Dodgertown Dates: 1962

Leo Durocher returned to the Dodgers as a major league coach in 1961 and was coaching third base in his sleep in Dodgertown. Columnist Melvin Durslag writes of Durocher rooming with broadcaster Vin Scully the previous spring and how Durocher woke up Scully up at 3 a.m. as Durocher yelled at a base runner, “Go, go, go!” in his sleep. Melvin Durslag, Los Angeles Herald-Examiner, The Sporting News, January 31, 1962

The Los Angeles Dodgers take the maiden flight of their Lockheed Electra II plane to Dodgertown, Vero Beach, Florida for Spring Training. Artist Pete Bentovoja of the Los Angeles Times drew his version of activity on a typical Dodger flight so completely the Dodgers used the artwork for the cover of their 1962 media guide.  The Dodgers’ Electra II is the only private plane in all sports. Bob Hunter, The Sporting News, November 29, 1961

The Los Angeles Dodgers held their opening workout of the 1962 Spring Training season and were greeted by the Mayor of Vero Beach, Jack Sturgis, the Vero Beach High School Marching Band, and 1,500 fans.  Mayor Sturgis presented the Key to the City of Vero Beach to Walter O’Malley. Frank Finch, Los Angeles Times, February 26, 1962

Outfielder Duke Snider was named as the new captain of the Dodgers as Dodger Manager Walter Alston made the appointment. “We haven’t had a captain since Pee Wee Reese retired after the ’58 season. I think Snider will be an inspiration to our young players. I rather liked the idea of making him the captain and he liked it too,” said Alston. Los Angeles Times, February 28, 1962

The Lockheed Electra II plane, otherwise known as the Dodger plane, is christened the “Kay 'O” in honor of Kay O’Malley, wife of Dodger President Walter O’Malley. Bob Hunter, Los Angeles Herald-Express, March 2, 1962

Florida may have been called the “Sunshine State”, but temperatures dropped to 38 degrees during one spring workout. Dodger Manager Walt Alston cancelled the end of the session, but kept the Dodger players warm in the clubhouse with electric heaters and he and the team reviewed the Official Playing Rules. The Sporting News, March 14, 1962

Catching great Roy Campanella is present in Dodgertown for Spring Training and he throws out the first ball for the first game for the Dodgers at Holman Stadium in 1962. Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale each pitch three scoreless innings as the Dodgers defeat Kansas City, 8-0. The Sporting News, March 21, 1962

Roy Campanella sits down with Los Angeles Times writer Frank Finch as he reviews his life in baseball. He recalls how he used to catch three games in one day. “Shucks, when I was in the Negro league I’d catch a doubleheader in one town, ride a bus and catch another at night in a different town,” said Campanella. The three-time MVP catcher spoke of Don Drysdale and what he would recommend to him. “Is Drysdale still fighting himself on the mound?” asked Campanella. “When Don was a rookie, I took him aside and told him that he didn’t have to act that mean—that his sidearm delivery was mean enough in itself. Drysdale was great as long as he kept the ball down and pitched in and out, like Newk (Don Newcombe)….Sandy Koufax came to me one day and complained because I seldom called for his curve. I told him, ‘forget the curve, Sandy. You’ve got God-given speed.'” Frank Finch, Los Angeles Times, March 11, 1962

Columnist Sid Ziff of the Los Angeles Times is a passenger on the Dodgers’ new Lockheed Electra plane and writes of Walter O’Malley playing gin on the flight.  O’Malley was playing with General Motors executive Ralph Moore and Moore was winning.  “He’s got me, men.  The king of gin (rummy) has lost his crown,” said O’Malley. Sid Ziff, Los Angeles Times, March 13, 1962

Noted artist Nicholas Volpe completed a well-received portrait series of the 1962 Los Angeles Dodgers to be distributed as part of an oil company promotion. Volpe was not yet finished doing artwork for the Dodgers. While playing in a bridge game with Dodger coach Pete Reiser in Dodgertown, Volpe picked up his pen in a lull in the proceedings and drew a sketch of Don Drysdale. The artwork was later used as the cover of the Dodgers’ 1962 Spring Training program. Bob Hunter, Los Angeles Herald- Examiner, March 13, 1962

Paul Zimmerman of the Los Angeles Times speaks to Dodger Vice President Fresco Thompson of the value of Dodgertown. “Needless to say, the Dodgers, with a scouting system that blankets two continents, will be spending less money for youngsters and at a time when they have the best training organization at Vero Beach of any of the majors,” wrote Zimmerman. Thompson elaborated on Zimmerman’s comment, “Through trial and error we now have the ideal setup. It isn’t perfect. We keep improving it all the time. Its biggest advantage is that a lot of specialists get a chance to look at the boys and give them special attention,” said Thompson. Paul Zimmerman, Los Angeles Times, March 14, 1962

Columnist Sid Ziff of the Los Angeles Times writes of Walter O’Malley’s solution when cold and overcast weather was to hold down the attendance for a Dodger-Twins exhibition game in Holman Stadium. “I don’t think we’ll have very many people at the ball game today. Looks like I’ll have to get in the (poker) game in the back room tonight and make up that difference,” said O’Malley. Sid Ziff, Los Angeles Times, March 16, 1962

Dodger Manager Walter Alston was unhappy that two days earlier, several Dodger players reported 20 minutes late for a game played at Miami Stadium. First, Alston lectured the players. When he had his opportunity to make his point of players’ tardiness, he did so, by requiring the entire club to remain on the field for four and a half innings for a reserve game of the Dodgers and the Baltimore Orioles following the regular exhibition game. The Sporting News, March 28, 1962

The Dodgers’ annual St. Patrick’s Day party is to be held this date. The Dodgers were on the Spring Training schedule to play five consecutive games on the road and one of those road dates occurred on March 17th. So, the Dodgers postponed their party to the next best available date, St. Joseph’s Day. It was estimated trainer Bill Buhler blew up 1,648 balloons for the party. Bob Hunter, The Sporting News, March 28, 1962

A model of the Mercury space capsule, Friendship 7, that carried astronaut John Glenn into space for three orbits, was put on display at Dodgertown. Frank Finch, Los Angeles Times, March 23, 1962

Walter O’Malley announced in Dodgertown, Vero Beach, Florida that the Dodgers would televise their Opening Day game in new Dodger Stadium on April 10, 1962. The game would be televised locally as the opening of Dodger Stadium was completely sold out. Bob Hunter, Los Angeles Herald-Examiner, March 24, 1962

Six former Dodgers return to Dodgertown as current members of the 1962 New York Mets, their first season in the major leagues.  Mets Manager Casey Stengel, coach Cookie Lavagetto, and players Roger Craig, Gil Hodges, Charles Neal, and Don Zimmer, all played at one time for the Brooklyn or Los Angeles Dodgers. The Mets were scheduled to play the Dodgers in an exhibition game at Holman Stadium. The transportation for the Mets this day was provided by the new Dodger Electra plane in a flight from the Mets’ camp in St. Petersburg to Vero Beach. Frank Finch, Los Angeles Times, March 23, 1962

Branch Rickey is a visitor to Dodgertown in Vero Beach, Florida. He appears in a photo with Manager Walter Alston, Coach Pete Reiser and outfielder Duke Snider. In 1947, it is Rickey who selects Vero Beach, Florida as the place for the Brooklyn Dodgers to begin holding their Spring Training base there. Los Angeles Herald-Examiner, March 27, 1962

Carlos Rubio Alvarez, Vice President and General Manager of Club Aguila de Veracruz in Mexico writes a thank you letter to Walter O’Malley after a visit to Dodgertown in Vero Beach, Florida. “Thanks for the fine welcome I received from you and your employees, during my recent visit to the Magnificent Training Camp of the clubs that you are the President. This visit has been for me a great satisfactory one and at the same time of a great objective teaching. I hope this to be the beginning of our relations which will be increasing in the future for the benefit of both parties.” Walteromalley.com, This Month In History, March 26, 1962

Peter O’Malley is the subject of a feature article in The Sporting News in his first season as Camp Director of Dodgertown. His first actual assignment had been the previous year when he was responsible for the visit of the Yomiuri Giants when they visited Dodgertown in 1961. Hunter described the duties of the Camp Director.  “He’s the busiest man about Dodgertown, with his duties running the gamut from handling the ticklish Vero Beach political situation, making friends with an unfriendly radio station (which is broadcasting Dodger games this spring for the first time), selling scorecard advertising, assigning rooms, redecorating…..there are scores of other duties, too.  You name ‘em and Peter takes care of them.” Bob Hunter, The Sporting News, March 28, 1962

Former Dodger pitcher and now scout Tom Lasorda was leading the Dodger minor league players in 15 minutes of exercises to get them ready for the day’s workout.  In the last warm-up exercise, Lasorda said, “Now, hands on hips” and the young players followed instruction. Lasorda then surprised everyone by saying, “Now, everyone……..twist!” The twist was a popular dance that was a national fad in 1962. Bob Hunter, The Sporting News, March 28, 1962

Columnist Jim Murray of the Los Angeles Times wrote a satirical column of his time in Dodgertown in Vero Beach, Florida during Spring Training. The column headline read “A Letter From Jail.” Murray’s one-liners consisted of “The Dodgers train here because Walter O’Malley gets the facilities for $1 a year. It’s the worst case of rent gouging I ever heard of……The décor shows what can be done with plywood and a blank mind. There are no rugs on the floor. In parts, there’s no floor…..But it is a great place to train ball players. Or wild animals…..It’s a great place if you’re a mosquito. An OLD mosquito." Jim Murray, Los Angeles Times, March 28, 1962

Catcher John Roseboro had been taking flying lessons and made his first solo flight as a pilot. Afterwards, he flew to Las Vegas on the Dodger plane (he was not the pilot) as the Dodgers broke camp in Vero Beach to play a series of exhibition games on the West Coast before the 1962 season began. Frank Finch, Los Angeles Times, April 1, 1962

Columnist Paul Zimmerman of the Los Angeles Times writes of his appreciation of Dodgertown as a Spring Training site. “The Dodgers, who have the best set-up of any major league team because of their complex of training facilities that accommodate both the big team and the minor league adjuncts, do not go in for the opulence supplied most other big league organizations. This is an old Navy base. It is an interesting thing, however, that Dodger players who have gone on to greener pastures, shall we say, still pine for the barracks at Vero Beach, and the better organization.” Paul Zimmerman, Los Angeles Times, April 1, 1962

Vice President Fresco Thompson discusses the value of Dodgertown as minor league players and major league players are together at one site, unlike most major league clubs. “Mingling with the Dodger stars, a kid soon loses his awe. He suddenly discovers that a big league star doesn’t have three legs or is any different than the next guy. It helps his confidence. We try to teach our kids to make the good moves more consistently, and to cut down on the mistakes. That’s the only difference between a big leaguer and a minor leaguer.” The Dodgers were considered to be the first team to combine their major league and minor league players. Thompson felt and others agreed this concept accelerated the development of many Dodger players. Bob Hunter, The Sporting News, April 4, 1962

Casey Stengel, the Manager of the New York Mets spoke of the young Dodger talent in Spring Training this season. “Don’t send that B squad (Dodger minor league players) of yours over to play my Mets again. Nobody ever heard of them kids, but they killed us. We can beat your varsity, but not the phenoms.” Bob Hunter, The Sporting News, April 4, 1962

The New York Mets also used the Dodgers’ new plane, the “Kay’ O” for transportation during Spring Training. One New York Met beat writer said, “It’s (the plane) really plush, right down to the carpeting with a baseball motif.” Harold Rosenthal, The Sporting News, April 4, 1962

Columnist Melvin Durslag of the Los Angeles Herald-Examiner finishes a column on outfielder Willie Davis by noting that unlike a high majority of Florida baseball parks in Spring Training, Holman Stadium in Dodgertown is integrated for all fans. Durslag ended his column with the wry comment, “In town, O’Malley’s popularity hasn’t thickened.” Melvin Durslag, Los Angeles Herald-Examiner, The Sporting News, April 11, 1962

National League Secretary Fred Fleig noted that Los Angeles Dodger players had a strong understanding of the Official Playing Rules of Baseball. “Maybe it’s because Fresco Thompson (Dodger Vice President) is on the Rules Committee and isolated at Dodgertown, they’ve more time on their hands, but Dodger players seem to know the rules.” Bob Broeg, The Sporting News, April 11, 1962

Tom Lasorda was serving as manager of the Greenville Spinners, a Dodger minor league club in Spring Training. Due to roster changes, Lasorda told Spokane Manager Preston Gomez a pitcher was needed from the Spokane  team in order to play the game. Spokane loaned Lasorda pitcher Jim Hubbard for the Greenville team and Hubbard then proceeded to pitch an eight inning no-hitter against his own club. It was the second game of a morning-afternoon doubleheader and Greenville, a class Single-A team, defeated Spokane, a Triple-A team in the morning game. The Sporting News, April 11, 1962

Sandy Koufax is considered one of the top pitchers in the National League and talked how he became one of the wilder pitchers in the game to one of the most dominant. Koufax said, “We were flying from Vero Beach to Orlando for a “B” game with the Minnesota Twins in spring of ’61. Norm (Sherry, a Dodger catcher), suggested I throw more change-ups and concentrate on getting the ball over. I followed his advice and soon found that my control improved. The strikeouts were taking care of themselves.” Frank Finch, The Sporting News, May 23, 1962

Sportswriter Bob Hunter writes of the Dodgers’ Spring Training complex in Vero Beach, Florida. “O’Malley utilizes the biggest and fastest assembly line in all baseball at Vero Beach, Florida where all nine Dodger farm clubs work right along with the varsity. They all are bedded under one roof, have their own movie house, swimming pool, basketball court, tennis courts, putting green, pool tables, recreation rooms, cafeteria and dining room, meeting rooms, seven diamonds and a 5,000 seat lighted stadium, not to mention a trout fishing pond.” Bob Hunter, The Sporting News, October 6, 1962