The Answer
They were earlier nicknamed the Brooklyn Trolley Dodgers due to the dangers of navigating the Brooklyn streets in the late 19th century and early 20th century.
Brooklyn’s baseball team was originally nicknamed the “Bridegrooms” when they debuted in the National League in 1890. The nickname emerged because six members of the team got married during the season.
A few years later another name started appearing in the press – “Brooklyn Trolley Dodgers“.
Beginning in the 1890s electric trolleys became widely used throughout Brooklyn, replacing the slower horse-drawn trolleys in use prior to that time.
The Evening World reported that year:
The LA Dodgers Got Their Name From Brooklyn’s Deadly Streetcars
“[A] new precaution is necessary for the suffering Brooklynite. In addition to being always prepared to dodge the trolley wire, he must always be careful to step clear of the trolley rail.”
The name became official in 1933, 22 years before The Brooklyn Dodgers packed up and moved to Los Angeles.
