Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 9 › Conversation 009-131

Nixon phone call with Ziegler on California Angels and Public relations

Wednesday, September 22, 1971 · 6:49 PM–6:51 PM ET · White House Telephone · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Ziegler, Ronald L.Conversation009-131 on Tape 9 (tape position 04:35:28–04:37:30)StartWednesday, September 22, 1971 at 6:49 PMEndWednesday, September 22, 1971 at 6:51 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 009-131 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Press Secretary Ronald Ziegler discuss a public relations strategy to frame the President as a new fan of the California Angels baseball team. Following the departure of the Washington Senators, Nixon decides to establish Angel Stadium in Anaheim as his new home ballpark for ceremonial first pitches. Nixon directs Ziegler to coordinate with Robert Finch to contact team owners Gene Autry and Robert Reynolds to generate media coverage and build support for this narrative in California.

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Names and numbers are often wrong; speakers are not identified. Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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· Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).
Mr. Ziegler, Mr. President.
Yes, sir.
Ron, I wonder what you were...
I was thinking I should have checked this with you earlier with regard to that Angel thing.
That's a damn good story.
Did you...
Yes, I'd move.
Yes, sir.
Yeah.
But I was thinking if you might get a hold of Finch and have him call Gene Autry and, you know, the other owner of the Angels, which is the name of our old friend from Stanford.
Oh, well... Yeah.
Yeah.
I can't think of a minute.
Yeah.
But anyway, but that's a hell of a story for California and the sports editor out there, you know.
I mean, Nixon now becomes an angel fan.
Oh, sure.
Now, understand, don't count on it's moving from here.
That won't do it.
But we've got to move it ourselves, you know, feed it out.
Well, yes.
Reynolds.
Reynolds.
Reynolds.
But, I mean, Bob Finch loves to do these things.
Let him call Reynolds and Autry and have them build it up that...
The president has become an angel fan.
He's going to come the opening game for the angels.
All right, fine.
Was it moved?
Oh, yes, on the wires.
And I know the angels are aware of that, but I have feds do this.
And also the L.A. Times and Hearst and everyone were here at the briefing this morning.
Will they use it?
Oh, absolutely.
I'm sure they will.
But we'll do this other, too.
You see, it's very important for them to understand that this is because—
In a very real sense, it has historical significance.
Here, the president, for 71 years, has thrown off the ball in the Washington ballpark.
And they're going to happen next time.
And I'm not going to let it happen.
But I will throw out the ball, and every president should, in his home ballpark.
Mine's going to be Angel Stadium.
Okay, sir.
In Anaheim.
And I think that's, did you tell the boys that that's what I was going to do?
Yes, sir.
Covered it in detail.
I said I'd just talk to you about it, and I, you know, went through the whole thing.
But I think letting Bob get into this, let's really build it up out there.
Okay?
Okay, sir.
Bye.
Bye.

NARA Description

On September 22, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler talked on the telephone from 6:49 pm to 6:51 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 009-131 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 9-131

Date: September 22, 1971
Time: 6:49 pm - 6:51 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Ronald L. Ziegler.

[See Conversation No. 279-43]

     Sports stories
          -California Angels
                 -Ziegler's call to Robert H. Finch
                      -Finch's call to [Orvon] Gene Autry and Robert O. Reynolds
                             -The President
                                    -Fan
                 -Los Angeles Times
                 -Hearst media
                 -Opening game
          -Departure of Washington Senators

Also recorded on September 22, 1971

  • 279-042 6:48 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 6:48 pm to 6:49 pm.
  • 279-043 6:49 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 6:49 pm to 6:51 pm.
  • 009-132 6:51 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 6:51 pm and 6:55 pm.
  • 279-044 6:51 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 6:51 pm and 6:55 pm.
  • 279-045 6:51 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 6:51 pm and 6:55 pm.
  • 279-046 6:51 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 6:51 pm and 6:55 pm.
  • 009-133 6:55 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Robert H. Finch talked on the telephone from 6:55 pm to 6:57 pm.
  • 279-047 6:55 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Robert H. Finch met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 6:55 pm to 6:57 pm.

All 84 conversations from September 22, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 009-131, September 22, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/009-131 (accessed October 12, 2026).