How about another Spring Training memory \u2013 this one a dream for hitters and a nightmare for pitchers?\u00a0 Today (March 9) marks the 48^{th<\/sup> anniversary of a Charley Finley-Joe Cronin production known as the \u201cthree-ball walk.\u201d<\/p>\n}

Oakland A\u2019s owner Charlie Finley was, of course, a bit of a maverick \u2013 with all kinds of ideas for changing the game.\u00a0 \u00a0He pioneered colorful uniforms (when the practice was white at home, grey on the road); and lobbied (ahead of his time) for inter-league play, the designated hitter (he was also in favor of designated runners); and post-season night games.<\/p>\n

He also thought an \u201cAlert Orange\u201d baseball might be easier for fans to track and that a three-ball walk might add some excitement (and offense to the game).\u00a0 And, that brings us to March 7, 1971, with the Brewers facing Finley\u2019s A\u2019s in a Spring Training match-up.\u00a0 Finley was successful in getting then AL President Joe Cronin to approve using the \u201cthree-ball walk\u201d for that contest.\u00a0 \u00a0The results were less than impressive \u2013 and the experiment was not tried again. Oh, there was more offense.\u00a0 The A\u2019s won 13-9, but the game also featured 19 walks.\u00a0 (Perhaps Spring Training \u2013 when pitchers are still working out \u201ccommand\u201d issues \u2013 was not the best time to try out a three-ball walk.<\/p>\n

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Tony La Russa – holds the unofficial MLB record for three-ball walks.<\/p><\/div>\n

With pitchers focused on the \u201cshort counts,\u201d the game also featured five home runs, including two (one a Grand slam) by Reggie Jackson.\u00a0 (See the box score below for details.)\u00a0 Poor Jim Slaton, a rookie with the Brewers that season, lasted just 1 2\/3 innings \u2013 giving up six runs on two hits and eight walks (no strikeouts). The 21-year-old would go on to a 10-8, 3.78 record for the Brewers in the regular season – and would win 151 games (158 losses) in 16 MLB campaigns.\u00a0 By the way, nobody took greater advantage of the three-ball walk than Oakland lead off hitter and second baseman Tony La Russa \u2013 who drew four walks in the contest. During the 1971 regular season, La Russa would draw one walk in 32 games (only 16 plate appearances).<\/p>\n

Notably, considering the shape of today\u2019s game, the 19-walk, 24-hit, 19-run, seven-pitch, 37-player contest was completed in two hours and 41 minutes.<\/p>\n

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