Dodger Milestones in the Development of International Baseball During the O’Malley Era: The 1980s

While in Japan, Peter O’Malley announces the Dodgers and Tokyo Yomiuri Giants reach a “friendly agreement” for more front office and coaching exchanges

Peter O’Malley travels to Nagasaki, Japan to Mitsubishi Electric Co. to view a 1/30th scale model of the cutting-edge technology for Diamond Vision full-color large screen video board. At the Major League Baseball All-Star Game in July, the Dodgers unveil the world’s first full-color 35’x 25’ matrix board, the Mitsubishi Diamond Vision screen behind Dodger Stadium’s Left Field Pavilion, which revolutionized in-game entertainment for sports fans

Peter O’Malley travels to the People’s Republic of China for the first time and meets with leaders of All-China Sports Federation

Three young players and a coach from the Tokyo Yomiuri Giants are invited to spend two weeks at Dodgertown, Vero Beach, FL during Dodger Spring Training

Five high-ranking sports representatives of the People’s Republic of China were invited by Peter O’Malley to observe baseball at Dodger Stadium and in Southern California. It marked the first time officials from China, representing the sport of baseball, have visited the United States

Peter O’Malley travels to Tokyo for the start of the 26th World Amateur Baseball Championships, with 12 nations competing

Peter O’Malley and the Dodgers send minor league instructor Guy Wellman to Australia to work with members of the Australian Baseball Federation

The Tokyo Yomiuri Giants train at Dodgertown, Vero Beach, FL for the fifth and final occasion. Four times after the Giants trained at Dodgertown they won the Japan Series championship

In Lausanne, Switzerland, final agreement was reached on April 10 to include baseball as a “demonstration” sport for the 1984 Games of the XXIII Olympiad in Los Angeles at Dodger Stadium

Fernando Valenzuela takes the baseball world by storm as the 20-year-old wins his first eight starts (five of them shutouts) for the Dodgers and Fernandomania takes off. He finished the 1981 season with a 13-7 record and a 2.48 ERA. He is the first and only to win the Cy Young Award and the Rookie of the Year awards in the same season. The Dodgers won the 1981 World Championship 

Japan native Akihiro “Ike” Ikuhara, who joined the Dodger organization in 1965, is named Assistant to the President of the Dodgers

Peter O’Malley travels to Seoul, South Korea for a four-day visit, which includes meeting with first Korean Baseball Commissioner Jyong-Chul Suh, looking at baseball stadiums and attending a few games of the Korea baseball championship at Seoul Stadium

Peter O’Malley sends Assistant to Dodger President Akihiro “Ike” Ikuhara to Moscow, Russia on behalf of the International Amateur Baseball Association and the Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee to seek support from Soviet Union Minister of Sports Sergei Pavlov for baseball to become an official Olympic sport, while at the same time offering the Dodgers’ assistance to the Russians in developing baseball. The October 7, 1982 meeting Ikuhara had with Soviet Union Minister of Sports Sergei Pavlov and Isao “Dutch” Odachi, baseball adviser to Dr. Shigeyoshi Matsumae, founder of Tokai University, Tokyo, marked the first time baseball in the Western Hemisphere made official “contact” with the Soviet Union. Dr. Matsumae provided a letter of introduction for Ikuhara to his friend Pavlov. “The message was that we would appreciate it if Russia would not veto baseball and Dr. Matsumae was planning to build a baseball stadium at Moscow State University on Lenin Hill in Moscow,” said Peter O’Malley. Ikuhara and Odachi then traveled to Lausanne, Switzerland to meet Dr. Arpad Csanadi (from Hungary), chairman of the IOC Programing Committee, with the message that Pavlov (also president of the USSR National Olympic Committee) would not oppose the movement for baseball to become an official Olympic sport   

The Olympic Baseball eight-team exhibition tournament is played at Dodger Stadium before sold out crowds. Sixteen games are held from July 31-August 7 and Japan won the finals, 6-3 against the USA, providing the impetus for baseball in future Olympics as a medal sport

At the invitation of the China Sports Commission, Peter O’Malley travels to Beijing for meetings and discussions of ways to assist the development of baseball in the People’s Republic of China

Dodger President Peter O’Malley sends Dodger minor league manager Kevin Kennedy and scout Tim Johnson to the People’s Republic of China for two weeks to conduct baseball clinics in Kunming. They are the first American coaching professionals to hold baseball clinics in China. Both Kennedy and Johnson later became major league managers

The Samsung Lions of the Korean Baseball Organization train at Dodgertown, Vero Beach, FL, becoming the first professional baseball team from South Korea to visit the United States. They played an exhibition game against the Dodgers

Dodger President Peter O’Malley, his assistant Akihiro “Ike” Ikuhara, IBA President Dr. Robert Smith and former Baseball Commissioner Bowie Kuhn meet in Seoul with Minister of Sports Lee Yong-Ho regarding advancing baseball’s role in the Olympic Games to “gold medal” status

Peter O’Malley writes a letter to Dr. Shigeyoshi Matsumae, founder of Tokai University in Tokyo, Japan encouraging him to pursue building the first baseball field in Russia

Peter O’Malley and Akihiro “Ike” Ikuhara travel to Beijing, People’s Republic of China to identify and finalize the site of China’s first baseball field to be privately built by O’Malley. The site is the Tianjin Institute of Physical & Cultural Education in Tianjin, 75 miles southeast of Beijing

The Dodgers invite three Chinese National coaches to Dodgertown, Vero Beach, FL to observe Spring Training activities

Dodger shortstop Craig Shipley, signed as a free agent in 1984, becomes the first native-born Australian to play in Major League Baseball since Joe Quinn of the Washington Senators played his last season in 1901

Los Angeles Dodgers minor league instructors Chico Fernandez and Leo Posada helped the Samsung Lions of the KBO in training for their 1986 season in Masan, South Korea. Dodger President Peter O’Malley invited Lions Coach Chun Bo Sung to Dodgertown, Vero Beach, Florida to observe Dodger spring training activities

Peter O’Malley privately builds and dedicates “Dodger Baseball Field” at the Tianjin Institute of Physical & Cultural Education in the People’s Republic of China. O’Malley is joined by Chinese political leaders and international baseball friends for the celebration. The professional China Baseball League played games on that field starting in 2002, as it was home to the Tianjin Lions

On September 25, 1986, Dodger President Peter O’Malley arranges for the Tokyo Yomiuri Giants to participate in the Arizona Instructional League in association with the Dodgers. The Giants are the first team from Japan to participate in the Arizona Instructional League

A historic day for baseball takes place on October 13, as the IOC awards baseball official sport (gold medal) status beginning with the 1992 Olympics Games in Barcelona, Spain. Baseball leaders from around the world celebrate as their dream is realized

The Dodgers dedicate “Campo Las Palmas” in Guerra, Dominican Republic. Peter O’Malley purchases land, creates and privately builds a state-of-the-art academy for Dominican players ages 16-19. O’Malley and Dodger Latin America scout Ralph Avila work together to design the camp, which helps develop, educate and produce future major league talent

The Dodgers visit Mexico, Distrito Federal, where they formalize a long-term deal with the Tigers of Mexico and Tuneros of San Luis Potosi, both of the Mexican Baseball League  

The Chunichi Dragons from Nagoya, Japan become the second professional team from Japan, following the Tokyo Yomiuri Giants, to hold spring training alongside the major league Dodgers at Dodgertown, Vero Beach, FL. On March 3, the Dragons and Dodgers played an exhibition game at Holman Stadium which Chunichi Shimbun Chairman Miichiro Katoh attended

Peter O’Malley and Akihiro “Ike” Ikuhara are asked by Chunichi Dragons Manager Senichi Hoshino to help struggling young Dragons pitcher Masahiro Yamamoto, who stays in Vero Beach to play for the Single-A Dodgers. Yamamoto’s career turns around when Ikuhara helps him develop a new pitch – the screwball – and he pitches successfully for Chunichi until he’s 50, winning 219 games. Ikuhara, Hoshino and Yamamoto were all inducted into the Japan Baseball Hall of Fame

Two Russian baseball coaches are invited to Dodgertown, Vero Beach, FL during Spring Training. Ramaz Goglidze, of Georgia, president of the Soviet Baseball Federation, also visits Dodgertown as guest of Peter O’Malley

The Dodgers travel to Puerto Rico to play two Spring Training exhibition games against the Montreal Expos in the Roberto Clemente Sports City series

Dr. Bob Smith, President of the International Baseball Association, Akihiro “Ike” Ikuhara (Asst. to Dodger President), Rod Dedeaux, legendary USC head baseball coach, and Peter O’Malley attend groundbreaking ceremonies for Matsumae Baseball Stadium at Moscow State University in Moscow, Russia. Dr. Shigeyoshi Matsumae, founder and president of Tokai University, Tokyo privately builds the first field in Russia dedicated to baseball

Peter O’Malley, Assistant to the Dodger President Akihiro “Ike” Ikuhara and Dr. Creighton Hale, President of Little League Baseball, were in Tokyo for the announcement that the first Little League Baseball field in the People’s Republic of China will be constructed in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province as a gift by Tatsuzo Mizukami, former Chairman of the Board of Mitsui

Peter O’Malley participates in the Grand Opening Ceremonies for Matsumae Baseball Stadium at Moscow State University in Russia. Akihiro “Ike” Ikuhara was with O’Malley. The first baseball field was privately built by Dr. Shigeyoshi Matsumae, founder of Tokai University in Tokyo as a gift to encourage goodwill and the growth and development of baseball in Russia

In November, Peter O’Malley travels to Taipei, Taiwan to meet with P.P. Tang, Commissioner of Baseball of the newly-formed, four-team Chinese Professional Baseball League and other baseball leaders, for its spring, 1990 launch