Friday, Jan. 17, 1964
University Daily Kansan
Page 13
Finley Says He Will Appeal to Federal Court
NEW YORK — (UPI) — Charles O. Finley's next stop is the U.S. Federal Court and he thinks his chances are "exceptionally good" there of finally beating the American League.
With that specific aim in mind, the angry, aggressive owner of the Kansas City Athletics instructed his attorney to institute suit "as soon as possible" to determine whether the American League has any legal right to keep him from moving his team.
"I'll never back down," he insisted. "I think they're wrong. They think I'm wrong. Now we'll go into court and see who is."
Finley, a rather likeable selfie made multi-millionaire who is acustomed to having his way, suffered two of the biggest reverses in his relatively brief baseball career, yesterday.
goes to court.
THE FIERY FINLEY avowed he has absolutely no intention of backing down.
---
"Baseball is going way out on a limb," said one prominent antitrust attorney. "Finley has an excellent chance of prevaling if he goes to court."
HIS FELLOW AL. owners first voted down his bid to move the Athletics to Louisville, Ky., 9 to 1 (Finley's only vote was the one he cast for himself), and then threatened to expel him from the league if he doesn't settle his Municipal Stadium lease with Kansas City officials by Feb. 1.
A steady procession of witnesses were heard before A.L. officials, headed by League President Joe Cronin.
SEN. STUART SYMINGTON,
D-Mo. was among those who
appeared before the American
Leaguers and also was among
those who hailed their ultimate
decision.
"I thought it a wise and constructive action and to the credit of baseball and sports in general," Symington said. "I think it would have been unfair to take the team out of Kansas City."
Finley, who claims to have lost $1,028.00 — "That's in cash, too" — during his three years of operation in Kansas City, looked at the American League's decisions much differently.
"THE THREAT of expulsion doesn't frighten me," he said. "Actually, even though I'm going to court I'm still going to try and work out a one-year lease with Kansas City. Truthfully though, they've already turned down five-four- and two-year leases."
Finley particularly angered Cronin and other American League officials 11 days ago when he arbitrarily signed a two-year contract with Louisville officials, promising to move the Athletics there without even bothering to get A.L. permission.
"I don't think the American League can force me to remain in any city unjustifiably. And I don't feel baseball has the right to force me to stay in a city where I am continuously losing money."
HE EXPLAINED why he took the action before the league's Board of Directors during a four-hour session yesterday but they were unimpressed. Nor were they particularly upset when he notified them he intended to sue.
"We had to take a stand somewhere," said Zanville Krieger, treasurer of the Baltimore Orioles. "We can't worry about him going to court, either. We did what had to be done."
Cronin announced the decisions from a prepared statement which said:
"THAT IN THE EVENT Charles O. Finley and Company, Inc., has not made a lease with Kansas City . . . prior to Feb. 1, 1964 . . a special meeting of the members of the league shall be called to consider and act upon the termination of the membership and/or expulsion from membership of Charles O. Finley and Company, Inc., in the league and to take such further action as is necessary . . . "
Finley's own attorney, Thomas Keane of Chicago, replied in answer to questions from newsmen that under a separate agreement among A.L. owners they could try to take Finley's membership in the league away from him.
"Under Section 4 of the Owners' Agreement," Keane said, "they can terminate an owner's membership without cause by declaring the owner undesirable."
STEP BY STEP, Finley told of his talks with the owners behind the closed doors of a hotel banquet room yesterday.
"I went in there with one vote and I came out with one vote," he said, a half-smile on his face.
"I spent more than two hours giving the league good and sufficient reasons why I should move. I stated I lost over a million dollars already but that didn't faze them.
"I ALWAYS thought I was a pretty good salesman. I gave the best sales talk I ever gave in my life but I didn't impress anyone with it."
Finley sighed and recalled more of the details.
"After the vote of 9 to 1 against me," he said, sipping some cold black coffee. "I gave another little
talk and I explained to them, I said, 'Gentlemen, even though you voted me down, 9 to 1, I still feel I'm one of your so-called partners and I feel obligated to state my intentions. I'm going to tell you my intentions with the hope you will reconsider.'
"MY PLANS now are to go to court and find out if the American League legally has the power they think they have to restrain me from moving my ball club from Kansas City to Louisville or any
other place.
Finley said he had several offers for the Athletics but refused to sell.
"Cronin," Finley recalled, "asked if there was a motion among them to reconsider. No such motion was made."
SHOWING SIGNS of the arduous day he put in, Finley, who had only a hamburger and a soft drink besides coffee all day, summed up his entire battle this way.
Recommended by Playboy
Ski Over Semester Break
Open the year 'round. Winter, skiing; Fall, hunting; Summer, fishing.
Many unique places to visit and dance in this old mining town with college atmosphere. Many new friends. Accommodations for 80 in the $4.00 dormitory rooms; 100 more in private rooms.
Bring a group of six and one gets free dormitory lodging. Just catch the turnpike to highway 50,then on to Gunnison.From Gunnison on 135 (just 28 miles) to Crested Butte. Private and group rooms available.
For reservations: call telephone 4521, collect, at Crested Butte, Colo.
Union Pacific City of St. Louis also leaves Lawrence straight to Denver. Frontier airlines then flies you down to Gunnison where a Crested Butte bus or Nordic Inn station wagon will pick you up.
For additional information and schedules, call VI 2-4459.