Walter Alston was born on Friday, December 1, 1911, in Venice, Ohio. Alston was 24 years old when he broke into the big leagues on September 27, 1936, with the St. Louis Cardinals. His biographical data, year-by-year hitting stats, fielding stats, pitching stats (where applicable), career totals, uniform numbers, salary data and miscellaneous items-of-interest are presented by Baseball Almanac on this comprehensive Walter Alston baseball stats page.
"Few successful managers in baseball history generate such checkered reviews from their players as Walter Alston. To those he favored, he was the tough but fair tactician, guiding his team with a steady hand. To those who, for one reason or another, did not find his favor, he was a modestly talented manager whose success was more attributable to the constributions of his players and coaches than to any abilities he might possess." - Parker, Gary R. Author. Win Or Go Home: Sudden Death Baseball. Mcfarland Publishers. 4 December 2001. Page 117. [Walter Alston Quotes / Walter Alston Biography]
Walter Alston![]() Walter 'Smokey' Alston Autograph on a 1966 Topps Baseball Card (#116 | Checklist) |
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Walter AlstonWalter Alston Pitching Stats |
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| Year | Age | Team | G | GS | GF | W | L | PCT | ERA | CG | SHO | SV | IP | BFP | H | ER | R | HR | BB | IBB | SO | WP | HB | BK | HLD |
| - | - | Did Not Pitch | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Career | G | GS | GF | W | L | PCT | ERA | CG | SHO | SV | IP | BFP | H | ER | R | HR | BB | IBB | SO | WP | HB | BK | HLD | ||
Walter AlstonWalter Alston Hitting Stats |
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| Year | Age | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | GRSL | RBI | BB | IBB | SO | SH | SF | HBP | GIDP | AVG | OBP | SLG |
| 1936 | 25 | Cardinals | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Career | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | GRSL | RBI | BB | IBB | SO | SH | SF | HBP | GIDP | AVG | OBP | SLG | ||
| 1 Year | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | ||
Walter AlstonWalter Alston Fielding Stats |
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| Team | POS | G | GS | OUTS | TC | TC/G | CH | PO | A | E | DP | PB | CASB | CACS | FLD% | RF |
| 1936 Cardinals | 1B | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 2.0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .500 | 4.50 |
| Career | POS | G | GS | OUTS | TC | TC/G | CH | PO | A | E | DP | PB | CASB | CACS | FLD% | RF |
| 1B Totals | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 2.0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .500 | 4.50 | |
| 1 Year | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 2.0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .500 | 4.50 | |
Walter AlstonWalter Alston Miscellaneous Stats |
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| Baserunning Statistics | Other Positions | Common Hitting Ratios | Common Pitching Ratios | |||||||||
| Team | SB | CS | SB% | PH | PR | DH | AB/HR | AB/K | AB/RBI | K/BB | K/9 | BB/9 |
| 1936 Cardinals | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 | n/a | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | - | - | - |
| Career | SB | CS | SB% | PH | PR | DH | AB/HR | AB/K | AB/RBI | K/BB | K/9 | BB/9 |
| 1 Year | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 | n/a | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | - | - | - |
Walter AlstonWalter Alston Miscellaneous Items of Interest |
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| Team | Roster | Uniform Numbers | Salary | All-Star | World Series |
| 1936 St. Louis Cardinals | 21 | Undetermined | - | - |
| Walter Alston Stats by Baseball Almanac | ||||

Did you know that Walter Alston appeared in exactly one Major League game and is featured on our Cups of Coffee page? Every ballplayer with a single cup of coffee is included and sortable columns make researching them as enjoyable as a real cup of coffee!

Walter Alston Cup of Coffee (Box Score) | Olean Times-Herald | September 28, 1936 | Page 11
Walter Alston played in one Major League game (pictured above), had one big league at-bat, and finished with one offensive stat — a strikeout, courtesy of Lon Warneke. Eighteen years later he took over as manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers (1954-1957), their last one ever, then continued with the franchise as manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers (1958-1976), their first one ever. Please join Baseball Almanac as we "flip over Walter Alston's baseball card" and take a look at a few more numbers of interest on the back of his managerial card:
1 - Walter Alston was manager of the 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers, a team that won the 1955 World Series, the one-and-only championship won while the franchise was in Brooklyn.
4 - Walter Alston won four World Series rings (1959, 1963, 1963, 1965) and to date, only three managers have ever won more world championships; Joe McCarthy (7), Casey Stengel (7), and Connie Mack (5)!
6 - Walter Alston was the sixth manager in baseball history to win 2,000 games, joining John McGraw (1899-1932), Connie Mack (1894-1950), Joe McCarthy (1926-1950), Bucky Harris (1924-1956) and Leo Durocher (1939-1973).
23 - Walter Alston was a manager for twenty-three years, and signed exactly twenty-three one-year contracts with the Dodgers.
1,950 - Walter Alston played in one Major League game, the fewest by any Hall of Fame manager who made it to the show (four of them never played in a single game). The Yang to his Yin is Al Lopez who played in 1,950 Major League games, the most by any Hall of Fame manager in baseball history.
3,658 - Walter Alston managed 3,658 games when he called it a career in 1976, sixth most in baseball history at the time, behind Connie Mack (7,755), John McGraw (4,769), Bucky Harris (4,410), Casey Stengel (3,766), and Leo Durocher (3,739).

Walter Alston | National Baseball Hall of Fame Plaque | Class of 1983 (HOF)
On June 5, 1977, the Los Angeles Dodgers retired #24 to honor Walter Alston, one of the best managers in baseball history. The franchise had only retired three numbers before Alston; #39 — Roy Campanella, #32 — Sandy Koufax, #42 — Jackie Robinson, each on the same date, June 4, 1972. All four of these legends were part of the 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers world championship team (1955 World Series), all four are also enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame.