Walter Alston displayed a quiet professional demeanor throughout his 23-year tenure in Major League Baseball. As the longtime manager of the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers from 1954 to 1976 he established himself as a level-headed voice of reason for folks in the front office as well as his charges in the field.

Dodgers’ six-time Gold Glove Award-winning first baseman Wes Parker who spent his entire nine-year (1964 to ’72) career in L.A. with Alston at the helm had this to say about his former skipper:

“Walt was a very calm man self-contained and sure of himself like Teddy Roosevelt’s famous saying: ‘Speak softly and carry a big stick.’ People would ask ‘What made him so great?’ One of the things was his timing. He always had his finger on the pulse of the team. Walt was not a micromanager. He was a loose manager yet he had control. He’d write your name in the lineup and turn you loose.”

We’re not sure if this represents the metaphorical “big stick” but Walt certainly did carry it and use it throughout his distinguished 23-year career.  This is Walt’s 1950's tapered professional model fungo bat used by him to run infield and outfield practice drills. The narrow classic-shaped fungo was used to hit National League baseballs to the biggest stars of Flatbush presumed to include Jackie Robinson Duke Snider Gil Hodges Roy Campanella and Captain Pee Wee Reese. A myriad of Dodger greats all stayed fieldingly fit through the use of this indispensable tool of Alston’s trade. The 37" H&B model 125 bat is stamped "DODGERS" in block letters on the barrel. It is in EX/MT condition with solid use marks. A pair of original photos by Barney Stein accompany and show Walt using what appears to be this exact bat at Ebbetts Field. A small ring of tape near the handle provide a solid match.

Includes LOA from the Alston Family.