This Day in Walter O’Malley History:
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The Dodgers, New York Yankees and New York Giants brought war bond pledges totaling over $100 million, including $56,600,000 by Brooklyn alone. Walter O’Malley pledged $11,250,000 for Dixie Walker in the auction at New York’s Waldorf-Astoria.
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As a Dodger Vice President and General Counsel, Walter O’Malley meets for lunch with New York’s 100th Mayor, William O’Dwyer. Similar to O’Malley, O’Dwyer had studied at Fordham University Law School at night and had built a successful law practice. Coincidentally, it was O’Dwyer who established the Office of City Construction Coordinator and appointed Robert Moses to the post. After resigning for failing health in 1950, United States President Harry S. Truman appointed O’Dwyer as Ambassador to Mexico.
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Walter O’Malley travels to Havana, Cuba to watch the Dodgers’ top farm team, the Montreal Royals of the International League, play.
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Sportswriter Tom Swope, who covered the Cincinnati Reds in the 1950s, writes of the kindness of Walter O’Malley. Reds General Manager Gabe Paul attended a Dodger game at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn while following his team and the weather turned an unseasonably low 54 degrees with a cold east wind blowing a mist into the stands. Knowing how cold Paul was, O’Malley provided him with a Dodger warmup jacket and Paul was grateful to wear the opposing team’s jacket with the Dodger logo in the stands. Tom Swope, The Sporting News, June 22, 1955
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Attempting to assist Los Angeles Rams owner Carroll Rosenbloom with information about the possibility of building a football stadium adjacent to Dodger Stadium, Walter O’Malley had contacted New York-based Praeger, Kavanagh, Waterbury, the former engineers for Dodger Stadium. John Waterbury responded with information about building a 70,000-seat football stadium. O’Malley thanks Waterbury starting, “I have shown your letter of the 1st to Messrs. Rosenbloom and (Herbert) Hutner. I do not know what they will finally decide but we at least are touching all the bases. Best to you John, and also give the Captain (Emil Praeger) our regards.” Rosenbloom and Robert Irsay had traded ownership of the Baltimore Colts and the Rams in 1972. Hutner married actress Juli Reding in 1969 and worked as a financial consultant after serving as Chairman of the Board of Struthers Wells Corporation in New York.