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Walter O'Malley

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Sports Executive

The Resume

    (October 9, 1903-August 9, 1979)
    Born in the Bronx, New York
    Owned the Dodgers (1950-79)
    Moved the Dodgers from Brooklyn to Los Angeles
    Elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee (2008)

Why he might be annoying:

    As a player, his baseball career ended in high school when a ball hit him on the nose.
    As a minority shareholder in the Dodgers in the 1940s, he had a long-running feud with general manager Branch Rickey.
    After buying out Rickey’s share of the Dodgers and taking control of the team, he would fine anyone who mentioned Rickey’s name in the club offices.
    Upon moving the Dodgers, he became the most hated man in Brooklyn.

Why he might not be annoying:

    He was junior and senior class president in college.
    His parents lost their fortune in the 1929 stock market crash.
    He was married for 47 years to his high school sweetheart Kay Hanson, who died less than a month before him.
    Several baseball historians argue that the Dodgers’ move was forced by New York Parks Commissioner Robert Moses, who refused to approve plans for a new ballpark in Brooklyn to replace aging Ebbets Field.
    Tommy Lasorda said, ‘He’s a pioneer. He made a tremendous change in the game, opening up the West Coast to Major League Baseball.’

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 3 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 5 Votes: 40.0% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 17 Votes: 52.94% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 3 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 15 Votes: 60.0% Annoying