The 1969 Seattle Pilots season was the only season of the Seattle Pilots, a Major League Baseball team. As an expansion team in the American League, along with the Kansas City Royals, the Pilots were placed in the newly established West division. They finished last among the six teams with a record of 64–98, 33 games behind the division champion Minnesota Twins. Fewer than 678,000 fans came to see the Pilots, which ranked 20th of the 24 major league teams — a major reason why the team was forced into bankruptcy after only one season. Despite the poor conditions at aging Sick's Stadium, the ticket prices were among the highest in the major leagues. The bankruptcy sale of the team was approved by a federal court in Seattle on March 31, and the team moved to Milwaukee at the end of spring training for the 1970 season and became the Milwaukee Brewers. Milwaukee had lost the Braves to Atlanta after the 1965 season. A book about the season exists called The 1969 Seattle Pilots: Major League Baseball's One-Year Team. Part of the Pilots' season was also documented in the book Ball Four by Jim Bouton. In 2020, a book specifically about the behind-the-scenes management of the team and its move to Milwaukee titled Inside Pitch: Insiders Reveal How the Ill-Fated Seattle Pilots Got Played into Bankruptcy in One Year by Rick Allen was released. After the Pilots, there would not be another MLB team in Seattle until the birth of the Mariners in 1977.
1968 MLB June amateur draft and minor league affiliates
The Pilots and Kansas City Royals, along with the two National League expansion teams set to debut in 1969, the Montreal Expos and San Diego Padres, were allowed to participate in the June 1968 MLB first-year player draft, although the new teams were barred from the lottery's first three rounds. The Pilots drafted 29 players in the 1968 June draft, including future major league manager Tom Kelly and starting pitcherBill Parsons. Seattle affiliated with one minor league club during 1968 to develop drafted players; the roster was filled out by professional and amateur free agents that had been signed and players loaned from other organizations.
1968 farm system
Regular season
On Tuesday, April 8, the Pilots won their first-ever game, 4–3 at Anaheim Stadium over the California Angels. Twenty-six-year-old Pilots' starter Marty Pattin went five innings, allowing two earned runs for Seattle. RHP Jack Aker earned the save. RF Mike Hegan hit Seattle's first-ever HR, a two-run shot off Jim McGlothlin CAL, after 2b Tommy Harper SEA had doubled to left to begin the Pilots' existence.
On the afternoon of Friday, April 11, the Pilots played, and won, their first American League game at Sick's Stadium in Seattle – 7–0 over the Chicago White Sox. Thirty-two-year-old righty Gary Bell tossed a complete game for Seattle, scattering nine hits, striking out six Sox and walking four. Bell also helped his own cause by stroking a two-run double off RHP Bob Locker CHW in the bottom of the sixth. 1b Don Mincher SEA hit a two-run HR off RHP Joe Horlen CHW in the third. The official attendance was 14 993.
On July 2, Reggie Jackson of the Oakland Athletics hit three home runs against the Pilots to raise his season total to 34 home runs.
In the 1969 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, outfielder Mike Hegan was the only Pilot selected to the All-Star game on the reserved squad. However, due to injury, he would be replaced by his teammate, infielder Don Mincher.
Season standings
Record vs. opponents
The first game
April 8, Anaheim Stadium, Anaheim, California
Opening Day lineup
Notable transactions
April 1, 1969: Lou Piniella was traded by the Pilots to the Kansas City Royals for Steve Whitaker and John Gelnar.
May 27, 1969: Jim Pagliaroni was purchased by the Pilots from the Oakland Athletics.
