Walter Alston
| Birthdate | 12/1/1911 |
| Death Date | 10/1/1984 |
| Debut Year | 1954 |
| Year of Induction | 1983 |
| Teams | Dodgers |
| Position | Manager |
In 23 seasons as Dodger skipper, Walter Alston presided over seven National League pennant winning clubs and four World Series champions.
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Walt Alston was a Dodger scout and minor league skipper before taking the reigns of the big club
Walt Alston was a Dodger scout and minor league skipper before taking the reigns of the big club
Walter Alston had a 13-year professional playing career that included just one big league at bat. In the last 7 of his minor league seasons he served as player/manager.
Alston left his playing days behind in 1949 and focused on managing. In his final six seasons as a minor league skipper, his teams went 544-373, winning three league championships and one Junior World Series title.
When Dodger owner Walter O’Malley turned down manager Chuck Dressen’s demand of a three-year contract, he turned gave the reins to Alston.
The pair of pieces shown above date from the 1953 season, Alston’s last as a minor league pilot. The two scouting report file cards are filled out entirely by Alston. The card on the top analyzes Ed Roebuck in 1953, a full two years before his big league debut.
Alston is high on the Dodger farmhand who would go on to appear in 460 big league games.
The second card is a report on Karl Spooner, a fireballing 22-year old at the time. It’s interesting to see how the Dodger skipper viewed these future Major Leaguers.
The Dodgers promoted Walt Alston as manager in 1953; he piloted them four World Series titles
The Dodgers promoted Walt Alston as manager in 1953; he piloted them four World Series titles
The Dodgers were a National League powerhouse when they tabbed the relatively unknown Walter Alston as manager on November 24, 1953. Brooklyn was a two-time defending National League champion and had reached the World Series four times in the previous seven seasons.
Despite the success, the team couldn’t get past the mighty New York Yankees club that beat the Dodgers in each of those four Fall Classics.
Alston went from managing Brooklyn’s Triple-A Montreal team in 1953 to world champ just two seasons later when the Dodgers finally vanquished the Yanks in 1955. By the time he retired Alston put together a Hall of Fame career, winning 2,040 games and four World Series crowns with Brooklyn and Los Angeles.
In the collection is this handwritten letter from Alston written before he had managed a single day in the Major Leagues. Dated just 13 days after his hiring, the thank-you letter acknowledges the well wishes of a fan faithful to the Dodgers.
The skipper has included his nickname in signing Walter “Smokey” Alston at the bottom. Letters from before Alston’s managerial debut rarely surface.
In 1955 Alston piloted the Dodgers to their only World Series title in Brooklyn
In 1955 Alston piloted the Dodgers to their only World Series title in Brooklyn
Walter Alston took the helm of the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1954, stepping into the role with little fanfare as a relatively unknown minor league skipper. His calm demeanor and strategic acumen quickly began to reshape the team. Alston’s approach focused on fostering a strong, cohesive unit, emphasizing both discipline and adaptability—traits that would prove invaluable in the high-stakes realm as perennial pennant winners.
In the 1955 season, the Dodgers earned their 11th pennant still in search of their first World Series title.
When the Fall Classic arrived, the Dodgers confronted the Yankees once more, the source of their previous 5 October heartbreaks. Under Alston’s leadership, the Dodgers finally clinched their first World Series title in Brooklyn, overcoming years of near-misses and heartbreak.
This victory not only help cement Alston’s legacy but also marked a pivotal moment in baseball history. It embodied the spirit and resilience of a team that had long been on the cusp of greatness and finally vanquished their rivals.
Shown here is a ticket to Game 7 of the 1955 World Series when Alston and the Dodgers won their only Brooklyn title. The autograph of Cooperstown’s Duke Snider is boldly across the ticket.
Snider hit .320 with a Series leading 4 home runs and 7 runs batted in.
The last of Alston's four Dodger World Series titles came in 1965
The last of Alston's four Dodger World Series titles came in 1965
After guiding Brooklyn to its only World Series triumph in 1955, Walter Alston won three more in Los Angeles.
The team’s second year in the City of Angels provided Alston and the Dodgers their second ring. Together they won it all again in 1962.
Alston’s final Fall Classic title came in 1965 against the Minnesota Twins. The 7-game tilt showcased the brilliance of Dodger hurler Sandy Koufax.
The left-hander skipped Game 1 to observe Yom Kippur, a significant Jewish holy day. Koufax was the tough-luck loser in Game 2. He struck out nine, walked one, and allowed just a single earned run.
In Game 5 and 7 Koufax threw complete-game shutouts. Over those 18 innings he combined to surrender 8 hits and 5 walks while striking out 20 Minnesota batters.
It was the final World Series championship for both Koufax and Alston.
Two weeks after Koufax’s Game 7 gem Walter Alston wrote this letter to Dodger public relations director Arthur “Red” Patterson, the Dodgers.
Patterson is credited with the origination of old-timers’ games, yearbooks, concession souvenirs and many of the most popular promotional events.
He also was the first to pace off a home run by Mickey Mantle and refer to it as a tape-measure homer.
Sparky Anderson praises fellow Hall of Fame skipper Walter Alston
Sparky Anderson praises fellow Hall of Fame skipper Walter Alston
Sparky Anderson’s Big Red Machine battled the Dodgers for supremacy in the National League for a NL West for much of the 1970s. Anderson managed the Reds from 1970-1978.
In every one of those seasons but 1971, either the Reds or the Dodgers came away as Western Division champs. Here the Hall of Fame skipper reflects on the rivalry and on the Dodger skipper.
“Walter Alston was a great manager but far beyond that he was an outstanding person.”
Walter Alston managed the Dodgers in the 1950s, '60s, and 70's
Walter Alston managed the Dodgers in the 1950s, '60s, and 70's
Walter Alston managed the Dodgers for 23 years helping them win seven NL pennants and four World Series titles. Interestingly, his entire reign was a series of one-year contracts.
Two autographed Walt Alston Topps cards are shown above, the 1961 and 1968 editions. After decades of futility, Alston guided the Brooklyn Dodgers to their only World Series title in 1955, just his second with the franchise.
Alston's career ended in 1976 after 7 NL pennants and four World Series titles
Alston's career ended in 1976 after 7 NL pennants and four World Series titles
Walt Alston’s Hall of Fame managerial career came to an end with four games remaining in the 1976 season. His team’s accomplishments left no doubt of his Cooperstown destination.
With seven pennants and four World Series championships, Alston is in elite company. At the time of his retirement, only five skippers totaled at least 2,000 wins. Today his 2,040 victories ranks ninth all time. Alston’s four World Series titles are surpassed only by Joe McCarthy (7), Casey Stengel (7), and Connie Mack (5).
Shown here is a ticket from September 27, 1976, Alston’s 2,040th and final win as Dodger skipper. Interestingly, Alston’s lone big league appearance as a player came 40 years to the day earlier on September 27, 1936.
