When the Kansas City A's announced their move to Oakland in 1968, Topps had to get rid of all the KC caps on the cards. Change the cap to all black here; a dab of green paint on the helmet there. 1968 was also the last season the A's played their spring ball at McKechnie Field. Owner Charles O. Finley moved the team to Arizona the following season to be closer to their new home.
Here is Jack Aker in front of some kind of fieldhouse/equipment building.
The Pirates moved into McKechnie, named after the team's Hall-of-Fame manager Bill McKechnie, the following season. The ballpark still exists, now named LECOM Park after the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine. The fieldhouse/equipment building appears to still be there in this recent photo.
Great research, great backgrounds.
ReplyDeleteI've watched Spring Training games at this field numerous times. I never realized it was the home of the Athletics before the Pirates moved in. It's still a great place to catch a ball game, and maintains a lot of that bygone era charm!
ReplyDeleteCool info. Thanks for posting it.
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ReplyDeleteIt's great to learn more about the backgrounds in one of my all-time favorite sets. I thought LECOM was going to be some kind of telephone service, lol.
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