Baseball historian G. Michael Green discusses his new biography of Charlie Finley, the former owner of the Athletics who moved the team from Kansas City to Oakland, on Thursday, July 15, at 6:30 p.m. at the Central Library, 14 W. 10th St.

Co-authored with Roger D. Launius, Charlie Finley: The Outrageous Story of Baseball’s Super Showman explains how Finley built a team that would win five straight division titles and three straight World Series with players such as Reggie Jackson, Catfish Hunter, and Rollie Fingers.

Finley, though, was as well known for his conflicts with Major League Baseball Commissioner Bowie Kuhn as he was for the success of his teams. When Finley moved to dismantle the Athletics in 1976 after losing Hunter to free agency, Kuhn invoked the rarely-used "best interest of baseball" clause to void the sale of key players.

The book will be available for sale, and Green will sign copies purchased during the event.