Harry Dalton

Who was Harry Dalton?

Harry I. Dalton was an American front-office executive in Major League Baseball. He served as general manager of three American League teams, the Baltimore Orioles, California Angels and Milwaukee Brewers, and was a principal architect of the Orioles' dynasty of 1966–1974 as well as the only AL championship the Brewers ever won.

Born in West Springfield, Massachusetts — the same hometown of Baseball Hall of Fame manager Leo Durocher — Dalton graduated from Amherst College and served in the United States Air Force during the Korean War, earning a Bronze Star. After a brief stint as a sportswriter in Springfield, he joined the front office of the Orioles — newly reborn as the relocated St. Louis Browns — in 1954. For the next 11 years, Dalton worked his way up the organizational ladder, rising to the position of director of the Orioles' successful farm system.

In the autumn of 1965, Baltimore general manager Lee MacPhail departed to become top aide to the new Commissioner of Baseball, William Eckert. Dalton was named Director of Player Personnel — in effect, MacPhail's successor.