Ghost Riding For A Cause: The Story of The Oakland A's
- Author: Min-Q Kim
- Posted on: Friday September 4, 2009 at 11:00 AM
- Filed under: sports, oakland athleltics, fremont, charlie finley, exclusive
The Oakland Athletics have a... how does one say... a colorful history. In 1960, when the team was still in Kansas City, a man named Charlie Finley bought the team and immediately put his stamp on the franchise with his bizzare behavior and whacky promotional stunts. For example, the team colors were changed in 1963 from the classic blue-and-white to gold-and-green, and traded in traditional black cleats for white cleats, which, at the time, would have been like wearing leather chaps to a funeral. When Mickey Mantle saw the A's' new threads, he reportedly jeered, "They should have come out of the dugout on tippy-toes, holding hands and singing." The A's are still, to this day, the only team in the Major Leagues who wear white cleats. Finley moved the team to Oakland, CA, in 1968, and in 1970, the A's opened their season using gold-colored bases in their home stadium. The Rules Committee subsequently banned teams from tampering with the bases.
Charlie Finley (center) put together a team to match its city
In the 70's, a rag tag group of long-haired, mustachioed misfits took the Major Leagues by storm. They were a colorful cast of characters to say the least, with names such as Blue Moon Odom, Catfish Hunter, Vida Blue, and Rollie Fingers. Led by slugger and noted rabble-rouser Reggie Jackson, this A's team hit the ball far, slid hard, threw gas, and ran like the wind. Starting in 1972, Oakland went on to win three consecutive World Series, and the love affair was consummated. The A's were a sensation.
Rollie Fingers won a $300 prize for his moustache, offered by team owner Charlie Finley, to the team member who could grow the best facial hair. In 1972, Finley held "Moustache Day" at the ballpark, offering free entry to any fan with a moustache.
Recently however, things haven't been going so well for the A's in Oakland. The team has struggled to compete and attendance has been low. In 2006, they shut down the upper deck of their ballpark because they weren't selling enough tickets. Plans were made to move the team to Fremont. That news did not go over so well with the people of Oakland. But in true Oakland fashion, people got creative. They started petitions, held rallies... And then there were the two kids who got over 2 million views on YouTube for this:
Epilogue: In February, 2009, the A's cancelled plans to move the team to Fremont.
Moral of the story: Never underestimate the power of the human spirit. Or a silly hip hop fad and a few million YouTube hits. (Yes, and a good old fashioned market crash...)
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“ that is a funny video (: ”
