Walter Alston joined the Brooklyn Dodgers as manager on November 24, 1954. Being one of the greatest managers in Dodger Stadium history, Alston’s No. 24 jersey is retired and displayed in the Ring of Honor.

The first integrated baseball team in the history of the United States was the Nashua Dodgers of the Class-B New England League, where Alston started his coaching career in 1946 as a player-manager. On that squad, he managed former Dodger greats Roy Campanella and Don Newcombe.

Before being appointed to oversee the team’s Major League club, Alston managed the St. Paul Saints and Montreal Royals, two Dodgers Triple-A affiliates, from 1948 to 1954.

He took over for Chuck Dressen, who had won back-to-back National League pennants, but was opposed by Dodgers owner Walter O’Malley, who gave him a multi-year contract.

By agreeing to several one-year contracts, Alston managed the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers from 1954 to 1976. With a 2,040-1,613 record at the end, he had a.558 winning percentage.

Before Alston took over, the Dodgers had never won a World Series, but they did it in 1955, 1959, 1963, and 1965 while he was manager. He was the manager of many outstanding players, including Jackie Robinson, Don Drysdale, Sandy Koufax, and Duke Snider.

Alston won seven of the nine Major League games he managed for NL All-Star teams, earning him the title of National League Manager of the Year six times.

Alston had a heart attack just before he was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veteran’s Committee in 1983, but he was unable to attend the event.

In October 1984, barely one year after the heart attack, he passed away at the age of 72 due to the consequences of the attack.

Lasorda followed Alston.After playing and coaching under Alston, Tommy Lasorda—another legendary Dodger—became manager and won two more World Series for Los Angeles in 1981 and 1988.