Category Archives: Charles O. Finley
My Favorite Weird Baseball Promotions
My longtime friend Mike Green and I recently discussed the weirdest, strangest, most ridiculous promotions we could think of. Since we had collaborated on a biography of Charlie Finley, published last year by Walker and Co., we had a lot … Continue reading
Was the Kansas City A’s the Worst Team in the American League in the 1950s and 1960s?
Most people assign that distinction either to the old Washington Senators (3 pennants, 1 world championship in nearly 60 years) or to the St. Louis Browns (1 pennant in more than 50 years). While the Athletics enjoyed success in Philadelphia … Continue reading
Was Billy Martin the Most “Bad Ass” Baseball Manager of them All?
Former Braves manager Bobby Cox holds the record for most ejections from a Major League baseball game by a manager; he has 161 ejections. He surpassed former New York Giants manager John McGraw by 29 games; these are the only … Continue reading
Good Charlie/Bad Charlie: What Made Charlie Finley Tick?
Charles O. Finley, the owner of the Kansas City/Oakland A’s between 1960 and 1980, had a public persona as one of the dark princes of Major League Baseball. He engaged in manipulation, connivance, and cajolery for what he wanted, and … Continue reading
World Series Memories: The A’s versus the Dodgers 40 Years Ago
On October 12, 1974, forty years ago, the World Series opened with the Oakland A’s playing the Los Angeles Dodgers for the championship. It was a lackluster World Series, but both teams were superb. The A’s were the reigning champions … Continue reading
The Beatles Come to Kansas City, Fifty Years Ago
Time flies. It seems like only yesterday, but it was actually 50 years ago. My colleague, Mike Green, and I published a biography of Charles O. Finley, owner of the Kansas City/Oakland A’s between 1960 and 1980 in the summer of 2010. … Continue reading
Wednesday’s Book Review: “Turning the Black Sox White”
Turning the Black Sox White: The Misunderstood Legacy of Charles A. Comiskey. By Tim Hornbaker. New York: Sports Publishing, 2014. The dominant interpretation of Charles Comiskey was established for most in the United States by Eliot Asinof in his 1963 … Continue reading
Wednesday’s Book Review: “The 1972 Detroit Tigers”
The 1972 Detroit Tigers: Billy Martin and the Half-Game Champs. By Todd Masters. Jefferson, NC: McFarland and Co., 2010. The Detroit Tigers were an unlikely victor in the American League East in 1972. Viewed by almost everyone at the start … Continue reading
Does the MLB Commissioner Have the Right to Overturn Owner’s Trades/Sales/Deals?
The question above is one that many people have debated during the last couple of weeks as the Miami Marlins and the Toronto Blue Jays undertook a megadeal that swapped several star players for top prospects. In mid-November 2012 the Marlins … Continue reading
Five MLB Teams that Should Have Been in the Minor Leagues
When a player does not perform to a level that the team he plays for demands he typically is sent back to the minor leagues for more training, rehabilitation, etc., or is released outright. Too bad we can’t do that … Continue reading
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