Former Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers manager Walter Alston was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame on March 10, 1983. The Veterans Committee also elected George Kell, with the duo joining a class that included Juan Marichal and Brooks Robinson as Baseball Writers’ Association of America inductees.
Unfortunately for Alston, a heart attack prevented him from attending the ceremony. He died from complications from the heart attack in October 1984, at 72 years old.
Alston was hired by Brooklyn 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. He managed Dodgers icons Roy Campanella and Don Newcombe on that club.
Alston then went on to manage two Dodgers Triple-A affiliates, the St. Paul Saints and Montreal Royals, from 1948-54, before being hired as manager the Major League club. He guided the franchise to their first World Series in 1995, then three more titles 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 2,040-1,613 career record.
His No. 24 jersey is retired by the organization and is affixed outside the Top Deck Store and the Dodger Stadium Ring of Honor.
