Los Angeles Dodgers
U.S.-Asia Sports Visionaries; Represented by Stan Kasten, President and CEO
The Dodgers have been at the vanguard of all U.S. sports, not just Major League Baseball, in terms of inclusion. From breaking the race barrier with Jackie Robinson to Jewish pitcher Sandy Koufax, Mexican pitcher Fernando Valenzuela and a 25-year tradition of Asian stars, the Dodgers reflect L.A.’s diversity and exemplify Asia Society’s mission to build cross- cultural ties.
The Dodgers are a global team whose engagement with Asia began in 1956, when they toured Japan. Jackie Robinson was on that trip and, as it turned out, played his final games as a Major Leaguer in Japan. In the 1980s, then-Dodger owner Walter O’Malley built practice fields in Beijing and a stadium – Dodger Stadium – in Tianjin to promote the game. He organized clinics in China and South Korea and, in 1998, the Dodgers became the first Major League team to open an office in Asia. They were also the first Major League team to field players from Korea, Chan Ho Park, and Taiwan, Chin- Feng Chen, and the second team to have a Japanese player, Hideo Nomo. Nomo’s success created a trans-Pacific sensation that brought Japanese fans to Chavez Ravine and expanded the Dodgers’ fan base among local Asian Americans. It opened doors for other Asian stars, including pitchers Hyun-jin Ryu and Kenta Maeda, as well as Manager Dave Roberts, was born in Okinawa to a Japanese mother and African-American father. One of the most popular U.S. teams in Asia, the Dodgers played the first Major League games in China in 2008 against the San Diego Padres. Diversity “is very much part of the DNA of this franchise,” says President and Chief Executive Officer Stan Kasten, who is accepting the award on behalf of the Dodgers. He has been a highly respected sports leader for four decades, building successful MLB, NBA and NHL franchises. Under Stan, the Atlanta Braves won 14 straight division titles, a World Series and more games than any other MLB team. He then helped revive baseball in Washington, D.C., as president of the Nationals.
Since he joined the Dodgers in 2012, the team has set a franchise record with six straight National League West titles, reached back-to-back World Series and topped the Majors in attendance each season. As a result, Dodger Stadium will host the 2020 All-Star Game, the city’s first since 1980. Stan was the Los Angeles Sports Council’s 2013 Executive of the Year and serves on the board of directors for the LA84 Foundation as well as the organizing committee for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.