1954 Corporate Records for the Incorporation of the Kansas City Athletics

Sold For:

$1,972

Year:

1954

Auction:

2005 Spring

Lot #:

798

Category:

Post-1900 Baseball Memorabilia

We're not sure, but we think if you win this lot you actually become the owner of the Athletics baseball franchise. We say this in jest, but it is perhaps the only way that we can begin to communicate the magnitude of the offered document's substantial, imposing, and official presentation. The offered volume preserves the incorporation papers and early minutes of the Kansas City Athletics Baseball Club. This is a truly unique record, and a fantastic archive of the business dealings of baseball - in this case, the cross-country saga of the Athletics. Between their long history in Philadelphia and their present-day home of Oakland, California, the A's spent the seasons of 1954 through 1967 in Kansas City, Missouri. They moved to Kansas City when the team was sold to Arnold Johnson. Offered here is an ornate, leather-bound book with gold detailing, steel reinforcements, 4to., measuring 9.5 x 11.5 inches (2.5 inches thick). This "MacMillian Minute Book" is filled with hundreds of pages of minutes, documents, contracts, and stock certificates, detailing the corporate history of the Kansas City Athletics from 1954 to 1955. Many documents are signed by Arnold Johnson and the A's Board of Directors (which includes Roy McGillicuddy, Connie Mack's son), and many of the signed documents are notarized. An example of the detail included are the corporate minutes from November 23, 1954 which reference contractual talks with manager Lou Boudreau, who did, in fact, become the Athletics manager, as well as a lengthy statement by Arnold Johnson regarding the difficulties encountered in acquiring the Philadelphia Athletics baseball club. The club remained in Kansas City for twelve seasons. The Athletics acquired Billy Martin in 1957. The team itself was purchased by Charles Finley in 1960. Unhappy with Kansas City, Finley was first denied permission to move the team to Dallas in 1964, but successfully moved the team to Oakland, California, in time for the 1968 season. Overall the book is in Near Mint condition with only a few minor scuffs to the boards, with interior pages Near Mint, including some pages folded over due to their large size, and some important folded documents neatly presented in envelopes mounted on titled pages. This is truly a unique documentation of an important chapter in the history of the Athletics franchise, the nature of which we have never before seen offered for any Major League club from any era. Reserve $500. Estimate $1,000/$2,000. SOLD FOR $1,972.00