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Walter Francis O'Malley (October 9, 1903 – August 9, 1979) was an American sports executive who owned the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers team in Major League Baseball from to . In , as owner of the Dodgers, he brought major league baseball to the West Coast, moving the Dodgers from Brooklyn to Los Angeles despite the Dodgers being the 2nd most profitable team in baseball from 1946-1956, and coordinating the move of the New York Giants to San Francisco at a time when there were no teams west of Kansas City, Missouri.〔〔 For this, he was long vilified by Brooklyn Dodgers fans. However, Pro-O'Malley parties describe him as a visionary for the same business action, and many authorities cite him as one of the most influential sportsmen of the 20th century.〔 Other observers say that he was not a visionary, but instead a man who was in the right place at the right time, and regard him as the most powerful and influential owner in baseball after moving the team.〔Stout, p. 334.〕 He was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame for his contributions to and influence on the game of baseball amidst allegations that his family donated money to get him into the Hall of Fame. O'Malley's Irish father, Edwin Joseph O'Malley, was politically connected. Walter, a University of Pennsylvania salutatorian, went on to obtain a Juris Doctor, and he used the combination of his family connections, his personal contacts, and both his educational and vocational skills to rise to prominence. First, he became an entrepreneur involved in public works contracting, and then he became an executive with the Dodgers. He progressed from being a team lawyer to being both the Dodgers' owner and president, and he eventually made the business decision to relocate the Dodgers franchise. Although he moved the franchise, O'Malley is known as a businessman whose major philosophy was stability through loyalty to and from his employees.〔 O'Malley ceded the team presidency to his son, Peter, in but retained the titles of owner and chairman of the Dodgers until his death in 1979. During the 1975 season, the Dodgers' inability to negotiate a contract with Andy Messersmith led to the Seitz decision, which limited the baseball reserve clause and paved the way for modern free agency.〔 He bequeathed the team to his children Peter O'Malley and Therese O'Malley Seidler upon his death in 1979. ==Early years== Walter O'Malley was the only child of Edwin Joseph O'Malley (1883–1955), who worked as a cotton goods salesman in the Bronx in 1903. Edwin O'Malley later became the Commissioner of Public Markets for New York City. Walter's mother was Alma Feltner (1882–1940). O'Malley grew up as a Bronx-born New York Giants fan.〔 He frequently attended Giants games at the Polo Grounds with his uncle Clarence.〔 O'Malley was a Boy Scout who rose to the rank of Star.〔 O'Malley attended Jamaica High School in Queens from 1918 to 1920 and then the Culver Academy (the eventual high school alma mater of future New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner)〔 in Indiana.〔 He managed both the baseball and tennis teams, served on the executive staff of the student newspaper, was a member of the Hospital Visitation Committee as well as the debate team, Bible Discipline Committee and the YMCA.〔 At Culver, his baseball career was ended with a baseball that hit him on the nose.〔 Later, he attended the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) and graduated in 1926 as the senior class Salutatorian.〔〔Klitzman, Zach, ("Ruth, Koufax, Aaron ... O'Malley: Long-time Dodgers owner becomes first Penn alum to get Cooperstown invite" ), ''The Daily Pennsylvanian'', January 17, 2008〕〔("A Pioneer Owner (and Spoon Man) in the Hall of Fame" ), University of Pennsylvania Alumni Profiles, ''The Pennsylvania Gazette'', Sept/October 2008〕 At Penn, he was initiated into Theta Delta Chi, and he also served as president of the Phi Deuteron Charge.〔 Upon his graduation from the University of Pennsylvania School of Engineering and Applied Science his father gave him a cabin cruiser that slept eight.〔Golenbock, p. 85.〕 He was also Junior and Senior class president.〔 O’Malley originally enrolled at Columbia University in New York City for law school, but after his family lost their money in the Wall Street Crash of 1929, he switched from Columbia Law School to night school at Fordham University.〔 Edwin O'Malley's dry goods business was failing and Walter had to help run the business.〔Shapiro, p. 23.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Walter O'Malley」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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