Dodgers Give Angels the Silent Treatment, March 28, 1969

Posted on March 28, 2009 by lmharnisch

1969_0328_dodgers

The Dodgers and Angels were playing each other again and at least the Angels were doing their best to rebuild the rivalry.

"Peter O’Malley has instructed all his personnel not to say anything
about the Angels. That’s the word I get. They’re apparently afraid of
something." The Times’ Ross Newhan attributed the quote to a former
Dodger now working for the Angels. There were four possibilities:
general manager Dick Walsh, director of player personnel Lefty
Phillips, scout Kenny Myers and minor league manager Norm Sherry.

The teams last played each other in 1964, when the Angels were still
tenants of Dodger Stadium. The Angels had won the last five games in a
row.

On the record, Walsh said the Angels could talk about their
opponents: "This organization believes in free speech." It’s hard to
believe that The Times couldn’t find a Dodger willing to say something,
anything, to balance the Angel camp. Where was Tom Lasorda?

— Keith Thursby
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About lmharnisch

I am retired from the Los Angeles Times
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1 Response to Dodgers Give Angels the Silent Treatment, March 28, 1969

  1. Richard H's avatar Richard H says:
    March 28, 2009 at 7:15 pm

    “On the record, Walsh said the Angels could talk about their opponents: “This organization believes in free speech.” It’s hard to believe that The Times couldn’t find a Dodger willing to say something, anything, to balance the Angel camp. Where was Tom Lasorda?”
    Tom Who? In 1969, Mr. Lasorda was a minor league manager in Spokane, WA. He didn’t join the Dodgers coaching staff until 1973.
    Walter Alston wasn’t exactly the most voluble manager in baseball history. No competition to Casey Stengel for memorable quotes. I can’t remember anything he said.
    The Dodger general manager in 1969 was Al Campanis.
    A few sentences from Mr. Campanis on a late night T.V. broadcast in 1987 were enough to plunge Major League Baseball into a national uproar. So much for free speech for the Dodgers. Peter O’Malley must have let his guard slip in 1987.

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