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Walter Alston
From BR Bullpen
Walter Emmons Alston (Smokey)
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 6' 2", Weight 195 lb.
- School Miami University
- High School Milford Township High School (Darrtown, OH)
- 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] Introduction
'He is non-irritating. Do you realize how important it is to have a manager who doesn't irritate you?" - Dodgers owner Walter O'Malley about Walt Alston
As a player, Walter Alston had only one major league 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.
[edit] Early career
Alston was born in Venice, OH (the town named Venice near Cincinnati, not the one in northern Ohio), and went to school in Darrtown, OH, not far from Venice. His father had played semi-pro ball. Walt was a basketball and baseball player as a youth whose fastball earned him the nickname "Smokey". He attended Miami University, also in the Cincinnati area, and was captain of the baseball and basketball teams, graduating with a degree and taking a job as a teacher.
He began in the minors in 1935, playing third base for Greenwood and hitting .326. Thereafter he was primarily a first baseman, and in 1936 he hit 35 home runs with a .326 average for Huntington. That earned him a shot at the majors in September.
[edit] Short time in the majors
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.
[edit] Back in the minors
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.
Smokey's minor league career went 13 seasons, through 1947. He had 176 home runs with a .295 average, primarily in the Cardinals organization but also with several years in the Brooklyn organization. In 1941-42 and 1944-45 he also pitched 34 innings in the minors, harkening back to his days as a pitcher in his childhood.
[edit] Minor league manager
Walt started managing in 1940 and put in 12 seasons before he became a major league manager. During his six years at the AAA level, he got to know many of the young Dodgers players who would later come to the majors. For instance, he had the young Tommy Lasorda as a pitcher at Montreal every year from 1950-53. Chuck Connors, Jim Gilliam and Johnny Podres were other players on his Montreal teams.
[edit] Dodgers manager
Alston was named manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers for the 1954 season, a year in which the team went 92-62. 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).
He won seven National League pennants in his 23 years tenure as Dodgers manager. During that time his teams had a losing record only four times, while while winning at least 90 games in a season ten different times.
He was well-known for signing a series of one-year contracts instead of going for an extended term.
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.
[edit] Later life
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". It has also been much expanded during its time here.
[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 |
