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Charlie Finley: The Outrageous Story of Baseball's Super Showman
Before the "Bronx Zoo" of George Steinbrenner and Billy Martin, there were the Oakland Athletics of the early 1970s, one of the most successful, most colorful―and most chaotic―baseball teams of all time. They were all of those things because of Charlie Finley. Not only the A's owner, he was also the general manager, personally assembling his team, deciding his players' salaries, and making player moves during the season―a level of involvement no other owner, not even Steinbrenner, engaged in.
Drawing on interviews with dozens of Finley's players, family members, and colleagues, G. Michael Green and Roger D. Launius present "Baseball's Super Showman" ( Time magazine's description of Finley on the cover of an August 1975 issue) in all his generous yet vengeful, inventive yet destructive. The stories surrounding him are as colorful as the life he led, the chronicle of which fills an important gap in baseball's literature.
Drawing on interviews with dozens of Finley's players, family members, and colleagues, G. Michael Green and Roger D. Launius present "Baseball's Super Showman" ( Time magazine's description of Finley on the cover of an August 1975 issue) in all his generous yet vengeful, inventive yet destructive. The stories surrounding him are as colorful as the life he led, the chronicle of which fills an important gap in baseball's literature.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published July 6, 2010
7 people are currently reading
85 people want to read
About the author
Roger D. Launius
44 books5 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
November 25, 2011
This is one of several biographies about Charlie Finley, whose life is so fascinating that such a book can hardly fail.
CF was born in 1918 into abject poverty. As a young man he became involved in the steel industry but later started his own firm, which sold group health and accident insurance to groups of doctors. This business thrived but CF wanted something more: to own a Major League team.
In 1960 he learned that the owner of the Kansas City A’s had just died. CF was then able to buy the team from the estate. Almost at once, CF declared war against the city fathers of KC, who owned the local stadium. Charlie demanded a better lease, a bigger stadium.
In 1969 he moved the A’s to Oakland. The prevailing attitude in Kansas City at the time was good riddance. An expansion team and a brand new stadium soon appeared in Kansas City. Later, CF would say that moving the team to Oakland was his biggest mistake.
The book presents the fortunes of the Oakland team, especially the building of the great teams of the early 1970s. (They did win three World Series in a row.) There’s plenty of good material in this book.
However, there are negatives. Both authors are members of the Society for Baseball Research. I expected that there would be some analysis of what made the A’s terrific and how they fell apart. We are left unenlightened.
Also, they mention numerous times that Charlie was a great innovator, proposing the Designated Hitter, and night World Series games, and other innovations. Most of these were the result of his inventive mind but of little substance. He did NOT invent the concept of the designated hitter, which may even predated CF’s life.
Still, it’s a quick and fun-filled read.
CF was born in 1918 into abject poverty. As a young man he became involved in the steel industry but later started his own firm, which sold group health and accident insurance to groups of doctors. This business thrived but CF wanted something more: to own a Major League team.
In 1960 he learned that the owner of the Kansas City A’s had just died. CF was then able to buy the team from the estate. Almost at once, CF declared war against the city fathers of KC, who owned the local stadium. Charlie demanded a better lease, a bigger stadium.
In 1969 he moved the A’s to Oakland. The prevailing attitude in Kansas City at the time was good riddance. An expansion team and a brand new stadium soon appeared in Kansas City. Later, CF would say that moving the team to Oakland was his biggest mistake.
The book presents the fortunes of the Oakland team, especially the building of the great teams of the early 1970s. (They did win three World Series in a row.) There’s plenty of good material in this book.
However, there are negatives. Both authors are members of the Society for Baseball Research. I expected that there would be some analysis of what made the A’s terrific and how they fell apart. We are left unenlightened.
Also, they mention numerous times that Charlie was a great innovator, proposing the Designated Hitter, and night World Series games, and other innovations. Most of these were the result of his inventive mind but of little substance. He did NOT invent the concept of the designated hitter, which may even predated CF’s life.
Still, it’s a quick and fun-filled read.
October 4, 2010
G. Michael Green and Roger D. Launius are not your typical authors of baseball history. Green, a senior planner for NASA and Launius, a senior curator in the Space History Division at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum are are also the equivalent of baseball nerds ... members of SABR, the Society for American Baseball Research. Their foray into writing has produced a readable, information filled, yet sometimes dry account of Charlie Finley: The Outrageous Story of Baseball's Super Showman.
As one would expect from a planner and historian, the details of Finley's life and career as owner of the Kansas City and Oakland Athletics are exact and complete. The authors cover fully Finley's purchase of the A's, his off-the-wall promotions in Kansas City (including a mule as team mascot and the relocation of the team to Oakland. The glory years of the A's in the early and mid-70s are well-documented; however, other books give in-depth coverage of the championship seasons.
Where Green and Launius shine is in their portrait of Finley as entrepreneur and entertainer, shyster and showman, curmudgeon and controller. Finley's obsession with running the A's ... and life ... his way meant an array of managerial changes, antagonistic relationships with players and fans, and a drawn-out marital divorce that left the one-time health insurance tycoon nearly broke.
Green and Launius should earn themselves an opportunity to publish again with this first volume.
As one would expect from a planner and historian, the details of Finley's life and career as owner of the Kansas City and Oakland Athletics are exact and complete. The authors cover fully Finley's purchase of the A's, his off-the-wall promotions in Kansas City (including a mule as team mascot and the relocation of the team to Oakland. The glory years of the A's in the early and mid-70s are well-documented; however, other books give in-depth coverage of the championship seasons.
Where Green and Launius shine is in their portrait of Finley as entrepreneur and entertainer, shyster and showman, curmudgeon and controller. Finley's obsession with running the A's ... and life ... his way meant an array of managerial changes, antagonistic relationships with players and fans, and a drawn-out marital divorce that left the one-time health insurance tycoon nearly broke.
Green and Launius should earn themselves an opportunity to publish again with this first volume.
April 19, 2023
RICK “SHAQ” GOLDSTEIN SAYS: “THE GOOD… THE BAD… AND THE UGLY… IN GREEN AND GOLD!”
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Former Oakland A’s and Kansas City Athletic owner Charlie Finley was a lot of things in his life. Everything from a steel worker to a hospitalized tuberculosis patient to master insurance salesman to Major League Baseball owner. His original fortune was earned by selling insurance to doctors… and his nationwide fame was attained by his antics when he became the owner of the Kansas City (And later Oakland) Athletics… and after moving them to Oakland, California he created by hook… or by crook… a baseball dynasty… as the Oakland A’s of his creation won three straight world championships in 1972-1973-1974. Finley was known to talk out of all “three” sides of his mouth. He mislead cities… players… reporters… friends and foes alike. He never fit into the “good-old-boy” network of baseball owners and his battles with baseball commissioner Bowie Kuhn are legendary. Though many people try to paint Finley as a “whack-job”… history will show that he not only owned the only team other than the Yankees to win three straight World Series in the last FIFTY-SEVEN-YEARS… but it was his idea to have the World Series played at night (He said the people that kept baseball what it was… were the working class… and they couldn’t watch the games during the day.)… he pushed for the designated hitter (Personally I don’t think that’s a plus on anyone’s record.)… and he warned baseball owners about the detrimental effect of the new rule change that allowed for mass free agency. As I look back on history I find it hard to believe that Bowie Kuhn as commissioner not only voided Finley’s sales of star quality soon-to-be-free-agents such as Vida Blue, Joe Rudi, Rollie Fingers… et al. for big dollars… which Finley planned to use to rebuild the Oakland A’s… under the broad “for the good of baseball” powers of the commissioner… *BUT IN ADDITION*… it was later upheld in a court of law… and yet… today in every major sport… the same maneuver is used every day by owners who otherwise will receive absolutely nothing for these stars when they simply walk away from their contracts at the end of the year.
Sure… Finley micro-managed and had managers quit left and right… or Charlie fired them before they had a chance to quit. Despite this… mega-stars such as Reggie Jackson at times thought of Finley as a Father figure. Of course two weeks later Reggie would demand a trade. Everything from his shrewd “finding-a-hole-and-filling-it” genius in the insurance business… to making a mule the team’s mascot… and actually sneaking it into another teams stadium in a box without permission… and having it appear **IN-THE-DUGOUT-DURING-A-GAME**… this master showman’s life is presented in detailed footnoted precision. Unfortunately the author’s presentation does not flow freely with any artistic eloquence. There are also innumerable typos. One typo regards Hall Of Fame catcher Carlton Fisk who they list as “Corlton” Fisk. But the author’s… who not unlike Finley… and his suggestions to only have three balls for a walk… orange baseballs… and mechanical rabbits pop up from beneath the ground when the umpire needs more baseballs… yet still won three-straight-world-championships… they too… have a few championship moments.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Former Oakland A’s and Kansas City Athletic owner Charlie Finley was a lot of things in his life. Everything from a steel worker to a hospitalized tuberculosis patient to master insurance salesman to Major League Baseball owner. His original fortune was earned by selling insurance to doctors… and his nationwide fame was attained by his antics when he became the owner of the Kansas City (And later Oakland) Athletics… and after moving them to Oakland, California he created by hook… or by crook… a baseball dynasty… as the Oakland A’s of his creation won three straight world championships in 1972-1973-1974. Finley was known to talk out of all “three” sides of his mouth. He mislead cities… players… reporters… friends and foes alike. He never fit into the “good-old-boy” network of baseball owners and his battles with baseball commissioner Bowie Kuhn are legendary. Though many people try to paint Finley as a “whack-job”… history will show that he not only owned the only team other than the Yankees to win three straight World Series in the last FIFTY-SEVEN-YEARS… but it was his idea to have the World Series played at night (He said the people that kept baseball what it was… were the working class… and they couldn’t watch the games during the day.)… he pushed for the designated hitter (Personally I don’t think that’s a plus on anyone’s record.)… and he warned baseball owners about the detrimental effect of the new rule change that allowed for mass free agency. As I look back on history I find it hard to believe that Bowie Kuhn as commissioner not only voided Finley’s sales of star quality soon-to-be-free-agents such as Vida Blue, Joe Rudi, Rollie Fingers… et al. for big dollars… which Finley planned to use to rebuild the Oakland A’s… under the broad “for the good of baseball” powers of the commissioner… *BUT IN ADDITION*… it was later upheld in a court of law… and yet… today in every major sport… the same maneuver is used every day by owners who otherwise will receive absolutely nothing for these stars when they simply walk away from their contracts at the end of the year.
Sure… Finley micro-managed and had managers quit left and right… or Charlie fired them before they had a chance to quit. Despite this… mega-stars such as Reggie Jackson at times thought of Finley as a Father figure. Of course two weeks later Reggie would demand a trade. Everything from his shrewd “finding-a-hole-and-filling-it” genius in the insurance business… to making a mule the team’s mascot… and actually sneaking it into another teams stadium in a box without permission… and having it appear **IN-THE-DUGOUT-DURING-A-GAME**… this master showman’s life is presented in detailed footnoted precision. Unfortunately the author’s presentation does not flow freely with any artistic eloquence. There are also innumerable typos. One typo regards Hall Of Fame catcher Carlton Fisk who they list as “Corlton” Fisk. But the author’s… who not unlike Finley… and his suggestions to only have three balls for a walk… orange baseballs… and mechanical rabbits pop up from beneath the ground when the umpire needs more baseballs… yet still won three-straight-world-championships… they too… have a few championship moments.
January 5, 2021
This is a great look at the business side of baseball. From his start in Kansas City to the move to Oakland, the story chronicles the business side of the A's. Labor relations, Finley's marketing genius and wacky innovations, mechanical rabbits and orange baseballs, the idea of drafting and developing players at an early age that led to the A's dynasty in the early 1970s -- this book has it all.
August 18, 2020
Pretty good. Quick, doesn’t get too bogged down in too many details. It’s just that Finley was always involved in some litigation and disputes so a lot of the authors efforts go towards that. He was a complicated guy.
December 15, 2019
Great baseball history book!
July 14, 2010
It can safely be said that owners of Major League Baseball teams are not my favorite group of people. With a very few honorable exceptions (Bill Veeck, the Haas Family...um, I'm sure there must be some others), they are a bunch of pathological egomaniacs. Amongst the very worst in the storied history of the Game I would have to list Andrew Freedman, Marge Schott, George Steinbrenner, and Charlie O. Finley.
This comprehensive biography reveals a Shakespearean character, a Richard III with a massive chip on his shoulder, a man seemingly incapable of plain dealing. The authors make it a point to laud his many innovations: the Designated Hitter, Interleague play, night games for the World Series. I happen to regard all of those as deleterious changes. They credit him for pioneering "Moneyball", in which small market teams stay competitive by developing players, then selling or trading off their veterans to churn more prospects back into their minor league system; Branch Rickey invented that back in the 1930's, with the St. Louis Cardinals. Yes, Finley did take a moribund franchise in Kansas City and, after a number of dunderheaded false starts, turn it into a dynasty in Oakland: much of the credit for that belongs squarely with the scouting acumen of Hank Peters who, after Finley fired him, would be instrumental in building the strong Baltimore Orioles teams of the late '70's and '80's. Where Finley deserves the most credit as a pioneer was in his technique of threatening cities with the loss of their franchises unless the cities proved willing to renovate or replace their stadiums at public expense; he raised that ploy into an art.
The man in a nutshell: Finley, appearing at the trial in which he was suing Bowie Kuhn for illegally blocking the sale of several of his star players, 'Attorney Neil Papiano recalled, "Charlie showed up one day with a woman who would stop a train...she was really beautiful and well-endowed. I said 'Charlie, don't bring her into court anymore. It's just not right, and people will be looking at her and not you.' He said, 'OK, I'm not going to do it'. Two days later he walked in with [Royals owner Ewing:] Kauffman and two gorgeous women that put the other one to shame. We sat down, and I whispered to him, 'Don't bring those whores in here anymore.' He jumped up and said loudly, 'They're not my whores; they're Ewing Kauffman's whores.' And eveything went to hell. Charlie did things like that when you would least expect it."
This comprehensive biography reveals a Shakespearean character, a Richard III with a massive chip on his shoulder, a man seemingly incapable of plain dealing. The authors make it a point to laud his many innovations: the Designated Hitter, Interleague play, night games for the World Series. I happen to regard all of those as deleterious changes. They credit him for pioneering "Moneyball", in which small market teams stay competitive by developing players, then selling or trading off their veterans to churn more prospects back into their minor league system; Branch Rickey invented that back in the 1930's, with the St. Louis Cardinals. Yes, Finley did take a moribund franchise in Kansas City and, after a number of dunderheaded false starts, turn it into a dynasty in Oakland: much of the credit for that belongs squarely with the scouting acumen of Hank Peters who, after Finley fired him, would be instrumental in building the strong Baltimore Orioles teams of the late '70's and '80's. Where Finley deserves the most credit as a pioneer was in his technique of threatening cities with the loss of their franchises unless the cities proved willing to renovate or replace their stadiums at public expense; he raised that ploy into an art.
The man in a nutshell: Finley, appearing at the trial in which he was suing Bowie Kuhn for illegally blocking the sale of several of his star players, 'Attorney Neil Papiano recalled, "Charlie showed up one day with a woman who would stop a train...she was really beautiful and well-endowed. I said 'Charlie, don't bring her into court anymore. It's just not right, and people will be looking at her and not you.' He said, 'OK, I'm not going to do it'. Two days later he walked in with [Royals owner Ewing:] Kauffman and two gorgeous women that put the other one to shame. We sat down, and I whispered to him, 'Don't bring those whores in here anymore.' He jumped up and said loudly, 'They're not my whores; they're Ewing Kauffman's whores.' And eveything went to hell. Charlie did things like that when you would least expect it."
July 28, 2010
This copy of the book is an advance reading copy that I won in a Goodreads Firstreads giveaway. I determined before reading it that I would not allow this fact to influence my judgement and review for better or for worse.
This is a good book, if one is the kind of baseball fan who enjoys reading statistics. The authors, members of SABR (if you have to ask you don't need to know), have taken five papers presented to the Society and attempted to parlay them into a readable book.
Many of the stories of Charlie Finley are stretched out and made to drag by inclusion of a play-by-play of what the team was doing, or a list of the statistics achieved by his players. In a few cases this is crucial to the understanding of the incident, in most cases I feel it is just overkill that detracts from the narrative.
Finley first suggested and supported many innovations in baseball that have made the game more accessible to the general public... holding the World Series during prime time, addition of a designated hitter, and even the move away from gray and white uniforms to the more colorful ones prevalent now. The authors take away from his genius by the overall negative and critical tone of the book. Whether Finley was that bad or not, or if he was even worse than they dared put in print, it does not make for pleasant reading.
Finley, acting as his own general manager, took a losing club that was regarded as a farm team for the Yankees, and by intelligent use of his young prospects built a team that won three consecutive World Series, something only the wealthy New York Yankees organization had managed before. The authors documented but failed to award him credit for this.
I learned a lot about the inner workings of baseball. I learned a lot more than I wanted to know about the batting averages and slugging percentages of the players. That does not make this tome an enjoyable reading experience.
I'm sending my copy to my son, who taught himself to read on the backs of baseball cards. He loves the sport to the extent that he dropped out of college to work in the front office for a professional baseball team. I've forgiven baseball for that, but not for fostering the atmosphere that incited Green and Launius to write this and foist it upon the general bookreading audience.
This is a good book, if one is the kind of baseball fan who enjoys reading statistics. The authors, members of SABR (if you have to ask you don't need to know), have taken five papers presented to the Society and attempted to parlay them into a readable book.
Many of the stories of Charlie Finley are stretched out and made to drag by inclusion of a play-by-play of what the team was doing, or a list of the statistics achieved by his players. In a few cases this is crucial to the understanding of the incident, in most cases I feel it is just overkill that detracts from the narrative.
Finley first suggested and supported many innovations in baseball that have made the game more accessible to the general public... holding the World Series during prime time, addition of a designated hitter, and even the move away from gray and white uniforms to the more colorful ones prevalent now. The authors take away from his genius by the overall negative and critical tone of the book. Whether Finley was that bad or not, or if he was even worse than they dared put in print, it does not make for pleasant reading.
Finley, acting as his own general manager, took a losing club that was regarded as a farm team for the Yankees, and by intelligent use of his young prospects built a team that won three consecutive World Series, something only the wealthy New York Yankees organization had managed before. The authors documented but failed to award him credit for this.
I learned a lot about the inner workings of baseball. I learned a lot more than I wanted to know about the batting averages and slugging percentages of the players. That does not make this tome an enjoyable reading experience.
I'm sending my copy to my son, who taught himself to read on the backs of baseball cards. He loves the sport to the extent that he dropped out of college to work in the front office for a professional baseball team. I've forgiven baseball for that, but not for fostering the atmosphere that incited Green and Launius to write this and foist it upon the general bookreading audience.
August 2, 2010
A well researched novel about a complicated man. When Mr. Finley bought the A's in 1960, one of baseball's most colorful owners had arrived. In many ways, Charlie Finley blazed the path for current owners; in their relationships with the media and their patrons.
I knew some of the players that had played for the A's when Finley owned the team. I did not know who the owner had been. The catalog of wild stories and strange run-ins with the media, players, coaches, and fans make this novel an interesting and insightful look into one of the originators of current professional baseball.
Proof: p.27 2nd paragraph, last line-cut "into"
p.29 1st sentence- punctuation trouble
p.54 1st full paragraph, 5th line-"setting" = "sitting"
p.79 3rd paragraph, 1st sentence-cut "at the time" year has been established in the sentence
p.96 2nd full paragraph, 2nd sentence- "managerial bona fides" Plural? How about cut his managerial teeth, or some such
p.103 2nd full paragraph, last line-"illustrated sometimes" add the
p.105 1st full, last line-"read the" add to
p.110 4th line-extra period
p.123 1st paragraph, 3rd sentence-"first bagger" is an odd description, one bag is more appropriate terminology
p.124 End of 1st paragraph-"," not a period
p.157 Last paragraph, 1st line-"concluding deal" add the
p.158 Last line-"though" = thought
p.162 "weak hit/great glove" It's a little harsh to call a Major Leaguer a weak hitter. Light hitting/slick fielding
p.176 4th to last line-"Swea" = Sweat
p.192 2nd paragraph, 2nd to last line-"no" = not
p.204 1st full paragraph, 3rd line-"Norris" = North
p.221 2nd to last paragraph, 1st line-"knew 1975" add the
p.226 1st full paragraph, 2nd to last line-"approval" = approve
p.226 2nd full paragraph, 2nd sentence-"fining against him" dump against
p.231 "The failure to comply... This paragraph already appears earlier in the text
p.251 Last paragraph, 1st sentence-"players'" = players
p.259 1st full paragraph, 1st sentence-"under leadership" add his
p.276 3rd paragraph, 3rd line-"player" = players
p.282 1st full paragraph-quotes facing wrong direction
I knew some of the players that had played for the A's when Finley owned the team. I did not know who the owner had been. The catalog of wild stories and strange run-ins with the media, players, coaches, and fans make this novel an interesting and insightful look into one of the originators of current professional baseball.
Proof: p.27 2nd paragraph, last line-cut "into"
p.29 1st sentence- punctuation trouble
p.54 1st full paragraph, 5th line-"setting" = "sitting"
p.79 3rd paragraph, 1st sentence-cut "at the time" year has been established in the sentence
p.96 2nd full paragraph, 2nd sentence- "managerial bona fides" Plural? How about cut his managerial teeth, or some such
p.103 2nd full paragraph, last line-"illustrated sometimes" add the
p.105 1st full, last line-"read the" add to
p.110 4th line-extra period
p.123 1st paragraph, 3rd sentence-"first bagger" is an odd description, one bag is more appropriate terminology
p.124 End of 1st paragraph-"," not a period
p.157 Last paragraph, 1st line-"concluding deal" add the
p.158 Last line-"though" = thought
p.162 "weak hit/great glove" It's a little harsh to call a Major Leaguer a weak hitter. Light hitting/slick fielding
p.176 4th to last line-"Swea" = Sweat
p.192 2nd paragraph, 2nd to last line-"no" = not
p.204 1st full paragraph, 3rd line-"Norris" = North
p.221 2nd to last paragraph, 1st line-"knew 1975" add the
p.226 1st full paragraph, 2nd to last line-"approval" = approve
p.226 2nd full paragraph, 2nd sentence-"fining against him" dump against
p.231 "The failure to comply... This paragraph already appears earlier in the text
p.251 Last paragraph, 1st sentence-"players'" = players
p.259 1st full paragraph, 1st sentence-"under leadership" add his
p.276 3rd paragraph, 3rd line-"player" = players
p.282 1st full paragraph-quotes facing wrong direction
August 11, 2010
Winning contests is fun, and I won this ARC from a Goodreads contest, so that was fun. Unfortunately, this book was lacking in a lot of ways, which was disappointing.
Charlie Finley was the owner of the Kansas City/Oakland A's through much of the 1960s and 1970s. Part Bill Veeck, part George Steinbrenner, he was...a character, to be blunt about it. The book ended up being a very sterile, very direct reading of his life, a life that I think deserved a better narrative than this.
If you like baseball stories or have an interest, it's worth your time, I guess, but I really wanted to like this, not slog through it.
Charlie Finley was the owner of the Kansas City/Oakland A's through much of the 1960s and 1970s. Part Bill Veeck, part George Steinbrenner, he was...a character, to be blunt about it. The book ended up being a very sterile, very direct reading of his life, a life that I think deserved a better narrative than this.
If you like baseball stories or have an interest, it's worth your time, I guess, but I really wanted to like this, not slog through it.
Read
January 26, 2016As I continue to exorcise my childhood demons as a young Orioles' fan, I couldn't resist a biography of the enigmatic owner of the Oakland A's (who beat the O's in the early 70's). Quite a story - as he lays in bed suffering from tuberculosis, he comes up with an original idea for an insurance product that in 2 years makes him a multi-millionaire.... acquires a baseball team.... rises to the top, winning 3 World Series in a row.... and then OOPS - free agency, a divorce, and back down. All the while, an obvious pain in the a** all along the way.
Very fun read. If you were a baseball fan in the 70's, you won't be able to put it down.
Very fun read. If you were a baseball fan in the 70's, you won't be able to put it down.
February 9, 2016
Excellent insight into the tumultuous ownership era of Charlie Finley. I'm a baseball junkie, but the A's dynasty was coming to a close right around the time I started following baseball as a kid in the '70's.
I knew a lot of the bigger storylines, but I learned a lot about Finley, particularly his early years in Kansas City and his battles with Bowie Kuhn. I also wasn't aware of some of the innovations that were inspired by Fnley.
Great read if you are a fan of baseball history.
I knew a lot of the bigger storylines, but I learned a lot about Finley, particularly his early years in Kansas City and his battles with Bowie Kuhn. I also wasn't aware of some of the innovations that were inspired by Fnley.
Great read if you are a fan of baseball history.
October 4, 2010
This was a sweeps win from Goodread. I noticed that Goodread has many varities of choices with their sweepstake offers, therefore, opening up differnt avenues of reading. I enjoy some baseball and this showed what a character Charlie Finley was, to his team and the public. I was intrigued by his 3 walk theroy. I plan on sharing this book with a coach from our area who I am sure would enjoy this more than I did, but did have a few eye openers to the game.
October 1, 2010
Workmanlike biography of Charles Finley. Mostly focusing on Finley and his battles with the baseball establishment with not a lot of detail on the KC and Oakland teams of the 60s and 70s (the 1974 World Series is dealt with in a single paragraph).
I think the authors could have used an extra 150 pages to really capture Finley and his era.
I think the authors could have used an extra 150 pages to really capture Finley and his era.
September 6, 2012
The year of the biography continues with this quick read on former A's owner Charlie Finley. I have read books about the A's teams of the 70's but nothing that focused so much on the rise and fall of their wack-o owner. Bay Area baseballs fans will enjoy this book, as will die hard baseballs, but non-fans would be hard pressed to get much out of it.
May 5, 2016
An interesting book about an interesting person. I would have liked more baseball background, focusing not just on Finley but a little more on other changes in the game. How did Finley's contract negotiations with players compare to the negotiations of other owners? Finally, the book itself was repetitive in a few places.
January 8, 2011
A well-researched, workmanlike biography of a maverick owner. Pity about the clunky prose and all the typos, though. More info about Finley's foray into the ABA with the Memphis Tams would have been nice, too.
July 6, 2010
Insightful look at one of the most colorful baseball owners ever.
August 1, 2010
I liked the book but didn't love it, a little too many stats but over all it was well written and interesting.
August 23, 2010
Forgot just how fascinating and contraversal this man was but the book brought me back to my youth and was FANtastic. Thanks to G. Michael Green and Roger D. Launius for restoreing these memories!!
January 10, 2016
Interesting read. Finley was an interesting character. A lot of changes he wanted to make to baseball have come to be. A must for A's fans.
October 29, 2016
Fun. Could have used a once over to clean up little goofs.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews