Copyright © Los Angeles Dodgers, Inc.
The 1969 Dodgers
- 1969 Record:
- 85-77, 4th place in N.L. Western Division
- Postseason:
- None
- Manager:
- Walter Alston
- All-Stars:
- Bill Singer, P
- Home Attendance:
- 1,784,527
Season Recap:
1969 Dodgers Yearbook
Copyright © Los Angeles Dodgers, Inc.
In their first season of Divisional play, the Dodgers finished fourth in the Western Division, but hung tough in the race until the last two weeks. The Dodgers did a free-fall in late September, losing eight times in seven days to the Giants and Reds. The Dodger pitching staff was solid, as usual, producing a pair of 20-game winners in lone All-Star Bill Singer and left-hander Claude Osteen. Right-handed pitcher Don Sutton had 17 victories, while the bullpen was led by southpaw Jim Brewer. By moving home plate 10 feet closer to the outfield wall, the Dodgers indeed saw a power surge, hitting 16 more home runs at Dodger Stadium than in 1968. But, the real difference was the opponents’ increase in home runs as they hit 30 more than the previous season. The offense was led by N.L. Rookie of the Year Ted Sizemore, who transitioned from a minor league catcher to second base. An early-season trade brought former Dodger Maury Wills back into the fold, along with pinch-hitter extraordinaire Manny Mota to the club. Speedster Willie Davis, who spent three sessions in the hospital after being hit by pitched balls, wound up with a .311 batting average and a 31-game hitting streak, longest in L.A. history. Wilver Stargell of the Pittsburgh Pirates became the first player in history to hit a ball completely out of Dodger Stadium, as he belted a 506 ft., 6 in. home run over the Right Field Pavilion scoreboard on August 5. It would be the first of two that Stargell hit out of Dodger Stadium, as he repeated the feat with a 470 ft. blast on May 8, 1973. Al Campanis was named the new Vice President, Player Personnel replacing long-time decision-maker Fresco Thompson and immediately made his presence felt, acquiring Andy Kosco, Pete Mikkelsen, Jim Bunning, Wills and Mota.
Below are the Dodger Front Office department heads and personnel, plus scouts who worked for Walter O’Malley.
- Board of Directors
- Walter O’Malley, President; James A. Mulvey, Vice President; Peter O’Malley, Vice President; Sylvan Oestreicher, Treasurer; Harry M. Bardt, H. C. McClellan.
- President:
- Walter O’Malley
- Executive Vice President:
- Peter O’Malley
- Vice President, Public Relations & Promotions:
- Arthur E. Patterson
- Vice President, Player Personnel & Scouting:
- Al Campanis
- Vice President, Minor League Operations:
- William P. Schweppe
- Vice President, Radio & Television:
- James S. Bealle
- Secretary:
- Col. E. John Burns
- Controller, Assistant Treasurer:
- Ken Hasemann
- Director of Advertising, Novelties & Souvenirs:
- Danny Goodman
- Director, Dodgertown (PGA Pro. Dodgertown Golf Club):
- Dick Bird
- Director, Group Sales:
- George (Tuck) Stainback
- Director, Stadium Operations:
- Bob Smith
- Director, Ticket Operations:
- Walter Nash
- Director of Transportation:
- Robert J. Schenz
- Assistant to General Manager:
- Joseph Ziegler
- Assistant, Public Relations:
- Howard Handy
- Traveling Secretary:
- Lee Scott
- Resident Engineer:
- Ira Hoyt
- Auditor:
- Michael Strange
- Manager:
- Walter Alston
- Club Physicians:
- Dr. Frank Jobe, Dr. Robert Woods
- Scouts:
- Hugh Alexander, Boyd Bartley, Monty Basgall, Bill Brenzel, Dick Calvert, John Carey, Gail Henley, Goldie Holt, Tony John, John Keenan, Ed Liberatore, Gordon MacKenzie, Greg Mulleavy, Rudy Rufer, Corito Varona, Ben Wade, Guy Wellman, Bert Wells