One obscure baseball stands out as perhaps the most unconventional “official game ball” in many serious baseball collections: The Official Orange COF Baseball. It comes from an era of Major League Baseball’s past that’s punctuated by several legendary shenanigans, all devised by the league’s most eccentric mind, former Oakland Athletics owner Charles O. Finley.
The Charlie O. baseballs saw use only by the A’s in Spring Training in the 1973 season. It was supposedly disregarded as a flop; a fad that failed before it could even become a fad. A proposal so outlandish it was probably laughed at behind the privacy of closed doors in thick cigar smoke-screened offices of baseball’s big wigs. At least that’s how my Hollywoodesque imagination likes to envision it.
But some evidence shows that maybe the league took this concept much more seriously than it let on.
We’ve come across some interesting prototypes that would suggest the hot orange ball had more than a snowball’s chance in hell at making the it to The Show.
These orange prototype baseballs, two of which are officially stamped Spalding and Reach American League balls, tell us that someone in the Big Leagues must have genuinely considered this “Day-Glo Orange” ball idea.
Before we delve into these amazing examples of orange leather official MLB game balls, we need to share as much as possible about the man, Charlie. Charles O. Finley’s memorable tenure in baseball is full of many outlandish stories, most based around his ideas to “improve” the national pastime by invoking anything and everything that would spit in the face of its long-upheld traditions. (Did you notice Time Magazine’s typo/misspelling in that link above—in the title?! “Charlie Finely: Baseball’s Barnum.” Ouch.)
An excerpt we must share here, especially for those too busy to read the full nine-page article:
In the A’s clubhouse, he was greeted by growls from his players: “Christ, Charlie’s back again.” If Finley heard, he gave no sign; he was too busy handing out samples of his latest innovation for the national pastime—Day-Glo orange baseballs. Pitcher Vida Blue, still seething with the memory of past salary battles, flicked his orange ball into his locker with contempt. Slugger Reggie Jackson asked Finley only half facetiously if his recent hitting streak (eight home runs, 21 RBIs and a .388 average in 17 games) was worth a raise. “You’ve got to hit consistently,” shot back Finley, “not periodically.”
– TIME
When the A’s took the field and began warming up with the new orange balls, the stadium buzzed with comment. Even Home Plate Umpire George Maloney was captivated. He dispatched the A’s bat boy to ask Finley for a ball. When it was delivered, Maloney promptly sent it back—for an autograph.
Some of Finley’s proposals gained approval and can still be seen in today’s game. He was responsible for bringing some color and aesthetics to the game with the Athletics bright green and yellow uniforms, as well as the first night games in the World Series. Finley also proposed the American League’s Designated Hitter Rule in 1973, what then Brewers owner and one day MLB Commissioner Bud Selig, called “the biggest rule change in the history of baseball to that point,” (Source). The National League only took another 49 years to adopt Finley’s offense-forward DH rule. Goodness!
Oakland A’s third baseman Sal Bando, outfielder Billy Conigliaro and catcher Gene Tenace pose for a picture in 1973. (Doug McWilliams/National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum)
A few of his more peculiar proposals? While the A’s were still in Kansas City: A mascot – in fact it was a live goat – named Charlie O., sheep grazing in the grass beyond the outfield wall, and a mechanical rabbit that popped up and gave a fresh set of baseballs to the home plate umpire. Sounds like all this Finley guy really wanted was a petting zoo!
And by the way, if anyone can find video of that mechanical rabbit and upload it, please contact us. I want one of those rabbits to pop up behind my desk and deliver piping hot rounds of coffee every morning.
2024 UPDATE: Found! Sorta! The Oakland A’s brought back a modernized version of Harvey the mechanical rabbit in part of the franchise’s 50th anniversary celebration in 2018!
Harvey 2.0 will still deliver baseballs to umpires before the first pitch. But instead of emerging from below the playing field, he’s now a robotic rabbit operating on a scooter, and he won’t be on the field once the games begin.”
Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle
Oakland’s first iteration of Harvey, the mechanical ballboy… err ballrabbit. Ballbunny?
From the original caption: OAKLAND, Calif., July 12––LITTLE HARVEY GIVES ASHFORD A BALL––Little Harvey, a $10,000 ball dispensing innovation modeled after an invisible rabbit, makes its debut in Oakland Athletic’s Coliseum diamond last night with Umpire Emmett Ashford. Little Harvey, located behind home plate, rises from a hole in the ground, flashing and twirling through 180 degrees at command of umpire. After dispensing baseballs, Harvey disappears into his hole. (AP Wirephoto) 1968
One last must-share Finley anecdote: He was also the man who hired and theoretically discovered a very young “executive vice president” named Stanley Burrell to be his “eyes and ears” for the Oakland Athletics. Think you’ve never heard of Mr. Burrell? Maybe this will ring a bell:
My, my, my, my music hits me, so hard, makes me say, “oh my lawd!”
…I think I digressed.
Anyway, the Hammer somehow brings us full circle, back to the topic at hand, the Official Charles O. Finley Orange Baseball. The MLB commissioner at the time of its creation, Bowie K. Kuhn, wouldn’t let Finley use the ball in an official regular season game. So the bright orange baseball was first put into play in the Athletics 11-5 loss to the Cleveland Indians in a 1973 exhibition game. Some sources note that it was used in a second spring training game as well.
Reviews from this initial on-field orange baseball experience mentioned that the color of the ball gave it several advantages over regular white baseballs. Fans and batters could see it better than a white ball. Umpires also stated that the ball was easier to see, while it increased the offensive side of the game (which Finley always preferred: Designated hitters, designated runners, etc.) while decreasing the number of errors in the field. (From Keyman Collectibles).
But it was also mentioned by some hitters that they couldn’t see the spin of the ball, thanks to the red laces disappearing on the orange ball. That would explain why Finley would later tinker and add minor modification – switching to white laces. Regardless, the ball never was accepted by the league and all of Charlie’s hopes and dreams of leaving his finger prints on the Major League’s Official Game Ball were never fully realized.
But then why, if the ball was deemed such a joke and a spectacle, did Major League Baseball contract Spalding to produce official prototypes, like these pictured below? Glowing bright orange MLB baseballs with the OFFICIAL Major League stamped American League President signatures of Joe Cronin and Lee MacPhail? Along with the Spalding logo on “No. 0″ Official model baseball pictured at the begging of this article?
And here’s one last cool example, a seldom seen Official C.O.F. League ball with its would be commissioner’s signature, Charlie O. Finley, stamped on the right side panel, just like the American and National League game balls of the early 1900s!
At one point we had obtained two of these samples, but unfortunately I eventually sold them. They do remain members of the hallowed hall of official game balls, the Museum of Baseballs. I only wish I had more information on these great specimens. We did learn that the MacPhail and the Spalding No. 0 Official League Ball came from true Spalding official dozen boxes, and that their covers may have been derived from pig skin. Don’t quote us on that, it’s still just a rumor to this day.
So if nothing else it proves that the official supplier of Major League Baseballs at that time, Spalding, took the Orange Ball, or perhaps the “Night Game ball” seriously enough to stamp its prototypes and most likely run them through a battery of tests and send them off to the commissioner’s office. All speculation at this point, but if there are any collectors with a bit more knowledge of these baseballs, please share your wisdom in the comment’s section below.
O.
My great uncle who had a cup of coffee with the St Louis Browns (Willard Lasley) handed me a signed Charles O Finley orange baseball around 1990. He told me that it was a special ball and explained that this Charles guy wanted to change the game with orange baseballs but they never took off . I swear he told me that Finley gave him the ball through some sort of professional relationship they had. Uncle Willard passed away a couple years later, and the ball sat on my shelf in my old bedroom until I recently picked it up and started doing some research. The Spalding example with Lee Mac Phail as American League President is the one I have. Seems very rare… I’d be interested if you or anybody else has additional info on this ball. This forum is the only spot I’ve been able to find other examples of the version in my collection. Thanks for sharing! -Luke
That’s a great story and an incredible keepsake from your uncle. Thank you for sharing! I’m curious if it’s the same model as our MacPhail pictured in the article and in the Museum? I’ll reach out for images if you’re willing to share.
Just sent some pics of the ball back to your email.