1980-89

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.

1 ^ John Strege, Orange County Register, March 4, 1980

2 ^ John Hall, Los Angeles Times, March 4, 1980

3 ^ John Hall, Los Angeles Times, March 11, 1980

1981

March 7, 1981

The Sporting News has a feature on Dodgertown and the author compares the Spring Training site to Disneyland. "If you're willing to accept such notables as Don Newcombe, Sandy Koufax, and Ron Fairly in their stead, you probably couldn't tell Dodgertown from Disneyland. Actually, that's not entirely correct. The Los Angeles Dodgers' Spring Training facility is undoubtedly larger." 1

March 7, 1981

The Dodgers and the Yomiuri Giants were working out in Dodgertown when in the words of the Los Angeles Times, "a torrential downpour" caused the Dodgers to immediately leave the field. It was noted the Yomiuri Giants then remained practicing for five more minutes before seeking shelter. 2

March 8, 1981

The Yomiuri Giants are spending Spring Training in Dodgertown and the great slugger Sadaharu Oh spoke at a press conference. Oh was asked what Dodger player he admired. "Steve Garvey is my favorite Dodger because of his physical structure," said Oh. "He's not too tall. He's the same height as Japanese players. He (Garvey) plays the game seriously, with a sincere attitude." 3

March 8, 1981

Dodger outfielder Reggie Smith showed great concern for his manager Tom Lasorda. Lasorda had apparently made a sharp turn in his golf cart and had fallen to the side. Reggie made a safety belt for Lasorda by tying him to a post on the golf cart and securing the belt with a safety chain and lock. Clubhouseman Nobe Kawano had to be located to unlock the "belt" and free Lasorda. 4

March 22, 1981

A Los Angeles Times article reviews some of the young talent in the Dodger organization this Spring Training. One young pitcher mentioned "Saved 14 games at San Antonio (AA level) in 1980. Dodger pitching instructor Larry Sherry said of him, "This kid could come very fast. He's intelligent, retains well, understands. He has one of the best curveballs in camp." Sherry was correct on all points on the right hand relief pitcher that would later win the 1988 Cy Young Award and help the Dodgers win the 1988 World Series. However, the article mistakenly called him "Rorel" Hershiser. 5

March 31, 1981

Late in Spring Training in Dodgertown, the Dodgers today acquired outfielder Ken Landreaux from the Minnesota Twins in exchange for Mickey Hatcher and two minor league players. It would be Landreaux who would catch the final out of the sixth game of the 1981 World Series as the Dodgers defeat the New York Yankees for the World Championship.

1 ^ Lissa Megan Morrow, The Sporting News, March 7, 1981

2 ^ Mark Heisler, Los Angeles Times, March 8, 1981

3 ^ Mark Heisler, Los Angeles Times, March 8, 1981

4 ^ Mark Heisler, Los Angeles Times, March 8, 1981  

5 ^ Mark Heisler, Los Angeles Times, March 22, 1981

1982

March 1, 1982

Dodger third baseman Ron Cey is interviewed on the "Today" morning television show from Dodgertown. Also, on this date, when informed by Playboy magazine that Dodger manager Tom Lasorda was named the best baseball manager on earth, Lasorda replied, "I can't argue with that." 1

March 14, 1982

Dodgertown tradition is that when anyone who has ever been a part of the Dodger organization is elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, a street on the base is named in their honor. This year, broadcaster Vin Scully, the 1982 winner of the Ford Frick Award, will be inducted into Cooperstown in July. On this day, a new street is dedicated this spring and so it is that the path that leads from the Dodgertown clubhouse to Holman Stadium will be forever known as "Vin Scully Way."

March 23, 1982

Dodger Manager Tom Lasorda is the victim of pranksters on the Dodgertown base and the likely culprits are his own players. One day when Lasorda was on the field, a person or persons got into Lasorda's suite on the base and disabled the speaking device on his room telephone. Next, they waited until he had fallen asleep that night and then tied a rope to the doorknob of the room and attached the rope around a tree. The next morning when Lasorda tried to leave his room, the taut rope on the outside kept him from opening the door and leaving the room. Next, when Lasorda tried to use his phone to call for assistance from the front desk, he was frustrated again. He could call out, but the person on the other end could not hear anything spoken from the manager. He was a captive in his own room until help finally arrived. No one was ever identified as the perpetrator or perpetrators and no one ever stepped forward to take credit. 2

March 24, 1982

Dodger Manager Tom Lasorda has his coaches take care of business on the field as he travels to Washington D.C. as an invited guest for a luncheon at the White House with President Reagan.

March 27, 1982

Television host David Hartman of "Good Morning America" is in Dodgertown to film Spring Training for a segment on the show. When the Dodger game with the Cardinals is postponed for rain in Vero Beach, Hartman begins an interview with Tom Lasorda in the manager's office. In the middle of the interview, Dodger players Mark Belanger, Jay Johnstone, Rick Monday, Jerry Reuss and Steve Yeager intervene to pick up Lasorda and throw him in the whirlpool bath in the training room. 3 Also, on this date, editor Dick Kaegel of The Sporting News gives his views of Spring Training and writes, "Dodgertown is the showplace of Spring Training baseball." 4

April 24, 1982

Vero Beach Dodger left hand pitcher Sid Fernandez throws a no-hitter, strikes out 16, retires 27 of 28 hitters as he defeats the Winter Haven Red Sox, 5-0 at Holman Stadium in Dodgertown. Fernandez hit a batter on the elbow on an 0-2 pitch to spoil a perfect game. 5

April 24, 1982

Despite losing two dates to rain at Holman Stadium, the Dodgers set a Florida Spring Training attendance record as 59,587 fans came to see the 1981 World Champions play 11 games at Dodgertown. 6

May 14, 1982

Vero Beach Dodger left hand pitcher Sid Fernandez sets a Florida State League record for most strikeouts in a game when he fans 21 Lakeland Tigers in a game at Holman Stadium in Dodgertown. Fernandez' achievement broke the record of then Dodger scout Bob Bishop who fanned 20 in a game in 1962. 7

November 8, 1982

Sportswriter Gordon Verrell writes of the reputation of Dodgertown that "The Dodgers gained a reputation as a fundamentally sound organization, top to bottom. That was primarily the result of their vast Spring Training complex, Dodgertown, in Vero Beach, Florida; their emphasis on scouting and their instruction throughout their minor league system." 8

1 ^ Ken Gurnick, Los Angeles Herald-Examiner, March 1, 1982

2 ^ Ken Gurnick, Los Angeles Herald-Examiner, March 23, 1982

3 ^ Ken Gurnick, Los Angeles Herald-Examiner, March 28, 1982

4 ^ Dick Kaegel, The Sporting News, March 27, 1982

5 ^ The Sporting News, August 2, 1982

6 ^ Bill Conlin, The Sporting News, April 24, 1982

7 ^ The Sporting News, August 2, 1982

8 ^ Gordon Verrell, The Sporting News, November 8, 1982

1983

February 19, 1983

Dodger Manager Tom Lasorda opened Spring Training with a speech to his players. At one point, Lasorda urged his younger minor league players to compete for jobs held by major leaguers. Pitcher Jerry Reuss, a free spirit in the clubhouse, spoke up in the middle of Lasorda's speech, "I wonder who (new Dodger coach Joey) Amalfitano is thinking about right now," as the clubhouse broke up in laughter. Amalfitano would be the Dodgers' third base coach from 1983 through the 1998 season. 1

February 22, 1983

Dodger outfielder Rick Monday and catcher Steve Yeager flew to Vero Beach on the red eye to get to Dodgertown this year. However, Monday and Yeager showed up briefly at the clubhouse with their golf clubs and an excuse not to practice. Monday told Dodger Manager Tom Lasorda that "(Steve) Yeager and I flew all night and we're too tired to practice. C'mon, Boomer (Yeager's nickname), we have a 10 a.m. tee time (for golf)." And the two baseball players played golf that day. 2

March 10, 1983

Dodger Manager Walter Alston is elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame on this date. Sportswriter Gordon Edes quotes Hall of Fame manager Casey Stengel on the time Stengel was asked who was the best modern-day manager in baseball. Stengel replied, "That fella (Alston) with the Dodgers. He wins with young players, old players……He wins in a small park, a big park, and in-between, one (park) with volleyball net in left field, (the Los Angeles Coliseum). You could look it up."   Alston won four World Championship as a Dodger manager, including the Dodgers' first World Series in 1955. He would later win World Series with the Dodgers in 1959, 1963, and 1965. Alston would manage 11 seasons where the Dodgers won more than 90 games and finished his managerial career with 2,042 wins, at that time the fifth largest number in baseball history. Alston watched the Dodgers play a Spring Training game at Holman Stadium after the announcement of his election. When asked how he would celebrate the Hall of Fame honor, Alston replied, "I think I already have." 3

March 14, 1983

William Nack of Sports Illustrated magazine writes a feature on Dodgertown in Vero Beach, Florida in the March 14th issue. Nack writes, "The spirit of the past is always right around a corner at Dodgertown, and the way you get to Field 2 is this: You can enter Dodgertown by turning off Vero Beach's 26th Street into Duke Snider Drive and then take a left on Vin Scully Way, which runs right past the field along the leftfield line. Or you can turn in at the main gate, onto Jackie Robinson Avenue. Then you head straight for a hundred yards or so. Don't turn left (what else) on Sandy Koufax Lane because that breaks like a good curve past the villas-small, one-bedroom, one-bathroom structure where most of the players live, two to a unit. Keep going until you get to Roy Campanella Drive. Take a right, and, if you're on foot, walk straight on, through the gap in the fence and over the pitchers' mound, until you reach…Roy Campanella." Nack tells the history of Dodgertown from the earliest days to the current moments and how it has benefited the organization. "On the field," narrates Nack, "there were so many players running around that each one not only wore a number but the numbers were of different colors-orange, maroon, yellow, purple, black, green, blue, brown, white, and red-so one No. 46 could be distinguished from another." The Sports Illustrated writer states, "It was no wonder the Dodgers became known for producing the most fundamentally sound players in the game. Talent varied, of course, but insofar as they could, the players in the Dodger system, for the parent team to the lowest club in the organization, executed in the same way. They all learned together at the same school." Nack concludes the article by writing, "What (Branch) Rickey originally conceived, the idea of a baseball college, (Walter) O'Malley carried out and improved on." 4

March 17, 1983

Spring Training can be a long, repetitive process with exercises, drills, and games. To break up the monotony in March, the Dodgers weekly had special events at Dodgertown where players and their families would be invited to enjoy spending an evening with plenty of party appropriate food and special activities. Christmas in Dodgertown began in 1979 and included a tree, the arrival of Santa Claus, presents with a traditional Christmas dinner and snow! Dodgertown Director Craig Callan said, "We have about 20 tons of snow brought in (for Christmas in Dodgertown)." Other events held for Dodger players and their families in Spring Training were "Country Western Barbecue" with pony rides, a country band, line dancing, and traditional Western-style food around a bonfire. "Seafood Night" included dinner with a wide variety of assorted fish with all the fish caught fresh from Florida waters.[1] Other Dodgertown festival themes through the seasons were "50s Night", a celebration of the 1950s with diner style hamburgers, hot dogs and French fries, and plenty of 50s music with hula hoops and as always, St. Patrick's Day. 5

March 18, 1983

Columnist Chuck Johnson of The Tidings newspaper writes about the annual Memorial Mass held at Dodgertown in Spring Training. The idea originated with Kay O'Malley, the wife of team owner Walter O'Malley. She felt it was important to remember everyone as a tribute to those members of the Dodger organization and Dodgertown guests who had passed away in the 12 months from the previous Mass. An honored Dodgertown tradition at the Mass is to mention the names of persons who in the last year had most recently gone before. All previous names celebrated were listed in the Memorial Mass program given to participants. For many Spring Trainings, the Mass has been conducted by Monsignor Irvine Nugent of St. Helen's Church. 6

March 24, 1983

Orel Hershiser was asked in Spring Training of his thoughts when he learned the Dodgers had put him on the 40-man roster in November, 1982. Hershiser said, "I sat there thinking about Vero Beach (Dodgertown), about having my own locker in the big league clubhouse with my own uniform. Sometimes you kick yourself because you're really a Los Angeles Dodger." 7

March 28, 1983

Sandy Koufax tells the story in 1966 on why he did not pitch the season opener for the Dodgers. "In 1966, I hadn't been to Spring Training because of the holdout. (Koufax and Drysdale did not agree to their 1966 contract until March 30th of that year). I didn't pitch Opening Day. (Dodger Manager) Walt Alston said I wasn't ready yet. I went the next day (the second game of the season)." 8

May 16, 1983

Vero Beach Dodger Manager Stan Wasiak is interviewed on his 34th season as a minor league manager. Wasiak began his managerial career in 1950 with a minor league club in Valdosta, Georgia where his players included major leaguers as Joe Pignatano and Roger Craig. Due to a serious illness in 1982, Wasiak was out for most of the season, but did return for one game to keep his current streak in managing continuing. In 1978, Wasiak won the 2,000th game in his career in the minor league career with the Lodi (Class A) Dodgers in the California League. Dodger President Peter O'Malley honored Wasiak with his presence in pre-game ceremonies at the Lodi ballpark to celebrate the feat. 9   Among Dodger players who played under Wasiak in the minors were John Franco, Mike Marshall, Alejandro Pena, Ron Roenicke, Rick Rhoden, Steve Sax, Fernando Valenzuela and Geoff Zahn. Wasiak would become the all-time winning minor league manager in 1985 for the Vero Beach Dodgers.

September 2, 1983

The Vero Beach Dodgers win their first Florida State League Championship as they defeated Daytona Beach, 6-4. The Dodgers had lost the first two games of the best-of-five series, but won three straight games, including the championship game at Holman Stadium. Mariano Duncan, a future major league Dodger, stole four bases in the game as Brian Innis was the winning pitcher and Rafael Montalvo saved the game in relief. 10

October 23, 1983

The first ever Dodgertown "Adult Fantasy" Camp opened as 61 men and one woman, Los Angeles Timesphotographer Jayne Kamin, participated. Among the first-ever group of adult campers were two legislators from the state of California and a bus driver from New York City.[1] For six days, the campers learned fundamental baseball skills from former Dodger players Hall of Famers Roy Campanella, Don Drysdale, Tom Lasorda, and Duke Snider participated as well as Dodger standouts Joe Black, Tommy Davis, Carl Furillo, Lou Johnson, and Ron Perranoski. The campers slept in the villas at Dodgertown, dressed in Dodger uniforms in the Dodger clubhouse, had their own baseball card made and played in camp games. Dinner every night had the former Dodgers speak of their experience as major league players and the "Most Valuable Players" of that day's game were presented with the "Mr. Potato Head" award, an honor used as a motivational tool by the 1983 National League Western Champion Dodgers. 11

1 ^ Mark Heisler, Los Angeles Times, February 20, 1983

2 ^ Mark Heisler, Los Angeles Times, February 23, 1983

3 ^ Gordon Edes, Los Angeles Times, March 11, 1983

4 ^ William Nack, Sports Illustrated, March 14, 1983

5 ^ Amy Clark, Florida Today, March 17, 1983

6 ^ Chuck Johnson, The Tidings, March 18, 1983

7 ^ Ken Gurnick, Los Angeles Herald-Examiner, March 24, 1983

8 ^ Mark Heisler, Los Angeles Times, March 28, 1983

9 ^ Gordon Verrell, The Sporting News, May 16, 1983

10 ^ The Sporting News, September 19, 1983

11 ^ The Sporting News, November 14, 1983

1984

March 4, 1984

- The "Captain," Harold "Pee Wee Reese" is elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Said Dodger Manager Tom Lasorda of Reese, "There simply isn't a shortstop who has lived whose contributions meant more." 1

March 12, 1984

A fan at Holman Stadium saw a tall, distinguished man wearing a Dodger cap sitting in the stadium press box and asked him, "Whatever became of Sandy Koufax?" The man replied to the question by saying "He went to the laundry today. He'll be here (at the game Wednesday)," said Sandy Koufax. 2

March 17, 1984

St. Patrick's Day is always special in Dodgertown, but this year the day featured two notables: Baseball Commissioner Bowie Kuhn threw the first ball and superstar entertainer Danny Kaye was in the stands to watch the game. That night, Kuhn and Kaye were honored guests at the annual St. Patrick's Day party in Dodgertown. 3

March 18, 1984

He is a rookie pitcher expected to be in the bullpen, but the Dodgers are very high on right hand pitcher Orel Hershiser. Vice President Al Campanis said of Hershiser, "Someday this guy is going to be outstanding. He's got brass and poise, he comes at the hitters, and now he has confidence. Eventually, I think he can become a starter on this ballclub." Scouting Director Ben Wade added his comment of Hershiser, "He's pretty much a complete pitcher." Hershiser would become a starter in the Dodger rotation and later be named the 1988 Cy Young Award winner in the National League and the 1988 World Series Most Valuable Player. 4

March 22, 1984

Don Drysdale is in Dodgertown for the dedication of Don Drysdale Drive in Dodgertown. The Dodgers continued the club's current tradition of naming a street after a Dodger player is elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. 5 When he was handed the street sign with his name on it, Drysdale said, "I'll probably drop it." 6

March 27, 1984

- In a feature on Dodger catcher Mike Scioscia, Mike's father Fred Scioscia, tells a story of his prediction when Mike was born. Fred Scioscia said, "When I saw him (Mike, at his birth) I said, 'There's my $100,000 bonus baby.' Of course, I said it in half jest." 7   Mike Scioscia was the Dodgers' 1st round choice in the June, 1976 Free Agent Draft and made his major league debut in 1980. He was the catcher on the 1981 and 1988 World Championship teams and would become the Dodgers' all-time leader in games played as a catcher. After his playing career ended, he became manager of the Los Angeles Angels for their only World Championship in 2002.

March 28, 1984

The Dodgers win a typically wild game in Spring Training, 13-12, over the Baltimore Orioles in 11 innings. There were so many baseballs used in the game that a special trip had to be made to the clubhouse to increase the supply to finish the game. 8

April 1, 1984

A feature in the Miami Herald speaks of the special bond between the city of Vero Beach and Dodgertown as the Dodgers begin their 37th season in Vero Beach. Vero Beach City Manager said of the Dodgers' holding their Spring Training in Dodgertown, "They're the greatest thing that ever happened to us. It's been a love affair, to say the least. Some cities and their sports teams have problems. Not us." J.B. Norton, executive vice president of the Vero Beach-Indian River County Chamber of Commerce said of the relationship, "There's no way I can tell you how much they're worth (to us) but it's literally millions of dollars." 9

May 31, 1984

The Vero Beach Dodgers have two Australians on their team this season. Infielder Craig Shipley was signed to a free agent contract to play alongside fellow Aussie Adrian Meagher. Shipley played shortstop for the Alabama Crimson Tide, who finished second in the 1983 College World Series. 10 Shipley would make his major league debut with the Dodgers on June 22, 1986 to become the first native Australian to play in the major leagues. In his first major league at bat, he drove in a run on a ground ball out. 11

November 28, 1984

Dodger President Peter O'Malley has invited the Samsung Lions of the Korean Professional League to conduct their 1985 Spring Training at Dodgertown in Vero Beach, Florida. O'Malley said, "Baseball is rapidly growing throughout the world and this exchange between our two countries will help enhance the development of the game in Korea."[1] Ten years later, Chan Ho Park would be the first Korean player to sign a contract with a major league team and make his major league debut with the Dodgers. 12

1 ^ John Strege, Orange County Register, March 5, 1984

2 ^ John Strege, Orange County Register, March 132, 1984

3 ^ John Strege, Orange County Register, March 18, 1984

4 ^ Gorden Edes, Los Angeles Times, March 18, 1984

5 ^ Gordon Edes, Los Angeles Times, March 23, 1984

6 ^ Vero Beach Press Journal, March 23, 1984

7 ^ Gordon Edes, Los Angeles Times, March 27, 1984

8 ^ John Strege, Orange County Register, March 28, 1984

9 ^ Francis X. Donnelly, Miami Herald, April 1, 1984

10 ^ The Sporting News, June 18, 1984

11 ^ BaseballReference.com

12 ^ Daily News, November 28, 1984

1985

February 21, 1985

To commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Brooklyn Dodgers' 1955 World Championship team, former players gathered at Dodgertown in Vero Beach, Florida on the invitation of Peter O'Malley. During the four day reunion, O'Malley hosted the 1955 players and their spouses as they watched the early days of Spring Training workouts, played on the Dodgertown golf courses, and enjoyed Spring Training more than they did in their playing days. Among the players who attended were Roy Campanella, Roger Craig, Carl Erskine, Carl Furillo, Tom Lasorda, Clem Labine, Sandy Koufax, Don Newcombe, Johnny Podres, Pee Wee Reese, Duke Snider, and Don Zimmer. 1

February 25, 1985

The Dodgers dedicated Pee Wee Reese Road in Dodgertown to honor Harold "Pee Wee" Reese, the Dodger "Captain" upon his recent election to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. The dedication occurred during a reunion of the 1955 Brooklyn Dodger World Championship team. It is a Dodgertown tradition to name a street there when any former Dodger players have been named to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Reese Road intersects with Jackie Robinson Avenue on the base. 2

February 26, 1985

Former UCLA track Coach Jim Bush is in Dodgertown helping the team in running and conditioning. As part of his workouts, Dodger players were seen running on the 16th Street Bridge in Vero Beach, Florida that spans the Indian River. The bridge runs were challenging as the players ran up the bridge for 120 yards at a 10 degree grade. 3

February 27, 1985

The Samsung Lions baseball team from South Korea arrives in Dodgertown, Vero Beach, Florida as guests of the Los Angeles Dodgers to learn advanced baseball techniques from the major league and minor league field staff. This is the first time a professional Korean team would conduct Spring Training with a major league club. The team will consist of 25 players including manager Kim Young Duck. Three players on the Samsung club, Kim Seong Kab, Kim Yeong Kook and Lee Jong Doo were on the South Korea 1984 Olympic baseball team that played at Dodger Stadium. "Baseball is rapidly growing throughout the world," said Dodger President Peter O'Malley, "and this exchange between our two countries will help enhance the development of the game in Korea." 4

February 28, 1985

Sandy Koufax was pitching batting practice to Dodger players during Spring Training workouts.   Koufax claimed he was wild because he could not get his breaking ball over for strikes.   Koufax said the fault lay elsewhere. "I can't break into the rotation," said Koufax. He (Tom Lasorda) won't let me pitch more than once every 12 months," as Koufax pointed to Lasorda, meaning Sandy only threw batting practice in Spring Training. 5

March 5, 1985

The Vero Beach Press Journal newspaper features the dedication and work ethic of the Samsung Lions baseball team as they conduct pre-season training at Dodgertown. Longtime Dodger pitching coach Red Adams, assigned to the Samsung Lion players, said, "They are highly dedicated. They work hard and long." Adams stated the strongest part of the team is the Samsung pitching. "They're well-coordinated and they have good balance. For only being in their fourth year of professional baseball, they're very polished-looking. They're obviously doing something right" said Adams. Samsung Manager Kim Young Duck said of the opportunity to train in Dodgertown was beneficial. "The main purpose we are here is to bring the level of baseball up (in South Korea). The Samsung Lions worked late enough in the day to require stadium lights to be turned on as Lion players hit baseballs off tees into nets. Dodger infield instructor Chico Fernandez and Dodger hitting instructor Leo Posada worked with the Lion players on their particular skills the same way they do with young Dodger minor league players. 6

March 9, 1985

The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Samsung Lions baseball team from South Korea, 7-0, in the first Spring Training game ever played by a South Korea team against a major league team. Baseball Commissioner Peter Ueberroth, General Jyong Chul Suh, the first Commissioner of Baseball in Korea, and former Baseball Commissioner Bowie Kuhn attended the game. 7   Commissioners Ueberroth and Jyong formed a two Commissioner first ball ceremony during pre-game ceremonies. 8

March 12, 1985

Peter O'Malley presents individual Louisville Slugger bats to General Jyong Chul Suh, the Commissioner of Baseball in South Korea, and the entire Samsung Lions baseball team to commemorate their Spring Training visit to Dodgertown. 9

March 19, 1985

Korean Baseball Commissioner Jyong Chul Suh writes to Peter O'Malley to express his appreciation for the Dodgers' invitation to the Samsung Lions to train in Dodgertown, a historic first for a Korean professional team. "It was my pleasure to meet you again in Dodger Town and many thanks to you for your kindness. The first exhibition game between the Dodgers and Lions will be remembered forever in baseball history….I have to say many thanks to you and your staffs for your kindness which were given to Lions players…..I wish we'll meet again in Seoul in the near future. Again, many, many thanks to you. 10

March 23, 1985

Dodger Manager Tom Lasorda provided special commentary during the DodgerVision telecast of their exhibition game in Dodgertown against the Baltimore Orioles. DodgerVision was the team's cable television network to broadcast home games at Dodger Stadium. Lasorda sat with the DodgerVision broadcast team in the Holman Stadium television booth and discussed the Dodgers' upcoming 1985 season. Lasorda would make lineup changes during the game by speaking in a walkie-talkie connected to Dodger coach Monty Basgall on the team bench. 11

March 28, 1985

The CBS Morning News show did a feature on baseball writers covering their team in Spring Training and the production crew spent time in Dodgertown on the team beat writers. Dodger Manager Tom Lasorda was quoted as saying on the broadcast, "If I were a sportswriter, and I could be assigned to cover the Dodgers right here at Dodgertown, I'd call this place blue heaven on earth." 12

April 2, 1985

Los Angeles Times columnist Jim Murray features National League umpire Bruce Froemming. Murray writes the story Froemming was a minor league umpire assigned to Dodgertown in Vero Beach. Hall of Fame umpire Al Barlick offered Froemming a chance to umpire in a major league exhibition game at Dodgertown. Froemming responded he would be interested, but only if he could umpire at home plate in a game with two major league clubs. Barlick was not sure Froemming was ready to take on such a big assignment and told that to Dodger owner Walter O'Malley. O'Malley told Barlick, "You (Barlick) don't need the home plate experience. He (Froemming) does." Froemming did umpire home plate that day and had none other than the great slugger, Ted Williams, watching as the opposing manager. Williams would give Froemming a strong recommendation for his work that day and not long after, the umpire made his major league debut. 13   Froemming would later umpire 37 seasons in the major leagues, the longest term for any such person in baseball history, one season longer than Hall of Fame umpire Bill Klem.

April 7, 1985

Sandy Koufax is the subject of a feature in the Hartford Courant newspaper where he discussed his role as a pitching instructor for the Dodgers in Spring Training and during the season. "I think teaching is fun and I enjoy it," said Koufax. "You learn when you teach. When you were a player, you knew or thought you knew what you had to do. But if you're going to teach, you have to be able to try to answer the question, 'Why?' As a result, I think you learn a little bit more because there has to be a reason." Koufax talked about throwing batting practice to Dodger players in Spring Training. "It's fun to be here. This is how I earned my living. It's fun working out again." First baseman Greg Brock, hitting off Koufax in batting practice, broke his bat on a Koufax pitch. Brock afterwards asked Koufax when the great pitcher was ready to cut loose (throw hard as he could), Koufax said, "There's no 'cut loose.' That's it. That's wide open. What you see is all there is." 14

August 22, 1985

Vero Beach Dodger Manager Stan Wasiak becomes the all-time winningest manager in minor league baseball history as the Vero Beach Dodgers defeat West Palm Beach, 11-2 at Holman Stadium in Dodgertown. The win was his 2,497th in his 37 seasons managing in the Dodger and White Sox organizations. After the game, his cap and the lineup card were sent to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.   Wasiak said after the game, "This is my finest hour." It was estimated in Sports Illustrated he had traveled more than a million miles on bus trips and Wasiak himself said his face had worn out three bodies. 15   For his accomplishment, he received telegrams from President Ronald Reagan and Baseball Commissioner Peter Ueberroth and he was interviewed on the "Today" show by Bryant Gumbel. 16   He was the Vero Beach Dodgers' first manager when Vero Beach entered the Florida State League in 1980. Wasiak retired from managing after the 1986 season and he became the minors' all-time leader in games managed (4,844), wins, (2,570), and losses (2,274).

October 8, 1985

Ken Gurnick of the Los Angeles Herald-Examiner writes a story before the 1985 National League Championship Series of the inspiration provided by Dodger President Peter O'Malley in Dodgertown. The Dodgers were preparing to leave Dodgertown in Vero Beach, Florida on April 4th following their final exhibition game at Holman Stadium. Before the chartered flight took off for its return to Los Angeles, O'Malley spoke to Dodger Manager Tom Lasorda on the Vero Beach runway. O'Malley recalled, "I told him (Lasorda) to have fun this season. I guess what I was saying at the time was that it wasn't a win-or-else situation. I hoped he understood that. Sure you want to win. I felt if he did his best, if the players did their best, we'd be back in the race, we'll win." After the game when the Dodgers clinched the 1985 National League Western Division title, Lasorda called O'Malley. "He (Lasorda) called to say he wanted me to know they were having fun down there," said O'Malley. 17

1 ^ Gordon Edes, Los Angeles Times, February 25, 1985

2 ^ Gordon Edes, Los Angeles Times, February 25, 1985

3 ^ Gordon Edes, Los Angeles Times, February 26, 1985

4 ^ Los Angeles Dodger Press Release, February 27, 1985

5 ^ Gordon Edes, Los Angeles Times, February 28, 1985

6 ^ Tom Riggs, Vero Beach Press Journal, March 5, 1985

7 ^ Los Angeles Dodger Press Release, March 9, 1985

8 ^ Gordon Edes, Los Angeles Times, March 10, 1985

9 ^ Vero Beach Press Journal, March 13, 1985

10 ^ Jyong-Chul Suh Correspondence to Peter O'Malley, March 19, 1985

11 ^ Ken Gurnick, Los Angeles Herald-Examiner, March 24, 1985

12 ^ Diane Shah, Los Angeles Herald-Examiner, March 28, 1985

13 ^ Jim Murray, Los Angeles Times, April 2, 1985

14 ^ Claire Smith, Hartford Courant, Los Angeles Times, April 7, 1985

15 ^ Ivan Maisel, Sports Illustrated, August 26, 1985

16 ^ Vero Beach Dodgers, 1986 Yearbook

17 ^ Ken Gurnick, Los Angeles Herald-Examiner, October 8, 1985

1986

March 9, 1986

Los Angeles Times writer Bill Shirley features Dodgertown in the newspaper during Spring Training. Broadcaster Vin Scully spoke of the days when the staff and players lived in the military style barracks. "There was nothing to do on the base. The players relied upon each other for fun. They sat around at night and talked baseball or shot pool. The camaraderie was incredible." Coach Monty Basgall remembered the thinness of the walls between the rooms. "The walls were virtually paper. You could hear everything anyone said." J.B. Norton, executive director of the Vero Beach Chamber of Commerce said of Dodgertown, "I wouldn't know how to act without them. It's a big business for us." Norton spoke of the benefits of a Vero Beach dateline in newspapers and magazines. "How can we pay for that publicity?" said Norton. 1

March 20, 1986

In a fundraising campaign for the American Cancer Society, Dodger Manager Tom Lasorda is "arrested" by Vero Beach police and taken to the VFW hall. Lasorda is to be held there until sufficient "bail" is raised for his release. Entertainer Danny Kaye, visiting Dodgertown for Spring Training, contributes $1,000 and the Dodger organization adds $800. Lasorda is finally released when his "bail" amount reaches $2,420. 2

March 25, 1986

Dodger outfielder Ken Landreaux dressed for the exhibition game in St. Petersburg in Tom Lasorda's manager office at Al Lang Field. Lasorda explained "He's (Landreaux) rooming with me," after Landreaux had told the media he had felt unappreciated. Lasorda told writers, "We want him (Landreaux) to feel really wanted. (Dodger coach Joe) Amalfitano said he's been in the big leagues for 30 years, and Willie Mays never got to dress with the manager." Lasorda asked if the outfielder wanted a soda. Landreaux's response, "I already have one." 3

November 16, 1986

Dodger Manager Tom Lasorda was in Dodgertown for the Adult Camp and issued a challenge to play one-on-one basketball against Mrs. Anne Drysdale.    Mrs. Drysdale, the former Anne Meyers, was an All-American basketball player for UCLA. Anne Drysdale was attending the camp with her husband, Don Drysdale, part of the Adult Camp instruction group. Mrs. Drysdale defeated Lasorda, 11-0. 4

1 ^ Bill Shirley, Los Angeles Times, March 9, 1986

2 ^ Ken Gurnick, Los Angeles Herald Examiner, March 20, 1986

3 ^ Gordon Edes, Los Angeles Times, March 25, 1986

4 ^ Los Angeles Times, November 16, 1986

1987

March 1, 1987

Los Angeles Times sportswriter Ross Newhan writes of the tradition of Spring Training and mentions "It (Spring Training) is green potatoes and green everything at the O'Malleys' annual St. Patrick's Day party in Dodgertown." 1 Dodger Manager Tom Lasorda discussed Dodgertown when he first joined the Dodgers for the 1949 season. "I remember getting my first look at the meal line and wanting to go home. It stretched from the cafeteria to the street.   The competition there was tremendous and there wasn't much chance for advancement. I don't know how many shortstops Pee Wee Reese put out of business, but it was tough cracking that lineup. I mean, we worked hard just to be one of the three extra players that the club could carry during the first month of the season." 2

March 1, 1987

This is the first Spring Training the Los Angeles Dodgers will attend events and activities at the recently named Dodgertown Elementary School. The Vero Beach grade school, formerly known as "Clemans Elementary School, was changed to Dodgertown Elementary by the Indian River School District. The school was painted to match the blue and white colors of the Dodgers 3 and Tom Lasorda and other Dodger players appeared at the school to provide messages of education and sportsmanship. J.B. Norton, Executive Director of the Vero Beach, Florida, Chamber of Commerce talks of the importance of the Dodgers' appearance and estimated the team provided $30 million to the local tourist economy. Norton said, "I can't put a figure on the dateline. It's just phenomenal. We, as a community, would never be able to purchase that type of advertising. Anywhere I go, the minute I say I'm from Vero Beach, there is an immediate response that I get. 'Oh, the Dodgers are there.' That type of publicity you can't put a dollar figure on. It's just tremendous." 3

March 4, 1987

Chicago Bear quarterback Jim McMahon appeared at Dodgertown and put on a Dodger uniform for Manager Tom Lasorda. 5   The quarterback for the 1986 Super Bowl Champion Chicago Bears was receiving treatment from Dr. Frank Jobe, the Dodgers' orthopedic doctor who was currently providing medical support to the Dodgers for Spring Training. 6

March 6, 1987

Dr. A. Bartlett Giamatti, the new National League President arrives in Dodgertown. 7   Giamatti had become the National League President after the 1986 season when Peter O'Malley, the chairman of the search committee, recommended Giamatti for the position. The former President of Yale University and a Yale Ph.D. later became the seventh Commissioner of Baseball in 1988. 8

March 17, 1987

Tennis star Ivan Lendl is a visitor to Dodgertown. Lendl had arthroscopic knee surgery performed by world famous orthopedic surgeon Dr. Frank Jobe. Jobe was in Dodgertown for Spring Training and Lendl was nearby and visited Dr. Jobe there for a post-surgery review. 9   At the time Lendl was the no. 1 ranked tennis player in the world. He won eight Grand Slam tennis tournaments in his career, including three consecutive U.S. Open titles from 1985-1987. In 2013, he was the coach for Andy Murray, the first United Kingdom tennis player to win the men's title at Wimbledon. Lendl has purchased a residence in Vero Beach. 10

March 20, 1987

Peter O'Malley and other Dodger officials depart from Dodgertown to arrive in the Dominican Republic to dedicate Campo Las Palmas, the team's state-of the-art instructional academy. The dedication occurred the next day, March 21st. Accompanying O'Malley with Dodger Manager Tom Lasorda to Campo Las Palmas were Dodger players infielder Mariano Duncan, first baseman Pedro Guerrero, pitcher Alejandro Pena, and coach Manny Mota and a former Dodger minor league player, TV and film actor Chuck Connors of "The Rifleman." 11 Future Dodger signings from Campo Las Palmas include pitcher Pedro Martinez and outfielder Raul Mondesi and catcher Mike Piazza improved his catching skills there.

March 21, 1987

A photograph of Dodger Manager Tom Lasorda pitching batting practice in Dodgertown is taped above the locker of Dodger pitching coach Ron Perranoski. The handwritten caption below the photo is "The 5th Starter." As the Dodgers edged closer to the start of the 1987 season, a number of pitchers were in competition for the 5th starting pitcher spot in the rotation. 12

1 ^ Ross Newhan, Los Angeles Times, March 1,1987

2 ^ Ross Newhan, Los Angeles Times, March 1, 1987

3 ^ Jerry Crowe, Los Angeles Times, March 1, 1987

4 ^ Jerry Crowe, Los Angeles Times, March 1, 1987

5 ^ The Sporting News, March 16, 1987

6 ^ Sam McManis, Los Angeles Times, March 4, 1987

7 ^ Sam McManis, Los Angeles Times, March 7, 1987

8 ^ Wikipedia, A. Bartlett Giamatti biography

9 ^ Sam McManis, Los Angeles Times, March 18, 1987

10 ^ Wikipedia, Ivan Lendl biography

11 ^ Sam McManis, Los Angeles Times, March 21, 1987

12 ^ Sam McManis, Los Angeles Times, March 21, 1987

1988

February 22, 1988

Alexander Ardatov and Gela Cheehradze, baseball coaches from the Soviet Union, are welcomed on their arrival to Dodgertown. The two coaches' itinerary is to spend several days to observe Spring Training activities at Dodgertown. 1 Peter O'Malley introduced the two Soviet coaches at a press conference that included several Japanese media who were following the Chunichi Dragons, also training in Dodgertown. As the Russian coaches spoke, their remarks were translated in English for American media and then Assistant to the President Ike Ikuhara would repeat their statements in Japanese for the Chunichi Dragons media. 2

February 22, 1988

Soviet baseball coach Gela Cheehradze spoke to Peter O'Malley at a press conference in Dodgertown on talented Russian players. O'Malley told the coach he wanted to have the players' names. Of one player, Cheehradze said he was a javelin thrower who also pitched and "When he throws the catcher is afraid." 3

February 27, 1988

The Dodgers played the Dodgers to a 0-0 tie in a Spring Training intersquad game, but Mickey Hatcher found a way to put some life into the game. Hatcher, the designated leader of "The Stuntmen", the bench players whose valued performance will be for the 1988 World Champion Dodgers, had the "Stuntmen" in formation at home plate. At his instruction, the Dodger players then removed their Dodger uniform shirts to reveal the Chunichi Dragons uniform tops, a style closely resembling the Dodger uniform with "Dragons" in Palmer type-script with blue and white colors. In the game, Hatcher singled and was thrown out at second trying to stretch the hit into a double. He had a mock argument with a Japanese umpire on the out call, and then gave the arbiter a proper bow of respect. 4

March 2, 1988

Miichiro Kato, the owner of the Chunichi Dragons baseball team and chairman of the board of Chunichi Shimbun, is greeted by Peter O'Malley and Assistant to the President, Ike Ikuhara, at the Vero Beach airport. Mr. Kato is in Dodgertown to see his team play the Dodgers in the first Spring Training game of 1988 for both teams on March 3rd. 5

March 3, 1988

The Dodgers defeated the Chunichi Dragons, 14-0 in the first Spring Training game of the season, but the real story came with a change in the starting lineup. Outfielder Kirk Gibson removed himself from the starting lineup after discovering someone pulled a practical joke on him by putting shoe polish on the inside of his baseball cap that stained his forehead. Gibson expressed to his teammates he did not appreciate their lack of dedication to preparation for a winning season by playing jokes and demanded an apology. 6 One Dodger player said, "I guess we learned that you don't mess around with Kirk Gibson, or else." 7

March 6, 1988

Peter O'Malley speaks to the Vero Beach Press Journal on the occasion of his 41st Spring Training at Dodgertown. O'Malley said, "I've seen Dodgertown as a boy as well as a student on spring vacation from school." He added he learned to drive with the help of Bud Holman, the Vero Beach resident who convinced the Dodgers to have Spring Training in Vero Beach and for whom the Dodgertown stadium is named. "I learned how to drive on airport streets," said O'Malley. "The airport was in the country then." He admitted spending a large amount of time at the swimming pool or the beach in his first job as a Dodgertown Camp for Boys counselor. "Everyone stayed in the barracks, which had no air conditioning," he explained. O'Malley knew the history of the Dodgers playing exhibition games on a field near the site where Piper Aircraft Company is located. "The first game Jackie Robinson played in Vero Beach was on that field (and he hit a home run in his first at bat). The players walked several blocks from Dodgertown to the field for games." It was Peter O'Malley who integrated Holman Stadium for all fans despite continued segregation in the South in 1962. "I can remember going to the stadium with head groundskeeper Bob Summers and painting over the signs which designated separate restrooms," said O'Malley. 8

March 7, 1988

In the second part of a two-part feature, Vero Beach Press Journal writer Nick Powell writes of the international influence of Dodgertown. The Yomiuri Giants and the Chunichi Dragons professional baseball teams from Japan and the Samsung Lions from South Korea professional baseball league have been visitors. This year, Dodgertown entertained Soviet baseball coaches to help them understand pre-season training in the Dodger way. O'Malley discussed why the Dodgers had remained in Vero Beach even though the team's move to Los Angeles placed them closer to Spring Training sites in Arizona and California. "In 1958, when the Dodgers moved from Brooklyn to Los Angeles, there were serious temptations to leave Florida….Vero Beach was a lot smaller than other cities, but our roots had grown deep in 10 years. The Dodgers had made great contacts and friendships in Indian River County. We knew how much the people appreciated us. I look back and I'm glad the Dodgers decided to stay. Other training camps are newer and may be more modern, but none of them are more charming than Dodgertown. Without a doubt, Dodgertown is the most famous baseball facility in the world." 9

March 8, 1988

Representatives of four countries from the International Baseball Federation were introduced to the crowd at Holman Stadium for the first ball ceremony before the Dodgers-Orioles exhibition game. The four men, guests of Peter O'Malley at Dodgertown were Ramaz Goglidze, the U.S.S.R. Federation president who threw the first ball; Jong Nak Kim of South Korea, continental vice president for Asia; Eiichiro Yamamoto of Japan, first vice president; and IBAF President Dr. Robert Smith from Greenville College. 10   Also attending the game and watching from the Holman Stadium press box was Grammy award winning singer and television personality Perry Como. 11

March 17, 1988

In attendance at Holman Stadium for the Dodgers' 6-5 win over the Phillies on St. Patrick's Day are former Baseball Commissioner Bowie Kuhn and National League President A. Bartlett Giamatti. 12 In September, 1988, Giamatti would be named the seventh Commissioner in baseball history. 13

March 20, 1988

The Los Angeles Dodgers play the New York Mets at Holman Stadium in the first nationally televised game in Spring Training.   The game on NBC-TV featured the two teams that would later meet in the 1988 National League Championship Series and the Dodgers would defeat the Mets in seven games before going to defeat the Oakland A's in the 1988 World Series in five games.

March 26, 1988

Sam McManis of the Los Angeles Times writes of the Dodgertown tradition of their annual Christmas celebration for staff, players, and their families. "Christmas at Dodgertown can be confusing to the uninitiated. It's always celebrated in the dead of March, a fancily trimmed tree and the standard North Pole scene decorating the grounds. Santa's sleigh is set up at poolside, so he can catch some later-afternoon sun before handing out gifts. One year, the Dodgers even imported snow……The Dodgers do this every year, for no reason other than to celebrate the dwindling days of Spring Training and entertain the children of players and employees. It is part family reunion, part company picnic and it also epitomizes the concept of the Dodger family…" 14

April 1, 1988

Spring Training, 1988
Forty-eight year old left hand pitcher Masahiro Yamamoto pitched 70.1 innings for the Chunichi Dragons in 2013. In his career, he has won 218 games for the Dragons and pitched 3,333.1 innings, but has given credit for his success and longevity as a pitcher to Ike Ikuhara, Assistant to Dodger President Peter O'Malley and his time at Dodgertown. In 1988, the Chunichi Dragons came to Dodgertown for 2 ½ weeks of Spring Training on the invitation of Peter O'Malley. Yamamoto was a young pitcher for Chunichi and had pitching struggles early in the spring. To improve Yamamoto's development as a pitcher, the Dragons' manager, Senichi Hoshino, told Yamamoto he would remain in Vero Beach and not return with his Dragon teammates. Hoshino said, "I was thinking that maybe Japanese coaches don't know how to coach such a big player with long arms and legs. So we (Chunichi) decided to leave him in Vero Beach…I asked Ike to take care of him." 15   With the permission of Peter O'Malley and the Florida State League, Yamamoto was given an opportunity to pitch for the Vero Beach Dodgers. Under the tutelage of Ikuhara, Yamamoto prospered. During one game early in the 1988 Florida State League season, Yamamoto was not pitching well. Ikuhara told him, "Never give up. If you do, that's the end." In a television broadcast in 2009, Yamamoto recalled in his regard for Ike Ikuhara that "I learned the whole basis in Vero Beach. Of course I learned additional things afterwards but I can't even imagine what I would be doing now if I didn't go there (Vero Beach)." 16 He added, "I was relieved by Ike's (Ikuhara) personal warmth and passion more than anything." 17 Yamamoto turned his season around and won 13 games with a 2.00 ERA at Vero Beach. On his return to Japan, he was 5-0 in six starts for Chunichi and the Dragons won the 1988 Central League Championship. In 2009, Peter O'Malley accepted an invitation to honor Yamamoto on his 200th career win in Japan. At the ceremony in Nagoya, Japan, O'Malley told Yamamoto, "I remember Ike (Ikuhara) gladly helping Masa (Yamamoto) and always encouraging him. I am certain that Ike is happy and observing this ceremony from heaven." 18

April 1, 1988

Spring, 1988
Columnist Bob Hunter, who had covered the Dodgers as a sportswriter since their arrival in Los Angeles in 1958, remembers what has occurred in Dodgertown in 41 Spring Trainings. Hunter recalls the only public telephone at Dodgertown was in the lobby, but a local call requires only a nickel. He relates the story how Vice President Fresco Thompson would catch minor leaguers out after curfew. Cars with late players had to pass over a wooden bridge near Dodgertown. When they did, a loose board on the bridge when the car crossed over to the base made enough noise to alert the staff someone was out after dark. And Hunter relates because of Southern law that until 1962, Holman Stadium fans had to endure segregated seating, drinking fountains and restrooms until Camp Director Peter O'Malley changed the local restrictions and made the stadium available for all. 19

April 4, 1988

Forbes magazine wrote their 1988 Spring Training report of Major League Baseball teams and had this to say of the Los Angeles Dodgers chances for the season. "Classic blue-chip fade. The General Motors of baseball. Overvalued, aging assets, disappointing R&D (research and development). Strong sell."[1] The Dodgers would turn out to be a strong "buy" as they would win the 1988 World Series in five games over the Oakland Athletics. 20

August 31, 1988

The Vero Beach Press Journal features the large number of Vero Beach Dodgers who played in the major leagues. Through the 1988 season 46 players of 210 Vero Beach Dodgers had earned a spot on the major league roster and 15 players had played most of one season. 21 The first Vero Beach Dodger to play in the major leagues was right hand pitcher Alejandro Pena who made his debut August 13, 1981. Five days later on August 18, 1981, it is Steve Sax who is the first Vero Beach Dodger position player to reach the major leagues. Among former Vero Beach Dodgers players who had topflight baseball careers include Sid Bream; Mariano Duncan; Sid Fernandez; John Franco; Matt Kemp; Ramon Martinez; Mike Piazza; Shane Victorino and John Wetteland.

1 ^ Gordon Verrell, Long Beach Press-Telegram, February 22, 1988

2 ^ Matt McHale, Daily News, February 23, 1988

3 ^ Matt McHale, Daily News, February 23, 1988

4 ^ Ken Gurnick, Los Angeles Herald Examiner, February 28, 1988

5 ^ Vero Beach Press Journal, March 3, 1988

6 ^ Tom Keegan, Orange County Register, March 4, 1988

7 ^ Associated Press, March 4, 1988

8 ^ Nick Powell, Vero Beach Press Journal, March 6, 1988

9 ^ Nick Powell, Vero Beach Press Journal, March 7, 1988

10 ^ Vero Beach Press Journal, March 9, 1988

11 ^ Vero Beach Press Journal, March 9, 1988

12 ^ Sam McManis, Los Angeles Times, March 18, 1988

13 ^ A. Bartlett Giamatti biography, Wikipedia

14 ^ Sam McManis, Los Angeles Times, March 26, 1988

15 ^ Senichi Hoshino, Tokai Television, January 2, 2009

16 ^ Masahiro Yamamoto, Tokai Television, January 2, 2009

17 ^ Masahiro Yamamoto, Tokai Television, January 2, 2009

18 ^ Tokyo Chunichi Sports, January 19, 2009

19 ^ Bob Hunter, Dodger Blue Magazine, Spring, 1988

20 ^ Forbes Magazine, April 4, 1988

21 ^ Tom Riggs, Vero Beach Press Journal, August 31, 1988

1989

February 16, 1989

To commemorate the Los Angeles Dodgers' 1959 World Championship, Peter O'Malley invites the former members of the team and their spouses to spend time in Spring Training at Dodgertown. For many players, it was their first visit to Dodgertown in several years. A large turnout of players included Don Drysdale, Carl Erskine, Ron Fairly, Sandy Koufax, Clem Labine, Johnny Podres, John Roseboro and Larry Sherry. They were treated to four days of golf, a barbecue by the pool and a visit to Epcot Center. Five members of the club are in the Hall of Fame; Drysdale, Koufax, Duke Snider and Manager Walter Alston and coach Pee Wee Reese. The living members of the 1959 team put on 1989 style uniforms with their previous number for a team photo. 1

February 19, 1989

Prince Charles of England is in Vero Beach, Florida on this date, and he doesn't come to play baseball, but to play a polo match. Vero Beach Mayor Kenneth Macht declines to attend the polo match even with the royal present. His Honor instead is present for the opening of the Vero Beach Little League season where Orel and Millie Hershiser, parents of Orel Hershiser, threw out the first ball.[1 Gordon Edes, Los Angeles Times, February 20, 1989]

February 27, 1989

Dodger Manager Tom Lasorda accepts a Spring Training challenge from Kirk Gibson and Orel Hershiser to lose 20 pounds by the All-Star Break. If he succeeds at dropping the weight, the two players will each make a charitable contribution of Lasorda's choice. 2

March 24, 1989

Los Angeles Times sports columnist Scott Ostler writes of the weight loss effort Dodger Manager Tommy Lasorda is doing this Spring Training. Lasorda was challenged by outfielder Kirk Gibson and pitcher Orel Hershiser to lose 20 pounds and in return, the players would make significant donations to charities of Lasorda's choice. Lasorda also received an endorsement from a company that if he lost sufficient weight, they would build a new home for a convent in Nashville. Lasorda said, "I'm going to make every effort to build those nuns a new home." As a result, Lasorda lost the necessary weight during the season and a convent was built in Nashville. 3

March 14, 1989

The new President of the National League, Bill White, arrives in Dodgertown. White, the former slugging first baseman who played for the 1964 World Champion St. Louis Cardinals, had been elected to the office the previous fall. He had previously played at Dodgertown as a player and now returns as the top official for the National League. 4

March 29, 1989

A note in the Los Angeles Times reveals in the first Spring Training camp at Dodgertown in 1948, there were so many players on the base the club came up with a unique system to keep track of everyone. Nearly 600 players were on the base and players not only had different colored uniforms, but the uniform numbers were in the triple digits. 5

August 10, 1989

The Dodgers announced they would construct a set of offices, pitching and batting cages, meeting rooms and video rooms at Dodgertown. The pitching and batting cages were to be enclosed to allow pitchers and players to get in their daily work despite the inclement weather. 6

1 ^ Gordon Edes and Maryann Hudson, Los Angeles Times, April 9, 1989

2 ^ Mike Downey, Los Angeles Times, February 27, 1989

3 ^ 1 Scott Ostler, Los Angeles Times, March 24, 1989

4 ^ Bob Wolf, Los Angeles Times, March 15, 1989

5 ^ [[[[Los Angeles Times, March 29, 1989

6 ^ Steve Springer, Los Angeles Times, August 10, 1989

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