Walter Alston facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Walter Alston
Alston in 1976
First baseman / Manager
Born: (1911-12-01)December 1, 1911 Venice, Ohio, U.S.
Died: October 1, 1984(1984-10-01) (aged 72) Oxford, Ohio, U.S.
Batted: Right Threw: Right
debut
September 27, 1936, for the St. Louis Cardinals
Last appearance
September 27, 1936, for the St. Louis Cardinals
MLB statistics
Games managed	3,658
Managerial record	2,040–1,613
Winning %	.558
Teams
As player St. Louis Cardinals (1936) As manager Brooklyn / Los Angeles Dodgers (1954–1976)
Career highlights and awards
4× World Series champion (1955, 1959, 1963, 1965) Los Angeles Dodgers No. 24 retired
Baseball Hall of Fame
Induction	1983
Vote	Veterans Committee

Walter Emmons Alston (December 1, 1911 – October 1, 1984), known as "Smokey", was a famous American baseball manager. He led the Brooklyn / Los Angeles Dodgers from 1954 to 1976. He signed 23 one-year contracts with the team. Many people think Alston was one of the best managers in baseball history. He was known for being calm and quiet, which earned him the nickname "the Quiet Man."

Alston grew up in rural Ohio. He played both baseball and basketball at Miami University. His own playing career in Major League Baseball was very short, just one game in 1936. But he spent 19 years playing and managing in the minor leagues. He even managed the 1946 Nashua Dodgers, which was the first U.S. professional baseball team to have both white and black players.

As a major league manager, Alston led the Dodgers to seven National League (NL) championships. He also won four World Series titles. One of these was the only championship the team won while still in Brooklyn. After 23 seasons, Alston retired with over 2,000 wins. He was named Manager of the Year six times. The Los Angeles Dodgers retired his number 24 in 1977. In 1983, he was chosen for the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Early Life and Baseball Beginnings

Walter Emmons Alston was born on December 1, 1911, in Venice, Ohio. He spent his childhood on a farm. Later, his family moved to Darrtown.

Alston went to Milford Township High School in Darrtown. He got the nickname "Smokey" because his fastball was very fast when he was a pitcher. He finished high school in 1929 and married Lela Vaughn Alexander the next year.

In 1935, Alston graduated from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. He studied industrial arts and physical education. He said he paid for college by playing pool. He was a top player in both basketball and baseball for three years.

Playing in the Minor Leagues

Alston played minor league baseball as an infielder. He played for the Greenwood Chiefs in 1935 and the Huntington Red Birds in 1936. For the Huntington team in 1936, he hit 35 home runs in 120 games.

His One Major League Game

Alston's only major league game was with the St. Louis Cardinals on September 27, 1936. He played first base for Johnny Mize. He once told a reporter about his short career: "Well, I came up to bat for the Cards back in '36, and Lon Warneke struck me out. That's it." He also made one error during his time on the field.

After this brief appearance, Alston went back to the minor leagues. He continued to play and manage for many years. He was a player-manager for the Portsmouth Red Birds and the Springfield Cardinals.

In 1944, he became a player-manager for the Trenton Packers. This team was a minor league club for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Branch Rickey, a famous baseball executive, offered him the job.

Managing an Integrated Team

After Trenton, Alston became a player-manager for the Nashua Dodgers in 1946. This team was special because it was the first U.S. professional baseball team in modern times to have both black and white players. Alston managed future Dodgers stars Don Newcombe and Roy Campanella. He led Nashua to win the New England League title that year. Alston later said he didn't focus on race. He just wanted the best players for his team.

The next season, Alston led the Pueblo Dodgers to win the Western League title. He played in only two games that year, which were his last as a player. In his 13 years in the minor leagues, Alston hit .295 with 176 home runs.

Becoming a Manager

Minor League Managerial Success

In 1948, Alston managed the St. Paul Saints. This was a top minor league team for the Dodgers. He led them to a good record. That year, he managed Roy Campanella again. Campanella helped break racial barriers in the American Association league.

The 1949 Saints finished in first place. During the baseball off-season, Alston worked as a teacher.

From 1950 to 1953, Alston managed another Dodgers' top minor league team, the Montreal Royals. The team won many games each season. The Montreal Royals won league championships in 1951 and 1952. They also won the Governors' Cup playoff tournament in 1951 and 1953. Alston was later inducted into the International League Hall of Fame in 2010.

Leading the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers

Alston became the manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers for the 1954 season. The previous manager, Chuck Dressen, had left. Alston was not well-known in the major leagues. The New York Daily News even had a headline that said "Walter Who?"

Alston in 1955

Alston quickly became known as "The Quiet Man." His calm personality was very different from the previous manager. Sportswriters found it hard to write about him because he didn't talk much. He also seemed careful with his decisions on the field.

Alston explained his style: "I never criticized a player for a mistake on the spot. Whenever I got steamed up about something, I always wanted to sleep on it and face the situation with a clear head." The 1954 Dodgers finished second in their league.

In 1955, the Brooklyn Dodgers started very strong. They won the NL championship and their only World Series title while in Brooklyn. They won the league title earlier than any other team in NL history. In the World Series, pitcher Johnny Podres had a great performance, winning two key games.

Young pitcher Sandy Koufax started to become famous during this championship season. Alston was sometimes criticized for not using Koufax more often early in his career. Even though Koufax pitched a great shutout in one of his first starts, he only played in 12 games that season.

The 1956 team won the NL championship again. But they lost the World Series to the New York Yankees in seven games. In 1957, the Dodgers finished third. This was their last season in Brooklyn.

Alston (left) with Phillies manager Mayo Smith in 1957

In 1958, the team moved to Los Angeles. They finished in seventh place that year. But Alston led the Dodgers to another World Series championship in 1959. Six players on the 1959 team hit many home runs. Young pitcher Don Drysdale led the team with 17 wins.

Alston's Dodgers won the World Series again in 1963. They beat the New York Yankees in four straight games. This was the first time the Yankees had lost a World Series in four games. Alston's pitchers were amazing. Koufax struck out 23 batters in two games, and Drysdale pitched a shutout. Alston used only four pitchers in the whole series.

The Dodgers returned to the World Series in 1965 against Minnesota. Alston faced a challenge because his top pitcher, Koufax, could not pitch the first game due to a religious holiday. The team lost that first game but came back to win the World Series in seven games. Koufax pitched two shutouts in the series.

Alston's Dodgers teams in the 1960s had amazing pitching from Drysdale and Koufax. In 1966, both players wanted big contracts. The Dodgers returned to the World Series but lost to the Baltimore Orioles. Koufax retired after that season because of arm problems. Drysdale retired three years later. Both pitchers played their entire major league careers for Alston.

Alston waves to appreciative fans at Dodgers Stadium a week after his retirement

In his last eight years as manager, Alston's teams won at least 85 games each season. They finished second in their division six times. In 1971, they almost won the division title, finishing just one game behind. Starting in 1973, Alston's team had a famous infield of Steve Garvey, Davey Lopes, Bill Russell, and Ron Cey. This group played together for eight years.

In 1974, the Dodgers won the NL championship. They faced the Oakland Athletics in the World Series. Alston used his closer, Mike Marshall, in a record 106 games that season. Marshall won the Cy Young Award. The Dodgers lost the World Series in five games.

On July 17, 1976, Alston became the fifth manager to win 2,000 games. In September 1976, he announced he would retire at the end of the season. He said, "I've been in baseball for 41 years and it's been awfully good to me." He retired with 2,063 wins. Alston was named NL Manager of the Year six times. He also managed the NL All-Star teams nine times, winning seven of those games. He was known for signing 23 one-year contracts during his career.

Sportswriter Leonard Koppett said that Alston's loyalty and quiet nature helped the team stay stable. The team's owner once said Alston was "non-irritating."

Managerial Statistics

Later Life and Legacy

Walter Alston's number 24 was retired by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1977.

The Dodgers retired Alston's number 24 in 1977. He was only the fourth Dodger to receive this special honor. In 1983, he was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. Alston had a heart attack that year and could not attend his induction ceremony. His grandson went to represent him.

Alston passed away on October 1, 1984, in an Oxford hospital. He was 72 years old. He had been ill since his heart attack. He is buried in Darrtown Cemetery in Darrtown, Ohio.

Alston's plaque at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown

After Alston's death, MLB commissioner Peter Ueberroth called him one of baseball's greatest managers. Former Dodgers star Duke Snider said Alston was excellent at using each team's strengths.

Broadcaster Vin Scully described Alston as a strong, quiet, and controlled man. He said Alston never made excuses. He gave credit to his players and took the blame himself.

Alston is also known for helping female sports journalists. In 1974, after the Dodgers won the NL Pennant, he invited Anita Martini into the locker room for the post-game press conference. She became the first female journalist allowed in a major league locker room.

In 1999, Ohio State Route 177 was renamed the Walter "Smokey" Alston Memorial Highway. He was inducted into the International League Hall of Fame in 2010. There is a memorial to Alston in Milford Township Community Park in Darrtown.

See also

• List of Major League Baseball managers by wins