Finley’s Career

Colorful highlights of Charlie Finley’s career:

* Outbid by Arnold Johnson in an effort to acquire the Kansas City Athletics in 1960, Finley acquired the team seven months later when Johnson died.

* Finley immediately vowed to never trade with the New York Yankees. Under previous ownership, the A’s had traded Roger Maris, Clete Boyer and Ralph Terry to the Yankees for unheralded players who never set foot in the majors.

* At the 1962 All-Star break, Finley ordered Manny Jimenez, then leading the American League in hitting with a .350 average, to start hitting homers. Manager Hank Bauer told Jimenez to ignore Finley and was fired after the season.

* In 1967, Finley released the team’s best hitter, Ken Harrelson, after Harrelson called Finley “a menace to baseball.” The Red Sox claimed Harrelson, who helped lead them to the pennant. Harrelson led the AL in RBIs in 1968.

* Relocated the A’s double-A franchise to Birmingham, Ala., because he was born there.

* Introduced orange baseballs, ball girls and a mechanical rabbit that rose from the ground behind home plate to give balls to umpires.

* Leading advocate of night World Series games to boost fan interest.

* Convinced pitcher Jim Hunter to change his name to “Catfish” and invented a story to justify the nickname so fans would find the mild-mannered Hunter more interesting. Later, Vida Blue refused when Finley asked him to change name to “True” Blue.