European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 28, 1968, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Sports scene Walter o Malley 1 Don t see How baseball can be considered sick dodgers Walter o Malley things baseball by Bob Myers a staff writer Walter Francis o Malley who Hasan interesting theory As to Why he has been called the most powerful Man in baseball also has an answer to those who View the future of the game with pessimism. The president of the los Angele dodgers and the Man who pioneered big league baseball in the West prefaces his views with this observation it seems that now in every business there is a tremendous amount of Nega Tive thinking and very Little positive thinking even in such matters As patriotism religion the family. It s a period we Are going through of tear Down Don t build up. It s a period of tenseness assassinations rapes riots looting murder. Everything seems to have the people dejected and depressed. And until we break through like redid after world War ii when All of a sudden we broke through the top of the world and said let s go to a restaurant let s go to a movie a hotel let s travel see America let s do something. Until we get that feeling of relaxation from tension i think Well have to suffer through All the negative thinking that is evident today. I Don t see How baseball today can be considered to be in a sick condition when there Are More cities that want franchises and there Are More Young sters playing baseball than Ever before in the history of the country. I think the future of baseball is pretty Good. Pretty  o Malley s remarks were in an inter View in his spacious los Angeles office overlooking dodger stadium. Fuestion Many have called you the most powerful individual in the National league if not All baseball. Are you the question put As it was has to draw this Type of answer if the allegation were True i m sur things would be a lot different. Personally i do not believe in expansion i do not believe in divisional play i do not believe in changing the tradition of the world series i do not believe in the free agent draft Many things like that. But i think the Story gets around partly because i devote All of my time to baseball. Therefore i m available to serve on More committees than some of the other men who have As their Princi ple occupation their More important and much larger  i m baseball All the time and if they need someone to go out and Pul the weeds or Plant a tree i la take a shovel and do it if i have  does not necessarily mean that i agree with All the decisions the owners Are  it took a unanimous vote of the National league owners to approve expansion to Montreal and san  it would have been advantageous for economic As Well As per Sonal reasons for o Malley to vote against san Diego just 130 Miles to the South. But he did not and actually fought Forsan Diego. And As he pointed out the same situation applied when the Ameri can league expanded to los Angeles and on to Anaheim. To faces a pretty Good future ,. Page 16 he o Malley critics and he concedes he still has a few Back East can Only take his word for his actions. I have a Strong feeling that a vote should not be based on selfish reasons he said. You have got to look at it on standpoint of baseball  he said he regards both Montreal where he operated a club successfully some years Back and san Diego As goo National league franchises. E. J. Buzzie Bavasi Long time Gen eral manager of the dodgers is with o Malley s help and Blessing president at san Diego. San Diego is no longer simply a Nav town o Malley noted. It has Light and heavy manufacturing aircraft and elec tronic industries. The population from Here to san Diego is mushrooming. The stars and stripes has no regrets Over leaving Brooklyn a photos and thinks highly of japanese baseball and Buzzie i m told is gearing his operation to attendance of one million not a million five or a million seven fifty. Of course i m sure he Hopes for afew honeymoon years such As the dodgers enjoyed when they came to los  d o Malley Harbor any regret about leaving Brooklyn he answered quickly. No. We have Many nostalgic connections and Many friends Back there but we Are very Happy in this charming City. We tried for 10 Long years to acquire land which we were going to pay for to build a stadium which we were go ing to pay for All without Success. When a High ranking official told use did t have a Chance,1 i told Huu  o Malley has High regard for baseball in Japan a subject he has studied closely for 12 years. He said there Are a least 100 japanese ballplayers who could play in the major leagues Here. Economically such As ticket prices there in t much difference Between tue japanese operations and the . But said o Malley in a switch fro general thinking it could be that Jap Nese baseball people would t be Parl ulary interested in becoming a Purl of american  they were the japanese could find no More ardent supporter than waited Francis o Malley. Sunday july