A B737 CREW EXPERIENCED A GEAR UNSAFE LIGHT UPON GEAR RETRACTION. RETURNED TO DEP ARPT.

Narrative

DEPARTED RWY 9L ORD. MOVED GEAR LEVER TO 'UP' TO RAISE THE GEAR. LEFT RED GEAR UNSAFE LIGHT STAY ON. LEVELED OFF AT 5000 FT AND REDUCED THE PWR TO STAY AT 220 KTS TO TROUBLESHOOT. I WAS AWARE OF THE LOG HISTORY AND THAT THIS HAD OCCURRED BEFORE. THIS WAS MY LEG AND I WAS FLYING. I ASKED THE FO TO MOVE THE GEAR LEER TO 'OFF.' SHORTLY AFTER THAT; THE L GREEN GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED LIGHT CAME ON AND THE RED UNSAFE LIGHT STAYED ILLUMINATED. I XFERRED FLT CTL AND RADIOS TO THE FO. I THEN CALLED THE PURSER AND GAVE A QUICK EXPLANATION. AFTER THAT I CALLED DISPATCH AND GOT A PATCH MAINT KEPT CUTTING IN AND OUT; BUT AFTER A WHILE WE AGREED TO MOVE THE GEAR LEER DOWN AND WE GOT 3 GREEN. WE LANDED WITHOUT EVENT. WE DID NOT DO A CABIN ADVISORY OR DECLARE AN EMER. I FELT COMFORTABLE WITH THE LOG HISTORY AND THE 3 GREEN INDICATIONS THAT WE HAD A SAFE GEAR TO LAND ON AND ANTICIPATED A ROUTINE LNDG. OUR LNDG WT WAS LOW (ABOUT 90000 LBS) AND I TOOK THE CTLS BACK FOR A FLAPS 40 DEG LNDG ON RWY 9R WITH A R XWIND. EVERYTHING ELSE WAS UNEVENTFUL.