Spring Training at Tempe, 1969

[Tailwind Tommy]

(Bill Schonely) Good afternoon everybody, wherever you may be! And welcome to Pilots baseball…. This is Bill Schonely along with Jimmy Dudley, and our producer/engineer Frank Greif. And, it’s exhibition baseball once again.

Bright skies today, plenty of sunshine, good crowd on-hand, and baseball time here in the Southland in the “Valley of the Sun.” …and here to tell ya about it - our broadcast partner, Jimmy Dudley.

(Jimmy Dudley) Thank you Bill, and hello baseball fans everywhere! Yes, it’s baseball time!

Friday, March 7 Indians vs. Pilots at Tempe Making their first spring appearance as new expansion club, Pilots piled up 17 hits, scored in every inning but one and walloped Indians, 19-3, March 7. Mike Ferraro led attack with two triples and two singles, driving in three runs. Jose Vidal also had three RBIs with homer and single. Ray Fosse hit round-tripper for Tribe. Series standing: Pilots, 1-0; Indians, 0-1.

[brewcrew82]

That is probably the best cover for a program I have ever seen. Great find!

[Tailwind Tommy]

Seattle defeats the Tribe 19-3 at Phoenix March 7th, 1969. Mike Marshall gets the "W". Here is the Pilots' lineup:

Gosger, rf
Ferraro, 3b
Comer, cf
Hegan, 1b
Vidal, lf
Gil, 2b
Oyler, ss
Kennedy, ss
Haney, c
McNertney, c
Goosen, dp

Marshall, Stephen, Lasko

[Tailwind Tommy]

Saturday, March 8 Pilots vs. Athletics at Mesa The Oakland Athletics won their Cactus League opener from the Seattle Pilots, 3-2, on Reggie Jackson’s homer over the right field fence with one out in the 14th inning. Winning Pitcher: Baldschun, Losing pitcher: Gibson A’s other runs also came on circuit clouts. Dick Green connected in second inning, but Wayne Comer, who had three of Pilots’ hits counted tying run in fifth. After Mike Hegan homered for Pilots in 12th, Danny Cater saved A’s from defeat with score-tying round tripper in home half of inning. Series standing: Athletics, 1-0; Pilots, 0-1

[Tailwind Tommy]

Sunday, March 9 Athletics vs. Pilots at Tempe Lou Piniella drove in two runs with triple and double and Mike Hegan contributed double and single as Pilots defeated Athletics, 6-3, March 9. Series standing: Pilots, 1-1; Athletics, 1-1

[Tailwind Tommy]

And here's the player of the day - future 1969 A.L. ROY:

[Tailwind Tommy]

Monday, March 10 Pilots vs. Athletics at Mesa ppd rain

Wednesday, March 12 Pilots vs. Padres at Tempe Hitting of Ollie Brown and Clarence Gaston paced Padres to 8-2 victory over Pilots March 12. Brown drove in three runs with two singles, while Gaston accounted for two RBIs with double and single. Four pitchers issued total of ten walks. Series standing: Padres, 1-0; Pilots 0-1.

Wednesday, March 12 Pilots vs. Indians at Tucson Indians scored six unearned runs in eighth inning to defeat Pilots, 10-7, at Tucson March 12. Jim O’Toole was victim of three errors in horrendous inning at Tucson. Dave Nelson drove in two runs with single. Nelson had great day at bat with walk, two singles and double. Series standing: Pilots, 1-1; Indians, 1-1.

Thursday, March 13 Pilots' B vs. Athletics at Mesa Rain prevented meeting here March 10, but Pilots sent split squad to Mesa for makeup game March 13 and defeated Athletics, 3-2, with Piniella and Hegan again in spotlight. Piniella had three hits, including two-run double in first inning. Hegan stole home on front end of double theft with Gus Gil to account for deciding run in sixth. Bobby Brooks homered for A’s. Series standing: Pilots, 2-1; Athletics, 1-2.

Marv Staehle plays second base and goes 0-4. This would be his fourth game appearance in nine games for the Pilots.

Thursday, March 13 Angels vs. Pilots' A at Tempe Pilots came from behind with three runs off Hoyt Wilhelm in eighth inning to defeat Angels, 7-6, March 13. After Rich Rollins tripled and Tommy Harper doubled, Wayne Comer walked. Don Mincher then hit lazy fly that fell safe in right field as Harper and Comer scored. Comer also homered in game, while Tom Egan hit one for Angels. Series standing: Pilots, 1-0; Angels 0-1.

[Tailwind Tommy]

Friday, March 14 Indians vs. Pilots at Tempe Indians started Luis Tiant against expansion club here March 14 and gained 4-2 victory. Tiant pitched six innings in game here and yielded only one run on four of Pilots’ six hits. Indians also were limited to six hits, but converted two walks, single by Jimmie Hall and infield out into two runs in third inning. Error resulted in another marker in seventh and pass led to final tally in ninth. Series standing: Indians, 2-1; Pilots, 1-2.

Saturday, March 15 Pilots vs. Arizona State U. at Tempe Hegan tripled; Harper stole base. Pilots defeated 5-4. Final series standing: Arizona State U., 1-0; Pilots, 0-1

Sunday, March 16 Athletics vs. Pilots at Tempe Although each club collected 14 hits, Athletics had more firepower and defeated Pilots, 13-6, March 16. A’s attack included seven doubles and one triple, while Pilots had three doubles and two triples in their collection. Jim Pagliaroni was A’s top hitter with double and three singles, but Tommy Davis took game honors with triple, double and two singles for Pilots. Final series standing: Athletics, 2-2; Pilots, 2-2

[Tailwind Tommy]

Monday, March 17 Pilots vs. Indians at Tucson In a wild game, Indians defeated Pilots, 9-8, in 12 innings at Tucson March 17. Pilots, who used split squad in game at Tucson, took 8-6 lead in 12th on single by Rich Rollins, double by Jim Gosger, fielder’s choice and hits by Larry Haney and Greg Goossen. In Indians half, Richie Scheinblum singled with bases loaded to tie score and winning run followed on wild pitch by Rollie Sheldon. Pilots pounded five homers in game here. Series standing: Indians, 3-1; Pilots, 1-3.

Monday, March 17 Pilots vs. Cubs at Scottsdale Rallying for three runs in ninth inning, Pilots defeated Cubs, 8-6, in game at Scottsdale March 17, but Cubs gained 8-5 victory here March 18. Rain prevented another scheduled meeting between clubs March 22. With Jim Dunegan hitting homer, Cubs held 6-5 lead going into ninth at Scottsdale. Pinch-hitter Merritt Ranew sparked Pilots’ rally with homer. After Mike Ferraro and Tommy Davis followed with singles. Mike Hegan broke tie with single for his third RBI of game. Pilots then padded their lead with unearned run on error by Dan Furnald. Series standing: Pilots, 1-0; Cubs, 0-1.

Tuesday, March 18 Cubs vs. Pilots at Tempe Randy Hundley hit homer and two singles, driving in three runs, to pace Cubs to their victory March 18. Rich Rollins of Pilots committed three errors, but collected triple and two singles in three official trips and drove in one run. Series standing: Cubs, 1-1; Pilots, 1-1.

[Tailwind Tommy]

Wednesday, March 19 Pilots vs. Giants at Phoenix Bobby Bonds and Willie McCovey each doubled twice and Bobby Etheridge hit triple and single to lead Giants’ attack in 9-4 victory over Pilots March 19. Tommy Davis was Pilots’ standout with double and triple. Series standing: Giants, 1-0; Pilots, 0-1.

[Tailwind Tommy]

Friday, March 21 Indians “B” vs. Pilots at Tempe Indians, playing this time with split squad, were able to win with only one round-tripper because of wildness of Pilots’ pitchers, who issued 12 walks. Lee Maye drove in four of Indians’ runs with homer and double. Pilots’ homer-hitters were Tommy Harper, Ray Oyler, Lou Piniella, Chico Salmon and Freddie Velazquez. Henry got the loss. Series standing: Indians, 4-1; Pilots, 1-4.

Saturday, March 22 Cubs vs. Pilots at Tempe ppd rain

[Tailwind Tommy]

Sunday, March 23 Pilots vs. Cubs at Scottsdale Playing double-header to make up for rained out game, Pilots split with Cubs March 23, winning opener, 5-4 in 11 innings, and losing nightcap, 7-6. Wayne Comer tripled for Pilots in 11th and scored in daring move while Larry Haney, who grounded to mound was thrown out at first by Pitcher Gary Ross. Ernie Banks homered for Cubs. Series standing: Pilots, 2-1; Cubs, 1-2.

Sunday, March 23 Pilots vs. Cubs at Scottsdale In nightcap, pinch-hitter Jim Gosger hit two-run homer in ninth to put Pilots on top, 6-5. In Cubs’ half, walk, error by John Kennedy and single by John Lung produced tying tally. Then, after another error by Kennedy loaded bases, pinch-runner Greg Werdick counted deciding marker on wild pitch by Bob Richmond. Final series standing: Cubs, 2-2; Pilots, 2-2.

[Tailwind Tommy]

Monday, March 24 Pilots vs. Indians at Tucson Tony Horton delivered winning blow in two successive games as Indians defeated Pilots 5-3 and 6-5, March 24-25. In first game of pair, all of Indians’ runs were unearned, coming on three hit and three walks in seventh inning after error by Mike Ferraro opened gates. Horton delivered tie-breaking hit, driving in last two runs with bases-loaded single. Series standing: Indians, 5-1; Pilots, 1-5.

Tuesday, March 25 Pilots vs. Indians at Tucson When clubs paired off again, Jose Vidal homered for Pilots in eighth inning to tie score at 5-5, but Horton led off with boundary belt in ninth to bring victory to Indians. Final series standing: Indians, 6-1; Pilots 1-6.

[Tailwind Tommy]

Wednesday, March 26 Giants vs. Pilots at Tempe Juan Marichal, pitching seven innings for first time this spring, tired at finish of his stint, but Giants’ righthander gained credit for 7-5 victory over Pilots March 26. Marichal gave up two hits and two walks, one of them to Mike Hegan with bases loaded, in final frame and Pilots bunched them with error by Bobby Bonds to pick up three runs. Bonds, however, led Giants in scoring, denting plate four times. Final series standing: Giants, 2-0; Pilots 0-2.

Thursday, March 27 Pilots vs. Padres at Yuma Larry Haney batted in total of five runs, three of them with homer, to lead Pilots to 6-3 victory over Padres March 27. Ollie Brown and Ed Speizio hit homers for Padres. Series standing: Pilots, 1-1; Padres, 1-1.

[Tailwind Tommy]

Saturday, March 29 Pilots vs. Angels at Palm Springs New American League club won first game of series back on March 13 and added its second victory by 8-5 score at Palm Springs March 29. Mincher started Pilots rolling with two-run homer in first inning. Steve Barber, who was winning pitcher, also hit homer, as well as triple. Series standing: Pilots, 2-0; Angels, 0-2.

Sunday, March 30 Pilots vs. Angels “B” at Holtville Harper and Hegan both had stolen bases in Pilots’ victory 2-0. Series standing: Pilots, 3-0; Angels, 0-3.

[Tailwind Tommy]

Tuesday, April 1 Angels vs. Pilots at Tempe Pilots made it four victories in row by beating Angels, 14-9, in wild game here, April 1. Stuart came through with grand slam homer as pinch-hitter for Angels, but Pilots enjoyed two big innings. Eleven men went to bat in third, when Pilots scored five runs off Tom Murphy, and 11 more marched to plate in sixth, when they added seven tainted tallies off Pedro Borbon. Series standing: Pilots, 4-0; Angels, 0-4.

Wednesday, April 2 Angels vs. Pilots at Tempe After losing four straight games to Pilots, Angels salvaged finale of their spring series when Tom Egan drove in two runs with two-out double in ninth inning to defeat expansion club, 6-4, April 2. Dick Stuart homered with man on base for Angels, while Don Mincher rapped three-run blow for Pilots. Final series standing: Pilots, 4-1; Angels, 1-4.

[Tailwind Tommy]

Saturday, April 5 Pilots vs. Padres at San Diego pdd rain

Sunday, April 6 (2) Pilots vs. Padres at San Diego Splitting pair of seven-inning games, Padres won opener, 8-2, and Pilots took nightcap, 4-3, April 6. Padres clinched lid-lifter with six runs in first inning, three scoring on inside-the-park homer by Chris Cannizzaro. In second contest, Pilots scored two runs in fifth inning with aid of two errors and added their other markers in sixth on triple by Mike Hegan, two walks and single by John Kennedy . Ivan Murrell homered with two men on base to account for Padres’ tallies. Double-header was scheduled after clubs had been rained out April 5. They had split two earlier games this spring in Arizona. Final series standing: Pilots, 2-2; Padres, 2-2.

Spring Standings (Final) American League Western Division:

Club W. L. Pct.

Chicago White Sox 14 12 .538
Minnesota Twins 12 12 .500
California Angels 13 14 .481
Kansas City Royals 11 15 .423
Seattle Pilots 11 15 .423
Oakland Athletics 10 14 .417