This Day in Walter O’Malley History:

  • Emory R. Johnson, Dean of the Wharton School of Finance and Commerce at the University of Pennsylvania, sends a congratulatory letter to Walter O’Malley on his “Spoon Man” honor.

  • The Dodgers win the first game played in new Holman Stadium 4-2 over the Philadelphia Athletics (with their owner Connie Mack in attendance) before an overflow crowd of 5,532. The stadium was named for Bud Holman, director of Eastern Air Lines and prominent Vero Beach business leader, who convinced the Dodgers to set up training camp in Vero Beach at the former World War II Naval Air Base beginning in 1948. A plaque from O’Malley to the Vero Beach community commemorating the opening day ceremonies reads, “The Brooklyn Dodgers dedicate Holman Stadium To Honor Bud L. Holman of the friendly city of Vero Beach.” Baseball was represented by Commissioner Ford C. Frick, National League President Warren C. Giles and American League President Will Harridge. Over the next several years, O’Malley invested, built and further developed Dodgertown into the finest, state-of-the-art training camp in baseball, with year-round accommodations, activities and facilities.

  • Walter O’Malley’s daughter Terry and son Peter send the following congratulatory telegram to their father on the opening of Holman Stadium at Dodgertown. “Congratulations on Holman Stadium Opening Day. Hope we win.” The Dodgers’ inaugural game in Holman Stadium was a success, with a 4-2 victory over the Philadelphia Athletics.

  • Bob Hunter, writing in The Sporting News, describes the first exhibition game for 1961 at Dodgertown as “one of the most colorful ever, with both the Japanese and American National Anthems being played as a salute to the Tokyo Giants, who are training as guests of Walter O’Malley in Vero Beach.” Six Giants who were on the field at Dodgertown that spring later were inducted into the Japanese Hall of Fame, including Tatsuro Hirooka, Motoshi Fujita, Tesuharu Kawakami, Sadaharu Oh, Shigeo Nagashima and Shigeru Mizuhara.

  • In the notes of his column, Bob Hunter in The Sporting News mentions that during Spring Training, “President Walter O’Malley brought along his own gin rummy and bridge score sheet. It had an imprinted check, “Pay to Walter O’Malley.” Bob Hunter, The Sporting News, March 11, 1967