I know this is a site on old PCL baseball, but I love the modern game as well. Even though I'd love to have been around in the good ol' days the old timers talk about. But some day I'll tell people about the good old days when I saw the A's and Dodgers play in the 1988 World Series. It was a dream come true. My boss had MVP season tickets and was able to purchase extra tickets for the Series. Three pairs of tickets. I was hoping I'd be lucky enough to get the bleacher seat tickets to one of the games.

 Who would complain about where you sat? It was the World Series! Well, the A's had really made a poor go at it and were trailing 3 games to 1. Looked like my chances of going to a game were growing slim. I'd asked my best friend, Matt, if he'd be able to go on a moments notice. He said he would be ready in the event I'd land tickets to the game. In the early afternoom my boss, called me into his office, he told me he didn't feel good about the A's chances of pulling things out. He hands me a pair of tickets, and as I looked down I see "Field Box" Sec-112 Row-7. What you have to realize is row 7 is like row 3, because you're right behind the dugout. WOW!, these were those seats you dream about as a kid. You grow up watching the big games and saying to yourself..."look at those those lucky guys".

Well, that was Matt and I. First thing we did is stop by a sporting goods store on our way to the game. I told Matt, 'I need to find a Charlie Finley bright A's yellow T-shirt." Matt asked why I needed that? Because someday I'll see highlights and say, look...there I am." LOL. I actually did say to my son one day, "look there I am in that clip they just ran". He looked at me as if I was crazy. "Dad that's just a blurry yellow dot." But I knew it was me. Well I was on Netflicks and I see that I can rent game 5 of the 1988 Series. I took a few frame captures for proof. Still a little blury...But thats me and Matt: 

I often hear from the families of ex-coast leaguers, and they often say they'd love to find a Zee-nut of their relatives. For many, this is cherished heirloom to pass down to future generations. But, a career can not be measured by whether or not an individual player ever appeared on a baseball card. Most minor leaguers in the early days of the game never appeared on baseball cards. Although, many of those fortunate to play in the Pacific Coast League found their likeness appearing in the Zee-Nuts series produced from 1911 to 1936.

Guidio Simoni made it onto the San Francisco Seals' team photo in 1932. Unfortunately, he never appeared on a Zee-nut. Teammate, Vince DiMaggio appeared in the 1932 team photo but not on a 1932 Zeenut. Vince did appear on a 1933 card.

Has anyone seen this clip? Amazing that something like this is still around for our enjoyment. I wonder were it came from. I'd like to know if there are others like it in an archive somewhere. I dug up some info. If you look close there is a female in a PCL Oakland Oaks baseball uniform. The banner in the film reads "Doraldina" Pitcher and "Pop Anson " Catcher. Doraldina was a well-known dancer of the era. Pop was a well known 20th century ball player, better known as Cap Anson. Also many of the Oakland Oaks are wearing a Red Cross. The Red Cross was a big deal. This was 1918 and WWI was in full swing. The war almost destroyed baseball the year before. Question was, "was baseball vital to the was effort." The general thinking in 1918 was that baseball could be viewed as unpatriotic. These able bodied men should either be in the armed services or building ships to help the war effort. Here you see the Oaks trying to aid in the war effort. The proceeds from the days gum and candy sales were to be given to the Red Cross. Check out the dog, "To Hound the Kaiser". That is funny. Sure there is a story behind dressing up the dog with flags.This is a rare look into what baseball was in the early days. Imagine what this was like to be at a game between the Oakland Oaks and San Francisco Seals. (Source )