Charlie Finley’s Swingin’ A’s

When Charlie Finley manipulated American League owners into approving the move of his Kansas City A’s to Oakland, California, to start the 1968 season, Missouri Senator Stuart Symington commented that “Oakland is the luckiest city since Hiroshima.”

Out in Oakland, politicians boasted of their accomplishment. and East Bay residents showed their excitement, albeit restrained. What were they getting into with this “tyrant from the Midwest”?

Finley hired Bob Kennedy, former Cubs manager, to lead the A’s, while Finley himself assumed the role of general manager. Local icon Joe DiMaggio was hired as vice president and head coach, but both titles were more ceremonial than operational.

For his first season in Oakland, Finley announced an ambitious schedule of promotions—photo day, bat day, farmers day, hot pants day and a multiple of others. But an overriding flaw permeated his promotions—they promoted Finley, not Reggie, Catfish, Campy Campaneris, or Blue Moon Odom.

Opening Day in 1968 was indeed a gala occasion. In pre-game festivities, Baseball Commissioner Bill Eckert and AL President Joe Cronin stood alongside Governor Ronald Reagan and Finley as “the rockets’ red glare” shone over a packed house at the Coliseum. Dignitaries were everywhere to be seen.

The Baltimore Orioles were the evening’s opponents as Lew Krausse started and took the loss in Oakland’s first major league game. Finley’s victory fireworks display would have to wait for another day.

But it was the second evening that would be telling to Finley: Just over 5,000 fans paid to enter the Coliseum — roughly one-tenth of the previous evening’s crowd.

On May 8, Catfish Hunter tossed a perfect 4-0 game against the Twins before slightly more than 6,200. But later on in the season, a packed house came to celebrate the return of Casey Stengel and his 1948 Oakland Oaks, pennant winners in the Pacific Coast League 20 years earlier.

By the end of the season, A’s attendance was 837,466, approximately 100,000 above the previous season in Kansas City, but far below Finley’s expectations. On the field, Kennedy had tolerated Finley’s interference, and even returned the As a winner, 82-80, good enough for sixth place, but not good enough for Finley; Kennedy was replaced by Hank Bauer for 1969

The team improved to 88-74 and challenged Minnesota for the lead before a rash of mid-season injuries dropped the A’s nine games behind the Twins. But Finley had undermined Bauer all season.

Bauer, a former Marine, had demanded his players be well groomed, but Finley didn’t support him and Bauer lost control of his club. Finley would acquire a player and not inform his manager. The player’s arrival was often Bauer’s first clue of a roster change. Still, Bauer had to be accountable for the team’s failures, and with two weeks remaining in the season, he was fired.

Johnny McNamara was elevated from coach to finish out the season, and he was rehired for 1970. McNamara had managed many of the A’s players in the minors, and was a popular choice with them, but Finley was not through pot-stirring.

Finley looked upon Reggie Jackson as his true star, and Jackson’s 1969 statistics confirmed his feelings. But when Reggie demanded to be paid as a star should, Finley balked.

In 1969, Jackson had held out, finally settling for $18,000. Now he wanted $60,000 for 1970. Finley countered with $40,000, and the negotiations became bitter. The combatants finally settled for $45,000 plus perks just a few days before the regular season started.

Dick Williams had led the “cry-baby” Boston Red Sox into the 1967 World Series, but like all managers he had later been fired for not winning. Finley found he was available to take the helm in 1971, and promptly hired him.

Williams was a no-nonsense kind of guy. He defined each player’s roles and would take nothing less than 1OO-percent effort from each. When Finley made efforts to create turmoil on the club, it was Williams who stepped in as a buffer between players and owner.

Although he was a taskmaster on the field, Williams did not allow things like hairstyle and dress to get in the way of good baseball. The motto “Swingin’ A’s” started meaning more than just batting proficiency.

As players started growing longer hair and mustaches, so did Williams. Finley grasped the idea and staged a Mustache Day, giving bonuses to any player who would grow one. Pitcher Rollie Fingers’ handlebar mustache was the class of the team and became a trademark through the rest of his career.

The 1971 A’s flourished under Williams, winning 101 games and winning the Western Division by 16 games! Young Vida Blue was the rage of the league, winning 24 games and both the Cy Young and Most Valuable Player awards in the American League. Catfish Hunter won 21 games, and Reggie Jackson rebounded from his poor season the year before.

Although the A’s were swept by Baltimore, 3-0, in the Championship Series, the A’s gained the confidence to come back in 1972, and Charlie Finley finally had found a manager he didn’t have to fire.

Spring training was met with great anticipation by the A’s players and their fans, but once again Finley went to battle with one of his stars. This time it was Vida Blue.

Blue, a sensitive young man, had been the center of baseball’s attention in 1971 while earning $16,000. Everywhere Vida pitched, attendance increased by thousands over the daily average. Finley openly boasted that Vida was underpaid and that the owner was cashing in on the young pitcher’s success.

As a show of appreciation, Finley staged a day for Vida, giving him a baby-blue Cadillac El Dorado with license plates “V BLUE.” Away from Finley, Vida said, ”I’d rather have had a Grand Prix.”

But When contract time rolled around, the parties found themselves over $50,000 apart in their demands. Finley offered $50,000. Blue’s agent insisted on $115,000.

As the season started, Finley upped the ante and Blue quickly signed, but the damage had been done. Blue won only six games as the A’s cruised to a second division championship.

Catfish Hunter, Ken Holtzman, and Blue Moon Odom were the pitching mainstays with Fingers, Bob Locker, and Darrold Knowles coming out of the pen. Jackson, Bando, Rudi, and Mike Epstein provided the power and Campaneris was the heart of a marvelously balanced team.

Finley was in better communication with his manager, and whenever there seemed to be a special need, Finley performed magic by filling it.

The American League Championships matched Billy Martin’s feisty Detroit Tigers against the A’s in a five-game Series gripped by suspense, violence, and a key injury.

The A’s were leading in the second game after an extra-inning victory in the opener when Tigers pitcher Lerrin LaGrow hit Campaneris in the ankle with a pitch. An infuriated Campaneris threw his bat at the mound, and pandemonium broke out. Both Martin and outfielder Willie Horton had to be restrained from retaliating against Campy and when order was restored, Campaneris and LaGrow were tossed.

But concern over Campaneris’ status was deeper than just this one game. Would Campaneris be able to play further? Was he hurt? Would he be suspended for the remainder of the playoffs and possibly the World Series?

Commissioner Bowie Kuhn suspended Campaneris for the playoffs, but allowed him to participate in the World Series, suspending him an added seven days to be served at the start of the l973 season.

The Tigers won Games 3 and 4 to pull even, necessitating Game 5 in Detroit. The Tigers scored in the first, but Reggie Jackson scored on the back end of a daring double-steal. As he crossed the plate he was blocked by Bill Freehan, tearing some muscles in his leg, putting him out for the rest of the season.

The A’s scored again in the fourth, and and Blue came in to save Odom’s second victory o the playoffs. Finley’s boys returned to Oakland as American League Champions. The As beat Cincinnati’s “Big Red Machine” in 1973 and the Dodgers in 1974, giving them three World Championships in a row. But the times, they were a-changin’.

In a contract dispute with Finley during the winter, Catfish Hunter was declared a free agent, setting off the biggest flesh auction in baseball annals for his talents. Finley could see the handwriting on the wall.

Realizing his arbitrary control over the players was being eroded by free agency and arbitration, Finley decided to sell off his stars, only to be rebuffed by the commissioner once again.

Finley realized it was time to get out of baseball.