Die-hard Dodgers fans can rejoice at the true story of Walter O’Malley, deemed the most controversial owner of the Brooklyn and LA Dodgers. If you think you know your history, think again. With author Michael D’Antonio’s new book, FOREVER BLUE, fans can get an inside look at the life of O’Malley through extensive interviews, personal letters to and from greats such as Jackie Robinson, and a new perspective on O’Malley’s personality.
All this means you’ll experience Dodger Stadium — and the current ball club — on a whole new level. And like the rest of us true blue fans, claim that we know it all. Below is an excerpt from an interview with D’Antonio.
There have been other books, articles, and documentaries about Walter O’Malley and the Dodgers, the team’s move to Los Angeles, and so on. What’s new here? What makes this book different?
Actually there’s never been a book about O’Malley himself. There have been books about the Dodgers but no one has gotten to O’Malley, the man. This is partly because his personal archive was unavailable until his family began organizing it for a website they launched in 2003. I came along at the right time and the access they gave me—to themselves, their memories, and the documents—is one of the things that makes this book different from everything previously done on their father and the Dodgers.
What sort of things did you discover about O’Malley?
I found a lot of things that made me like him that people never paid attention to. One was when he went over to Ralph Branca after the infamous home run by Bobby Thomson—the so-called “shot heard around the world”—and reassured him, saying, “Remember, it’s only a game.” It was something Branca needed to hear. It impressed me that an owner so competitive and devoted to winning would have the grace and generosity to say that. It made me think he had the proper perspective.
One description of the book says it reveals the hidden truth about O’Malley’s purchase of the club from baseball legend Branch Rickey. What truth is being revealed here?
Many people believe Rickey did not want to sell the club. My research shows he not only wanted to sell, he needed to sell, and long before O’Malley pressed his case to purchase Rickey’s stock, Rickey was shopping it around. I also think a lot of people believe Rickey was boxed in and accepted a low bid. In fact he got a premium for his stock and did as much feinting and manipulating as O’Malley not only to make sure he got top dollar but also to put himself in a position to continue in baseball.
How could a sportsman like O’Malley be so harshly criticized by some and so beloved by others?
I think it’s probably based on what he gave and what he took away. Those who love him believe they received the team from him. And those who remain angry with him believe he took their team away. And both ideas are true as far as they go. But if you really allow yourself to explore what happened, you realize that a lot of people have been burdened by misperceptions for decades.
What would O’Malley think of baseball today?
I think he would recognize it as a business success. I don’t think he’d have problem with players making the amounts of money they make but I think he’d be unhappy with the price of tickets and the distractions at ballparks. By that I mean I think he really loved the game and wouldn’t have enjoyed the rock music and other incidental activities you find at modern ballparks today.
FOREVER BLUE: The True Story of Walter O’Malley, Baseball’s Most Controversial Owner, and the Dodgers of Brooklyn and Los Angeles
By Michael D’Antonio
Riverhead Books
Publication Date: March 19, 2009
ISBN: 978-1-59448-856-6
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