“Dodgers: Brotherhood of the Game,” a new exhibition exploring the team’s storied past through four players and a Hall of Fame manager, will open at the Japanese American National Museum on Saturday, March 29.
Jackie Robinson, Fernando Valenzuela, Chan Ho Park, Hideo Nomo, and Tommy Lasorda — each of whom made history in his own right — will be prominently featured, as will owners Branch Rickey, Walter O’Malley, and Peter O’Malley. The exhibition continues through Sept. 14.
“Dodgers: Brotherhood of the Game” will give visitors the opportunity to look beyond the statistics and memorable performances on the field. Baseball fans and those new to the game will gain an understanding of the importance of these key individuals and the Dodgers’ role in shaping American culture, contributing to advancements in civil rights, and promoting international baseball. The exhibition’s stories, photographs, and original artifacts will celebrate prolific careers and illustrate what makes the Dodgers more than just a baseball team.
“The Dodgers are true trailblazers,” said JANM President and CEO Greg Kimura. “The important cultural roles the team has played are what make this show a perfect fit for the museum. Our intent is to showcase the team and its accomplishments in ways that are meaningful not just for baseball fans and Dodgers fans but the public at large.”
“The Dodgers have a long history of commitment to civil rights, dating back to Jackie Robinson’s breaking of the color barrier,” said Dodgers co-owner Magic Johnson. “This exhibition at the Japanese American National Museum will be an opportunity for people of all ages, races, and ethnicities to see that commitment and gain new understanding of its importance. And the materials to be displayed are sure to please our biggest fans.”
“The Japanese American National Museum is a treasure and we are honored to participate in ‘Dodgers: Brotherhood of the Game,’” said Peter O’Malley, past president of the Los Angeles Dodgers (1970-1998). “Our family is proud to have led the way in opening doors so that others could follow. Society and baseball have been the beneficiaries.”
Among the numerous artifacts on display will be:
• Rare photographs of Robinson in Japan during the team’s 1956 goodwill tour, as well as a one-of-a-kind porcelain plate signed by members of the team and others in the touring group, never before displayed in the U.S.;
• A 1947 National League Championship bat;
• A photo album put together in 1961 of the Tokyo Yomiuri Giants, the first professional baseball team from Japan to train at a U.S. major league training site — Dodgertown in Vero Beach, Fla.;
• Lasorda’s handwritten letter to Dodgers owner Walter O’Malley about his 1965 goodwill tour to Japan;
• A collection of autographed baseballs commemorating the first-ever Olympic Games baseball exhibition tournament, played at Dodger Stadium;
• The cap worn by Nomo during his first game with the Dodgers.
The exhibition is a collaboration between the Dodgers, Peter O’Malley and family, and JANM. O’Malley is the exhibition’s Premier Sponsor.
Public programs will accompany the exhibition during its run.
JANM is located at 100 N. Central Avenue in Little Tokyo. For more information, call (213) 625-0414, or visit www.janm.org. Museum hours are Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Thursday from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. Closed Mondays, 4th of July, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day.
Admission is $9 for adults, $5 for seniors, students and children; free for museum members and children under 5. Admission is free to everyone on Thursdays from 5 to 8 p.m. and every third Thursday of the month from 12 to 8 p.m.
Nomo a Japanese hero！