“DODGERS: BROTHERHOOD OF THE GAME” OPENS MARCH 29 AT JAPANESE AMERICAN NATIONAL MUSEUM

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 September 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, 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, Vero Beach, Florida; Lasorda’s handwritten letter to 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; and the cap worn by Nomo during his first game with the Dodgers.

The exhibition is a collaboration between the Los Angeles Dodgers, Peter O’Malley and family, and the Japanese American National Museum. Peter O’Malley is the exhibition’s Premier Sponsor.

Public programs will accompany Dodgers: Brotherhood of the Game during the run of the exhibition.

About the Japanese American National Museum
The Japanese American National Museum is dedicated to fostering greater understanding and appreciation for America’s ethnic and cultural diversity by preserving and telling the stories of Americans of Japanese ancestry. Since its incorporation in 1985, the National Museum has grown into an internationally recognized institution, presenting award-winning exhibitions, groundbreaking traveling exhibitions, educational public programs, innovative video documentaries, and cutting-edge curriculum guides. www.janm.org

General Information
The Japanese American National Museum is located at 100 North Central Avenue in historic Little Tokyo in downtown Los Angeles. For more information, call 213.625.0414, or visit 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. Admission is $9.00 for adults, $5.00 for seniors; $5.00 for students and children; FREE for Museum members and children under age five. Admission is FREE to everyone on Thursdays from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. and every third Thursday of the month from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. Closed Mondays, 4th of July, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day.