LA Dodgers host charity game vs. The Boston Red Sox at the LA Coliseum with record attendnce (3/08)

 

The Dodgers vs. Red Sox game at the Los AngelesColiseum on March 29th, 2008 
came off without a hitch. It marked the 50th anniversary of the Dodgers moving	 
to Los Angeles from Brooklyn, playing their first 4 years at the Coliseum, 
starting in 1958, as Dodger Stadium in Chavez Ravine was being constructed.

On a beautiful night in Los Angeles as the sun was setting, the stadium looked   like something out of a dream.  It was hard not to conjure up images of Dodger

greats in their baggier uniforms playing their hearts out for their new city.    Upon entering the stadium and getting a closer look, your eyes were drawn to left

field.  The wall was only 201 feet away with a 60 foot screen attached. No   farther than a little league field!  Also, the backstop was only about 15 feet   from home plate and the make shift dugouts were also very close to the action.     Despite the huge stadium and record crowd of 115,000 die hard fans, the stadium

took on an intimate vibe. It was a lot of fun to see the outfielders on both

teams shifted around into different positions leaving left field empty for the   most part.  Andruw Jones of the Dodgers was playing in the infield right behind

second base and actually took the throw from the catcher on a steal attempt.  It   was the short stops responsibility to run out to left field on hits trying to keep   the batters from advancing to second. Anything hit hard was a single, but you had   a chance for a double on a slow hit chopper through the left side of the infield.    It was a night to remember. The new Dodger outfield and Coach Joe Torre are   pictured below with Tommy Lasorda.      The Los Angeles Dodgers can now lay claim to setting the Guinness World   Record for the “Largest Attendance At A Baseball Game.” Saturday’s crowd of  115,300 for the charity fundraiser with the Boston Red Sox at the famed Los  Angeles Memorial Coliseum toppled a Guinness World Record that had stood for  more than 50 years. Guinness World Records officially confirmed the number   today, which breaks the previous mark of 114,000 fans, set in December   1956, during a baseball game between Australia and an American Services   team for the Olympic Games in Melbourne , New South Wales , Australia.   “This record is a tribute to the passion and compassion of our fans,   with whom this event clearly struck a chord," said Dodgers Owner Frank   McCourt.  "It's a marvelous launch for 'ThinkCure,' and great news for   our partners at City of Hope and Childrens Hospital LA. "The previous   record for a Major League Baseball game was also set at the LA Coliseum  on May 7, 1959 when 93,100 turned out for an exhibition contest between	  the Dodgers and Yankees. 	That night, Los Angeles paid tribute to   Hall of Fame catcher Roy Campanella, who was paralyzed from the chest   down in a 1958 car accident.  	 The regular season starts on March 31st vs. the Giants at Dodger Stadium.   More info and tickets at (866)-dodgers or  www.dodgers.mlb.com