Dick Walsh

Walter O’Malley, who owned the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers, had the greatest impact on my professional career. I worked for the Dodgers for over 18 years, but the most exciting were the years from 1956-62 when the Dodgers were moving from New York to California, and I worked directly for Mr. O’Malley. Walter had excellent interpersonal skills with a politician’s gift of gab and great foresight. He thought ‘outside the box,’ possessed a good legal mind, was patient and paternalistic. I sought to emulate his management style when I became a general manager by maintaining an ‘open door’ policy, keeping staff members apprised of ongoing developments, discussing problems with staff and obtaining their input, explaining why policies were developed and actions undertaken, looking at both sides of issues and maintaining a caring interest in my employees.