The “Lewis and Clark” of Major League Baseball.
It was Meriweather Lewis and William Clark who opened up the way west back around 1801 (with the help of Sacajawea). Before that, America was all concentrated in the East, especially on the East Coast. When the Famous Lewis and Clark Expedition was successful, and reached the Pacific Ocean, a lot of the heavy concentration on the East Coast felt compelled and began to move west and settle there more and more.It was same set up with Major League Baseball in tis earlier years. The MLB was mostly concentrated on the East Coast with some in the central states like Illinois, Missouri, and Ohio. Then along came Walter O’Malley and Gene Autry. In the late 1950’s there were more than two teams playing in The Big Apple. The were no MLB Teams out on the West Coast. O’Malley took the plunge, since there were at least two other teams in New York, and moved his team to Los Angeles.
A lot of fans have questioned Walter’s loyalty to Dodger Fans when he left Brooklyn for the West Coast. Loyalty is a “Two-way Street” or a “No-way Street.” By the late 1950’s, Ebbett’s Field was ancient ruins. O’Malley knew his Dodgers were in dire need of a new stadium. He sought the City of New York for land to build the new stadium. That community did nothing to comply. What did the fans do to help talk the city into honoring O’Malley’s request? Nothing. O’Malley tried to keep his team in New York. O’Malley was disloyal to the fans? it seems to me The Community and the fans were disloyal to O’Malley first. So one more time, Two-way Street or No-way Street. O’Malley began to consider other options. Soon, Los Angeles offered O’Malley everything he wanted from the City of New York, and then some. You know the rest. Ebbet’s Field was in terrible shape, and no way was it ever going to be used again, so it had an appointment with the wrecking ball.
As it turns out, Horace Stoneman, owner of The GIANTS, was having the very same problems with New York, and finally San Francisco was willing to give Stoneman what he couldn’t get frm New York.The very first National League Team on the West Coast turned out to be a huge huge success. Shortly Later Gene Autry bought an American League Expansion Team and brought The American League West for the first time as well. This later prompted other MLB Franchises to set up in Yhe West as well, in San Francisco, Oakland, San Diego, Seattle, and later on, Phoenix (Arizona) and Denver (Colorado).
As Lewis and Clark opened up the way west, for American Settlers to settle there, Walt O,Malley and Gene Autry did the same for Major League Baseball, which is why I call O’Malley and Autry the “Lewis and Clark” of Major League Baseball.
ArmadaFan's True Blue Los Angeles Baseball. 