This day in Los Angeles Dodgers history saw former manager Walter Alston elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee. The announcement on March 10, 1983, also included George Kell reaching enshrinement by the select committee.
The duo joined a class that included Juan Marichal and Brooks Robinson being voted into the Hall of Fame as Baseball Writers’ Association of America inductees.
Unfortunately for Alston, a heart attack prevented him from attending the ceremony. He later died from complications in October 1984, at 72 years old.
Alston was hired by the Brooklyn Dodgers in November 1954. He began his coaching career as a player-manager for the first integrated U.S. baseball team based in the 20th century, the Nashua Dodgers of the Class-B New England League in 1946.
Alston managed Dodgers icons Roy Campanella and Don Newcombe while overseeing the Nashua club. He then went on to manage Dodgers Triple-A affiliates, St. Paul Saints and Montreal Royals, from 1948-54, before being hired as manager the Major League club.
While Dodgers manager, he guided the franchise to their first World Series title in 1995, then three more championships in 1959, 1963 and 1965.
Alston was named National League Manager of the Year six times and he managed NL All-Star teams a Major-League record nine times, winning seven of those games. Alston remained the manager of Brooklyn and Los Angeles for more than two decades from 1954-76, finishing with a career 2,040-1,613 record.
Walter Alston recognized by Dodgers
Alston’s No. 24 jersey is retired by the organization and affixed outside the Top Deck Store and the Dodger Stadium Ring of Honor.
He was succeeded by Tommy Lasorda, who went on to have his own Hall of Fame managerial career.
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