Dodgertown Dates: 1960

Did Dodgertown make a difference to the Dodgers’ winning record?  A recent table in The Sporting News thought there was a direct connection. Since the Dodgers first began Spring Training in Dodgertown in Vero Beach in 1948, they had won two World Championships and six National League pennants. Their winning percentage was a .591 pace and going on the old 154-game schedule, averaged out to be slightly more than 91 wins a season. The Sporting News, February 10, 1960

Kaoru Betto, a former great Japanese baseball player, has arrived in Dodgertown for Spring Training to observe the team as they prepare for the season. Betto is a director of the Tokyo Daimai Orions (today the Chiba Lotte Marines) and would remain with the Dodger team for the season. Betto was the 1950 Pacific League Most Valuable Player for the Orions and finished the season as the 1950 Japan Series MVP. After his playing career ended, he would manage the Daimai Orions, Kintetsu Buffaloes, Taiyo Whales and Hiroshima Carp. In 1988, Betto was inducted into the Japan Baseball Hall of Fame.

Dodger Manager Walter Alston had some fun with outfielder Don Demeter in the batting cage. As the “Iron Mike” pitching machine ran out of baseballs from its supply, the pitching arm threw, but no pitch could be made.  Alston, sitting behind the batting cage watching Demeter, asked him, “What was wrong with that one?” Demeter was taken by surprise and looked back at Alston. After a few more non-throws by the pitching machine, Demeter caught on to the joke. The outfielder walked out of the batting cage and said, “That guy’s got something out there today. Didn’t even see it.” Bob Hunter, Los Angeles Examiner, March 4, 1960  According to sportswriter Bob Hunter, the “Iron Mike” had the first sore arm of spring. Bob Hunter, Los Angeles Examiner, March 4, 1960

Bandleader Horace Heidt is a visitor to Dodgertown. He was recording a song titled “Charge!” and wanted to use voices of Dodger players to be used on the recording. “Charge!” was the unofficial rally theme for the Dodgers at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum during the 1959 season when they became World Champions. Bob Hunter, Los Angeles Examiner, March 4, 1960

Bud Holman, the man who invited and encouraged the Dodgers to have Spring Training in Vero Beach, was honored by Eastern Airlines for 30 years of service to the corporation. Bob Hunter, Los Angeles Examiner, March 4, 1960

Florida was called “The Sunshine State” but so far in Spring Training, the Dodgers had more cold than sun. Maury Wills spoke of his remedy for the cold nights. “I put four blankets on my bed, but it took the fifth one before I could keep warm.” “CBS Sports Spectacular” came to Dodgertown to film a special on Spring Training to be aired March 20th. Bob Hunter, Los Angeles Examiner, March 4, 1960

Eastern Airlines President and military hero Eddie Rickenbacker throws out the first ball before a Dodger game in Dodgertown, Vero Beach, Florida. Also, a moment of silence is held for former director of Dodgertown, Edgar Allen, who had recently passed away. Bob Hunter, Los Angeles Examiner, March 12, 1960

The World Champion Los Angeles Dodgers were to be honored by the City of Vero Beach as part of the city’s “1960 Fiesta of Sports in Vero Beach.” The dinner would be held after the Dodgers-Athletics game in Holman Stadium. The Sporting News, March 9, 1960  Awards were presented to Walter O’Malley as “Grandfather of the Year” for the recent birth of a son to his daughter, Terry O’Malley Seidler. O’Malley spoke to the audience and praised the Dodger organization and their pleasure of having Spring Training in Vero Beach. “This,” said O’Malley, “is not only a great team.  It’s a great club—a great organization. I don’t know anyone I would want to trade in our whole setup.” Bob Hunter, The Sporting News, March 23, 1960

Eddie Rickenbacker, the President of Eastern Air Lines spoke at the dinner to kick off the “1960 Fiesta of Sports in Vero Beach” and spoke of the impact to have the Los Angeles Dodgers have Spring Training in Vero Beach, Florida. Rickenbacker told Vero Beach citizens when he travels, he does hear of Vero Beach and the Dodgers. “This is a fact you should keep in mind,” said Rickenbacker. “It is publicity you just can’t buy.” The Sporting News, March 23, 1960

Frank Finch of the Los Angeles Times writes of the control issues facing Sandy Koufax and what the young left-hander is doing to solve them. “Lack of control is my problem, and I know it…..I know I’ve got a good fastball,” said Koufax, “but you can’t get by in the majors with just that one pitch….What I’m trying to do down here is work on control of my curve, change-up and slider. I’ve made up my mind to concentrate on these pitches in the exhibition games, even if I walk 15 guys a game.” Finch finishes his column by writing “And if Koufax can co-ordinate all his stuff consistently, you’ll be looking at a 20-game winner.” Frank Finch, Los Angeles Times, March 13, 1960

Duke Snider and Gil Hodges were overheard as they spoke about young Dodger players at their position. The Dodgers were experimenting by working out outfielder Tommy Davis at third base. Snider was heard to say he hoped Davis would become an infielder, as the Dodgers had 12 outfielders in Spring Training. “Gee, I hope so,” said Snider. Hodges added, “Well, at least they’re not trying to make a first baseman out of him.  We already got four,” said Hodges, the Dodger first baseman. Frank Finch, Los Angeles Times, March 15, 1960

Bad weather caused a cancellation of the Dodgers-Reds game at Dodgertown. The weather wasn’t bad because of rain, but rather golf ball sized hailstones and a tornado warning were enough to call it a day for the two teams. The Sporting News, March 23, 1960  One newspaper reporter wrote, “Actually, the game was not called off by the umpires, but by the Vero Beach police department.” In addition, Dodger pilot Bump Holman flew the Dodger Convair 440 airplane to Palm Beach to avoid storm damage to the Dodger plane. Frank Finch, Los Angeles Times, March 17, 1960  Dodger Vice President Fresco Thompson said, “I’ve been coming down here for 13 years and never have seen anything like this hail storm.” Paul Zimmerman, Los Angeles Times, March 17, 1960

Sportswriter Bob Hunter of the Los Angeles Examiner spends a day in Spring Training with Dodger Manager Walter Alston. Hunter starts his column at 7:30 a.m.  “(Alston) awakens to a sharp shrill blast of police whistle being blown with a vengeance through the paper-thin walls as Charlie, the night man, madly stalks the hallways. This is the cruelest way ever invented to awaken a person.” Hunter follows Alston to breakfast, morning meetings with the coaching staff and players, a morning workout, a lunchtime press conference, more meetings, an afternoon workout, meetings with the team trainer, preparation for the next day’s workout, some fishing before dinner, and a bridge game with minor league managers Danny Ozark and Greg Mulleavy before the day ends at 11 p.m. Bob Hunter, The Sporting News, March 16, 1960

Ebbets Field seats have made their way to Dodgertown’s Holman Stadium in Vero Beach, Florida. After the property owners made the decision to replace Ebbets Field for apartments, 1,500 remaining box seats from Brooklyn were sent to Florida. Previously, seats from the Polo Grounds had been purchased by the Dodgers for use in Holman Stadium. Bob Hunter, The Sporting News, March 16, 1960

Walter O’Malley discusses the value of the Dodgers’ Spring Training base in Vero Beach, Florida. “It is not a question of what we have in Dodgertown, entirely, but what it would cost to duplicate the setup here. It would cost $750,000 to build these dormitories. The Holman Stadium layout was constructed for $50,000. That would cost $150,000 now. We have something no other baseball club can match.  Here we bring in all of our major and minor league players to one spot….Here in Florida our whole Dodger staff gets a look at every player we have under contract….We have seven fields, plus all the other equipment that no other clubs have at their disposal.  You can see that our advantages are multiple.” Paul Zimmerman, Los Angeles Times, March 17, 1960 

The Dodgers held their annual St. Patrick’s Day party at Dodgertown. On the menu for the evening was a note, “Alston Salad Without Dressen.” Charlie Dressen was a former manager and coach for the Dodgers, but this season was the manager for the Milwaukee Braves. Bob Hunter, The Sporting News, March 23, 1960  One of the annual highlights of St. Patrick’s Day is the entertainment put on by Dodger staff. Coach Bobby Bragan played the piano and sang, there was a “three-man” quartet of Bragan, Coach Greg Mulleavy, traveling secretary Lee Scott, and broadcaster Vin Scully added his singing voice. Bob Hunter, The Sporting News, March 30, 1960

The Dodgers’ Spring Training schedule is being washed out by rain as an exhibition game was canceled for the fourth consecutive day. In 1959, the Dodgers were rained out for five consecutive games and finally flew to Havana, Cuba to play one intrasquad game and two games with the Cincinnati Reds. In the summer of 1959, the Cuban government was overthrown and Castro installed himself as a communist dictator, so the Cuban government was not interested in offering a hand to help the Dodgers play their exhibition schedule this season. One reporter wrote “Fidel Castro has loused everything up.” Frank Finch, Los Angeles Times, March 19, 1960

It has been said a twin-engine airplane can fly with one engine and on this date, it needed to for the Dodger-owned Convair 440 airplane. The team was en route to Orlando to play the Washington Senators in an exhibition game, but shortly after takeoff, the starboard engine ceased to function, leaving only the port or left side engine operating. Duke Snider, a left-hand hitter who battled left-hand pitchers, said, “This is the first time I ever rooted for a left-hander.” Vero Beach Press Journal, March 24, 1960  Pilot Bump Holman and his co-pilot Jim Curzon deftly handled the airplane and returned to Vero Beach, 25 miles away. The players applauded on the safe arrival and landing. The team would have taken the team bus to Orlando, but the bus battery was dead. So, players climbed into private cars and drove to Orlando and their efforts paid off with a 7-5 win. Vero Beach Press Journal, March 24, 1960

The television show “CBS Sports Spectacular” visited Spring Training bases in Florida and made a stop at Dodgertown. Interviews were conducted with Walter O’Malley, Vice Presidents Buzzie Bavasi and Fresco Thompson and Manager Walter Alston. The viewing audience also saw pitching form from Don Drysdale, Sandy Koufax, Johnny Podres and Larry Sherry. Charlie Neal and Gil Hodges discussed fielding. A television camera was placed in the catcher’s position in the batting cage as rookie Frank Howard took swings from a pitching machine. The Sporting News, March 30, 1960

Los Angeles Times sports editor and columnist Paul Zimmerman’s column discusses the value of having Spring Training games in Arizona, but mentions the value of the Dodgers’ site in Vero Beach, Florida. “The success of the Los Angeles Dodgers in assembling all their farm teams at the same training site in Vero Beach has set a lot of major league clubs to thinking.” Paul Zimmerman, Los Angeles Times, March 26, 1960

Dodger infielder Jim Gilliam watched as 6-foot-7-inch Frank Howard worked out at third base to see if he could adapt to the position. Howard had played a small amount of games at third base in the Texas League in 1959.  Gilliam said, “How are you going to hit a line drive over his head? And if you did, the left fielder would catch it.” Frank Finch, Los Angeles Times, April 2, 1960

Dodger scout Leon Hamilton accepts an assignment to become the camp supervisor of Dodgertown. Hamilton began scouting for the Dodgers in 1950. Bob Hunter, The Sporting News, April 6, 1960

Frank Finch of the Los Angeles Times writes his wrap-up of the 1960 Spring Training season and comments on Dodgertown in Vero Beach, Florida. “Despite the many advantages of training in Arizona, the Dodgers probably never will leave Dodgertown of their own volition. The facilities of their player production line at Vero Beach are incomparable, and it would cost a fortune to reproduce them today.” Frank Finch, Los Angeles Times, April 8, 1960

Los Angeles Times sportswriter Frank Finch later discusses his worst moment of the 1960 Spring Training. “There was that empty feeling the day the “B” key broke on our German-made typewriter in the press room at Vero Beach, where no immediate repairs could be made.  Until Red Patterson (Dodger publicity director) came to the rescue with a spare blunderwood (a derivative name for the Underwood typewriter), we had to write –uzzie –avasi….-ase-all, Vero  -each, like this, and instruct the Western Union operator to substitute B’s for –‘s.  It was a harrowing experience, –elieve me.” Frank Finch, Los Angeles Times, April 10, 1960

The Dodgers were informed of the termination of their lease of Dodgertown by the city of Vero Beach. Vero Beach Mayor Harry Offutt said the reason for the cancellation of the lease was “Present contracts had not been approved by the Federal Aviation Administration.” The Los Angeles Examiner then refuted the claim by the Mayor as they displayed a photostatic copy of the Civil Aeronautics Administration (forerunner of the FAA) approving the contract between the Dodgers and the city. The Sporting News, June 29, 1960

The Los Angeles Dodgers have invited the Yomiuri Giants of Tokyo, Japan to Spring Training in Dodgertown, Vero Beach, Florida. Walter O’Malley extended the invitation to Matsutaro Shoriki, principal Giant owner and the owner of Yomiuri Shimbun, a prominent Japanese newspaper. This is the first time in baseball history a Japanese team will come to the Spring Training site of a major league team. Ray Wilson, The Sporting News, September 28, 1960

The Dodgers released their 1961 spring training schedule and announced their largest schedule of games at Holman Stadium in Dodgertown since they opened the site in 1948. Among the teams they would face during the 1961 Spring Training would be the American League Champions New York Yankees, the Minnesota Twins (formerly the Washington Senators) in their first season, and the expansion Washington Senators. The Twins were the Senators until they moved to Minnesota, and the new expansion team was named the Washington Senators. Los Angeles Times, December 18, 1960

Chick Walmsley has been appointed camp supervisor of Dodgertown. Walmsley was the concession director for the St. Paul Saints, a Dodger minor league team. A.L. Hardman, The Sporting News, December 28, 1960