Walter O'Malley: Villain or Scapegoat?

[Glenn Higginbotham]

The more I read about O'Malley, the more I find that the real villain in the Dodgers' move to LA is a guy named Robert Moses. Moses was in charge of land development in New York, and was arguably more powerful than the mayor.

The truth of the matter is that O'Malley wanted to keep the Dodgers in Brooklyn, but wanted a new ballpark. The location he chose was set in the borough, but Moses wouldn't hear of it. Moses had other ideas for the tract of land O'Malley chose. Moses proposed building a new park in Queens, in the spot where Shea Stadium was eventually built. The two men could not work out any sort of compromise, but the city of Los Angeles made O'Malley an offer he couldn't refuse. He could pick any spot he wanted, and when he saw the land around Chavez Ravine, it was a foregone conclusion.

O'Malley, to this day, has earned the hatred of old-time Brooklyn fans. IMHO, it is undeserved. The Brooklyn Dodgers became a victim of power politics. Perhaps it was inevitable.