While O'Malley may not be the villian that our borough president
portrays him to be, but let's also remember that O'Malley's baseball
vision extended only as far as his wallet.
I don't think he moved the team because of some grand vision he had
of baseball's future out west, he moved them at the time simply
because LA offered him the best deal, acres of land for the princely
sum of one dollar.
Like most owners, the man never acted out of what was good for
baseball, just what was in his best financial interest.
Had the city been willing to do the same thing then that they're
doing now with the Atlantic Yards site and condemn the land at
Flatbush and Atlantic AVE to give to O'Malley instead of Ratner years
ago, the Dodgers might still be here.
Granted the villian to blame here for Brooklyn losing their team is
Robert Moses not Walter O'Malley.
But just because O'Malley was a smart businessman who acted in his
own financial best interest shouldn't be enough to get him elected to
the hall of fame.




--- In brooklyncyclones2@yahoogroups.com, dantwo <no_reply@...> wrote:
>
> I couldn't disagree more. Regardless about what he did to
Brooklyn, as
> a baseball executive O'Malley was one of the top in the game. By
> moving the Dodgers and Giants (and let's be honest, he moved the
> Giants - Stoneham was along for the ride), he expanded Major League
> Ball to a much more broader audience. He saw the growth of the
west
> and knew baseball had to capitalize on that growth.
>
> The man was bad for Brooklyn, but good for the game
>
> --- In brooklyncyclones2@yahoogroups.com, "samuelfriedman"
> <samuelfriedman@> wrote:
> >
> >
> > I cannot believe that Walter O'Malley, the SOB who robbed
Brooklyn of
> > its beloved Dodgers (and a large chunk of its identity in the
> process)
> > has been voted into the Hall of Fame! Hall of Shame is more like
it.
> > Sure, New York City politicos were negligent in allowing the Bums
to
> > skip town, but that doesn't absolve O'Malley of his crimes
against
> > baseball!!! Shame, shame, shame on the Hall of Fame Veterans
> > Committee!!!
> >
> > Sammy Cyclones
> >
>