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The Good, the Bad and the Ridiculous: The Eccentric and Successful Antics of Charlie Finley

Charlie Finley was an innovative, and often ridiculous, owner who brought a modern twist to the game. Through his antics, the A's saw some of its most successful years with 3 consecutive World Series.

By Mia Foucek |
Sports Contributor Archive 2018
Sports Contributor Archive 2018 / Ron Vesely/GettyImages
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It’s no secret that A’s fans want John Fisher out of the picture. The “Summer of Sell” has raged on, with fans chanting this mantra at home and away games. We’ve seen the best of t-shirts and signs with this slogan (the giant poster hanging from the stands on a national broadcast is my personal favorite).

Fans are fed up with ownership and have made their feelings clear: out with Fisher and in with anyone else.

A change will not come anytime soon. As I resigned myself to this fact, I needed a quick fix to ease the sadness that ensued. I began daydreaming about what a new owner might look like.

Who do we need to reinvigorate a team already out of AL West contention and a demoralized fanbase? Also, how many checks would they be willing to write?

In the midst of concocting this fantasy, I decided to take a deep dive into the unorthodox and surprisingly hilarious business tactics of former A's owner, Charlie Finley.

His tenure was marked by innovation and off-the-wall antics that fostered the A's success in the 1970s. During this run, Finley was deemed the "star of the show," rightfully credited with the team's three consecutive World Series wins.

20 Years of Innovation and a Modern Perspective

Before I introduce you to the ridiculous moments of Finley's ownership, you should first know that he was an innovator. As a self-made, industrious pioneer in the medical insurance industry, it is no surprise that Finley was a baseball trailblazer. He was an early advocate for increased interleague games, the designated hitter and shorter seasons. He was responsible for drafting Reggie Jackson, Catfish Hunter, Vida Blue and Rollie Fingers, just to name a few legends.

In an even more modern twist, Finley was a proponent of night games for higher TV ratings and to reach a wider audience (makes me wonder what he would say about the A's moving to the last ranked baseball TV market in the country). In an effort to speed up the game, he even installed a clock to enforce the 20 second time limit between pitches - a rule that was often ignored. Finley was 5 decades ahead of his time!

Charlie Finley
Charlie Finley / Tony Inzerillo/GettyImages

A Mule, Hot Pink Foul Poles and a Mechanical Rabbits

When asked what an aspiring baseball owner should do to reach this lofty goal he said, "...suggest no innovations. Make no efforts at change. That way you will be very popular with your fellow owners.” To be accepted into this exclusive club, make it seem like you won't do a damn thing. In light of current ownership, the irony is hard to ignore.

Of course, this is just to get a foot in the door. After buying the A's, he showcased a wealth of ridiculous ideas.

In 1965, he purchased a mule - aptly named Charlie O. - that became the Kansas City A's mascot and trotted around ballparks before games. While this is not particularly shocking, he insisted that the mule go on road trips and even stay overnight in the hotel with the team. Maybe he thought a rally mule in a suite would bring good luck?

Deemed "Baseball's Super Showman" by Time magazine, Finley pushed for a more colorful game. Quite literally colorful. He painted stadium fences bright yellow, the foul poles hot pink, and used gold bases. He pushed the MLB to adopt orange baseballs and the league allowed it for spring training games.

If this wasn't tacky enough, he installed a mechanical rabbit next to home plate that would deposit balls to umpires.

This list is just the beginning of Finley's zany but entertaining ideas to appeal to a wider audience. Maybe these weren't as productive as night games but it must have piqued someone's interest.

Reggie Jackson - Oakland Athletics - File Photos
Reggie Jackson - Oakland Athletics - File Photos / Chuck Rydlewski/GettyImages

Time for Fresh Ideas

Finley was a man with unusual ideas, some of which were innovative for the day and others that were unnecessary and distracting. But as an owner, he fostered a glorious decade with multiple championships for the A's. Clearly not taking his own satirical advice, Finley took action.

When fans shout "sell the team" these days, it's not just a cry for more productive and enthusiastic ownership within one organization. The lack of effort to change has persisted since Finley made his statement 50 years ago.

This slogan signals a need for overall change among the majority of MLB owners. To increase their effort, at some cost, instead of maintaining an, at best, average status quo.

Also hot pink foul poles and traveling live mascots would be pretty great.

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