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10
Tuesday, December 2, 1975
University Daily Kansan
Woman trades KU for Finley
By STEVE SCHOENFELD
Steff Writer
It was never a question of experience. After two years of shagging baseballballs, sorting bats and raking muddy base paths for the University of Kansas baseball team, Birk Steer, Ottawa senior, knew she had been the most efficient equipment manager for a major league team.
But as she traveled to Chicago last week, leaving her life as a university student, she still was a little apprehensive about the future. When she finally entered the world of the man responsible for green and gold uniforms, orange baseballballs, Charley O'Neill and his wife, Kate, world championships, she felt a little better. If anyone would hire a female equipment manager, Charles O. Finley, owner of the Oakland A's, would.
Steere's notion was right, but not completely. Finley hired her, but not as an equipment manager for the A's. She's going to steer its insurance company as a receptionist.
"MR. FINLEY'S SUCH an innovator, and has done so many things that no one else would do," Steere said, "that I figured he'd be the only one who'd even consider
"He told me he would not subject any female to the crudeness of a professional baseball team," she said. "We thought that if the players in our team are women but not dirt under their feet."
Steer said she was disappointed about not getting a job in baseball. Still, she said, the job would be good experience because of all the contacts she could make.
MEETING FINLEY WAS a worthwhile much different from what she had been
"I thought he'd be really business-like and tough." Steere said. "But he won't; i'm going to get it."
"He really has a lot of character. He's such a showman. And although he's not young, he has the energy of an 18-year-old." After Filey hired her and told to call
him later to find out when she'd start working, the flamboyant owner gave her a few going-away presents—two orange and one in A's jersey and two World Series bats.
STEREE SAID SIE FIRST contacted
Finley hv letter last September.
She called Finley four weeks later, when she had told her to let her stay in Chicago and see him.
When she arrived at his office, Fliyley said he wanted her to know what she was getting at. "I don't know," she said.
"He told me I should sit down and read articles about him in Time and Saturday Evening Post magazines," she said. "I was going to work for him."
STEREEN SAID THE three years she spent as equipment manager of the baseball team was a big advantage in getting a job with Finley.
"Iprobably wouldn't have even thought of going to work for Mr. Finley or any baseball team had I not enjoyed what I did as a kid." He asked, "I liked it enough that I wanted to go on."
Kansan Classifieds Work For You!
Sterce said she hoped to eventually get promoted into a job in baseball with Finley's A's. But if not, she said she still had reasons to be happy.
"People here told me I was just fooling myself, thinking he would hire me," Steere said. "They told me no one would hire a female to work on the field or in the field yet. I thought we could field yet. But nobody thought I'd even get a job with Finley and I've done that."
Inge Memorial Theatre
Jest, Satire, Irony, and
Deeper Significance
A Comedy by
Christian Grabbe
December 3-6 8:00 p.m.
Tickets: 864-3982
Need help? A+
Temporary Retail Sales Employment: Dec./Jan.
20-40 hours per week up to '30° per hour
DEPENDING ON EXPERIENCE OR SALES COMMISSION
WHICHEVER IS GREATER
CMC Stereo Center
Employee Purchase Plan Available—Equal Opportunity Employer
Age No Barrier
Call 913-888-8996 Daniel J. Ferrario
Need help? Advertise it in Kansan want ads. Call 864-4358.
the shetland wool border-stripe sweater from alan paine . . . . $27.50
a ski-sweater patterned in a native-american print
designed by jersild . $25.00
suede driving cap from k. mcandrew . . . . . . . . . . . $ 8.50
en weekdays till 8:30
dec. 1 thru Dec. 23 for Holiday '75
from MISTER GUY
920 mass.
THE K.U. CONCERT SERIES PRESENTS
A FREE CONCERT
FOR STUDENTS
FEATURING
LILI KRAUS—Wednesday, December 3
Hoch Auditorium 8:00 p.m.
A brilliant example of virtuosity in every sense of the word, Lili Kraus has unquestionably taken her place as one of the greatest masters of the piano ever to come out of Hungary.
All Concert Series performances are free to KU students who present their I.D. cards: 1) when picking up their reserved seat tickets, 2) at the door on the night of the performance for general admission seats.
Approximately 500 reserved seat
tickets on sale now, on a first come first served basis, and may be picked up at the Murphy Hall box office. Both concerts will begin promptly at 8 p.m.
Anyone having questions please contact the Murphy Hall box office at 864-3982.