2004 Los Angeles Dodgers

After taking a back seat to the San Francisco Giants for a few years, the Los Angeles Dodgers, with energetic new ownership and the most effective closer in baseball history, are the front-runners in the race for the National League's West Division title in 2004. With closer Eric Gagne available to nail down victories when the powerful Dodger lineup gives him a lead in the ninth inning, this team may well end up in the World Series. Needless to say, tickets are hard to come by for Dodger games.

The Dodgers first became a Major League Baseball franchise in 1890 as the Brooklyn Bridegrooms, eventually becoming the Brooklyn Dodgers. That team won its first of 21 National League Championships. The most famous player in the Brooklyn Dodgers' history is Jackie Robinson, the first black player in Major League Baseball. In 1958 the team moved to Los Angeles. The Dodgers have won five World Series championships since the move to L.A. (1959, 1963, 1965, 1981, and 1988); all of these titles were won under the guidance of two Hall of Fame managers, Walter Alston and Tommy Lasorda. The team now plays in the National League West division against such rivals as the San Diego Padres, Arizona Diamondbacks, and their most hated rival, the San Francisco Giants.

The current Dodgers team is managed by first-time manager Jim Tracy. The team is almost always a competitive force in the National League West. They are led by strong pitching, good defense, and timely hitting. The pitching staff is anchored by its Cy Young award-winning closer Eric Gagne. Gagne is a converted starter who throws extremely hard and possesses unhittable off-speed pitches. The starting staff is anchored by lefties Odalis Perez and Kazuhisa Ishii. The best position player on the team is power-hitting right fielder Shawn Green. Green is left-handed hitter who, according to many people around the league, has one of the prettiest swings in all of baseball.

After the Dodgers moved to L.A. they played their first four years in the cavernous Los Angeles Coliseum, while their new home at Dodger Stadium was being built. The stadium was built into Chavez Ravine, and is often referred to as such. In 1962 the Dodgers moved into their new home, and since then, the beauty of Dodger Stadium has awed spectators.

Los Angeles is the second biggest city in the country and so the Dodgers are not the only sports team in town. In fact, they are not even the only baseball team. The Anaheim Angels play their home games at Edison Stadium in Anaheim, a suburb of L.A. The team used to be looked upon as "the second team" in Los Angeles but have enjoyed success in recent years, winning the World Series in 2002. The Los Angeles Lakers are one of the most successful NBA teams, winning multiple championships in each of the past three decades. Ticket holders in L.A. could also be going to major college sporting events, watching either the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Bruins or the University of Southern California (USC) Trojans. The Bruins are one of the most storied basketball teams of all time, while the Trojans have one of the most successful football programs ever.

Tickets to Dodgers games will always be hot despite all of the other sports in the Greater LA area.