By J.Y. Mortimer

July 3, 2024

Hall of Fame owner to be celebrated August 10 during Dodgers Alumni Weekend

LOS ANGELES – Walter F. O’Malley, the legendary owner of the Dodgers whose vision fueled the groundbreaking creation of a new home for baseball, will join fellow Hall of Fame players and broadcasters on the Ring of Honor at the ballpark he built, Dodger Stadium. The ceremony will take place on Saturday, August 10, before the Dodgers’ 6:10 p.m. game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, as part of Dodgers Alumni Weekend. Peter O’Malley, President of the Dodgers from 1970-1998, will represent the O’Malley family at the event and accept the honor on behalf of his father.

Walter O’Malley officially joined the Dodgers in 1943 as vice president and general counsel, before becoming a co-owner the following year and majority owner in 1950. Over the next six seasons, the Dodgers won four National League pennants and in 1955, their first World Series. When all options were exhausted in Brooklyn, O’Malley became the visionary behind the design, construction and financing of Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers went on to win three more World Series within their first eight years in Los Angeles.

O’Malley passed away on August 9, 1979, before being inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2008. He will become the 15th member of the Dodgers’ Ring of Honor, alongside the retired numbers of players Pee Wee Reese, Duke Snider, Gil Hodges, Jim Gilliam, Don Sutton, Sandy Koufax, Fernando Valenzuela, Roy Campanella, Jackie Robinson (whose No. 42 is retired throughout baseball) and Don Drysdale, managers Walter Alston and Tommy Lasorda, and broadcasters Jaime Jarrín and Vin Scully.

“My sister Terry and I are grateful to Mark Walter, Stan Kasten and the Dodger organization for this Ring of Honor recognition,” said Peter O’Malley. “Designing, financing and building a stadium for the Dodgers was my dad’s goal for many years. After 62 seasons, he would be very happy with how Dodger Stadium accommodates millions of fans today thanks to the enhancements by current ownership.”

“Walter O’Malley was a pioneer, whom we can thank for expanding baseball into a truly national game – and also, through his goodwill exchanges with Japan, an international one,” said Stan Kasten, President & CEO, Los Angeles Dodgers. “He loved baseball, and he loved the Dodgers, illustrated by the longtime brilliance of Dodger Stadium, a ballpark for the ages. We are thrilled to celebrate Walter’s legacy, and we are grateful that Peter, who built upon that foundation so impactfully, will join us for this celebration.”

Dodgers Alumni Weekend, featuring three days of ceremonies and celebrations, will take place Friday, August 9 through Sunday, August 11 at Dodger Stadium. A full detailing of the events of that weekend is to come.

COURTESY DODGERS MEDIA RELATIONS