Dodgers Historian Presents Talk at South Pasadena Library Tonight

How did South Pasadena native Mark Langill go from baseball-loving boy to the big leagues? Well, it wasn’t because of his ability to hit one out of the park.

“I knew at a very early age that I knew everything about baseball except how to hit the ball, so when you’re washed up at age seven as an athlete, you know you have to do something else with your life,” Langill said.

“I never had to worry about any aspirations of playing ball at the next level because I just knew that wasn’t the type of player I was. But, I was always interested in the game, whether it was reading stories or listening to it on the radio, I just wish I could've hit the ball better.”

Langill recognized his strengths off the field and pursued a career as a sports writer, graduating from Cal State Northridge with a degree in journalism.

A lifelong Los Angeles Dodgers fan, Langill covered the team for the Pasadena-Star News and San Gabriel Valley Tribune from 1989 to 1993. In 1994, Langill started working for the Dodgers as their publications editor. In 2002, he added “Team Historian” to his job title.

“When I go to work every morning, it’s with great anticipation because it never fails that something unexpected will happen and that’s the great thing about working at the stadium,” Langill said. “It’s unpredictable in a good way — whether it’s on the field or something history related. It’s never the same routine, it’s always something different.”

The South Pasadena resident is now the author of four baseball-related books: “Dodgertown,” “Dodger Stadium,” “Los Angeles Dodgers,” and “Game of My Life, Dodgers.” He will be speaking at at the  on Thursday, February 17 at 7:30 p.m.

Langill’s fourth book, “Game of My Life, Dodgers,” features a collection of Brooklyn and Los Angeles greats as they describe their favorite day with the team.

“‘Game of My Life, Dodgers,’ was a nice opportunity to tell the team’s history through the eyes and the words of a range of people associated with the Dodgers, not just the players,” Langill said.

“It includes former players talking about their greatest moment, but there’s also people such as the organist, Nancy Bea Hefley talking about her most memorable moment and Mike Brito, the scout who signed Fernando Valenzuela. There’s a wide collection of people included so it’s not just ball player after ball player.”

Langill is currently gearing up for the blue crew’s 2011 season. The Dodgers will open the new season with a home game against the San Francisco Giants on Thursday, April 1.

“We’re working on the 2011 publications, the yearbook and the programs projects relating to the first month of the season,” Langill said. “Spring training begins this week and I’m going to stay in Los Angeles because we have some other projects we need to work on for the upcoming season.”

Despite the 2011 season just two months away, Langill is currently preparing for his Author Night talk, where he will raffle off signed Boys in Blue memorabilia.

“My talk will be a combination of what lead me to the position, as far as my background in the city and growing up following the team,” Langill said. “I’ll also be talking about what my position entails, what things are like behind the scenes in terms of things that happen at the ballpark.”