Seeing orange
Charlie Finley
Charlie Finley, the oft-maverick and equally controversial owner of the Oakland Athletics, introduces an orange-colored baseball 52 years ago today during an exhibition game against the Cleveland Indians in Mesa, Ariz.
Finley, who first comes up with the idea a decade earlier in 1963, says the orange ball is easier for all to see, from players to fans.
Players say otherwise as they see red over orange over the dyed baseballs Finley orders from the equipment folks at Spalding.
Pitchers complain the ball is slippery, making it difficult to grip.
Batters complain they cannot see the dyed-orange seams of the ball, thereby not be able to pick up the spin of pitches coming at them.
Finley, though, predicts batters, despite not picking up the spin of the pitch, will prosper hitting an orange baseball as opposed to a white one.
And, at least for this game on this day back in 1973, Finley is correct as hitters from both teams combine for 16 runs on 27 hits with six of those hits leaving the ballpark.
Despite the concerns of the players – not that Finley ever seems to care about his players’ opinions – Finley remains adamant about incorporating his orange baseball into the game.
Never happens.
Not that Finley’s idea ever has a real chance anyway, given commissioner Bowie Kuhn rarely, if ever, agrees with anything Finley wants.
Bowie Kuhn
Ironically, Kuhn is among those in the stands 52 years ago today in Mesa, while Finley is out of town tending to business interests in Chicago.
“It’s much too early to say anything conclusively,” the ever-diplomatic Kuhn tells the Cleveland Plain Dealer. “The only thing I know for sure is that it’s more difficult to autograph.”
The A’s use the orange ball for a second and final time four days later in another exhibition game, this one against the California Angels.
Once again, no one other than Finley seems to like the slick baseballs.
“It reminded me of an Eastern egg,” Angels starting pitching Clyde Wright tells The Associated Press.
“I wanted to hide it.”