The first major league baseball game I attended was a Pilots game at Sick's with my dad. I was seven years old and I'm fairly certain it was the June 26th game vs. the White Sox, since I remember the Pilots winning a low scoring one-run game. My dad left our family two months later and I didn't see or hear from him again until I was in college. That, coupled with the Pilots leaving town was quite a bit for a seven-year-old to take. I became a Mariners fan and have attended hundreds of games with my dad (who has since returned) but constantly wonder what might have been if he and the Pilots had remained.

I didn't read Ball Four until the late 1980s and Bouton's book started what has become a fascination with me: I have become a minor collector of Pilots items. I have found that over time this has helped me recall childhood memories that had long been forgotten (I guess it's cheaper than therapy!).

My uncle is also a big Pilots fan and I had the pleasure of giving him a framed 8 x 10 team photo and an autographed Gene Brabender photo for his birthday recently. He also worked at CX Corp., which was the first business operated on the Sick's Stadium site after its demolition.

I also play in the same baseball league as [Pilots minor league pitcher] Tom Berg, although I'm in the 30+ division but may soon move up into the 40+ division that the Pilots play in. My only complaint is with their uniforms. They have the spring training version, which is O.K., except that they're white with blue pinstripes. They should trade the pinstipes in for the blue and yellow Captain's stripes on the sleeves. One of the veteran players in our league, Dick Fitzgerald, told me that he played minor league ball for Joe Schultz in the '50s. According to Dick, Joe encouraged the players to "pound the Bud" even back then. He even made the team stay out all night after losing about 10 games in a row, and they went on to win their next game! Thanks for all the memories you've helped to re-kindle. This is a great site!
—JDNaranjo

I really enjoyed your site! I'm not from this area (Oklahoma, actually), but I've always been intrigued by the whole Pilots saga. Maybe it's because 1969 was the year I was born...

Anyway, it's amazing to me how many people don't even know that the Pilots ever existed. The other day, I happened to be down at Eagle (now Lowe's) on Rainier Ave. As maudlin as it seems, I couldn't resist standing next to that goofy steel baseball player cutout which eerily stands at the plate--as if someone forgot to tell him, "Hey buddy, you missed the bus to Milwaukee. The ballpark's gone...but look at these deals on lighting and cabinets in aisle 47!" I squinted into the outfield--okay, I was actually looking at the side of the concrete monolith that is Lowe's or Eagle or whatever the hell they wanna call themselves. Adding to the surrealism is the store's cocktail of fresh lumber and hot dog bar: ghosts that refuse to vacate the site even though tag-ups have been traded for toggle bolts; line drives sent down by linesman's pliers--their services are still under contract. I would encourage any true baseball fan to go down there and be a dork for a few seconds.

Somewhere back in OK, we have a paperback book which has a synopsis (for lack of a better term) of every team in the 1969-1970 season. It bears a MLB logo on the cover. I distinctly remember the Seattle Pilots being in the book because, instead of a team photo, there's simply an aerial view of Sick's Stadium. I'll have to look for that when I go home for a visit.

It sure was great watching the M's this year, and it's quite a kick knowing that most Mariner fans are unaware of just how deep Lou Piniella's baseball roots are here in Seattle. I have yet to go to Safeco, and never did make it to the Kingdome. Even though I heard about what a dump it was, I feel a modicum of remorse for not including myself in a bit of Pilots history. I'm sure they would have been ecstatic to play ball in it.
—cogs13

I have some additional information on the Wheeldon prints. They were also done for the Mets in 1969. They were given out at Citgo stations when you bought gas. Even though I'm a Yankees fan, I've kept the ones I received in 1969. I have Tommie Agee, Ken Boswell, Gary Gentry, Jerry Grote, Cleon Jones, Tom Seaver, Ed Kranepool and Jerry Koosman. I don't know if that is a full set. Unfortunately, way back then I put three-hole punches in them along the side to fit in a notebook. Oh well, they look great anyway.
—rarruzza

NOTE FROM MIKE: If you have any additional information about the Wheeldon prints, please let me know.