On This Day: Walter Alston First Game as Brooklyn Dodgers Manger
On November 24, 1954, the Brooklyn Dodgers hired Walter Alston as their manager. Alston’s No. 24 jersey is retired and hangs in the Dodger Stadium Ring of Honor as he is regarded as one of the best managers in franchise history.
Alston began his coaching career as a player-manager in 1946 for the Nashua Dodgers of the Class-B New England League, which was the first integrated United States baseball team in the 20th century. He managed former Dodger greats like Roy Campanella and Don Newcombe on that team.
Alston then managed two Dodgers Triple-A affiliates, the St. Paul Saints and Montreal Royals, from 1948-1954, before being hired to manage the franchise’s Major League club.
He replaced Chuck Dressen, who had won consecutive National League pennants but wanted a multi-year contract that Dodgers owner Walter O’Malley was against doling out.
Alston remained manager of both the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers from 1954-1976 by signing a series of one-year contract. He finished with a 2,040-1,613 record, good for a .558 winning percentage.
The Dodgers had never won a World Series before Alston took over, but under his watch, captured titles in 1955, 1959, 1963 and 1965. He managed a variety of great players such as Sandy Koufax, Don Drysdale, Jackie Robinson and Duke Snider.
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.
In 1983, Alston was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veteran’s Committee, although he was not able to attend the ceremony due to a heart attack that he suffered just before.
He died from complications from the heart attack just a year later on Oct. 1, 1984, at the age of 72.
Alston succeeded by Lasorda
Another Dodger icon, Tommy Lasorda, played and coached under Alston and then went on to succeed him as manager and brought two more World Series to Los Angeles in 1981 and 1988.
