Go Go You Pilots (BaseballHistoryShorts.com)

This is a clip from what appears to be a post-season promotional video in the unsuccessful effort to hold onto the Seattle Pilots, the American League expansion team that lasted just a year in town. The entire video is an unceasingly positive spin on what by all accounts was a disastrous first season in Seattle. Problems were numerous. The team lost money and attendance was poor. Minor league Sick's Stadium was still being expanded on Opening Day and seated just 17,000 when the Pilots began play. The park often lacked water pressure after the 7th inning. and the team itself was barely passable, losing 98 games and finishing 33 games behind the Twins. And that was all before Jim Bouton released Ball Four.

Perhaps lacking much in the way of hitting or fielding highlights, this video shows an exorbitant number of fights and arguments, as seen here rather disjointedly juxtaposed with a hokey fight song entitled "Go, go, You Pilots."

While the voice-over talks of division titles and all-star games in the Pilots future, by April of 1970 the Pilots had given up their wings after flying off to Bud Selig and Milwaukee to become the Brewers.

For more on how the game has changed, go to BaseballHistoryShorts.com
Copyright Major League Baseball