They played one season, but they have an eternal legacy

I’ve written a few times about the Seattle Pilots, a Major League Baseball team that played just one season – 1969 – but were immortalized by pitcher Jim Bouton’s remarkable book.

“Ball Four” made the low-performing, one-year expansion team immortal. My signed copy of the book gets an occasional re-read and I’ve love collecting signatures from those on the team and those related to the team.

I especially love my multi-signed pieces related to the Pilots. I have several items signed by a handful of more players, including a limited-edition signed piece (above) as well as photo of Sick’s Stadium, the Pilots’ home field. The ballpark was built in 1938 and when the Pilots played their 31 years later, it was in brutal shape.

The stadium had virtually no water pressure after the seventh inning, especially when crowds exceeded 10,000 people. So players showered in their hotel rooms or at home after games. The visiting team’s announcers couldn’t see any plays along third base or left field – so a mirror was installed in the press box to give them an improved view.

Another photo signed by several players in my collection is an image of the Pilots’ April 1969 program. I’ve gotten it signed by pitchers Diego Segui and Jack Aker and catcher Jerry McNertney.

Aker recorded a save in the Pilots’ first game, a 4-3 win at the California Angels. Segui, who was voted as the team’s most valuable player that season by his teammates, was the winning pitcher in the Pilots’ second home game.