This Day in Walter O’Malley History:
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Walter O’Malley thanks George A. Beavers, Jr., a member of the Citizens Committee to bring Major League Baseball to Los Angeles, for a letter sent to the County Board of Supervisors. In his letter Beavers, Jr. wrote, “By all standards of measurement, the unconscionable tax increase levied by the (County) Assessor in this case is unjust and completely at variance with the representations made to Dodger officials at the time of negotiating the contract.” O’Malley replied, “My sincere thanks to you for your recent letter to the Board of Supervisors concerning the tax assessment on Dodger Stadium. Last week’s decision is completely incomprehensible to me and because we believe it is so clearly wrong, we will take all available legal steps to have it reversed. Again, George, I wish to thank you for your interest.”
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As a presentation to his friend and colleague Matsutaro Shoriki, the “father of professional baseball in Japan” and owner of the Yomiuri Shimbun, Walter O’Malley shipped two deer to live in Yomiuri Land (the “Disneyland of Japan”). O’Malley sends a letter to Lt. E. W. Lawrence, Jr. of the Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission in Lakeland, Florida to thank him for his assistance and to let him know that he spoke with Florida Governor Claude Kirk, Jr. about the help received. “I told him of the splendid cooperation from you and your Department in making a Florida gift to the religious garden in Japan of two Florida deer. I have also received pictures showing the attractive crate in which the deer were housed in transit and other pictures of them. It was excellent news to find they arrived in apparent good shape. Please be good enough to let me know of any personal expense you might have encountered in doing this for me. This was a most important undertaking and it is hard to convey the enthusiasm which our Japanese friends have exhibited over this present.”
