Being skipper of the Dodger had its perks. Not only did Walter Alston get to manage some of the more legendary players in the game, but he also had the privilege to represent the club and his country overseas.
During his tenure with the franchise Alston had the opportunity to go on two "Tours of Japan" during the offseason, and he apparently kept everything he received in tip top condition, as evidenced by the vintage pennant seen at the very top (Auction Link Here). Above is a large pennant from the Dodgers tour in 1956. It measures 36 3/4" and looks like it was made yesterday. It is as pristine as you can get, and as the auction description states it must have been a favorite of Alston's. Although, by the looks of all the other "Tour of Japan" memorabilia he took great care to preserve everything.
In another lot (Auction Link) we see memorabilia from the Dodgers tour in 1966. Directly above is Alston's suitcase from the trip, two kimono's, a woven calendar and Japanese fan. Click on any pic to embiggen.Finally, we get a look at both the 1956 and 1966 Presentation Albums given to all players and executives who made the trip (Auction Link). Best yet, SCP was kind enough to provide a whole bunch of pics of the insides.
Over the years I've seen these albums for sale numerous times, but as far as I can remember I've never seen so many photos of what is within the pages. Feel free to take a moment to check out each one. There are some fantastic images.
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