Cooperstown Confidential - Regular Season Edition - - 05/15/2003

Hair Club For Kooks

Embattled New York Mets shortstop Rey Sanchez continues to deny receiving that now infamous clubhouse haircut during a recent game, but the rehearsed public relations replies from other Mets players indicate that something unusual involving hair happened while a game was in progress. Whatever the truth of the matter, this is not the first time a player’s hairstyling and general grooming—alleged or otherwise—have stirred controversy. Here are a few episodes of recent vintage that have caused some hair to rise, both on and off the diamond.

Don Mattingly, 1991: We don’t usually associate “Donnie Baseball” with controversy, but in mid-August of 1991, Mattingly was benched by manager Carl “Stump” Merrill for his refusal to cut his lengthening hair. Mattingly’s locks, which came dangerously close to his collar, apparently upset Yankee owner George Steinbrenner, who allegedly told Merrill to pass the message of discontent along to the Yankees’ All-Star first baseman. In addition, the Yankees hit Mattingly with a $250 fine and told him that $100 would be added to the total for each day his hair remained “over the line.” While Mattingly became the focus of the story and of Merrill’s ban, three other Yankees (catcher Matt Nokes and pitchers Pascual Perez and Steve “The Burglar” Farr) were also warned to get their hair trimmed—pronto. They did, and so did Mattingly. Yet, the story didn’t end there. After Mattingly sat down for his haircut, a New York radio station auctioned off the shorn hair for charitable purposes. A city policeman ended up submitting the winning bid at $3,000, and as a way of insuring that he was getting the actual goods, received a certificate of authenticity—signed by Mattingly, Merrill, and Yankee coach Carl “Hawk” Taylor, who enjoyed a one-day career as the barber and did the actual cutting of Mattingly’s hair. Only in New York.

Oscar Gamble, 1975-76: “The Big O” owned baseball’s biggest Afro in the 1970s and likely the largest in all of baseball history. (And perhaps second only to Darnell Hillman, from American Basketball Association fame, as the largest Afro in all of 20th century sporting lore.) The Indians allowed Gamble to keep his Afro, which stretched beyond the normal dimensions of a batting helmet and sometimes made him look like he had Mickey Mouse ears, or in one particular photo, gave him a frightening hairstyle that appeared eerily similar to that of Princess Leia in Star Wars. Yet, Gamble’s hair became a real problem when he was traded by the Indians to the Yankees prior to the 1976 season. George Steinbrenner didn’t like Gamble’s hair protruding from both sides of his helmet and told his public relations director, Marty Appel, to order Oscar to remove the excess bulk. Appel arranged the now-famous “Hair Cut Heard Round The World,” which cost a cool $33 (a huge amount in the 1970s economy), allowing Gamble to begin his Yankee career in appropriate conservative style. For more on Gamble’s high hair, visit our next edition of “Card Corner,” which will profile his 1976 Topps Traded card.

Dock Ellis, 1973: At times, the behavior of the Pirates’ right-hander bordered on the bizarre. In perhaps his most celebrated incident, Ellis walked out onto the field before a 1973 game against the Cubs wearing a head full of hair curlers. “I think the big thing with him when he come out on Wrigley Field with the hair curlers,” recalls Pirates third baseman and teammate Richie Hebner, “is that when he did that, other than surprising a lot of people at Wrigley Field, it surprised a lot of guys on the Pirate team. When I saw it, I said, ‘What the hell is this?’ ” Commissioner Bowie Kuhn offered a similar reaction and reportedly conveyed his unhappiness over the hair curler episode to Bill Virdon, the successor to Danny Murtaugh as the Pirates’ manager. Virdon, relaying the commissioner’s message, told Ellis to cease his practice of wearing the curlers on the field. “Look, Dock,” Virdon said, “I don’t care what you wear, but the front office doesn’t like it, the umpires don’t like it, and if you’re not careful, you’re going to get fined.”

Another Pirate, slugging first baseman Bob Robertson, recalls his own involvement in the hair curler episode. “[The manager] comes to me and says, ‘Go out and ask Dock why he’s got those curlers in his hair?’ So I did. And I think, if I can remember correctly, Dock said, ‘That’s me. Those are my curls.’ And that was about it. So I went back and told [Virdon] and that was the end of that stuff.” Much to Virdon’s delight, Ellis eventually would back off on preference for curls and would not wear the hair curlers on the field again.

Reggie Jackson, 1972: The holdout of superstar pitcher Vida Blue and the trade for an over-the-hill Denny McLain overshadowed another building Oakland controversy in the spring of ‘72. Jackson, the A’s most prominent player, had reported to spring training replete with a fully-grown mustache, the origins of which had begun to sprout during the 1971 American League Championship Series. To the surprise of his teammates, Jackson had used part of his off-season to allow the mustache to reach a fuller bloom. In addition, Jackson bragged to teammates that he would not only wear the mustache, but possibly a beard, come Opening Day.

Such pronouncements would have hardly created a ripple in later years, when players would freely make bold fashion statements with mustaches and goatees, and routinely wear previously disdained accessories like earrings. But this was 1972, still a conservative time within the sport, in stark contrast to the rebellious attitudes of younger generations throughout the country. Given that no major league player had been documented wearing a mustache in the regular season since Wally Schang of the Philadelphia A’s in 1914, Jackson’s pronouncements made major news in 1972.

In the post-Schang era, several players had donned mustaches during spring training, including Stanley “Frenchy” Bordagaray of the Brooklyn Dodgers in the mid-1930s and, more recently, Richie Allen of the St. Louis Cardinals and Clete Boyer of the Atlanta Braves in 1970. Yet, in each case, the player had shaved off the mustache by Opening Day, either by his own volition or because of a mandate from the team. After all, there existed an unwritten rule within the conservative sport, one that strongly frowned upon facial hair. In addition, several individual teams had more recently instituted their own formal policies (most notably the Reds in the 1960s), policies that forbade their players from sporting facial hair.

Baseball’s conservative grooming standards, which had been in place for over 50 years, were now being threatened by one of the game’s most visible players. Not surprisingly, Jackson’s mustachioed look quickly cornered the attention of Charlie Finley and Dick Williams. “The story as I remember it,” says former A’s first baseman Mike Hegan, “was that Reggie came into spring training… with a mustache, and Charlie didn’t like it. So he told Dick to tell Reggie to shave it off. And Dick told Reggie to shave it off, and Reggie told Dick what to do. This got to be a real sticking point, and so I guess Charlie and Dick had a meeting, and they said well, ‘Reggie’s an individual so maybe we can try some reverse psychology here.’ Charlie told a couple of other guys, I don’t know whether it was [Dave] Duncan, or Sal [Bando], or a few other guys to start growing a mustache. Then, [Finley figured that if] a couple of other guys did it, Reggie would shave his off, and you know, everything would be OK.”

According to A’s captain Sal Bando, Finley wanted to avoid having a direct confrontation with Jackson over the mustache. For one of the few times in his tenure as the A’s owner, Finley showed a preference for a subtle, more indirect approach. “Finley, to my knowledge,” says Bando, “did not want to go tell Reggie to shave it. So he thought it would be better to have all of us grow mustaches. That way, Reggie wouldn’t be an ‘individual’ [anymore].” Rollie Fingers, Catfish Hunter, Darold Knowles, and Bob Locker followed Reggie’s lead, each sprouting his own mustache. Instead of making Jackson feel less individualistic, thus prompting him to adopt his previously clean-shaven look, the strategy had a reverse and unexpected effect on Finley.

“Well, as it turned out, guys started growing ‘em, and Charlie began to like it,” says Hegan in recalling the origins of baseball’s “Mustache Gang.” Finley offered a cash incentive to any player who had successfully grown a mustache by Father’s Day. “So then we all had to grow mustaches,” says Hegan, “and that’s how all that started. By the time we got to the [regular] season, almost everybody had mustaches.” Even the manager, Dick Williams, known for his military brush-cut and clean-shaven look during his days in Boston, would join the facial brigade by growing a patchy, scraggly mustache of his own. Baseball’s longstanding hairless trend had officially come to an end.

Joe Pepitone, 1960s: Flaky and well-traveled during his major league career, the former Yankee, Cub, Astro, and Brave became a baseball pioneer of sorts when he became the first man to bring a blow dryer into a major league clubhouse. Pepi’s trendsetting maneuver struck some as ironic, given that he consistently wore hairpieces over his balding pate. In fact, Pepitone used two pieces; he sported a larger wig for social settings and a smaller one—his “gamer”—that snugly fit under his cap and helmet at the ballpark. Both pieces, by the way, looked hideous.

Major League Morsels

Both the Red Sox and Yankees made shrewd pitching pickups earlier this month, with the Sox claiming Bruce Chen off waivers and the Bombers snatching Rolando Arrojo from early retirement. While Chen’s constant travels from team to team make some wonder whether he’ll become the new Dick Littlefield or Bob Miller, he has the type of stuff that can remedy Boston’s relief woes. Although Chen’s fastball only tops out in the high eighties, it sustains its height better than most fastballs, giving it the kind of sneakiness and late life that can give batters fits, especially one time through the order. Don’t be surprised if Chen quickly starts to earn some late-inning assignments in the Theo Epstein-Bill James-Grady Little creation that has become Boston’s bullpen. As for Arrojo, he’ll start out in the Yankees’ farm system, but he could move up to the big league bullpen quickly. If Juan Acevedo continues to struggle and Steve Karsay remains sidelined, Arrojo could be asked to help out Chris Hammond in set-up relief. Arrojo is a better-than-league-average pitcher and has the kind of breaking stuff that could thrive in short stints out of Joe Torre’s evolving pen… Fran Healy takes his share of criticism for his work as a broadcaster, but he does possess an enthusiastic appreciation for the history of the game and provided a fascinating tidbit during the telecast of the Mets’ game on Monday night against the Rockies. In referencing Jack McKeon, who is now back in baseball as the 72-year-old manager of the Marlins, Healy recalled a trade that came close to happening when both he and McKeon worked for the Royals. As Kansas City’s manager in the early 1970s, McKeon apparently lobbied for a trade that would have sent slugging first baseman John Mayberry and shortstop Freddie “The Flea” Patek to the Yankees for a package of four players. In return, the Royals would have received All-Star catcher Thurman Munson, standout center fielder Bobby Murcer, first baseman Chris Chambliss, and shortstop Jim Mason. Wow. If the deal had come to fruition, the course of American League history would have been altered significantly. The Royals would not only have won the trade by a longshot, acquiring three excellent everyday players, including the American League’s best catcher of that era, but Chambliss would not have remained in Yankee pinstripes, unable to deliver the pennant-winning home run in the 1976 League Championship Series. It was a home run that came against the Royals, of all teams… Yet, the trade never did take place, even though the Yankees had agreed to make the deal (because of their wishes to land Mayberry, who was one of the game’s top left-handed power hitters at the time, and their desire to upgrade a shortstop position that had been a trouble spot since the retirement of Tony Kubek). According to Healy, McKeon had not only agreed to make the swap, but had also lobbied the front office aggressively to do the deal. Unfortunately, McKeon had not yet elevated to general manager status (a position that he would hold in later years with the Padres) and could not convince Royals management to finalize the trade. The Royals’ front office overruled McKeon, turning down a deal that would have upgraded Kansas City substantially at catcher (with Munson taking over for Healy, who would have become the backup) and in the outfield, while providing an adequate replacement for Mayberry at first base. And if the Royals and Yankees had still managed to meet in the playoffs from 1976 to 1978, it might have been the Royals who came out on top in at least one of those Fall encounters… Even though they remain the consensus favorites in the National League’s Central Division despite a host of injuries, the Cardinals lead all of the major leagues in trade rumors. The leading rumor continues to be a possible swap of Fernando Vina to the Mets for Roberto Alomar, which sounds like a steal for the Cardinals. But wait a minute. Scouts who have watched Alomar over the last season-plus will tell you that he lost a step or two in the field and clearly lacks the bat speed he featured in his prime, especially from the right side. While some of Alomar’s problems might be explained away by his inability to adjust to or thrive in New York, Alomar apologists need to face facts: he’s 35 years old and simply isn’t the superstar he once was. The deal would also not be popular with Cardinal fans, who have long been enamored with Vina’s overachieving and hustling style. Yet, the question for the Cardinals is this: is Alomar, at 70 per cent of his peak value, a better player than the current edition of Vina, who’s not much younger at age 34? If the answer to that query is yes, then the Cardinals should make the trade now, even if it fails to receive a vote of approval from the Redbirds’ rabid fan base.

Hall of Fame Handbook

The Hall of Fame’s Baseball Author Series, now re-named Special Edition Sandlot Stories, kicks off this weekend, with a familiar face making an appearance in Cooperstown. (So familiar, that he’s said to be seen there six or seven times a week, much to the chagrin of Hall of Fame employees.) In most cases, visiting authors will deliver a presentation centering on his or her book, followed immediately by a booksigning opportunity. Among the topics that will be featured as part of the series are the life and career of the late Ted Williams; the 100th anniversary of the Fall Classic; baseball in the 1970s; the history of Latinos in the sport; and the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Here is the complete schedule of author appearances for the spring and summer, running from May through September.

MAY 17- The Hall of Fame’s Bruce Markusen (that’s me!) will discuss his book, A Baseball Dynasty: Charlie Finley’s Swingin’ A’s (published by St. Johann Press). After the presentation, I’ll be available to sign and personalize copies of the book. Hall of Fame Library’s Bullpen Theater and Library Atrium; 1:30 pm.

JUNE 5-The Hall of Fame’s Gabriel Schechter will discuss his book, Unhittable! Baseball’s Greatest Pitching Seasons (published by Charles April Publications). Bullpen Theater and Library Atrium: 1:30 pm.

JUNE 6- Visiting author David Pietrusza will discuss his book, Teddy Ballgame: My Life in Pictures (published by SportClassic). After the presentation, Mr. Pietrusza will be available to sign and personalize copies of the book; Bullpen Theater and Library Atrium; 1:30 pm.

JUNE 14- (FATHER’S DAY WEEKEND): Children's author Mitch Axelrod will discuss his new children’s book, Little Billy and Baseball Bob (published by Wynn Publishing, Pickens, SC) in the Hall of Fame Library's Bullpen Theater; 3:30 pm.

JUNE 15- (FATHER’S DAY WEEKEND): Jim Morris will sign copies of his books, The Rookie: The Incredible True Story of a Man Who Never Gave Up On His Dream (Warner Books) and The Oldest Rookie, in the Atrium of the Hall of Fame Library. 4 pm.

JUNE 19- Visiting author James Elfers discusses his new book, The Tour To End All Tours (published by Bison Books Corp.), about the historic major league world tour of 1913-14, featuring members of the New York Giants and Chicago White Sox. After the presentation, Elfers is available to sign and personalize copies of his book. Bullpen Theater and Library Atrium; 1:30 pm.

JUNE 20- Visiting author Glenn Liebman discusses his book, Grand Slams(published by McGraw-Hill). Bullpen Theater and Library Atrium; 1:30 pm.

JUNE 28- Visiting author Jim LaBate hosts a presentation on his fictional book, Mickey Mantle Day In Amsterdam (self-published). Bullpen Theater and Library Atrium; 1:30 pm.

JULY 4- Lou Masur, author of Autumn Glory: Baseball’s First World Series (published by Farrar, Straus, and Giroux), will discuss his new book about the first Fall Classic, which featured the Boston Americans and Pittsburgh Pirates. Bullpen Theater and Library Atrium; 1:30 pm.

JULY 10- As part of a weeklong tribute to the Brooklyn Dodgers, Michael Shapiro, author of The Last Good Season (published by Doubleday) discusses the Dodgers of 1956. Bullpen Theater and Library Atrium; 1:30 pm.

JULY 18- Noted baseball author Seth Swirsky will discuss his new book, Something to Write Home About: Great Baseball Memories in Letters to a Fan (published by Crown). The book includes copies of actual handwritten letters penned by President George W. Bush, former Beatle Paul McCartney, and broadcaster Bob Costas. Bullpen Theater and Library Atrium; 1:30 pm.

JULY 25- Noted baseball broadcaster Ed Randall, host of Talkin’ Baseball, will kick off a tripleheader of author appearances by discussing his book, More Tales From The Yankee Dugout (published by Sports Publishing) Bullpen Theater and Library Atrium; 11:30 am

JULY 25- Award-winning baseball author Tom Stanton will discuss his new book, Road To Cooperstown (published by St. Martin’s Press), about remembrances of his visits to the baseball shrine. Bullpen Theater and Library Atrium; 1:30 pm.

JULY 25- Former USA Today Baseball Weekly writer Tim Wendel discusses his latest book, The New Face of Baseball: The 100-Year Rise and Triumph of Latinos in America’s Favorite Sport (published by RAYO). Bullpen Theater and Library Atrium; 3:30 pm.

JULY 31- Children’s author Peter Mandel will discuss his new book, Say Hey! A Song of Willie Mays (published by Jump at the Sun/Hyperion). Bullpen Theater and Library Atrium; 1:30 pm.

AUGUST 1- Bill Ballew, author of Pastime in the Seventies (published by McFarland and Company), will discuss his new book, which includes colorful profiles of players like John “The Count” Montefusco and Al Oliver. Bullpen Theater and Library Atrium; 1:30 pm.

AUGUST 2- Author Doug Lyons will discuss his books, Out of Left Field and Curveballs and Screwballs (published by Times Books) which center on baseball trivia, tidbits, and fantastic feats. Bullpen Theater and Library Atrium, 1:30 pm.

AUGUST 8- Visiting author Rob Trucks will discuss his latest book,Cup of Coffee: The Very Short Careers of 18 Major League Pitchers (published by Smallmouth Press) about players with short-lived playing careers. Bullpen Theater and Library Atrium, 1:30 pm.

AUGUST 8- The Hall of Fame’s Gabriel Schechter will discuss his book, Unhittable! Baseball’s Greatest Pitching Seasons (published by Charles April Publications). Bullpen Theater and Library Atrium; 1:30 pm.

AUGUST 29- Local writer Scott Fiesthumel, author of The Legend of Wild Bill Setley(self-published) will discuss his new book about a little known baseball figure. Bullpen Theater and Library Atrium; 1:30 pm.

AUGUST 30- Local writer Tom Barthel, author of The Fierce Fun of Ducky Medwick (published by Scarecrow) will discuss his new book about the colorful Hall of Famer. Bullpen Theater and Library Atrium; 1:30 pm.

SEPTEMBER 12- Former All-American Girls Professional Baseball League player Pat Brown will sign copies of her new book, A League of My Own (published by McFarland and Company). The book details her experiences in the AAGPBL, which operated from 1943 to 1954. Bullpen Theater and Library Atrium; 1:30 pm.

Pastime Passings

Dave DeBusschere (Died on May 14 in New York, New York; age 62; massive heart attack): Best known as a Hall of Fame basketball player and contributor to two NBA championships with the New York Knicks, DeBusschere also pitched for two seasons in the major leagues with the Chicago White Sox. In 1962, he signed a $75,000 bonus contract with the White Sox, while also becoming a draft choice of the NBA’s Detroit Pistons. During parts of two seasons with the White Sox, he posted a record of 3-4 and a solid 2.90 ERA in 36 games, but then decided to concentrate on basketball, where he excelled, especially as a defensive player. During a diverse career, DeBusschere played and coached for the Pistons, worked as the general manager of both the New York Nets and Knicks, and served as the last commissioner in the history of the old American Basketball Association.

Sam Lacy (Died on May 8 in Baltimore, Maryland; age 99; esophageal disorder): One of the most respected figures in the sportswriting industry, Lacy was the first African-American to become a member of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. The venerable Lacy received the Hall of Fame’s J.G. Taylor Spink Award for writing excellence in 1998 and served as the sports editor of The Baltimore Afro-American newspaper beginning in 1944. Lacy worked for the paper right up until his death, submitting his final article from his hospital bed. The article appeared in the Friday edition of the Afro-American, one day after Lacy’s passing… A graduate of Howard University, Lacy was regarded as a pioneering writer, in large part because of his efforts in trying to gain recognition for Negro Leagues player. During the 1930s, Lacy solicited the help of other writers in promoting the professional black leagues that had been founded by Rube Foster. Lacy also urged Washington Senators owner Clark Griffith, whose teams struggled on a perennial basis, to break the major league color barrier and consider signing black players. Lacy later championed the cause of Jackie Robinson, chronicling for his newspaper the story of the first African-American player in 20th century major league history. Much like Robinson, Lacy found himself subjected to racially-charged verbal abuse in the press box, both from fans and fellow sportswriters.

Dottie Ferguson Key (Died on May 8 in Rockford, Illinois; age 80; cancer): A longtime veteran of women’s baseball, Key played in 10 of the 12 seasons in which the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) existed. A second baseman and center fielder, Key participated in four world championship teams for the Rockford Peaches, earning league titles in 1945 and from 1948 to 1950. She remained with the team until 1954, when the league disbanded because of financial problems. Playing exclusively for the Peaches throughout her career, Key was believed to be the primary basis for the character played by Madonna in the 1992 film, A League of Their Own, which helped to popularize the AAGPBL. Madonna played “’All The Way’ Mae Mordabito, the character who played center field for Rockford in the critically-acclaimed film that also starred Geena Davis, Tom Hanks, and Rosie O’Donnell. Key was also prominently featured in a 1987 documentary about the AAGPBL. Key’s road uniform, which features her No. 12, is part of the “Women in Baseball” exhibit currently featured on the third floor of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.

Art Houtteman(Died on May 6 in Rochester Hills, Michigan; age 75; heart attack): A veteran of 12 years in the major leagues with the Detroit Tigers, Cleveland Indians, and Baltimore Orioles, Houtteman once won 19 games and earned selection to the American League All-Star team. A product of Detroit Catholic Central, Houtteman bypassed the minor leagues and made his major league debut as a 17-year-old with the Tigers in 1945. He enjoyed his best season in 1950, when he went 19-12 for the Tigers with a 3.54 ERA and earned a berth in the All-Star Game. The following year, he was drafted into the Army and didn’t return to the Tigers until 1952. In 1953, the Tigers traded him to the Indians, for whom he appeared in the World Series a year later. As part of a rotation that featured Early Wynn, Bob Lemon, Bob Feller and Mike Garcia, Houtteman forged a record of 15-7. In one of the highlights of his career, Houtteman pitched no-hit ball for eight and two thirds innings, but Harry “Suitcase” Simpson came up to bat and broke up the right-hander’s attempt at baseball immortality. Finishing his major league tenure with a record of 87-91 and ERA of 4.14, Houtteman ended his major league career with the Baltimore Orioles in 1957, though he played minor league baseball in Vancouver for two more seasons. In one of his final public appearances, Houtteman joined other Tigers greats for the final major league game at Tiger Stadium in 1999.

Jim Hamilton (Died on May 4 in Oneonta, New York; age 75): A longtime baseball columnist and newsroom employee for the Oneonta Daily Star, Hamilton continued to write for the newspaper up until a few weeks before his death. Hamilton, whose baseball column appeared each Saturday during the season, was respected for his encyclopedic knowledge of the game’s history. Prior to his career in writing, Hamilton served in the U.S. Army during World War II.

Sherwood Brewer(Died on April 23 in Chicago, Illinois; age 79; cancer): A journeyman second baseman in the Negro Leagues, Brewer developed an interest in baseball because of his uncle, who raised him after the passing of the youngster’s father; Brewer was just 11 months old at the time. During a stint in the army, Brewer’s playing skills started to garner the attention of scouts, particularly those in the Negro Leagues. After signing a pro contract, Brewer’s playing career included tours with the Seattle Steelheads, Harlem Globetrotters, New York Cubans, and the Indianapolis Clowns. He also played briefly in minor league baseball before returning to the Negro Leagues with the Kansas City Monarchs, for whom he later served briefly as their manager. In one of the highlights of his career, Brewer appeared in the 1950 East-West All-Star Game. After his playing days, Brewer remained active in championing the cause of black players. In 1996, Brewer helped organize the Yesterday’s Negro League Baseball Players Foundation.

Ray “Deacon” Murray (Died on April 9 in Spring Hope, North Carolina; age 83): A catcher who debuted with the Cleveland Indians in 1948, Murray earned the nickname “Deacon” for preaching on bus trips during his minor league career. Murray’s big league tenure began with a brief appearance in 1948, followed by a period of military service in World War II. In 1951, Murray was part of a three-team, seven-player trade. The deal sent Murray to the Kansas City Athletics, with the Indians receiving Lou Brissie, and the Chicago White Sox acquiring Minnie Minoso. Murray experienced the highlight of his baseball career in 1953, hitting .284 with six home runs and 41 RBIs. Murray remained with the A’s until 1954, when they sold his contract to the Baltimore Orioles for $25,000. He ended his career with the O’s later that season.

Bruce Markusen is the author of A Baseball Dynasty: Charlie Finley’s Swingin’ A’s (ISBN number 1-878282-23-9), which is available at www.amazon.com and at many major bookstores, including Borders Books. Markusen, who has also written The Orlando Cepeda Story and Roberto Clemente: The Great One, appears regularly on MLB Radio (MLB.com) each Friday from 12 noon to 1:00 pm Eastern time.

by Bruce Markusen

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