Dodgers Alumni Weekend, a three-day celebration of many of the team’s key players since the club moved west in 1958, will take place at Dodger Stadium from Friday, August 9 through Sunday, August 11, during the team’s series against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Dodgers will commemorate nearly 40 integral members of their franchise history, along with new recognitions for Hall of Famer and former Dodgers owner Walter F. O’Malley and outfielders Dusty Baker and Matt Kemp.
On August 9, before the Dodgers’ 7:10 p.m. game against the Pirates, Baker will be inducted into Legends of Dodger Baseball, an elite group recognizing contributors to the franchise’s longtime success on the field and with their fans.
One of the most popular Dodgers of his era (turning the left-field stands into “Baker’s Field”), Baker blossomed with Los Angeles over eight seasons from 1976–83, winning two Silver Slugger Awards and a Gold Glove Award. He was named to two National League All-Star teams, the first on his way to leading the Dodgers to their fifth World Series title in 1981.
Baker hit his 30th home run of 1977 on the last day of the season, joining Steve Garvey, Ron Cey and Reggie Smith in creating the first 30-home run quartet in Major League history. During his Dodger tenure, Baker ranked fourth among all National League outfielders during that span with 144 home runs, fifth with 586 RBI and sixth with 1,144 hits.
Baker will become the eighth Legends of Dodger Baseball inductee, joining Don Newcombe, Steve Garvey, Fernando Valenzuela (2019 inductees); Maury Wills and Kirk Gibson (2022); and Manny Mota and Orel Hershiser (2023).
“It’s a tremendous honor,” Baker said. “And, it’s a bit of a surprise, especially for a kid from Riverside that used to listen to all the Dodger games and Vin Scully. All the Dodger greats that I used to copy and emulate, it’s a little strange for me to be up there honored with them.”
The Alumni Grand Reunion arrives August 10 before the Dodgers’ 6:10 p.m. game against Pittsburgh, featuring the return of Dodgers from each decade since their move to Los Angeles in 1958. The Dodgers will bring back former World Series champions, MVPs, Rookies of the Year, Cy Young Award winners, All-Stars and more.
In addition, Hall of Fame owner Walter F. O’Malley, whose vision fueled the groundbreaking creation of a new home for baseball, will become the 15th member of the Dodgers’ Ring of Honor, alongside the retired numbers of players Pee Wee Reese, Duke Snider, Gil Hodges, Jim Gilliam, Don Sutton, Sandy Koufax, Fernando Valenzuela, Roy Campanella, Jackie Robinson (whose №42 is retired throughout baseball) and Don Drysdale, managers Walter Alston and Tommy Lasorda, and broadcasters Jaime Jarrín and Vin Scully.
Peter O’Malley, President of the Dodgers from 1970–1998, will represent the O’Malley family at the event and accept the honor on behalf of his father.
Matt Kemp Day, also heralded by a pregame on-field ceremony, will top off the weekend’s festivities on August 11, before the Dodgers’ 1:10 p.m. game against the Pirates.
Debuting at age 21 and playing a total of 10 seasons (2006–14, 2018) in Los Angeles, Kemp hit 203 homers in his Dodger career, fourth all-time among L.A. players. He is the only Dodger with at least 200 homers and 150 stolen bases, including a 39-homer, 40-steal season that led to All-Star and Silver Slugger recognition in 2011, when he was also a close runner-up for the NL MVP Award. Kemp is a three-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove winner.
“The Dodgers were the ones who gave me the opportunity to put a big-league jersey on and live out my dream,” said Kemp. “So to be able to put that jersey back on and to be able to be around all the fellas, it’s kind of nostalgic, and it’s very exciting to be back in L.A.”
For ticket information about attending Dodgers Alumni Weekend, please visit dodgers.com/tickets.
Dodger Alumni Weekend includes Dusty Baker Legends Ceremony, Grand Reunion and Matt Kemp Day was originally published in Dodger Insider on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.