This Day in Walter O’Malley History:

  • Kay and Walter O’Malley had fun with their Christmas card but also showed their enjoyment of their recent visit to Japan with the Brooklyn Dodgers Goodwill Tour. Roscoe McGowen writes in The Sporting News, “First Christmas cards received by this department came from foreign lands...The first one was from Jim Hausman, the Schaefer tub thumper, from Bethlehem, with real Holy Land flowers pressed on the card. The other was from Japan and appeared to bear only Japanese characters. But the lady of the house (Mrs. McGowen), more observant, noted that the top line, when read downward vertically was “Kay and Walter” — meaning from the O’Malley and his lady.” Roscoe McGowen, The Sporting News, December 19, 1956

  • National League President Warren C. Giles informs Walter O’Malley that there may be a serious problem in playing Dodger home games in Pasadena for the 1958 season. In his letter, Giles writes, “Press accounts indicate you will negotiate for the right to play some or all of your games in the Rose Bowl, which I understand is located within the city limits of Pasadena and of course outside the city limits of Los Angeles. There are two problems confronting us on that; one is very, very important. It is my belief that unless you would play a substantial number of your home games in a park located within the city limits of Los Angeles, the National League could not be considered as occupying Los Angeles territory in 1958. The other problem is, your club is considered to be the Los Angeles member of our league (or at least it will be when arrangements are finally completed) and therefore if you wanted to play a limited number of games outside of Los Angeles, league consent is required, just as it was in the Jersey City situation. Because of the park difficulties you are encountering, I feel the necessary consent to play a few games in Pasadena would be granted, but nevertheless it is a problem with which you are confronted. To play all of your games outside of Los Angeles would, in my judgment, leave the Los Angeles territory open and I am not sure but that some club might under our rules be able to move into Los Angeles, and probably at no cost to them. This would confront the league with a serious situation. Possibly you had these things in mind, but I felt it was my duty to call them to your attention before you went too far on any deal for playing in Pasadena. You certainly have your hands full but I feel confident you will be able to work it out.”