers for good in 1932. The team played in Brooklyn, New York, from 1884 to 1957, then moved to Los Angeles, where their home field is the beloved Dodger Stadium. Tens of thousands of fans buy baseball tickets and pack the stands for games at this beautiful ballpark.

The Dodgers team is one of the most winning dynasties in baseball, with 16 trips to the World Series and six wins, most recently in 1988. Though the team has had a bit of a World Series slump since then, the Dodgers make regular visits to the playoffs, and the team is due for another set of winning seasons.

Dozens of great players have worn Dodger blue over the years, including a lot of Hall of Famers. Pee Wee Reese spent 16 fantastic seasons playing shortstop for the team in the 1940s and 1950s. Pitcher Don Drysdale, who led the National League in strikeouts in 1959-60, thrilled fans who bought Dodgers tickets for 14 years, until 1969. Sandy Koufax, an astounding pitcher who threw four no-hitters, spent 12 years with the Dodgers. Duke Snider, Roy Campanella, Jim Gilliam, Don Sutton . . . the list goes on and on.

The Dodgers player who most stood out in the world of baseball was Jackie Robinson. The Dodgers broke the color barrier when they brought in Robinson, the first African-American to play in the history of baseball. He played infield, outfield, won batting and MVP awards and took the very first Rookie of the Year award, which is now named after him. Robinson’s number, 42, was retired throughout baseball in 1972.

Dodgers history is full of outstanding managers as well, two of whom were later inducted into the Hall of Fame. Walter Alston took the Dodgers to seven pennants and four World Series championships. And the famous Tommy Lasorda, who pitched for the team in Brooklyn, led the Dodgers to four pennants and two World Series wins.

Baseball wouldn’t be baseball without the Los Angeles Dodgers, and the fans who flock to Dodger Stadium couldn’t agree more.