Miscellaneous Media: “Finley’s Heroes” LP (1972)

Finley wanted MLB to use orange balls for night games. Not such a crazy idea if you think about it.

Because you didn’t already have enough long-playing records featuring baseball players Dal Maxvill, Joe Rudi and Matty Alou, Fleetwood Sounds rushed out this quickie LP in 1972 in the wake of the extremely hirsute Oakland A’s winning their first World Series. The “Finley” of the title is, of course, the late owner of the team, Charlie Finley, who was bold and innovative and a real prick.

The A’s broadcast team narrates the story of the team’s winning season, with play-by-play action, highlights and interviews. An excerpt from the jacket copy:

Charlie Finley later had LASIK surgery on his forehead.

“With their shaggy hair, bold mustaches and eye-catching uniforms, the swingin’ A’s acquired a reputation in 1972 as one of the most colorful teams in the history of baseball. But far more important than being colorful, the A’s also proved that they were the best in baseball in bringing to the Bay Area its first world championship.

As told by A’s announcers Monte Moore and Jim Piersall, this is the story that excited the entire Bay Area as nothing ever had before. It’s the story of the swingin’ A’s–the world champion A’s.”

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