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Dodger Stadium is rated as one of the best ballparks in Major League Baseball and is home to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Dodger Stadium and Chicago's Wrigley Field were the only National League Stadiums built exclusively for baseball, until Colorado Rockies Coors Field came up in 1995. Dodger Stadium opened on April 10, 1962, 52,564 fans packed the five level multicolored structure. The Los Angeles (Anaheim) Angels also began playing at Dodger Stadium in 1962, and played there until 1965. Dodger Stadium was designed to be expandable to seat 85,000 people. However, the Los Angeles Dodgers never expanded it. Four of the five seating decks drag out from foul pole to foul pole. The top upper deck extends from the first base side to the third base side. A wavy top roof hangs over the back of the bleachers which are located behind both left and right field. Two scoreboards are on top of the bleachers. After the 1999 season, new field level seats down the foul lines beyond the dugouts and a new expanded dugout section with an adjacent club area were added. The luxury suites were also upgraded to provide similar amenities to the ones availed in newer ballparks. After the 2002 season, the Dodger put up a new video board, Dodger Vision replacing the old one. Also new out of town scoreboards are now incorporated as part of the outfield fence in left and right field. Since it has opened, Dodger Stadium has remained one of the cleanest and nicest ballparks in the country. In 1978, the Dodgers became the first team to draw three million fans to the ballpark. Every off season, it is given a fresh coat of paint. Sports illustrated in a poll voted on by Major League Players, awarded Dodger Stadium as having the best quality playing field. Dodger Stadium has a well deserved reputation as a pitchers' park. Several power pitchers such as Sandy Koufax, Don Drysdale and Fernando Valenzuela became superstars after arriving in Los Angeles. Dodger Stadium has hosted eight World Series Championships and the Dodgers have won four of those, eight National League pennants, eight National League Western Division crowns and one National League Wild Card berth in 1996. The stadium hosted the Major League Baseball All-Star Game in 1980 and the Olympic Games' baseball competition in 1984. The Olympic spirit returned to Los Angeles again in 1991, as Dodger Stadium hosted the Opening Ceremonies for the United States Olympic Festival. Later that summer, the stadium showcased the top amateur baseball players from around the world in the second annual International Baseball Association World All-Star Game. Dodger Stadium welcomed three of the renowned tenors making it one of the world's greatest entertainment events in 1994, Jose Carreras, Placido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti reunited for a breathtaking and remarkable concert performance, "Encore - The Three Tenors" with conductor Zubin Mehta. Pope John Paul II once celebrated Mass at Dodger Stadium. |
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