This Day in Walter O’Malley History:

  • Walter O’Malley and New York Yankees owner Del Webb review a model of proposed Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. The two also discuss terms for an American League team to move into the Los Angeles territory. O’Malley said that the American League park should be at least 15 miles from downtown Los Angeles and he had no interest in permanently sharing Dodger Stadium with the other league. Webb serves as Chairman of the American League Expansion Committee. On December 6, 1960, the American League owners vote to expand to Los Angeles, as the Angels are to begin play in 1961 at Wrigley Field. From 1962-65, the Dodgers and Los Angeles Angels shared Dodger Stadium for their respective home games.

  • Walter O’Malley writes a letter to Jackie Robinson’s wife Rachel in New York. “Dear Rachel: On my return from five weeks in Africa I was so pleased to find your letter on top of the pile. You and Jackie must have been at the Stadium Club dinner meeting the other night. We talked about Africa when you visited us last September and I do think you would both very much enjoy a visit to that continent...All the best to you and Jackie for pleasant holidays.”

  • Matsutaro Shoriki, the 82-year-old owner of the Yomiuri Giants and publisher of the Yomiuri Shimbun, sends a telegram to Walter O’Malley: “Received with many thanks your letter of November twenty from my son-in-law Yosoji Kobayashi. Sorry for my inability to see you off at airport because recuperating in Zushi on your departure day. Most deeply appreciate your kind cooperation and efforts for making American-Japan baseball matches extremely successful. Again, eye (sp.) wish to express my heartfelt gratitude to you. Will live up to one hundred years of age and wish you to live that long too so that we can exert ourselves not only to further promote baseball of U.S. and Japan but also thru baseball to cement friendly and cordial relations thru baseball existing between our two countries. With best wishes and regards to you and Mrs. (Kay) O’Malley.”

  • United States Patent No. 839323 officially is approved for 20 years, registering the service mark “Dodgers” to the Los Angeles Dodgers for “entertainment services in the nature of baseball exhibitions.”

  • Writing about the financial impact of professional stadiums, Paul Zimmerman comments: “When a government agency builds a stadium, the property and improvements are removed from the tax rolls. For example, when Los Angeles traded the Dodger Stadium site to Walter O’Malley in exchange for Wrigley Field, some folks said it was the biggest steal since the Brink’s robbery. In fact, the reverse occurred. The scattered, privately owned Chavez Ravine properties brought in less than $10,000 a year in tax money before the Dodger Stadium project. Once O’Malley bought the land, and paid over $17 million to build the park, he started paying taxes on it. How much? Since 1962, he’s put over $12 million tax money into city and county coffers. When you consider the Dodger Stadium deal, and the (L.A. Memorial) Coliseum figures, you can see that Los Angeles citizens never had it so good.” Paul Zimmerman, Pro Football West, November 21, 1976