Chavez Ravine

May 23, 1958

By Keith Thursby
Times staff writer

A heavy hitter joined the political fight over a new stadium for the Dodgers.

Warren Giles, president of the National League, warned that the Dodgers could be forced to leave Los Angeles if voters turned down Proposition B on the June 3 ballot.  At issue was the contract already agreed upon by the city and the Dodgers to build a stadium at Chavez Ravine.

“It will be my personal recommendation to our league that we take immediate steps to study ways and means of relocating the franchise in another city,” Giles said.

Giles said the league wanted to keep the team in Los Angeles but that the Coliseum was only a short-term answer. Playing in a suburban location like Pasadena’s Rose Bowl wouldn’t do, either.

The story was played big in The Times, with separate accounts on the front page of the main news section and in sports.

Dodger owner Walter O’Malley sounded worried. “The Dodgers want to stay out of politics and we wish politics were not involved in baseball at this time,” O’Malley told The Times’ Al Wolf. “We have our hands full with many problems on and off the field. This presents another.”

keith.thursby@latimes.com