Click here to contact Nancy Finley by e-mail Click to visit the Kansas City Baseball Historical Society Also Visit the Charlie O. Finley page 2009 Reunion of 1967 KC Athletic's team (last team in KC) WELCOME TO 1974 - The "Team of The Century" - Sports Illustrated WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS 1972 - 1973 - 1974 American League Champions 5 years in a row! PREVIEW THE KANSAS CITY ATHLETICS HISTORY DOCUMENTARY

Charlie O. Finley The controversial "Genius" who took his team to Glory The beloved Charlie "O" team mascott

The Finley Legacy: 1961 to 1980 Charlie O. Finley purchased Kansas City Athletics in 1961 Finley changed the team colors to green and gold 1968 moved team from Kansas City to Oakland Started the designated hitter now in use in the American League Started night games now standard in both leagues Started night games for World Series games 3 consecutive world series champions (1972, 1973, 1974) Post season contenders 5 years in a row ('71 through '75) Playoffs again in 1979 First team to have bright vibrant team uniform colors Charlie O. the Mule was team mascot, a gift from Governor of Missouri 1964 Charlie O. the Mule died in 1977, was cremated. Team sold 1980 The 72-74 team selected as "Baseball Team of the Century" by Sports Illustrated in 2000 Promoted the use of orange baseballs for better visibility (never caught on) CLOSE UP After the sale of the Oakland A's in 1980, the new owners did not want to use the rabbit "Harvey", who popped up at the pitcher's mound to supply new baseballs to the pitcher. Harvey's eyes glowed as he turned in a circle, and descended back into the ground. Whatever happened to Harvey? Look for the answer in Nancy Finley's memoir, "Dugout Daughter: Witness to Baseball History." During the World Series era in the early to mid-1970's, the stars of the hit T.V. show "Charlie's Angles" were in negotiations to visit the Oakland Coliseum, and sit next to A's owner Charlie Finley. Unfortunately, this fell through. Very similar to Al Davis, owner of the Oakland Raiders, Charlie Finley was "enticed" by the City of Oakland to move his baseball team from Kansas City, MO to Oakland, California. After the move was made to Oakland, CA in 1968, the City of Oakland apparently did not follow through with its promises to Charlie for moving the team. Among those promises were heavy marketing, season ticket sales, and completion of the players' locker room, and the front office quarters to executive-office standards. In the end, though, they were left largely concrete walls and exposed air conditioning. Kansas City had much better attendance. Charlie Finley never sued the City of Oakland for breaking these promises. He was not a litigator. In May 1996, the Oakland Coliseum had a Charlie Finley day, in which they presented a green and white street sign that said "CHARLIE O. FINLEY." A replica of this street sign was given to Carl A. Finley, Jr., and three of Charlie's children who attended. The original sign was to be placed in Mesa, Arizona where Spring training is held. Mesa, Arizona???   Where did Finley get the team colors, green & gold? These were the colors for his favorite football team, Notre Dame. AS IT WAS WRITTEN! By Monte Moore in 1968 A's TV & radio announcer "It all started when the American League gave Charles O. Finley permission to move his baseball from Kansas City to Oakland. That occurred in mid-October of 1967 and immediately the work was cut out for the Finley organization ..."  CLICK HERE TO READ MORE From the record book: The first year the A's were in Oakland Catfish Hunter pitched a perfect game. Pitcher Vida Blue joined the team a year after they moved to Oakland. He didn't get a lot of work the first several years, but in 1971 won 24 games and lost 8, with an ERA of 1.82! Rickey Henderson - champion base stealer Ricky Henderson, who spent most of his spectacular baseball career with the A's, was the most prolific base stealer in major-league history, with 1,406 stolen bases. Capable both of breaking a game open with a home run and of disrupting opponents' defenses with his base running, he was almost unique among leadoff hitters, perhaps the greatest in baseball history. In 1982 Henderson stole 130 bases, a single-season record, and in 1991 he stole his 939th base, breaking Lou Brock's career record. In 2001 he stroked his 3,000th hit and broke Ty Cobb's career record for runs scored and Babe Ruth's for walks, ultimately scoring 2,295 runs and receiving 2,190 walks. Sports Century ESPN televised a special CHARLIE O. FINLEY August 2000 Interviewed were - Former General Manager Carl A Finley "Dugout Daughter" Nancy H. Finley M.C. Hammer - Garrett Smalley Jr.   ABOVE: Left, a young M.C. Hammer, aka Stanley Burrell, with a friend at the Oakland Coliseum in 1976. Charlie picked the then-unknown Burrell up in the Coliseum parking lot, took a liking to him, and soon had him announcing the game in the press box. Stanley became a regular around the stadium.   ABOVE: Miss Fire-Prevention takes a swing on "Hotpants Day" during the 1971 season.         "He was a tough guy and I learned a lot about demanding excellence and that helped mold my career. All in all, the difficulties we had improved us and we became better people. That's what it's all about." - Reggie Jackson, on the death of Charlie O. Finley. Above: Young Reggie   2009 REUNION REUNION OF KANSAS CITY ATHLETICS TEAM OF 1967 At Northern League game: KC T-Bones v. Gary Railcats Community American BallPark ABOVE: At KC T-Bones v. Gary IN Railcats game, at Community American Park, August 9 2009: From right, President of Kansas City Baseball Historical Society, Jeff Logan, Taylor Finley- King, Nancy Finley-King. ABOVE: On the field at 2009 Reunion game: From left, Nancy Finley-King, Shari Smalley, wife of the late Garrett Smalley, JR.,, former publisher and editor of The Kansas City Daily Record. Smalley was a huge booster of the KC Arhletics. Above: on the field at Reunion gamegame with T-Bones; Sheep in A's team colors. Charlie Finley often had sheep dyed in team colors at KC games. Petting a sheep is Taylor Finley-King, while at left mother Nancy Finley-King looks on. ABOVE: Taylor Finley-King, now 16, pitches 1st pitch at reunion game (she was 10 when she threw the first pitch at an Oakland A's game at Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, CA - see pic at right, up.               WORLD SERIES TEAM RECORDS The Oakland A's and the St. Louis Cardinals share 2nd place for the most world series won over the last century. Below are the winning teams and the number of times they have won the series. 1. New York Yankees (26); 2. Oakland A's, Philadelphia, and St. Louis Cardinals (9) 3. Boston Red Sox and Brooklyn-Los Angeles Dodgers (6) 4. Cincinnati Reds, New York-San Francisco Giants and Pittsburgh Pirates (5) 5. Detroit Tigers (4); 6. Baltimore Orioles, Boston-Milwaukee-Atlanta Braves and Washington Senators-Minnesota Twins (3); 7. Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Indians, Florida Marlins, New York Mets and Toronto Blue Jays (2).   THE OAKLAND ATHLETICS 1968 STARS FOR THE FIRST FULL SEASON OF PLAY IN OAKLAND Who managed the A's during their 3-time consecutive world series championships: 1972 Dick Williams 1973 Dick Williams 1974 Alvin Dark MEMORIES Charlie "O" astride Charlie "O" If you wanted to be Charlie's friend, you had to kiss his ass. ABOVE - : 1966 Miss America Debbie Bryant throwing out "the first pitch" at opening night in Kansas City 1967. Catfish Hunter looks on behind. ABOVE: Catfish Hunter tries his skill on the "Milking contest" night 1967. ABOVE, from left, Ernie and Pam Fazio, Mrs. and Mr. Jim Hunter, 1967. 1979, Carl Finley, the "unseen hand" behind the team's success, with his daughter, Nancy Finley, the A's "Dugout Daughter." She came of age amid the tumult and glory of baseball history. ON THE OCCASION OF CARL FINLEY'S DEATH, U.S. SUPREME COURT JUSTICE JOHN PAUL STEVENS PAID HIM TRIBUTE IN A LETTER TO NANCY FINLEY. CLICK HERE TO READ JUSTICE STEVEN'S LETTER COMES FULL CIRCLE: A quarter of a century later, Nancy's daughter, Taylor Finley-King, age 10, throws out the first pitch at the Oakland A's game against the Detroit Tigers, April 23, 2003. ABOVE: Taylor Finley-King, age 10, gets a hug from legendary Reggie Jackson. Taylor is the grand-daughter of A's Vice-President Carl Finley, who managed the team's affairs during the big years. It will be a long time before young Taylor understands how Jackson and the Team of The Century imprinted a legacy of sacrifice and excellence that will affect her life.       HOSTED BY NANCY FINLEY-KING, the team's "Dugout Daughter." Nancy is the daughter of Carl Finley, Vice President of the Oakland A's organization for 22 years. Nancy resides in Dublin, California. Growing up, she wondered how it could be OK to steal a base. Decades later she is writing her story, "Dugout Daughter: Witness to Baseball History," expected to be released in 2010.