Kenneth Hahn Prominent in L.A. Sports Scene Too

Los Angeles would not be the same if not for Kenneth Hahn, the legendary former County Supervisor who died Sunday. I think it’s also accurate to say he played a prominent role in changing baseball and, by extension, America.

When the powers that were in Los Angeles decided to seek a major league team, Hahn, a 36-year-old, first-term supervisor, was assigned the mission.

No one imagined he would be so successful.

The County Board of Supervisors dispatched him to the 1956 World Series between the New York Yankees and Brooklyn Dodgers with the hope he could attract attention from a struggling team, perhaps the Washington Senators.

While attending a game at Ebbets Field, Hahn received a note from Walter O’Malley, advising the supervisor that the Dodgers might be available to Los Angeles.

“I never dreamt we could get a world champion,” Hahn recalled a few years ago.

Forty-one years ago Monday, on Columbus Day of 1956, Hahn gave O’Malley a tour of Los Angeles in a sheriff’s department helicopter. From that vantage point, O’Malley selected Chavez Ravine as the site for Dodger Stadium.

“I had more faith than Walter O’Malley that the Dodgers would be a success,” Hahn said.

“When he came to the Coliseum, he wanted a three-year lease with an option for the next three years because, he said to me one day, ‘If the people don’t support major league baseball, I want to transfer my team to Phoenix or Tucson or some other place.’

“I said, ‘Walter, they are going to really love you. You will be glad you moved from New York.’ ”

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Chicago Coach Dave Wannstedt couldn’t lose when he went for two points late against Green Bay. . . .

If the Bears had been successful, they would have had an excellent chance to upset the hated Packers. . . .

Because they weren’t, they’re still in for first in the race for Peyton Manning. . . .

No one in football is doing a better job than John Fox. . . .

I’m talking about the New York Giants’ defensive coordinator. . . .

As for the John Fox who calls signals at USC, offensive coordinator Hue Jackson insists there will be no quarterback controversy. . . .

Jackson has been coaching long enough to know that the fans and media will be the judge of that. . . .

I hope Fox doesn’t take too much heat. Even as an inexperienced sophomore, he would be fine with most previous USC offenses. . . .

It’s his luck to be playing for one that can do everything except block and run. . . .

A more creative quarterback might be successful, which is the reason some Trojan fans are clamoring for another sophomore, Quincy Woods. . . .

If he were the answer, I’m confident he would be playing. . . .

The answer is Rodney Peete. He, however, is busy trying to take Ty Detmer’s job in Philadelphia. . . .

The Trojans didn’t have enough scoring opportunities last week to determine whether Adam Abrams’ kicking job is secure. . . .

If not, they might consider Kim Clark. She has eight goals and 11 assists for the USC women’s soccer team, which is ranked 20th in the nation. . . .

The U.S. soccer team can interpret Mexico’s 2-2 tie with Canada a couple of ways. . . .

It could mean Mexico will be vulnerable on Nov. 2 in Mexico City. . . .

Or it could mean Canada will be more dangerous than expected on Nov. 9 in Vancouver. . . .

Jorge Campos is a colorful, entertaining and popular goalkeeper, but his heart wasn’t with the Galaxy this season. Neither was his body for too many games. . . .

The Galaxy should give the job next season to Kevin Hartman. . . .

I know it’s early, but I don’t think Sporting News hockey columnist Larry Wigge was right when he wrote, “Getting [Dimitri] Khristich and Byron Dafoe for [Jozef] Stumpel and Sandy Moger was a steal for the Bruins.” . . .

If he knew Dimitri like we know Dimitri. . . .

In case there’s confusion, the John Hall kicking for the Jets is not the one who formerly wrote columns for The Times and Orange County Register. . . .

However, the Rick Reilly who recently signed a $500,000 deal with Sports Illustrated, HBO, CNN and Warner Brothers did work for The Times. . . .

“A few years ago, Rick was just a sportswriter,” said his agent, Art Kaminsky.

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While wondering what happened to the USC team that came so close to beating Florida State, I was thinking: I guess Notre Dame showed the Stanford band, surely St. Louis didn’t expect something different from the Rams, the Dodgers could help themselves and hurt the Giants by going after free-agent shortstop Jose Vizcaino.