Stengel Top Choice to Coach New L.A. Team

Posted on November 1, 2010 by lmharnisch

 

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Nov. 1, 1960: The new American League team heading to Los Angeles seemed to be stockpiling star power. Hank Greenberg, a Hall of Fame slugger turned businessman, was putting together his bid for the franchise, which would start playing in 1961. And Casey Stengel, barely out of a job with the New York Yankees, moved to the head of the list of potential managers.

"If Casey wants to take another management job he will be given much consideration by our group," Greenberg told The Times' Frank Finch.

Next on Greenberg's list was talking to the Coliseum Commission to rent the stadium for his expansion team. A Times story Nov. 3 said Greenberg asked the commission for a two-year option to play in the Coliseum. Still to be decided was the matter of Dodger owner Walter O'Malley and what it would take to make him welcome the new team to the neighborhood.

Speaking of the Dodgers and expansion teams, the Houston team that would start play in 1962 named longtime Dodger coach Bobby Bragan as its manager. But he didn't manage until 1963 when he joined the then-Milwaukee Braves.

–Keith Thursby

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About lmharnisch

I am retired from the Los Angeles Times
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2 Responses to Stengel Top Choice to Coach New L.A. Team

  1. Native Angeleno's avatar Native Angeleno says:
    November 1, 2010 at 8:01 pm

    How, Keith, did Gene Autry wrest the Angels away from the seeming lock that was the Hank Greenberg organization??
    The story goes that the Cowboy went to the winter meetings hopeful to be granted broadcasting privileges for the new AL team to appear on KMPC, now espn 710, after the Dodgers left KMPC for KFI, and ended up walking out of the meetings with the Angel franchise.
    Please continue to post any details you have on this “developing story”. And thanks.

    Like

  2. keith's avatar keith says:
    November 1, 2010 at 8:45 pm

    Thanks for the comment. I’ll have more details soon.

    Like

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