This Day in Walter O’Malley History:

  • Walter O’Malley calls a report “ridiculous” that Brooklyn Dodger star first baseman Gil Hodges would be wearing a St. Louis Cardinals uniform in 1953. O’Malley denied the story in which Cardinals player-manager Eddie Stanky said “there’s a strong possibility the deal (for Hodges) will go through.” O’Malley, who says he could not recall a conversation with Stanky regarding such a deal at the winter meetings in Phoenix, countered with the comment, “We definitely aren’t going to give up the best first baseman in the National League.”

  • The cover of The Sporting News features a cartoon called “Peace, It’s Wonderful!” concerning the resolution for American League expansion to Los Angeles with the Angels in 1961. Walter O’Malley is depicted as shaking hands with American League President Joe Cronin and saying, “Hi Joe! Welcome to L.A.” The Sporting News, cartoon by Johnson, December 14, 1960  O’Malley voted to approve the expansion of the Angels to Los Angeles, preferring them to arrive in 1962, but voting in favor for their 1961 arrival nonetheless.

  • The first day of a two-day road race series is held in the Dodger Stadium parking lot. Previous professional road races of the Southern California Sports Car Club were held in March, 1963. The events include races for production sports cars, sedans, formula juniors and modified sports cars. The 1.3-mile course had nine turns in the parking lot that surrounds Dodger Stadium.

  • Walter O’Malley attends a performance of “Juno and the Paycock” at the Mark Taper Forum in a production starring Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau.