Dick Walsh (U.S. sports executive)
Encyclopedia
Richard Bishop Walsh, Jr. (October 30, 1925 – May 6, 2011) was an American
sporting executive who, during a 50-plus year career, held high-level positions in Major League Baseball
, professional soccer (he was the first commissioner
of the North American Soccer League
), and in convention center management. He was born in South Bend, Indiana
, spent his early years in Evanston, Illinois
, and moved to Los Angeles, California
, with his family as a boy.
. After attending Los Angeles High School
, where he was an All-City third baseman
in 1943, and military service during World War II
, Walsh joined the Brooklyn Dodgers
organization in 1948
as a member of the front office staff of the Fort Worth Cats
, Brooklyn's farm club in the Class AA Texas League
. He became the parent team's assistant minor league director, working under Fresco Thompson
, in 1951
.
When the Dodgers acquired the Los Angeles franchise
of the Pacific Coast League
in January 1957 — the precursor of the Brooklyn club's historic shift to the West Coast, which would follow at the close of the 1957 baseball season
— Walsh, as an Angeleno, became president of the minor league franchise and a liaison between the Dodgers and the city of Los Angeles. After the Brooklyn club moved West, Walsh became assistant general manager of the Dodgers. He focused on the team's efforts to build a ballpark in Chavez Ravine
, and when Dodger Stadium
opened as a state-of-the-art facility in 1962
, Walsh was named director of stadium operations for the club.
in 1966
, then the North American Soccer League (NASL)
which resulted from the merger of the USA and the National Professional Soccer League (NPSL)
prior to the 1968 season. He served the NASL through its first full season, 1968, then returned to baseball. In October 1968
, Fred Haney
, the 70-year-old general manager
of the California Angels
, retired and Walsh was named his successor by Angel owner Gene Autry
. Walsh had to rebuild the team's front office, as in the months just prior to Haney's retirement, his two top aides, Marvin Milkes
and Cedric Tallis
, left to take over the two American League
expansion teams set to debut in 1969
, the Seattle Pilots
and Kansas City Royals
.
Walsh then faced another test after the 1969 season began, when the Angels lost 28 of their first 39 games. Walsh fired Bill Rigney
, the only manager
in the club's Major League history to that point, and replaced him with Lefty Phillips
, who had just joined the Angel front office after a long career as a scout and pitching coach
with the Dodgers.
The Phillips hiring pulled the Angels out of their tailspin and they finished third that season in the American League West Division. Then during the 1969-70 offseason, Walsh acquired the highly talented but controversial outfielder
Alex Johnson
in an inter-league trade with the Cincinnati Reds
. Johnson was a feared batter, but disciplinary problems had caused three National League
teams to give up on him. In 1970
, Johnson put those problems behind him. He batted
.329 and captured the AL batting title, while the Angels won 86 games and ended a strong third in their division. But in 1971
— which began with the Angels considered probable AL West contenders — Johnson and Phillips clashed over the outfielder's on-field behavior, resulting in multiple team suspensions. The Angels fell below .500 and finished below Tallis' Royals. When coveted Baltimore Orioles
general manager Harry Dalton
became available after the 1971 World Series
, Autry fired Walsh and hired Dalton.
. In 1974 he became executive director of the Los Angeles Convention Center
and held the post for nearly 24 years, a period during which Los Angeles hosted the 1984 Summer Olympics
and began planning the construction of another state-of-the-art venue, the Staples Center
. In the meantime, he earned a law degree. After leaving the LACC in 1997, Walsh supervised the opening or operations of convention facilities in Hawaii
and Alaska
before becoming the executive director of the Ontario, California
Convention Center from 2002-05.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
sporting executive who, during a 50-plus year career, held high-level positions in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
, professional soccer (he was the first commissioner
Commissioner
Commissioner is in principle the title given to a member of a commission or to an individual who has been given a commission ....
of the North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...
), and in convention center management. He was born in South Bend, Indiana
South Bend, Indiana
The city of South Bend is the county seat of St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States, on the St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total of 101,168 residents; its Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 316,663...
, spent his early years in Evanston, Illinois
Evanston, Illinois
Evanston is a suburban municipality in Cook County, Illinois 12 miles north of downtown Chicago, bordering Chicago to the south, Skokie to the west, and Wilmette to the north, with an estimated population of 74,360 as of 2003. It is one of the North Shore communities that adjoin Lake Michigan...
, and moved to Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, with his family as a boy.
Early baseball career with the Dodgers
Walsh's first career was in baseballBaseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
. After attending Los Angeles High School
Los Angeles High School
Los Angeles High School is the oldest public high school in the Southern California Region and in the Los Angeles Unified School District. Its colors are blue and white and the teams are called the Romans....
, where he was an All-City third baseman
Third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...
in 1943, and military service during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Walsh joined the Brooklyn Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
organization in 1948
1948 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Cleveland Indians over Boston Braves *All-Star Game, July 13 at Sportsman's Park: American League, 5-2-Other champions:*College World Series: USC*Little League World Series: Lock Haven, Pennsylvania...
as a member of the front office staff of the Fort Worth Cats
Fort Worth Cats
The Fort Worth Cats are a professional baseball team based in Fort Worth, Texas, in the United States. The Cats are a member of the South Division of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball. Since the 2002 season the Cats...
, Brooklyn's farm club in the Class AA Texas League
Texas League
The Texas League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the South Central United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The league was founded in 1888 and ran through 1892...
. He became the parent team's assistant minor league director, working under Fresco Thompson
Fresco Thompson
Lafayette Fresco Thompson was a Major League Baseball second baseman and executive. He was born in Centreville, Alabama, but attended George Washington High School and Columbia University in New York City...
, in 1951
1951 in baseball
-Headline Event of the Year:Baseball's Shot Heard 'Round the World gives the New York Giants the National League Pennant in the third game of a best-of-three-games tiebreaker series over the Brooklyn Dodgers.-Major League Baseball:...
.
When the Dodgers acquired the Los Angeles franchise
Los Angeles Angels (PCL)
The Los Angeles Angels were a team based in Los Angeles, California that played in the Pacific Coast League from 1903 through 1957, after which they transferred to Spokane, Washington to become the Spokane Indians. Los Angeles would later become the host city to a Major League Baseball team, the...
of the Pacific Coast League
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The...
in January 1957 — the precursor of the Brooklyn club's historic shift to the West Coast, which would follow at the close of the 1957 baseball season
1957 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Milwaukee Braves over New York Yankees ; Lew Burdette, MVP*All-Star Game, July 9 at Busch Stadium: American League, 6-5-Other champions:*Caribbean World Series: Marianao *College World Series: California...
— Walsh, as an Angeleno, became president of the minor league franchise and a liaison between the Dodgers and the city of Los Angeles. After the Brooklyn club moved West, Walsh became assistant general manager of the Dodgers. He focused on the team's efforts to build a ballpark in Chavez Ravine
Chávez Ravine
Chavez Ravine is an area in Sulfir Canyon that is the current site of Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California.It was named after Julian Chavez, a Los Angeles Councilman in the 19th century.-History:...
, and when Dodger Stadium
Dodger Stadium
Dodger Stadium, also sometimes called Chavez Ravine, is a stadium in Los Angeles. Located adjacent to Downtown Los Angeles, Dodger Stadium has been the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers team since 1962...
opened as a state-of-the-art facility in 1962
1962 in baseball
The 1962 season is perhaps most notable for the dismal 40–120 record of the New York Mets, the third-worst winning percentage and the record for most games lost since 1900.-Major League Baseball:...
, Walsh was named director of stadium operations for the club.
Soccer commissioner, then Angel GM
After 18 years with the Dodgers, he was chosen to serve as commissioner of first the United Soccer Association (USA)United Soccer Association
The United Soccer Association is a former professional soccer league featuring teams from the United States and Canada. The league survived only one season before merging with the National Professional Soccer League to form the North American Soccer League. All the teams in the league were imported...
in 1966
1966 in sports
1966 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* FIS Alpine World Ski Championships –** Men's combined champion: Jean-Claude Killy, France** Women's combined champion: Marielle Goitschel, France-American football:...
, then the North American Soccer League (NASL)
North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...
which resulted from the merger of the USA and the National Professional Soccer League (NPSL)
National Professional Soccer League (1967)
The National Professional Soccer League was a North American professional soccer league that existed for only the 1967 season before merging with the United Soccer Association to form the North American Soccer League. It had ten charter members, nine from the United States and one from Canada...
prior to the 1968 season. He served the NASL through its first full season, 1968, then returned to baseball. In October 1968
1968 in baseball
-The Year of the Pitcher:In Major League Baseball, the trend throughout the 1960s was of increased pitching dominance, caused by enforcing a larger strike zone beginning in 1963...
, Fred Haney
Fred Haney
Fred Girard Haney was an American third baseman, manager, coach and executive in Major League Baseball. As a manager, he won two pennants and a world championship with the Milwaukee Braves and, as an executive, he was the first general manager of the expansion Los Angeles Angels of the American...
, the 70-year-old general manager
General manager (baseball)
In Major League Baseball, the general manager of a team typically controls player transactions and bears the primary responsibility on behalf of the ballclub during contract discussions with players....
of the California Angels
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California, United States. The Angels are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The "Angels" name originates from the city in which the team started, Los Angeles...
, retired and Walsh was named his successor by Angel owner Gene Autry
Gene Autry
Orvon Grover Autry , better known as Gene Autry, was an American performer who gained fame as The Singing Cowboy on the radio, in movies and on television for more than three decades beginning in the 1930s...
. Walsh had to rebuild the team's front office, as in the months just prior to Haney's retirement, his two top aides, Marvin Milkes
Marvin Milkes
Marvin Milkes was an American front office executive in three professional sports: Major League Baseball, soccer, and hockey...
and Cedric Tallis
Cedric Tallis
Cedric Tallis was an American executive in Major League Baseball who served as the first general manager of the expansion Kansas City Royals and later played an important role in the New York Yankees' dynasty of the late 1970s....
, left to take over the two American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
expansion teams set to debut in 1969
1969 in baseball
-Expansion:Four expansion teams joined Major League Baseball for this season: the San Diego Padres, the Kansas City Royals, the Seattle Pilots, and the first MLB team in Canada, the Montreal Expos. To accommodate the additional teams, the two leagues were split into two divisions of East and West...
, the Seattle Pilots
Seattle Pilots
The Seattle Pilots were an American professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington for one season, . The Pilots played home games at Sick's Stadium and were a member of the West Division of Major League Baseball's American League...
and Kansas City Royals
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
.
Walsh then faced another test after the 1969 season began, when the Angels lost 28 of their first 39 games. Walsh fired Bill Rigney
Bill Rigney
William Joseph Rigney was an American infielder and manager in Major League Baseball. A native of Alameda, California, he batted and threw right-handed....
, the only manager
Manager (baseball)
In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
in the club's Major League history to that point, and replaced him with Lefty Phillips
Lefty Phillips
Harold Ross "Lefty" Phillips was an American coach, manager, scout and front office executive in Major League Baseball...
, who had just joined the Angel front office after a long career as a scout and pitching coach
Coach (baseball)
In baseball, a number of coaches assist in the smooth functioning of a team. They are assistants to the manager, or head coach, who determines the lineup and decides how to substitute players during the game...
with the Dodgers.
The Phillips hiring pulled the Angels out of their tailspin and they finished third that season in the American League West Division. Then during the 1969-70 offseason, Walsh acquired the highly talented but controversial outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
Alex Johnson
Alex Johnson
Alexander Johnson Alexander Johnson Alexander Johnson (born December 7, 1942, in Helena, Arkansas is a former professional baseball player. He was an outfielder and designated hitter over parts of 13 seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals, Cincinnati Reds, California Angels,...
in an inter-league trade with the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
. Johnson was a feared batter, but disciplinary problems had caused three National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
teams to give up on him. In 1970
1970 in baseball
-Major Leagues:*World Series MVP: Brooks Robinson*All-Star Game, July 14 at Riverfront Stadium: National League, 5-4 ; Carl Yastrzemski, MVP-Other champions:*Caribbean World Series: Navegantes del Magallanes *College World Series: USC...
, Johnson put those problems behind him. He batted
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
.329 and captured the AL batting title, while the Angels won 86 games and ended a strong third in their division. But in 1971
1971 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:National League: Pittsburgh PiratesAmerican League: Baltimore Orioles1971 World Series: Pittsburgh def. Baltimore , 4 games to 3.Inter-league playoff: Pittsburgh declined challenge by Tokyo Yomiuri Giants....
— which began with the Angels considered probable AL West contenders — Johnson and Phillips clashed over the outfielder's on-field behavior, resulting in multiple team suspensions. The Angels fell below .500 and finished below Tallis' Royals. When coveted Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
general manager Harry Dalton
Harry Dalton
Harry I. Dalton was an American front-office executive in Major League Baseball. He served as general manager of three American League teams, the Baltimore Orioles , California Angels and Milwaukee Brewers , and was a principal architect of the Orioles' dynasty of 1966–1974 as well as the only AL...
became available after the 1971 World Series
1971 World Series
The 1971 World Series matched the defending champion Baltimore Orioles against the Pittsburgh Pirates, with the Pirates winning in seven games. Game 4, played in Pittsburgh, was the first-ever World Series game scheduled to be played at night....
, Autry fired Walsh and hired Dalton.
After baseball
The firing ended Walsh's baseball career and he enrolled in a master's degree program in public administration at California State University, FullertonCalifornia State University, Fullerton
California State University, Fullerton is a public university located in Fullerton, California. It is the largest institution in the CSU System by enrollment, it offers long-distance education and adult-degree programs...
. In 1974 he became executive director of the Los Angeles Convention Center
Los Angeles Convention Center
The Los Angeles Convention Center is a convention center in the southwest portion of downtown Los Angeles. The LACC hosts annual events such as the Greater Los Angeles Auto Show and Anime Expo, and is best known to video games fans as host to E3...
and held the post for nearly 24 years, a period during which Los Angeles hosted the 1984 Summer Olympics
1984 Summer Olympics
The 1984 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Los Angeles, California, United States in 1984...
and began planning the construction of another state-of-the-art venue, the Staples Center
Staples Center
Staples Center is a multi-purpose sports arena in Downtown Los Angeles. Adjacent to the L.A. Live development, it is located next to the Los Angeles Convention Center complex along Figueroa Street. Opening on October 17, 1999, it is one of the major sporting facilities in the Greater Los Angeles...
. In the meantime, he earned a law degree. After leaving the LACC in 1997, Walsh supervised the opening or operations of convention facilities in Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
and Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
before becoming the executive director of the Ontario, California
Ontario, California
Ontario is a city located in San Bernardino County, California, United States, 35 miles east of downtown Los Angeles. Located in the western part of the Inland Empire region, it lies just east of the Los Angeles county line and is part of the Greater Los Angeles Area...
Convention Center from 2002-05.