August 18, 1975 – Charlie Finley was on the cover of Time Magazine. Nancy Finley, 16 years old, glued the balls to a black poster board to create the background.
TIME Magazine, August 18, 1975, Sport: Charlie Finely: Baseball’s Barnum – TIME
“Finley does far more than generate turbulence. Baseball can thank him for much of its continuing success in an era that panders to the TV camera and faster-paced, more violent games. Finley has brightened the ball park with colorful uniforms; he has helped to hype lucrative World Series TV ratings by advocating that play begin on a weekend and that all weekday games be played at night. If he gets his way, there will soon be a host of other changes as well, including the use of his orange ball. ‘Why the hell play with a white ball,’ he asks, ‘when we’ve got one you can see a lot better?'”
“Finley’s most conspicuous achievement has been the building of the most colorful team since the St. Louis Cardinals’ “Gas House Gang” of the 1930s and the most talented since Casey Stengel’s New York Yankees of a quarter-century ago. The A’s squabble incessantly with their owner and fight among themselves —but they win. Oakland took the last three world championships, and the team has a good shot at a fourth this October. Only the old Yankees won more World Series in a row (1936-39,1949-53).”
Excerpts from the TIME article: Charlie Finley: Baseball’s Barnum (“to print” version)
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