Art Popham Recreated Tacoma Baseball

Art Popham, business columnist for The News Tribune and former public relations director for the Oakland Athletics, died at age 52 in July of 2002. Popham, a Kansas City, Mo., native who always wore the World Series ring he was given while working for with the A’s, died of complications from a stroke. Blind in one eye from diabetes that struck in childhood and that also caused heart problems, Mr. Popham spent the last 25 years in Tacoma and joined the daily newspaper in 1991, writing mainly about small businesses and entrepreneurs. He grew up in Kansas City and became a batboy for the Athletics while in high school. He left Kansas University at age 20 to become public relations director after the club moved to Oakland. In Tacoma, Popham broadcast minor league baseball games and hosted a talk show on KTAC radio before taking the newspaper job. (Excerpts from the Seattle P-I)