december october nicknamed american baseball player manager major_league_baseball mlb best known managing signed year contracts dodgers calm demeanor known quiet man grew rural ohio baseball basketball ohio mlb playing career consisted game bat played managed seasons minor league baseball service included stint manager integrated professional team modern baseball promoted manage successful seasons brooklyn class aaa minor league teams major league manager teams seven national_league world championships team world series championship team club brooklyn clinched pennant earlier calendar year previous pennant winner league history retired career wins managed star teams seven victories selected manager year times elected suffered heart attack year hospitalized month unable attend hall_of_fame induction ceremony fully recovered died hospital oxford ohio october early life born venice ohio spent childhood farm ohio teenager family moved ohio attended received nickname high school pitcher owing speed fastball graduated high school married longtime girlfriend year graduated degree industrial arts physical education oxford ohio said finances challenge college paid way school playing pool years basketball baseball playing career played minor league baseball respectively team hit home runs games major league game september base later described major league playing career reporter saying came bat cards struck committed error fielding chances base returned minor leagues brief mlb appearance split season hitting combined batting average played finishing season average home runs portsmouth won championship returned portsmouth hit home runs player manager season player manager seasons appeared seven games pitcher returned rochester baseman baseman moved player manager offered job minor league farm club executive signed player seasons served player manager integrated baseball team based twentieth century class new england league managed black dodgers prospects leading title later said consideration racial issues simply thought benefit team led title season appeared player games final professional playing appearances season minor league playing career hit home runs hit bats class highest minor league classification managerial career minor leagues managed dodgers class aaa affiliate win loss record team finished place games indianapolis indians team managed year managed integrated media critical playing said catcher simply integrate league hit home runs games fans dismayed called dodgers saints finished record players collected runs batted rbi team finished place half game indianapolis baseball season worked teacher managed dodgers aaa affiliate international_league team won games season tenure montreal won international_league montreal won governors cup playoff tournament inducted years later major leagues named manager season predecessor moved dodgers team leadership refused sign year year contract won years nearly won dodgers executive fought hired brooklyn bringing brooklyn described biggest contribution team history unknown major league level new_york_daily_news reported hiring headline walter immediately known quiet nature referred quiet man personality contrasted outspoken difficulty writing conservative decisions field drew criticism players managed minor leagues said learned knew baseball like according robinson wife commented approach saying criticized player mistake spot got steamed wanted sleep face situation clear head sportswriter said guy game look right face order corn paris restaurant dodgers finished second hit home runs registered runs batted dodgers got strong start associated_press article noted response questions like manager won consecutive games brooklyn team won pennant world series championship clinched pennant earlier year team history world series started mediocre regular season record seventh games won games pitcher struggled arm problems season emerged pitcher dodgers championship season criticized sparse use early career second mlb start pitched shutout giving hits striking batters success prompt lot opportunities pitcher appeared games season relief team repeated champions team bolstered play hit league leading home runs led league walks fell place early years los_angeles team finished seventh place club season moving brooklyn los_angeles criticism begun mount season led dodgers world championship players team finished double digit totals home runs year old led team pitchers wins los_angeles players including characterized late 1950s 1960s moon later came describe good manager gotten good mileage players managing star team attracted controversy left milwaukee braves pitchers star roster associated_press report said omission directed managing milwaukee dodgers finished fourth place following year team finished second place veteran missed months broken arm dodgers lost lead pennant race rumors surfaced coach fired team retained men dodgers won world series series represented time new_york_yankees lost world series games pitchers excelled struck batters games threw shutout game games employed starting pitchers relief pitcher series team finished losing season years team performance moving forward spring training season said let team forget difficulties previous season dodgers returned world series start number pitcher opening game series observing instead turned struggled lasting innings surrendering seven runs came mound remove said manager bet right wish jewish team recovered losing game won world series seven games appeared games series registering dodgers teams 1960s benefited strong pitching players held spring training demanded year contracts worth money making baseball time players eventually signed lesser amounts struggled year won games dodgers went world series defeated games retired season advice doctors examined sore arm retired years later men pitched entire major league careers final years manager guided teams wins season finished second place division times span team came close pennant falling games place team performed late season finished game san_francisco_giants beginning team featured infield group played years remaining long end tenure dodgers won pennant went world series face closer record setting games season marshall won young award received media attention considered marshall starter marshall ended appearing games series gave run innings start game dodgers lost series games dodgers won games respectively finished place seasons september announced retire end season press conference said baseball years good pretty big day playing golf time life announcing stepping manager told peter afternoon somebody chance manage club retired wins regular season postseason named manager year times managed star squads record times won seven games time multi year contracts rise managerial career consisted year contracts earned seven span sportswriter described role dodgers pointing seen boss stuck field management team said loyalty subdued nature contributed stability team enjoyed commented non irritating realize important manager doesn later life legacy dodgers retired number year stepped manager fourth receive honor elected suffered heart attack year hospitalized month grandson traveled represent ill manager hall_of_fame induction ceremony died oxford hospital complications recent heart attack october funeral home spokesman said remained ill heart attack interred cemetery ohio death mlb commissioner referred baseball greatest managers dodgers great acknowledged occasional run ins said excelled utilizing specific strengths team managed played coached ultimately succeeded manager commented easy play said imagined type ride shotgun stage indian territory man yards tall quiet controlled gave players credit took blame solid american named walter memorial highway inducted april readers los_angeles_times named number list greatest dodgers time memorial located
Walter Alston