On Dec. 3, 2007, longtime Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers owner Walter O’Malley earned the minimum amount of votes necessary for induction and was posthumously elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame by the veterans committee.
The famed owner, who entered the Hall of Fame officially during an induction ceremony in 2008, oversaw the Dodgers organization from 1950 until his death in 1979 at the age of 75.
In addition to capturing the Dodgers’ first World Series, O’Malley is perhaps known best for being the driving force behind moving the franchise from Brooklyn to Los Angeles in 1957.
Beyond the landmark decision to move the historic franchise, he also spearheaded the contstruction of the now iconic Dodger Stadium in Chavez Ravine
Widely considered by many to be one of the most influential owners of baseball’s early expansion era, under O’Malley’s leadership the organization captured four World Championships in 1955, 1959, 1963, and 1965.
Walter O’Malley and Dodgers family legacy
After his father’s death in 1979, Walter’s son, Peter O’Malley, took over as the primary owner of the organization.
While Los Angeles would capture two World Series titles under Peter’s direction in 1981 and 1988, he would eventually end up selling the team in 1998 for $311 million.
Regardless of present-day implications, the O’Malley family will forever be regarded as leaving a remarkable impact on the Dodgers franchise and a big reason for their continued success today.
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