Did the Brooklyn Dodgers make Bernie Sanders hate corporations?


In the fall of 1957, Brooklyn Dodgers owner Walter O'Malley became one of the biggest villains in Brooklyn history when he moved the borough's beloved Dodgers to Los Angeles. Among the traumatized Brooklynites? One 16-year-old Bernie Sanders.
Almost 60 years later, Sanders still hasn't gotten over it, The Guardian reports, and "those closest to him believe the shock of their departure helped inspire his political ideologies today."
"Bernie and I were both Dodger fans and we talk about that," Sanders' friend, Huck Gutman, said. "[The Dodgers' move] was the [first indication] that those with a lot of money may have an interest that is different than the community's interests."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"I asked him: 'Did this have a deep impact on you?'" another close friend recalls asking Sanders. "And he said: 'Of course! I thought the Dodgers belonged to Brooklyn.' [...] It does lay out the question of who owns what.”
Sanders had lived within walking distance of the Dodgers' Ebbets Field in Flatbush, and although he no longer watches any sports other than the Super Bowl, the Democratic presidential candidate is still able to rattle off the Dodgers' 1950s infield. During a recent appearance on David Axelrod's podcast, Sanders went as far as to quip that the Dodgers move wasn't "the only thing" that turned him against corporations.
"Now, when Bernie goes after pharmaceutical companies are the Dodgers in his mind? I don't know, it was definitely important to him," Gutman said. Read the whole story at The Guardian.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
-
5 jumbo-sized political cartoons about Qatar's 'gift' to Trump
Cartoons Editorial cartoons feature artists' takes on Donald Trump's visit to the Middle East.
-
Broccoli and cashew stir-fry recipe
The Week Recommends This nutty dish is a satisfying vegetarian option
-
The UK-US trade deal: what was agreed?
In Depth Keir Starmer's calm handling of Donald Trump paid off, but deal remains more of a 'damage limitation exercise' than 'an unbridled triumph'
-
Supreme Court weighs court limits amid birthright ban
speed read President Trump's bid to abolish birthright citizenship has sparked questions among federal judges about blocking administration policies
-
Gabbard fires intelligence chiefs after Venezuela report
speed read Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has fired the top two officials leading the National Intelligence Council
-
Trump vows to lift Syria sanctions
speed read The move would help the new government stabilize the country following years of civil war
-
Senate rejects Trump's Library of Congress takeover
speed read Congress resisted the president's attempts to control 'the legislative branch's premier research body'
-
Hamas frees US hostage in deal sidelining Israel
speed read Edan Alexander, a 21-year-old soldier, was the final living US citizen held by the militant group
-
White Afrikaners land in US as Trump-declared refugees
speed read An exception was made to Trump's near-total ban on admitting refugees for the white South Africans
-
Qatar luxury jet gift clouds Trump trip to Mideast
speed read Qatar is said to be presenting Trump with a $400 million plane, which would be among the biggest foreign gifts ever received by the US government
-
Trump taps Fox News' Pirro for DC attorney post
speed read The president has named Fox News host Jeanine Pirro to be the top federal prosecutor for Washington, replacing acting US Attorney Ed Martin