Baseball or the beach?

The
Dodgers changed the starting time of three day games from 1:30 to 4
p.m. and said they were trying to make their fans happier.

"We
have received complaints from fans who said that they would like to go
to the beach and the ballgame but can’t do both," General Manager
Buzzie Bavasi said. "We also realize that it’s uncomfortable for the
fans, sitting in the sun in an uncovered stadium."

Maybe that’s the real reason so many people bring beach balls to baseball games.

keith.thursby@latimes.com

By Keith Thursby
Times staff writer

The Dodgers decided
their disappointing first season in Los Angeles shouldn’t be blamed on
Manager Walt Alston and rehired him for the 1959 season.

The
Times’ Frank Finch reported that the announcement "was met by a
spontaneous burst of applause from press and radio representatives"
attending the news conference.

"Alston can’t think, hit, throw
or run for his players," General Manager Buzzie Bavasi said. "He has
managed in our organization for 14 years and never finished worse than
third. I believe he is entitled to one bad year."

The Times had
reported the Dodgers’ faith in Alston earlier in the season when owner
Walter O’Malley backed the manager during an interview in Brooklyn (of
all places). But the paper had also spectulated about a replacement. On
Aug. 2, the Times’ Al Wolf suggested that Yankees Manager Casey Stengel
might leave New York to take over the Dodgers.

Bavasi said he "didn’t even ask Alston if he wanted to manage our club next year. I just assumed he did."

Looking
back, of course, the decision was genius. A year later, Alston would be
leading the team into the World Series where they would defeat the
Chicago White Sox.  Alston would end up in the Hall of Fame. Nice hire.

keith.thursby@latimes.com

Found a fun story looking at many of the minor leaguers who would soon
be ready to take their places with the Dodgers. With the 1958 team
struggling, the Times’ Ned Cronin interviewed longtime Dodger executive
Fresco Thompson about the team’s prospects.

"If the veterans can’t get the job done there are a lot of pretty fair
ballplayers standing around begging for a chance to show what they can
do," said Thompson, described by Cronin as "the acute head of the
Dodger farm system and one of the most intelligent men in the entire
organization."

Some of the names listed are familiar to Dodger fans–Ron Fairly, Tommy
Davis and Frank Howard. There are two future Hall of Fame managers in
Tom Lasorda (spelled La Sorda in the Times’ story) and George "Sparky"
Anderson. And there are names that, well, I have no clue about.

Jim Harwell? Thompson said he "was pitching American Legion ball this
time last year. We’re pretty high on this kid."  Al Norris? Thompson
said he had good power.

Earl Robinson, a third baseball signed out of Cal, was also mentioned.
I found his stats on baseball-reference.com and learned he made it to
the Dodgers for eight games in 1968. He was sold to Baltimore in 1960
and played there in 1961, ’62 and ’64.

keith.thursby@latimes.com