May 15 in Walter O’Malley History

May 15, 1952
In Walter O’Malley’s letter to Bud Holman, the influential businessman who first attracted the Dodgers to Vero Beach, Florida for Spring Training activities in 1948, he outlines his plans for a new stadium that the Dodgers will privately build and maintain at Dodgertown. “As you know, it is my intention to demonstrate, in a practical way, that the Dodgers are permanently interested in Vero Beach and in that direction we propose to build a beautiful concrete stadium seating 4200. Such a stadium will have great value to the City of Vero Beach as well as to the Dodgers. You will understand that a good many people will question our wisdom in spending this amount of money in a spring training stadium, particularly when it is normally one of the inducements that the different cities offer the various ball clubs to train there. I justify the investment, not on the immediate future but on a long range forecast. I believe that Vero Beach will grow soundly and that as we demonstrate to the people our sincerity they will develop a greater interest in baseball than has been shown so far.”
May 15, 1958
On the invitation of Los Angeles City Council President John S. Gibson, Jr., Walter O’Malley appears before a committee on government efficiency and economy regarding the approved contract between the City of L.A. and the Dodgers, which is the subject of a referendum, “Proposition B,” to be decided by voters on June 3, 1958.
May 15, 1960
Walter O’Malley presents replicas of the 1959 World Champion Los Angeles Dodgers banners for five Los Angeles County parks to fly during a May 23-29 good sportsmanship program. O’Malley expresses hope that the program will inspire the younger generation of Los Angeles fans to work hard to achieve their dreams.