1968

February 22, 1968

The Vero Beach Press Journal printed a special section regarding the Dodgers' 1968 Spring Training season. One historical anecdote was the visit of the Brooklyn National Guard to Vero Beach in 1948, Dodgertown's first season. The Vero Beach Jaycees (a local support group), in appreciation to the visit by the Guardsmen, provided them with a large number of Indian River's finest oranges for their return to Brooklyn. 1 The special section also has a photo of Dodgertown Director Dick Bird and Golf Course Superintendent Marion Luke reviewing a sand trap on the Dodgertown nine-hole golf course. The trap was unusual as it was designed by Walter O'Malley for his regular golfing partner, Dodger Vice President James Mulvey. The sand bunker, known as "Mulvey's Trap" was designed to be an obstacle for Mulvey's golf swing, renowned for its slice. The bunker was large enough to start out on the fourth hole and then caught golfers coming back on the seventh hole. 2 Also, it was reported the first night game at Holman Stadium at Dodgertown would be played March 28 when the Dodgers faced the Chicago White Sox. 

March 8, 1968

Sandy Koufax returns to Dodgertown in Vero Beach for the first time since his final playing season in 1966. Sportswriter Bob Hunter stated, "Everyone tried to get him into uniform immediately."  3

March 9, 1968

Walter O'Malley put an end to rumors the Dodgers would invest in a future Spring Training site in Palm Springs, California. "I don't know who starts these rumors," said O'Malley. "There isn't a word of truth to them. We hope to put $350,000 in the replacement of one of our main buildings at Vero Beach and if we expand our golf course from nine to 18 holes, that would be $200,000 more this year." Columnist Paul Zimmerman stated, "It is obvious the Dodger president envisions a long-range program for important developments in this, one of Florida's great areas."  4

March 16, 1968

Spring Training in Dodgertown is about getting ready for the baseball season by running, throwing, hitting, fielding, and ……hula hoops? Dodger trainer Bill Buhler had the players using hula hoops for conditioning and stretching purposes to provide a break from the usual calisthenics.  5

March 19, 1968

The Dodgers normally played in Dodgertown on St. Patrick's Day, but this season finds them on the road in Ft. Lauderdale to play the New York Yankees. So, Walter O'Malley improvised. In place of the annual St. Patrick's Day Party for Dodgertown, O'Malley scheduled a party to be held this year on March 19th, the Feast of St. Joseph. The star of the St. Joseph's party was Dodger right hand pitcher Jim (Mudcat) Grant, known for his singing ability. Grant was a showman on this night as he had three complete changes of suits during his show going all red, all white, and all green. 6   Dodger players Alan Foster and Tommy Hutton also played guitar and sang. As Hutton said, "Alan (Foster) and I haven't been successful enough for three (wardrobe) changes; we have only one outfit." 7 NBC broadcaster Joe Garagiola called Walter O'Malley on Sunday, March 17th to see if O'Malley wanted to discuss the St. Patrick's Day Party at Dodgertown on the Monitor radio show. "How is the St. Patrick's Day Party going?" asked Garagiola. "There isn't any this year," said O'Malley. We will have a St. Joseph party instead. "Then," asked Garagiola, "you are going to honor the Italians instead of the Irish?" "Oh no," said O'Malley. "St. Joseph was Jewish. We are hoping this switch in our allegiance will encourage NBC to give us our Jewish pitcher, Sandy Koufax, back." 8

March 23, 1968

The Dodgers defeat the Pittsburgh Pirates, 4-0, in a Spring Training game that was broadcast from Vero Beach, but played in Nassau, The Bahamas. Transmitting facilities were not available in Nassau, so Dodger Vice President Red Patterson was on a phone line to two Dodger assistants who typed the description given and in turn, Vin Scully and Jerry Doggett provided the play-by-play. Dodger broadcast engineer Monty Bancroft said for crowd noise, "We'll use a 10,000 crowd type.   I have different (crowd noise) tapes for doubles, singles, great catches, and even an 'ugh' when a batter is hit by a pitcher."  9

March 25, 1968

Columnist Melvin Durslag writes of Monsignor William G. Killelea, of his role at the Dodgertown party thrown by Walter O'Malley on March 19th, the Feast of St. Joseph. As this was a night to honor an Italian saint, the Monsignor, known locally for an excellent singing voice, was heard to say, "Thirty-four generations of Irish in my family, and here I am singing 'O Sole Mio."  10

March 26, 1968

Sportswriter Bob Hunter wrote a souvenir promoter at the Dodger exhibition games played in Nassau, The Bahamas, sold out his supply of 800 Dodger caps, but the promoter sold only 50 of the 200 Pirate caps available."  11

March 28, 1968

The Los Angeles Dodgers will meet the Chicago White Sox in the first night game to be played at Holman Stadium on March 28th. 12   The Dodgers defeated the Chicago White Sox, 11-4 as the Dodgers had 14 hits. 13   The starting and losing pitcher for the White Sox was Tommy John, who would later in his career win 20 games for the Dodgers in 1977.

March 31, 1968

The Los Angeles Times has a long feature on Dodger Manager Walter Alston and he remembers the time he caught now retired Dodger pitcher Sandy Koufax out after curfew in the 1961 Spring Training season. Koufax ran to his room and locked the door. Alston knocked on the door so hard, he broke his 1959 World Series ring. Koufax asked Alston, "Why are you beating on my door with your fists?" Alston replied, "Because I wasn't wearing shoes!" Thinking of the retired Koufax, Alston said, "You know, it sure would be nice to knock on some door one of these days and have Koufax come out."  14

April 27, 1968

Columnist Dick Young spoke of a present given by Dodger clubhouse man Jim Muhe to former Dodger first baseman and current New York Met manager Gil Hodges. Muhe came across a white towel in Dodgertown during Spring Training that in the blue stripe in the middle of the towel had the words, "Brooklyn Dodgers." When the Mets made their first trip to Los Angeles in the 1968 season, Muhe gave it to Hodges. Young wrote, "As long as things like that happen, baseball will survive."  15

1 ^ John Klucina, Vero Beach Press Journal, February 22, 1968

2 ^ Vero Beach Press Journal, February 22, 1968

3 ^ Bob Hunter, Los Angeles Herald-Examiner, March 9, 1968

4 ^ Paul Zimmerman, Los Angeles Times, The Sporting News, March 9, 1968

5 ^ Bob Hunter, The Sporting News, March 16, 1968

6 ^ Bob Hunter, The Sporting News, April 6, 1968

7 ^ Joe Hendrickson, Pasadena Star News, March 22, 1968

8 ^ Joe Hendrickson, Pasadena Star News, March 21, 1968

9 ^ Bob Hunter, Los Angeles Herald-Examiner, March 24, 1968

10 ^ Melvin Durslag, Los Angeles Herald-Examiner, March 25, 1968

11 ^ Bob Hunter, Los Angeles Herald-Examiner, March 26, 1968

12 ^ Vero Beach Press Journal, February 22, 1968 

13 ^ The Sporting News, April 13, 1968 

14 ^ Patrick McNulty, Los Angeles Times, March 31, 1968

15 ^ Dick Young, The Sporting News, April 27, 1968

For more on the history of the Dodgers Spring Training visit walteromalley.com