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April 1, 1957
Following the Brooklyn Dodgers’ successful goodwill trip to Japan arranged by Walter O’Malley, broadcaster Vin Scully writes an article and provides his own photographs for “The Dodgers in Japan” feature in Sport magazine. The Dodgers were 14-4-1 on the trip. Scully writes, “I guess we changed the Japanese players in many ways, but I think they changed us even more. The games in Japan may have been as important as any the Dodgers ever played.”1
April 1, 1961
Matsutaro Shoriki, the founder of baseball in Japan and owner of the Yomiuri Shimbun and the Yomiuri Giants, writes a letter of appreciation to Walter O’Malley following his team’s visit to Dodgertown. “Through the efforts and perseverance of you and your staff, the Yomiuri Giants Baseball now is a rejuvenated club, and I am sure, by learning ‘the Dodgers’ way of playing baseball’ at Vero Beach, the Giants will not only make a fast get away but will eventually capture the pennant; and will doing so, implant in the other Japanese teams, the American way of playing baseball,” says Shoriki. “I also want to thank you for the kind introduction of one of America’s leading architects, Dr. R. Buckminster Fuller, who has revolutionized Japanese architecture by his unique ideas.”
April 1, 1962
Bob Hunter writes in The Sporting News that Walter O’Malley startled 1,000 attendees of the Los Angeles Baseball Writers’ Dinner at the packed International Ballroom of the Beverly Hilton Hotel with an announcement. O’Malley solemnly said he had just learned that the New York Yankees had traded Mickey Mantle to the San Francisco Giants for Willie Mays. Even Yankee co-owner Del Webb, sitting at the dais, was surprised. O’Malley then delivered the punch line by saying, “Well, it’s April first, isn’t it?” The 1962 Baseball Writers’ Dinner was led by master of ceremonies Danny Thomas and comedian Bob Newhart. Additional entertainment was delivered by Dodger shortstop Maury Wills with his banjo and Willie Davis, Don Drysdale and Sandy Koufax sang a parody “Diamonds Are a Man’s Best Friend.”2
April 1, 1963
Duke Snider’s contract is sold to the New York Mets, ending his 16-year career with the Dodgers. As reported by Bob Hunter in The Sporting News, Walter O’Malley was with Snider when the announcement was made in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where the Dodgers were to play an exhibition game. “I feel bad, of course,” said Snider, “But we (he and his wife Beverly) both understand and are accepting it.”3
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