Once again, aoulless MLB is robbing its fans

Arcadia Publishing's book, "San Francisco Seals," described DiMaggio as a legend who could "do it all," run, throw, hit and field." Moreover, authors Martin Jacobs and Jack McGuire wrote, DiMaggio had "plenty of guts and hustle," and his "mind was always ahead of the game."

Down through the years, many great Seals stories have been told and retold. The best among them involves the team's fastidious multimillionaire owner, Paul Fagan.

In February, 1950, Fagan banned husked peanuts' sale in Seals Stadium, and instead offered fans salted peanuts. Fagan had done the math, and in a written statement, complained that "We lose five cents on every bag of peanuts sold in the ballpark. That's $20,000 a year. It costs us 7 1/2 cents to pick up the husks and our profit on a dime bag is just 2 1/2 cents. The goober has to go."

Backlash was immediate. C.L "Brick" Laws, who owned the Seals' cross-bay rival Oakland Oaks, chided Fagan. Laws asked Fagan if he planned to delete "buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jacks... " in the old Tin Pan Alley song "Take Me Out to the ballgame." A day later, Fagan relinquished, ruefully admitting that "Mr. Peanut wins."

In his autobiography, Di Maggio explained why the league was minor league players' preferred destination. "I had the good luck to spend my entire minor league career in the PCL, in which all travel and accommodations were first-class, and with my hometown team, the San Francisco Seals, at that."

Years ago, I met a 92-year-old San Francisco native who told me that the Seals, driven out of town in 1958 by the ML--Giants, "are still number one in my heart," a sentiment that most minor league team rooters share.

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Joe Guzzardi is a Society for American Baseball Research and Internet Baseball Writers Association member. Contact him at guzzjoe@yahoo.com