This Day in Walter O’Malley History:
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Katherine “Kay” Hanson, daughter of Judge Peter Hanson and Elizabeth Geyer Hanson, is born in Brooklyn, New York. Kay marries her neighbor Walter Francis O’Malley on September 5, 1931.
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For the first time in major league baseball history, radio broadcasters get their own press box facilities, as the Dodgers renovate special photographers’ boxes used for the 1947 World Series at Ebbets Field. Walter O’Malley, Vice President and General Counsel of the Dodgers, makes the announcement about the refurbished boxes along the third base line at Al Schacht’s Restaurant and presents Bill Stern of the Sports Broadcasters Association with 36 season passes. Dodger games were rebroadcast on more than 40 stations.
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At the annual Knothole Club dinner at the St. George Hotel in Brooklyn, Dodger broadcaster Connie Desmond was questioning returning pitcher Don Newcombe about his two years of service in the U.S. Army. “Big Newk” said he was “glad to be back and more glad to be a Dodger.” Desmond asked, “And there’s quite a difference in the check from Uncle Sam and the one from O’Malley, isn’t there?” Newk brought down the house when he joked, “Not too much difference.” In 1951, he won 20 games for the Dodgers. Roscoe McGowen, The Sporting News, April 21, 1954
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“I give you now our enduring manager of the Dodgers, Walter (Smokey) Alston” stated Walter O’Malley about his freshman skipper at the annual Knothole Club dinner at the St. George Hotel in Brooklyn. Sportswriter Roscoe McGowen wrote in The Sporting News that “O’Malley put special emphasis on the word ‘enduring’ and that obviously must be interpreted to mean that Alston is in for a long, long time.” Alston managed the Dodgers from 1954 to 1976, won four World Series and was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1983.
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Dedication ceremonies to permanently install a plaque are held on the Top Deck of Dodger Stadium with engineer and architect Capt. Emil Praeger, Al Vinnell and Jack Yount of Vinnell Constructors and O’Malley family members (including Walter, his wife Kay, daughter Terry and young grandsons John and Peter) participating. Also on this day, comedian Jerry Lewis writes a letter of appreciation to Walter O’Malley thanking him for the location of his Dodger season tickets. He says, “My pride in being a Dodger fan is only exceeded by our friendship. Thanks again for everything.” Finally, Danny Kaye critiques new Dodger Stadium in a letter to O’Malley, “It’s an inspiring stadium in extremely good taste and one has the feeling that the public’s comfort and pleasure were the foremost considerations in constructing a permanent home for the Dodgers.” In pregame ceremonies, the Dodgers exchange home plates with Nagoya, Japan, Sister City of Los Angeles.
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New York City Housing Authority Chairman William Reid writes a letter to Walter O’Malley asking him to serve on an advisory committee for the Authority’s Boys’ Softball League. The purpose of the League is to “stimulate cooperative relationships among housing project youths and to foster a sense of belonging and recognition among the boys,” said Reid. “At present, over 120,000 youths under 18 reside in housing developments. We are hopeful that the Advisory Committee will be an inspiration and symbol of achievement to the boys.” Shortly thereafter, O’Malley agrees to serve on the committee.
