The selection for L.A. Radio.com's "Flashback" on this date in 1958 happens to remind me of that year that Major League baseball began it's first season in Los Angeles.
Top Five Flashback, May 7, 1958: All I Have To Do Is Dream by the Everly Brothers, Witch Doctor by David Seville (the "Chipmunks" guy) , Twilight Time by the Platters, Wear My Ring Around Your Neck by Elvis Presley, He’s Got The Whole World In His Hands by Laurie London. At that time, I think KFWB was the leading pop radio station with it's "Color Radio" theme- and all of these songs could be heard on one station, not like today where they go by the "types" of music.
Today's Dodger team and the League are way different than back then. The Coliseum was the home field for the Dodgers. Dodger Stadium was still a neighborhood in Elysian Park and the people in Brooklyn were still stunned that the team up and left. The Dodgers wound up in next to last place that year. There still were not any "Divisions" because the National and American Leagues had only 8 teams apiece. The World Series was all done by mid-October then, and now it's barely getting the League Championships settled by that time. It was something new to L.A., especially since the Giants left N.Y., too, and moved to San Francisco, carrying on a rivalry that still continues. Wikipedia has the listing of the roster names for the team back then. Some that are pretty famous and some names that make you say, "Who's that?"
Opening Day Starters
Name______ Position
Gino Cimoli ----- Centerfielder
Pee Wee Reese-- Shortstop
Duke Snider----- Leftfielder
Gil Hodges------ First Baseman
Charlie Neal---- Second Baseman
Dick Gray------- Third Baseman
Carl Furillo----- Rightfielder
Rube Walker--- Catcher
Don Drysdale-- Starting Pitcher
The very next year the Dodgers won the 1959 World Series against the Chicago White Sox and thing were very good.
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