LAistory is a series that takes us on a journey to what came before to help us understand where we are today. So far we've been to Val Verde, Thelma Todd's Roadside Cafe, a house in Beverly Hills, Echo Park's Bonnie Brae House, Marineland of the Pacific, and Grand Central Air Terminal in Glendale. Now we're going to take you out to the ballgame, some decades back... The arrival of the Dodgers in Los......

Los Angeles resident Josh Robbins and friends will embark on a twenty-seven day quest, by car, to visit baseball games at thirty baseball stadiums around the country. Their journey starts on June 16th, and they hope to set a world record, document the trip on video, and raise funds for the Jim Thorpe Little League in Hawthorne. All thirty stadiums and games, as well as information on donating to the project and the little......

Londonist are starting to think their city is getting just a little bit too expensive, when even Christian Slater can't afford to go out there. And there's no escaping, as local singer Lily Allen discovered when she was barred entry to the US. The British mapping agency caused further bad karma, by blocking a 3-D representation of London in Google Earth. But the smiles returned to Londonist's faces as they interviewed Baroness von Reichardt,......

Giants 4, Dodgers 2 - Maybe it's better this way. If Barry had tied (or passed) Hank Aaron in Chavez Ravine, it would have been the second time the Dodgers gave up the record breaking shot (yup, Hammerin' Hank hit 715 against the Boys in Blue). That's not to mention the riot that would have ensued. This isn't exactly the most hospitable town for any Giant, much less that Giant. It was a bigger game......

David Beckham’s historic first game as a Major League Soccer (MLS) player is now over. At a loss for words, I have decided to take a cue from the Chelsea Soccer Club fans that often relate soccer to sex and am going to do doing the same here. Having paid for a $120 ticket to see Beckham play for 12 minutes was sort of like visiting a sex worker and being charged a whole......

Between the competitive NL West, the blazin’ Brewers, and the surging Indians, there are more compelling stories out there than what A-Rod’s bitter wife wore to a game and what the Bronx Bums aren’t doing....

Yesterday marked David Beckham’s last day as a respectable European footballer before he makes his move to the Los Angeles Galaxy. Given the high caliber of the European soccer teams as compared to the naïve American Major League Soccer (MLS), this last game is surely the beginning of the end for the legendary Beckham. He is now doomed to a life of over-done, over-rated, Hollywood middle-brow trashiness. The poor man has already begun to......

A message from Major League Baseball before I start this drivel. For one lucky baseball loving, red blooded, testosterone raging man or lesbian comes an opportunity of a lifetime. He/she gets a DATE WITH ALYSSA MILANO! If you want to as close to her as Barry Zito, Carl Pavano and Tubby have been, just fill out the entry form here and good luck. And from the looks of this list all you need to......

With the Dodgers playing a rather boring series at the Washington Nationals, it’s time to take care of some housecleaning. All Star Voting Yesterday, Major League Baseball released the preliminary results of the first period of fan voting for the All Star Game. The fan votes will determine which position players start the game. According to the results, My Boyfriend is running a distant fourth to the fiery whoring gambler Paul Lo Duca (former......

Solving the age-old problem of "how do I properly get the perfect amount of mud on my balls", 17-year-old Cameron Kruse has gotten the attention of Science Fairs, Major League Baseball, and a local beach-side university. Little known fact: brand new baseballs straight out of the box need to be rubbed with a certain amount of special mud to prevent the balls from slipping out of pitchers' hands. Using a brilliant combo of lasers,......

- 3.0 quake in The Valley this afternoon - Major League Soccer: New England 3, Los Angeles 2. - Environmentally friendly and affordable bras and panties guides by GreenLAGirl. - 2 die at Mother's Day Flower Stand when car plows through. - Why do the La Brea Tar Pits bubble? - California man on FBI's Top Ten List arrested in Canada - 60 to 80 acres burned in Pacoima off Osborne Street. - American......

Roughly one month into the season, and the Los Angeles Dodgers are within 2 games of the best record in Major League Baseball. What team began play today with the best record? Why the Milwaukee Brewers, of course. Led by young hitting stars Prince (Don't Call me Cecil) Fielder, Bill Hall (of Fame), Corey (Never Surrender) Hart, and Rickie (insert cheesy nickname here) Weeks, the Brewers have belted more home runs than all but......

With a 5-3 loss last night to San Francisco, the Los Angeles Dodgers' lead in the National League West has narrowed to one game over the Padres. The next two games at Dodger Stadium will be key, as a No Cal sweep over So Cal would move the Giants into a virtual tie with the Dodgers in the NL West. One player who will have absolutely no impact in either of the remaining games against......

Despite the Los Angeles Dodgers' 7-2 loss Wednesday night in Colorado, no team in Major League Baseball can boast more wins (10) than the Blue Crew heading into Thursday's action. Led by an airtight bullpen, the Dodger pitching staff (2nd best ERA in the National League) has driven much of the team's early season success. This, of course, is a horrible segue (in fact no segue at all) to the subject of Part 4......

- List of Major League baseball players who wore 42 today - Yahoo - Best headline about Chicago getting the nod by the US Olympic committe: "Gone with the Wind" - LA Daily News - How a Hollywood blockbuster could earn over $200 million but still lose the studio $78 million - LAT - Local businesses, companies, and even malls are writing big checks to the LAPD for extra protection - LAT - An......

A week after LAist judged Angel outfielder Garret Anderson for refusing to wear Jackie Robinson's number on Jackie Robinson Day, it appears that the All-Star is agreeing with us. After explaining how Anderson was approached by Major League Baseball to wear the retired number during Sunday's game, the 60th anniversary of Robinson breaking the color barrier, but passed on donning # 42 because it was Ken Griffey's idea, we concluded that anyone that shallow......

Anaheim Angels manager, and former Dodger, Mike Scioscia tried to defend his suddenly-controversial outfielder Garret Anderson, who last week told officials that he would not be wearing Jackie Robinson's number this Sunday to celebrate Robinson breaking the color barrier in baseball. Anderson originally gave two excuses for dissing the dead Dodger by refusing to wear his number, 1) he said he wasn't going to do it because it was Ken Griffey Jr.'s idea and......

When an author of a book about cheating in baseball noticed Angel closer Francisco Rodriguez going to his cap an inordinate amount of times on Opening Day, he wrote about it on his blog and got photos, and his allegations against K-Rod made it to the front office of Major League Baseball. Where it died. Yesterday MLB called the Angels to tell them that there would be no investigation of K-Rod's cap because there......

- Ray Liotta arrested and charged with DUI after crashing into two parked cars in the Palisades - AP - Feds begin investigating the two recent suspicious church fires - CBS2 - Even though there are three Black stars favored to win Oscars, is the Academy still stiffing African-Americans? - Reuters - The popularity of Junior ROTC in area high schools is dropping fast - LA Times - Cal State Fullerton student/Apple Store employee......

Lovable modern-day ironman Cal Ripken Jr., and just as lovable Tony Gwynn were voted into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame today with 537 and 532 votes, respectively, from the Baseball Writers Association of America. The five extra votes for Ripken somehow say that durability (and, let's face it, a lot of luck) is better than a career .337 average, five gold gloves, and a career high .394 average? Although he didn't get......

Tomorrow morning the inductees of Major League Baseball's Hall of Fame will be announced, and this morning the writers over at MLB.com, showing a nice bit of transparency, listed their picks, in order. Three Dodger greats (Steve Garvey, Tommy John, Orel Hershiser) are on the ballot but have little chance of making it in. Unfortunately, the Baseball Writers Association of America does not recognize LAist writers or editors, which is sad because this would......

- Saddam's days are numbered, will be hanged on Sunday - MSNBC - The man who pardoned the most unpopular president of the late 20th century, bit his tongue about hating on Dubya - WaPo - My name is Gina Elise and I am a 24-year old UCLA graduate. I would like you to consider covering my 2007 "Pin-Ups for Vets Calendar" on your blog... PinUps for Vets - OC Sheriff demotes 21-year veteran......

Orlando - When the Chicago Cubs decided (foolishly) to pay $40 million for southpaw Ted Lilly, they no longer could afford the much better Jason Schmidt who was scooped up today by the Dodgers. Schmidt who has racked up an impressive 78-37 record in his five-and-a-half years with the SF Giants, has been disappointing of late only able to earn 11 wins last year and lost 9 times. Still he will probably become the ace......

1731 - Benjamin Banneker, American scientist 1802 - Elijah P. Lovejoy, American abolitionist 1918 - Spiro Agnew, Vice President of the United States 1923 - Dorothy Dandridge, American actress 1928 - Anne Sexton, American poet 1931 - Whitey Herzog, Major League Baseball player and manager 1934 - Carl Sagan, American astronomer and writer 1935 - Bob Gibson, St. Louis Cardinals 1941 - Tom Fogerty, American musician (Creedence Clearwater Revival) 1942 - Tom Weiskopf, American......

Buck O'Neil, who had recently been hospitalized, released, and readmitted due to "fatigue", died today at 94. He was the perfect example of life being unfair. He was born black in America at a time when blacks weren't allowed to play in the "major leagues", so he played in the Negro Leagues, which many say at the time was the better league. Buck was so good that even though he was batting .355 against......

The National League West has turned into the most competitive division in Baseball. Every team in the West still has a shot at a playoff berth. They were not supposed to be this good. They were not supposed to be competitive. At the start of the season the division was the laughing stock of Major League Baseball, with many pundits expressing that they would not be surprised if every NL West team finished below......

Jose Canseco, who was recently signed to the San Diego Surf Dogs was traded yesterday after just one game. And, Snoop Dogg, he's coming to the LBC. Reno Silver Sox general manager Dwight Dortsh said Tuesday that the former Major League Baseball slugger, who played for San Diego in Monday's 4-3 victory over Chico, will be traded to the Long Beach Armada for a player to be named later. - Nevada Appeal Frankly we don't......

Welcome news today for all you herbivore fans of the Los Angeles Dodgers. The sudden disappearance of the vegetarian Dodger dog looks to be short-lived. What, you ask? Seriously, for the past few years Dodger Stadium has been one of the few Major League ballparks with seriously top-notch soy dogs in house. The veggie dogs were only available at two specific stands (one in the reserved seats level, and one in the lower box......

Well at least the weather was good. The Dodgers, as well as Major League Baseball celebrated Jackie Robinson Day Saturday April 15th. The Blue Crew looked to improve their record against arch rival San Francisco Giants but found themselves falling short and wondering what happened. It was an eventful and dare we say, entertaining series if not a successful one. The Dodgers dropped 2 of 3 to the Giants and fell below .500 (6-7)......

After Wired ran a story documenting the GoogleCenter of the United States a bunch of ists jumped on the opportunity to figure out their own middle. Gothamist, Chicagoist, Bostonist and Seattlest all zoomed in on their creamy GoogleCenters. A crack cartography team is hard at work determining the GoogleCenter of the Ist-a-verse as you read this... Austinist read a book about Olympian Bode Miller and liked it. They also took a few pictures of the......