356:. The Brewers took the field with the outline of the old Pilots logo clearly visible on their uniforms, and Milkes was allowed to finish the season—during which Milwaukee won 65 games (one more than the Pilots had won the previous year), finished fourth in the AL West, and attracted 933,000 fans. Then, on December 17, 1970, Milkes turned in his resignation.
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than 10 days late in paying the players, they would have all become free agents and left
Seattle without a team for the 1970 season. With this in mind, Federal Bankruptcy Referee Sidney C. Volinn declared the Pilots bankrupt on March 31—seven days before Opening Day—clearing the way for them to move to Milwaukee. The team's equipment had been sitting in
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called a $ 4 million loan as part of debt from the
Soriano-Daley group. Another local group put together a nonprofit bid to buy the team, but this bid was rejected out of concerns it would devalue the other clubs. Another, more traditional bid by the same people fronting the nonprofit group fell one
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As spring training drew to a close, Pilots players and management were unsure whether to report to
Seattle or Milwaukee to begin the 1970 season. At the bankruptcy hearing, Milkes testified that the Pilots no longer had enough money to pay the coaches, players and office staff. Had Milkes been more
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By the end of the season, the Pilots had almost run out of money. It was obvious that the Pilots would not be able to hold out long enough in
Seattle for a new stadium to be built unless new owners were found. It was also obvious that those new owners would have to move fast to build a new stadium,
245:: "As soon as a general manager says , check your wallet. It's like Marvin Milkes telling you, 'We've always had a nice relationship.' The truth is general managers aren't honest with their players, and they have no relationship with them except a business one."
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expansion franchise in 1969. MLB gave tentative approval for the sale to Selig's group, but the state of
Washington got a temporary injunction to stop the sale. In response, the Pilots filed for
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372:. But Milkes' tenure was brief; he resigned eight months into the job. Almost a decade later, in 1981, Milkes was general manager of Soccer Los Angeles, which operated the
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As it turned out, Milkes' resignation signaled the end of a 25-year baseball career. His next job, in
February 1972, was as the first general manager in the history of the
238:, and Milkes would not escape Bouton's scorn as an example of a baseball executive willing to deceive his players for the benefit of the club's ownership and management.
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Although he drafted many veterans from the 1968 expansion pool, Milkes also chose younger players who would go on to long and successful Major League careers—including
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261:, that was intended only as a stopgap until a domed stadium could be built. The team was outdrafted by its expansion twin, the
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Unfortunately for Milkes, the Pilots' tenure in
Seattle would be the shortest of any franchise in modern MLB history and
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With the move being approved on such short notice, Selig and his syndicate were compelled to retain Milkes and the new
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72:(August 10, 1923 – January 31, 1982) was an American front office executive in three professional sports:
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as Sick's
Stadium was inadequate even for temporary use. A local group was forced to withdraw when the
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season, Milkes worked to keep the
Missions franchise alive, securing a working agreement with the
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would be the team's lasting legacy. The Pilots played in a former minor league facility,
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and—when that franchise was transferred after its only season in the
Pacific Northwest—
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Slightly more than two months later, on January 31, 1982, Milkes died of an apparent
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with the drivers awaiting word on whether to drive toward Seattle or Milwaukee.
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as caretaker CEO and tasked him with watching over the foundering franchise.
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vote short of approval. The American League was concerned enough to appoint
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119:' Minor League Executive of the Year Award (Lower Classification) in
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Bouton wrote on August 26, 1969, after Milkes had traded him to the
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New York and Cleveland: The World Publishing Co., 1970, page 327.
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202:—the Pilots—Milkes was named its first general manager.
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during the 1968 season. Bouton would immortalize the
150:. When the Orioles dropped the affiliation after the
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North American Soccer League (1968–1984) executives
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387:at a Los Angeles health club. He was 58 years old.
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40:
25:
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281:, who got almost half the stock in return.
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182:. Serving as assistant general manager to
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84:. He is perhaps best known as the first
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337:to forestall any further legal action.
646:Major League Baseball general managers
217:. But his most famous acquisition was
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626:20th-century American businesspeople
671:World Hockey Association executives
428:St. Louis: The Sporting News, 1969.
329:to Milwaukee, and failed to land a
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360:After baseball: hockey and soccer
103:when he became an executive with
99:Milkes' baseball career began in
656:Minor league baseball executives
443:Seattle Pilots/Milwaukee Brewers
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641:Los Angeles Angels executives
368:, a franchise in the upstart
267:American League West Division
88:in the history of baseball's
651:Milwaukee Brewers executives
636:California Angels executives
378:North American Soccer League
297:As the Pilots got ready for
424:Spink, C. C. Johnson, ed.,
325:. It had tried to lure the
265:, and finished last in the
232:Pilots in his memoir/diary
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123:as general manager of the
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440:
434:
426:The 1968 Baseball Guide.
370:World Hockey Association
309:. This group, headed by
249:One and done in Seattle
135:, he was the GM of the
52:Los Angeles, California
437:Franchise established
224:, purchased from the
74:Major League Baseball
196:Pacific Coast League
137:San Antonio Missions
631:Baseball executives
537:Milwaukee Brewers (
352:he had just hired,
162:At the Pilots' helm
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109:St. Louis Cardinals
418:The New York Times
374:Los Angeles Aztecs
287:Bank of California
263:Kansas City Royals
180:Los Angeles Angels
107:affiliates in the
603:
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502:Milwaukee Brewers
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459:Succeeded by
327:Chicago White Sox
275:Cleveland Indians
148:Baltimore Orioles
146:affiliate of the
129:California League
117:The Sporting News
94:Milwaukee Brewers
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507:general managers
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435:Preceded by
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366:New York Raiders
279:William R. Daley
226:New York Yankees
125:Fresno Cardinals
63:Sports executive
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331:National League
299:spring training
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176:expansion teams
172:American League
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131:. Beginning in
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86:general manager
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36:August 10, 1923
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259:Sick's Stadium
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243:Houston Astros
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90:Seattle Pilots
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48:(aged 58)
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20:Marvin Milkes
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385:heart attack
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354:Dave Bristol
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317:move of the
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215:Marty Pattin
207:Lou Piniella
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156:Chicago Cubs
144:Texas League
105:minor league
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46:(1982-01-31)
621:1982 deaths
616:1923 births
343:Provo, Utah
139:, then the
113:farm system
610:Categories
462:Frank Lane
415:Obituary,
405:Ball Four.
391:References
335:bankruptcy
222:Jim Bouton
190:club, the
184:Fred Haney
60:Occupation
32:1923-08-10
543:–present)
311:Bud Selig
307:Milwaukee
292:Roy Hamey
255:Ball Four
235:Ball Four
174:'s first
115:. He won
188:Triple-A
141:Double-A
590:Stearns
453:–
376:of the
350:manager
323:Atlanta
219:pitcher
194:of the
111:' vast
595:Arnold
585:Melvin
580:Taylor
570:Dalton
565:Baumer
560:Wilson
550:Milkes
528:Milkes
319:Braves
277:owner
178:, the
82:hockey
80:, and
78:soccer
54:, U.S.
575:Bando
555:Lane
540:1970
518:1969
455:1970
451:1968
315:1965
303:1970
230:1969
213:and
200:1969
168:1961
152:1958
133:1957
121:1956
101:1946
41:Died
26:Born
321:to
301:in
166:In
612::
209:,
158:.
96:.
76:,
521:)
493:e
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479:v
34:)
30:(
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