Riverhead to Publish Biography of the Man Who Moved the Dodgers to L.A.

Riverhead Books, a division of Penguin Group, has acquired a biography of Walter O'Malley—the man who in 1957 infamously moved the Brooklyn Dodgers to Los Angeles—written by Pulitzer Prize-winner Michael D'Antonio.

News of the deal comes just days after O'Malley was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. According to Riverhead publisher Geoffrey Kloske, who acquired the book in a preempt from agent David McCormick of McCormick & Williams, Mr. D'Antonio has interviewed scores of people, including O'Malley's son Peter, who owned the team through the late 1990s. Mr. Kloske said Mr. D'Antonio "has access to literally hundreds of never-before-used documents and a trove of letters, records and memorabilia totaling more than 35,0000 pieces."

The book, tentatively titled The O'Malley: The Man Who Broke Brooklyn's Heart, Won LA's Love, and Changed Baseball Forever will be published in early 2009.