John Scolinos and the Dodgers

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Turns out that John Scolinos, the longtime Cal Poly Pomona baseball coach who died Saturday at 91, was more than a local coaching legend. He apparently also had a hand in the Dodgers playing their first seasons in the Coliseum.

Scolinos was honored in 1988 by the L.A. County Board of Supervisors for his contributions to baseball and Kenneth Hahn, who played a key role in the Dodgers’ move from Brooklyn, told a story about Scolinos.

‘When I was negotiating with Walter O’Malley to bring the Dodgers from Brooklyn there was a problem concerning where the team would play until a stadium could be built,’ Hahn said.

‘So I asked John Scolinos, who was the coach at Pepperdine, to meet me on the Coliseum field to determine if that stadium could be modified for baseball. He paced off the field and advised me what changes needed to be made. I was then able to make the case before the Coliseum Commission to allow the Dodgers to play there.’

--Keith Thursby