What Baseball Was Like in KC: 1956

[gblowfish]

Found this old "newsreel" on You Tube about the 1956 Kansas City Athletics. Cool to see the old stadium and shots of old KC.

Screw Charlie Finley....

[Fansy the Famous Bard]

The best is everyone walking across the field to leave the stadium afterwards

[ChiefsCountry]

Was the hats black or navy? You really can't tell in that video.

[BlackHelicopters]

Originally Posted by ChiefsCountry

Was the hats black or navy? You really can't tell in that video.

Navy, I think?

[Thig Lyfe]

Originally Posted by ChiefsCountry

Was the hats black or navy? You really can't tell in that video.

Was the hats

[Prison Bitch]

Like the Dallas Texans, we got a franchise who was the ugly stepsister of their original home city to give us a shot. Should've gone after the STL Browns who moved to Baltimore 3 years before the A's did. And who provided a much more stable ownership situation that likely would've never left.

[ChiefsCountry]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

Like the Dallas Texans, we got a franchise who was the ugly stepsister of their original home city to give us a shot. Should've gone after the STL Browns who moved to Baltimore 3 years before the A's did. And who provided a much more stable ownership situation that likely would've never left.

Browns moved to Baltimore in 1954, when Baltimore businessmen bought the team from Mike Veeck. The A's moved to Kansas City in 1955.

[Prison Bitch]

Originally Posted by ChiefsCountry

Browns moved to Baltimore in 1954, when Baltimore businessmen bought the team from Mike Veeck. The A's moved to Kansas City in 1955.

I know, Veeck had to sell them. We got a flake who was unstable and undercapitalized. I didn't know the A's moved in '55 though.

[ChiefsCountry]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

I know, Veeck had to sell them. We got a flake who was unstable and undercapitalized. I didn't know the A's moved in '55 though.

Not really true. Arnold Johnson who moved the team here had money. Trouble was he was in bed with the Yankees owners. He owned Yankee Stadium and Blues Stadium (which was Municipal). Then he ran the A's like a Yankees farm club, since the Yankees ownership group was buddies with him. He died and his widow sold the team to Finley.

[Prison Bitch]

Originally Posted by ChiefsCountry

Not really true. Arnold Johnson who moved the team here had money. Trouble was he was in bed with the Yankees owners. He owned Yankee Stadium and Blues Stadium (which was Municipal). Then he ran the A's like a Yankees farm club, since the Yankees ownership group was buddies with him. He died and his widow sold the team to Finley.

Interesting. Did not know that. I just always associated the A's with Charlie O. And how much my dad hated him.

[WhawhaWhat]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

Like the Dallas Texans, we got a franchise who was the ugly stepsister of their original home city to give us a shot. Should've gone after the STL Browns who moved to Baltimore 3 years before the A's did. And who provided a much more stable ownership situation that likely would've never left.

KC tried to get several teams before they finally landed the A's. Of course, the A's turned out to be the AAAA affiliate of the Yankees before Charlie Finley bought them and moved to Oakland years later.

[whoman69]

Originally Posted by WhawhaWhat

KC tried to get several teams before they finally landed the A's. Of course, the A's turned out to be the AAAA affiliate of the Yankees before Charlie Finley bought them and moved to Oakland years later.

That's the truth. Off of this team they sent Enos Slaughter to NY and he batted .350 in the series. Clete Boyer went to the Yanks in 1959. Art Ditmer was traded in 1957.

Here's a great article. Seems odd that the league would let a business associate of another owner buy a team. http://www.baseball-almanac.com/corner/c042001b.shtml

[WilliamTheIrish]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

Like the Dallas Texans, we got a franchise who was the ugly stepsister of their original home city to give us a shot. Should've gone after the STL Browns who moved to Baltimore 3 years before the A's did. And who provided a much more stable ownership situation that likely would've never left.

So many what ifs..

I think back to when they left and 4 years later were in the process of winning a trifecta of World Series. All those great players were beginning to show up on the farm and on the roster.

All these guys were on the 67 roster. F'ing Finley. We were so close.

Campy
Catfish
Rudi
Reggie - came up in June
Cap'n Sal.
Blue Moon Odom.

[teedubya]

Originally Posted by WilliamTheIrish

So many what ifs..

I think back to when they left and 4 years later were in the process of winning a trifecta of World Series. All those great players were beginning to show up on the farm and on the roster.

All these guys were on the 67 roster. F'ing Finley. We were so close.

Campy
Catfish
Rudi
Reggie - came up in June
Cap'n Sal.
Blue Moon Odom.

That dynasty would have been KC's... Although, I have a sneaky suspicion that the KC Monarchs used up most all of KC's championship karma.

[Lex Luthor]

Originally Posted by teedubya

That dynasty would have been KC's... Although, I have a sneaky suspicion that the KC Monarchs used up most all of KC's championship karma.

I'll always be bitter about the A's moving. My brother lives in St. Louis and he goes on and on about what a great baseball town St. Louis is and what a great tradition the Cardinals have. I always tell him that if the A's had stayed in Kansas City, Kansas City would have a tradition exactly like St. Louis's. We'd have a history of Catfish and Rudi and Reggie and Canseco and McGwire and all the rest.

And we'd be in ****ing first place right now.

However, I'll be happy to root for Hosmer, Moose, Gordon, Perez, Holland and Shields for the next several years.

Well, hopefully they'll all be here for several years.