Did O'Malley steal the Dodgers from Brooklyn?
In many books it is stated that O'Malley had no other choice than leaving for LA. Especially the LA press and O'Malley family are wanting us to believe this.
I have a somewhat different opinion on this. Based on (biased?) statements of old Brooklyn fans and articles that showed the other side of the story. I think that O'Malley already had made up his mind before the 1957 season about leaving Brooklyn. I think this was a plan, especially when you look how he pushed Horace Stoneham to move the Giants to San Francisco. In 1953 he was approached by the City of Los Angeles already. So his statements that he wanted to keep the team in the borough of Brooklyn are full of crap IMO.
Thoughts?
I have a somewhat different opinion on this. Based on (biased?) statements of old Brooklyn fans and articles that showed the other side of the story. I think that O'Malley already had made up his mind before the 1957 season about leaving Brooklyn. I think this was a plan, especially when you look how he pushed Horace Stoneham to move the Giants to San Francisco. In 1953 he was approached by the City of Los Angeles already. So his statements that he wanted to keep the team in the borough of Brooklyn are full of crap IMO.
Thoughts?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Ethel Malley on
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arguably, you can say that walter o'malley was responsible for both the dodgers AND the giants leaving new york. there are some fairly recent books which argue that o'malley had made up his mind to move the team out of ny well before '56/'57 ("the last good season" and "the greatest ballpark ever" come to mind). and its not just a point of staying in brooklyn; its a point of staying in new york. o'malley was offered the site in flushing which eventually became shea stadium, but he refused it saying basically if the team is in queens, then they're not the *Brooklyn* Dodgers. well, if the team is in LA, then they're not the Dodgers either ...
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Permalink Reply by Yankeebiscuitfan on
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I am not sure if this is true. Stoneham tried to move the Giants to Minneapolis, and it is said that O'Malley was the only owner that opposed against this move. Coincidence? I don't think so.
I have been told that in the last seasons he did not clean and maintain Ebbets Field anymore. So IMO he had made his mind up already. What bothers me the most is the fact that he returned from LA in 1957 and that he had a signed contract in his pocket still wearing a button that said: "Keep the Dodgers in Brooklyn". IMO he was nothing more than a rat. -
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