Walter Alston
From BR Bullpen
Walter Emmons Alston (Smokey)
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 6' 2", Weight 195 lb.
- School Miami University
- Debut September 27, 1936
- Final Game September 27, 1936
- Born December 1, 1911 in Venice, OH USA
- Died October 1, 1984 in Oxford, OH USA
Inducted into Hall of Fame in 1983
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[edit] Biographical Information
As a player, Walter Alston had only one plate appearance, striking out against pitcher Lon Warneke. However, for his achievements as a manager, he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame on March 10, 1983 by the Committee on Baseball Veterans.
Alston was a first baseman with the St Louis Cardinals in the 1936 season. He played in his only major league game on September 27, as a substitute for future Hall of Famer Johnny Mize, who had earlier been ejected from the game. Alston struck out in his only major league at bat.
Returning to the minor leagues, Alston led the Middle Atlantic League in home runs four times, RBI twice, and runs once. He had 35 HR in 1936, 28 HR in 1940 (his first season as player/manager), 25 HR, 102 RBI, & 88 runs in 1941, and 12 HR and 90 RBI in 1942.
Alston was named manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers for the 1954 season. He won seven National League pennants in his 23 years tenure as Dodgers manager. In 1955, he led Brooklyn to the pennant and its first World Series championship; the team repeated as National League champions in 1956. After the Dodgers moved to Los Angeles, Alston led the team to pennants in 1959, 1963, 1965, 1966 and 1974, and three more world championships (1959, 1963, 1965).
Named Manager of the Year six times, Alston also guided a victorious NL All-Star squad a record seven times. He retired after the 1976 season with 2,040 wins.
As a manager, Alston was noted for his studious approach to the game (he had taught school in the off-season while in the minors) and for signing 23 one-year contracts with the Dodgers at a time when multi-year contracts were becoming the norm in the sport. Dodger General Manager Branch Rickey and statistician Allan Roth would provide data to Alston for use in managing the team.
Walter Alston was selected to the Hall of Fame in 1983. He is a graduate of Miami University in Oxford, OH and died in Oxford at the age of 72.
Some or all content from this article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Walter Emmons Alston".
[edit] Notable Achievements
- 3-time ML Manager of the Year (1955, 1959 & 1963)
- Division Titles: 1 (1974)
- NL Pennants: 7 (1955, 1956, 1959, 1963, 1965, 1966 & 1974)
- Managed four World Series Champions with the Brooklyn Dodgers (1955) and the Los Angeles Dodgers (1959, 1963 & 1965)
- 100 Wins Seasons as Manager: 2 (1962 & 1974)
- Baseball Hall of Fame: Class of 1983
| Preceded by Chuck Dressen | Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers Manager 1954-1976 | Succeeded by Tommy Lasorda |
