1980
March 3, 1980
Florida is the sunshine state, but it was so cold this day in Vero Beach, there were icicles hanging from the trees. Dodger Manager Tom Lasorda, who had been coming to Dodgertown since the early 1950s and had known cold weather said, "When they had the old Navy barracks here, you'd sleep curled up trying to stay warm all night…..That's nothing compared to this." 1
March 4, 1980
Roy Campanella is the subject of a feature by John Hall of the Los Angeles Times. Campanella was going down the hallway in the Dodgertown administration building when he came upon an oversized photo of himself tagging the New York Giants' Whitey Lockman at home plate. "That really hurt," said Campanella of the play. "I can still feel it. Lockman nearly killed me, but I held the ball……I held the ball and the umpire made the right call." 2
March 4, 1980
Pitcher Bob Welch informs his teammates he has undergone alcohol rehabilitation in the off-season, one of the first athletes to make such an admission. Welch told his story in his autobiography, "Five O'Clock Comes Early." Welch would pitch for two World Championship teams, including the 1981 Dodgers, and earn the 1990 American League Cy Young Award with 27 wins.
March 11, 1980
Columnist John Hall of the Los Angeles Times writes of the activities that go on at Dodgertown in Spring Training. Hall says of Dodgertown, "Baseball, anyone? There's even a little of that going on around here, too." Hall lists the activities available for players, their families and staff that include the base swimming pool, movie theatre, golf course, exercise aerobics, tennis and barbecues. "Ah, Dodgertown," writes Hall, "If this is a baseball camp, the Beverly Wilshire Hotel is San Quentin." 3
March 14, 1980
Every spring has a new group of rookies eager to make their way to the major leagues. This spring, a large number of Dodger youngsters would make their mark on the baseball world. Pedro Guerrero would be one of the top RBI men in the 1980s. Mickey Hatcher would be a catalyst on the 1988 Dodger World Series team and be the Angels' hitting coach when they won their 2002 World Championship. Mike Scioscia would play on the 1981 and 1988 World Championship Dodger teams and manage the 2002 Angels to a World Series title. Outfielder Ron Roenicke is named the manager the Milwaukee Brewers starting in 2011. Dave Stewart would win 20 or more games four consecutive seasons in the major leagues and become a successful player agent.
March 23, 1980
Duke Snider had been elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in January of 1980 and former teammates gathered in Dodgertown to honor him. A Dodgertown tradition is to name a street on the Spring Training base for someone elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. On this day, Don Drysdale, now a baseball broadcaster and Sandy Koufax, a Dodger pitching instructor, join with Dodger President Peter O'Malley to honor Snider and dedicate Duke Snider Drive.
For more on the history of the Dodgers Spring Training visit walteromalley.com