The expansion Seattle Pilots beat the California Angels in their first ever game on 4/8/1969. While they finished 64-98, last in the newly formed AL West division, it was far from the worst first season team in the history of the game. Like 1969 Pilots SS Ron Clark told me on the Passed Ball Show, it was a full season tryout camp. 53 players, including 25 pitchers, put on the Pilots uniform in that first season.
Seattle at that time was not fit for a MLB franchise. The ownership group was in over its head, making it difficult for them to run the team monetarily. The stadium situation was even worse. The longtime stadium of the Pacific Coast League's Seattle Rainers, Sicks Stadium, needed to nearly double its capacity to support a MLB franchise. There was an agreement for Seattle to build a new baseball stadium, but that could not be done for a few years. It was evident before the season ended that the Pilots may not be coming back to Seattle for the 1970 season. By the World Series, there was an agreement with former Milwaukee Braves minority owner Bud Selig to buy the franchise and relocate it to Milwaukee.
But the back and forth between Selig, the Pilots owners, MLB and the City of Washington continued throughout the offseason and well into spring training of 1970. The team was still calling itself the Pilots even though they were likely going to be playing in Milwaukee that season. It took until the franchise filed for bankruptcy that legal action forced the sale to Selig and allowed him to move the franchise to Milwaukee. In fact, the colors that Selig wanted to use were navy and red, just like the Brewers that played in the minors when he was younger. The blue and gold Pilots colors remained, with the Pilots logo replaced with one that read "Brewers."
The final pitch in the history of the Seattle Pilots was thrown by 23 year old RHP Miguel Fuentes. He was signed as an amateur free agent in 1969 and was 8-2, 1.46 in 26 games, 6 starts for the Clinton Pilots of the Midwest League (A). He was a September for Seattle that season, going 1-3, 5.19 in 8 games, 4 starts for the Pilots. He the team's last game, a 3-1 loss to the Oakland Athletics, he pitched a scoreless 9th inning in the game at Sicks Stadium.
After the game, the Pilots notified manager Joe Schultz that he would not return for the 1970 season. Conflicting stories state Schultz wanted to be released with the uncertainty over the future of the franchise. Schultz would join the coaching staff of the Kansas City Royals for the 1970 season, then to the Detroit Tigers staff from 1971-1976. He managed the last 28 games (14-14) of the 1973 season after manager Billy Martin was fired. In Jim Bouton's "Ball Four," the 1969 Pilots pitcher quoted Schultz saying, "Bunting is like jacking off, once you learn how you never forget."
Schultz got to be on the field again, unlike Fuentes. On 1/29/1970, Fuentes was shot killed outside a Puerto Rican bar after a fight at age 23. He would be 66 today.
Seattle at that time was not fit for a MLB franchise. The ownership group was in over its head, making it difficult for them to run the team monetarily. The stadium situation was even worse. The longtime stadium of the Pacific Coast League's Seattle Rainers, Sicks Stadium, needed to nearly double its capacity to support a MLB franchise. There was an agreement for Seattle to build a new baseball stadium, but that could not be done for a few years. It was evident before the season ended that the Pilots may not be coming back to Seattle for the 1970 season. By the World Series, there was an agreement with former Milwaukee Braves minority owner Bud Selig to buy the franchise and relocate it to Milwaukee.
But the back and forth between Selig, the Pilots owners, MLB and the City of Washington continued throughout the offseason and well into spring training of 1970. The team was still calling itself the Pilots even though they were likely going to be playing in Milwaukee that season. It took until the franchise filed for bankruptcy that legal action forced the sale to Selig and allowed him to move the franchise to Milwaukee. In fact, the colors that Selig wanted to use were navy and red, just like the Brewers that played in the minors when he was younger. The blue and gold Pilots colors remained, with the Pilots logo replaced with one that read "Brewers."
The final pitch in the history of the Seattle Pilots was thrown by 23 year old RHP Miguel Fuentes. He was signed as an amateur free agent in 1969 and was 8-2, 1.46 in 26 games, 6 starts for the Clinton Pilots of the Midwest League (A). He was a September for Seattle that season, going 1-3, 5.19 in 8 games, 4 starts for the Pilots. He the team's last game, a 3-1 loss to the Oakland Athletics, he pitched a scoreless 9th inning in the game at Sicks Stadium.
After the game, the Pilots notified manager Joe Schultz that he would not return for the 1970 season. Conflicting stories state Schultz wanted to be released with the uncertainty over the future of the franchise. Schultz would join the coaching staff of the Kansas City Royals for the 1970 season, then to the Detroit Tigers staff from 1971-1976. He managed the last 28 games (14-14) of the 1973 season after manager Billy Martin was fired. In Jim Bouton's "Ball Four," the 1969 Pilots pitcher quoted Schultz saying, "Bunting is like jacking off, once you learn how you never forget."
Schultz got to be on the field again, unlike Fuentes. On 1/29/1970, Fuentes was shot killed outside a Puerto Rican bar after a fight at age 23. He would be 66 today.
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