Court proceedings in Charlie Finley’s $10 million damage suit against Commissioner Bowie Kuhn begin in Chicago. At issue is Kuhn’s voiding of Finley’s attempted player sales last June. The proceedings will take 15 days, and the decision will take three months, but it will uphold the Commissioner’s authority to act “in the best interests of baseball.”
1976 – The San Francisco Giants are sold to businessmen Bob Lurie and Bud Herseth for an estimated $8 million. Lurie promises to keep the Giants in the Bay Area despite dwindling attendance.
WTCG-TV owner Ted Turner obtains 100% of the Atlanta Braves for $12 million. ‘Captain Ted’ purchases the club to provide sports programming for his local channel 17, but when the FCC permits the station to use a satellite in December to broadcast shows on cable networks, the franchise, now available to be viewed by millions of subscribers, will become known as America’s Team.
With little encouragement from the other American League owners, Bill Vleck, who will see his new team win their first pennant in 40 years, reacquires the White Sox when he purchases 80% of the team as part of an investment group that is intent on keeping the franchise in Chicago. Former owner John Allyn had been pressured by the league to sell his club to a Seattle interest to help quell a lawsuit that was a result of the AL’s approval in 1970 to move the one year-old expansion Pilots from the ‘Emerald City’ to Milwaukee.
1975 – Bill Veeck and assistant Roland Hemond set up shop in the hotel lobby at the winter meetings with a sign saying “open for business” and start dealing, making seven trades in two days. First to go are pitcher Jim Kaat and SS Mike Buskey to the Phillies. The Sox receive pitchers Dick Ruthven and Roy Thomas along with OF/INF Alan Bannister. Veeck also fires manager Chuck Tanner and selects old friend Paul Richards to manage the White Sox.
1975 – The colorful Bill Veeck returns. A group headed by him buys 80 percent of the White Sox from John Allyn.
1975 – Ted Turner enters a tentative purchase agreement to buy the Atlanta Braves.
“He thinks he’s in a sales convention dealing with a bunch of short-order cooks. That’s not the way to go about getting a winner. Somebody ought to sit him down and straighten him out.” – DOUG RADER, Astros third baseman’s comments concerning Ray Kroc’s ownership style of the Padres. Padres president Buzzie Bavasi, inspired by disparaging postgame remarks about Ray Kroc, the team’s owner and board chairman of McDonald’s, made previously by Astro third baseman Doug Rader, stages a Short-Order Cooks’ Night promotion, which gives any fan wearing a chef’s hat free admission to the game. The Houston captain, who compared Kroc’s management of the Friars to a sales convention of short-order cooks, joins in on the fun by wearing a chef’s hat and an apron and carrying a skillet and spatula when he brings the lineup card to home plate.
On April 9, 1974, San Diego Padres owner Ray Kroc criticizes his team over the public address system-during a game! “Ladies and gentlemen, I suffer with you,” Kroc says. “I’ve never seen such stupid baseball playing in my life.” The announcement occurs during San Diego’s 9-5 loss to the Houston Astros. Coincidentally, the “San Diego Chicken” makes its debut that day.
1974 – Ray Kroc, fast-food entrepreneur (McDonald’s), buys the San Diego Padres for $12 million, ending talk of a possible move to Washington, DC.