Several lawsuits against Major League Baseball from Seattle over the move of the Pilots to Milwaukee almost resulted in the White Sox being moved to the Emerald City in . An elaborate scheme for a franchise shuffle soon came to light. The White Sox were to be moved to Seattle, then the Oakland Athletics were to take the White Sox's place in Comiskey Park. Oakland owner Charlie Finley was from nearby La Porte, Indiana. His A's had not drawn well during their Championship years in Oakland, California, and he wanted to bring them to Chicago. However, the shuffle collapsed when owner John Allyn sold the team to the physically rehabilitated Bill Veeck. In , the Seattle Mariners were created, thus restoring the major leagues' presence in the Pacific Northwest.