1968 Oakland Athletics season
Encyclopedia
The Oakland Athletics
season was the team's first season in Oakland, following their relocation from Kansas City
. Their first season in the Bay Area
involved the A's finishing sixth in the American League
with a record of 82 wins and 80 losses, 21 games behind the eventual World Series
champion Detroit Tigers
. Managed by Bob Kennedy
, their 82-80 record was the team's first winning season since 1952
, when the franchise was still in Philadelphia. The paid attendance for the season was 837,466.
to take a position as Executive Vice President and consultant. DiMaggio needed two more years of baseball service to qualify for the league’s maximum pension allowance. In addition, Finley signed Phil Seghi
to run the A’s farm system (of note, Seghi signed Pete Rose
to his first major league contract).
, Jim "Catfish" Hunter
pitched the first perfect game
in the American League since 1922, but the paid attendance in Oakland was only 6,298.
LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: GCL A's
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
season was the team's first season in Oakland, following their relocation from Kansas City
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
. Their first season in the Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
involved the A's finishing sixth in the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
with a record of 82 wins and 80 losses, 21 games behind the eventual World Series
1968 World Series
The 1968 World Series featured the defending champion St. Louis Cardinals against the Detroit Tigers, with the Tigers winning in seven games for their first championship since 1945, and the third in their history...
champion Detroit Tigers
1968 Detroit Tigers season
The Detroit Tigers won the 1968 World Series, defeating the St. Louis Cardinals 4 games to 3. The 1968 baseball season, known as the "Year of the Pitcher," was the Tigers' 68th since they entered the American League in 1901, their eighth pennant, and third World Series championship...
. Managed by Bob Kennedy
Bob Kennedy
Robert Daniel Kennedy was a right fielder/third baseman, manager and executive in Major League Baseball.From 1939-1957, Kennedy played for the Chicago White Sox , Cleveland Indians , Baltimore Orioles , Detroit Tigers and Brooklyn Dodgers . He batted and threw right-handed...
, their 82-80 record was the team's first winning season since 1952
1952 Philadelphia Athletics season
The Philadelphia Athletics season involved the A's finishing fourth in the American League with a record of 79 wins and 75 losses.- Regular season :...
, when the franchise was still in Philadelphia. The paid attendance for the season was 837,466.
Relocation to Oakland
- On October 18, 1967, American League owners at last gave Finley permission to move the Athletics to Oakland for the 1968 season. According to some reports, AL President Joe CroninJoe CroninJoseph Edward Cronin was a Major League Baseball shortstop and manager.During a 20-year playing career, he played from 1926–45 for three different teams, primarily for the Boston Red Sox. Cronin was a major league manager from 1933–47...
promised Finley that he could move the team after the 1967 season as an incentive to sign the new lease with Municipal StadiumMunicipal Stadium (Kansas City)Kansas City Municipal Stadium was a baseball and football stadium that formerly stood in Kansas City, Missouri. It hosted the minor league Kansas City Blues of the American Association from 1923 to 1954 and the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro Leagues during the same period...
. The move came in spite of approval by voters in Jackson County, MissouriJackson County, MissouriJackson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. With a population of 674,158 in the 2010 census, Jackson County is the second most populous of Missouri's counties, after St. Louis County. Kansas City, the state's most populous city and focus city of the Kansas City Metropolitan...
of a bond issue for a brand new baseball stadium (the eventual Kauffman StadiumKauffman StadiumEwing M. Kauffman Stadium is a Major League Baseball stadium located in Kansas City, Missouri, and home to the Kansas City Royals of the American League. Together with Arrowhead Stadium, home of the National Football League's Kansas City Chiefs, it is a part of the Truman Sports Complex...
) to be completed in . During their 13-year stay in Kansas City, the Athletics were arguably one of the worst teams in baseball history, finishing last or next-to-last place in 10 of those years. Their overall record was 829–1,224, for a winning percentage of .404. - October 22, 1967: Charlie Finley arrived at the Oakland Airport and was greeted by 400 fans. Finley had signed a 20 year lease ($125,000 US per year or 5% of gate revenues if attendance passed 1.45 million a season) to bring the A’s to Oakland.
Front office
Finley had persuaded Joe DiMaggioJoe DiMaggio
Joseph Paul "Joe" DiMaggio , nicknamed "Joltin' Joe" and "The Yankee Clipper," was an American Major League Baseball center fielder who played his entire 13-year career for the New York Yankees. He is perhaps best known for his 56-game hitting streak , a record that still stands...
to take a position as Executive Vice President and consultant. DiMaggio needed two more years of baseball service to qualify for the league’s maximum pension allowance. In addition, Finley signed Phil Seghi
Phil Seghi
Philip Dominic Seghi was an American front-office executive in Major League Baseball. A longtime associate of Gabe Paul, Seghi was credited with scouting and signing Pete Rose, the all-time leader in hits, when Seghi was farm system and scouting director of the Cincinnati Reds in 1960...
to run the A’s farm system (of note, Seghi signed Pete Rose
Pete Rose
Peter Edward Rose , nicknamed "Charlie Hustle", is a former Major League Baseball player and manager. Rose played from 1963 to 1986, and managed from 1984 to 1989....
to his first major league contract).
Notable transactions
- October 19, 1967: Andy KoscoAndy KoscoAndy Kosco is a former Major League Baseball player who was affiliated at various times with the Minnesota Twins, New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers, California Angels, Boston Red Sox, and Cincinnati Reds....
was purchased by the Athletics from the Minnesota TwinsMinnesota TwinsThe Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
. - January 27, 1968: 1968 Major League Baseball Draft1968 Major League Baseball Draft-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1968 Major League Baseball draft.* Did not sign- Background :The Los Angeles Dodgers laid the groundwork for their championship clubs of the 1970s with an outstanding draft...
(January Draft) notable picks:
-
- Round 1: George HendrickGeorge HendrickGeorge Andrew Hendrick Jr. is a former major league outfielder for the Oakland Athletics, Cleveland Indians, San Diego Padres, Pittsburgh Pirates and California Angels. However Hendrick is best remembered as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals, for whom he played for from 1979–84. He was a...
- Round 2: Reggie SandersReggie Sanders (first baseman)Reginald Jerome Sanders , is a retired Major League Baseball player. He played 26 games, mostly at first base, for the Detroit Tigers in .-External links:...
- Round 1: George Hendrick
- Secondary Phase:
- Round 2: Ray PetersRay PetersRaymond James Peters is a retired American professional baseball player and a former Major League pitcher. Peters, a , right-hander, attended Harvard University. He was drafted by the Seattle Pilots in the first round of the 1969 amateur draft...
(did not sign)
- Round 2: Ray Peters
Regular season
On May 8, in a game against the Minnesota Twins1968 Minnesota Twins season
The Minnesota Twins season was a season in American baseball. The team finished 79-83, seventh in the American League.- Offseason :* January 27, 1968: Eric Soderholm was drafted by the Twins in the 1st round of the secondary phase of the 1968 Major League Baseball Draft.- Regular season :Leadoff...
, Jim "Catfish" Hunter
Catfish Hunter
James Augustus "Catfish" Hunter , was a Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. During a 15-year baseball career, he pitched from 1965-1979 for both the Oakland Athletics and the New York Yankees...
pitched the first perfect game
Perfect game
A perfect game is defined by Major League Baseball as a game in which a pitcher pitches a victory that lasts a minimum of nine innings and in which no opposing player reaches base. Thus, the pitcher cannot allow any hits, walks, hit batsmen, or any opposing player to reach base safely for any...
in the American League since 1922, but the paid attendance in Oakland was only 6,298.
Notable transactions
- June 7, 1968: 1968 Major League Baseball Draft1968 Major League Baseball Draft-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1968 Major League Baseball draft.* Did not sign- Background :The Los Angeles Dodgers laid the groundwork for their championship clubs of the 1970s with an outstanding draft...
(June Draft) notable picks:
-
- Round 1: Pete BrobergPete BrobergPeter Sven Broberg , was a former professional baseball pitcher in the Major Leagues from -. He played for the Washington Senators/Texas Rangers, Milwaukee Brewers, Chicago Cubs, and Oakland Athletics. He was drafted in 1971, and went straight to the Major Leagues...
(did not sign) - Round 6: Rich TroedsonRich TroedsonRichard La Monte Troedson is a former pitcher in Major League Baseball who played from through for the San Diego Padres. Listed at 6' 1", 170 lb., Troedson batted and threw left-handed...
(did not sign). - Round 26: John StrohmayerJohn StrohmayerJohn Emery Strohmayer is a former pitcher in Major League Baseball. He was drafted by the Oakland Athletics in 1968, and made his Major League debut in 1970 for the Montreal Expos. He played with them until the July of 1973, when he was claimed by the New York Mets off waivers...
- Round 1: Pete Broberg
Roster
| 1968 Oakland Athletics | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roster | |||||||||
| Pitchers |
Catchers Infielders |
Outfielders Other batters |
Manager Coaches |
||||||
Starters by position
Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in| Pos | Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | 82 | 246 | 47 | .191 | 7 | 28 | |
| 2B | 127 | 363 | 80 | .220 | 2 | 27 | |
Other batters
Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in| Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 66 | 196 | 42 | .214 | 3 | 23 | |
Starting pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36 | 234 | 13 | 13 | 3.35 | 173 | |
| 35 | 225.1 | 12 | 14 | 3.00 | 168 | |
| 36 | 185 | 10 | 11 | 3.11 | 105 | |
Other pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Relief pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | W | L | SV | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 54 | 4 | 4 | 11 | 4.10 | 44 | |
| 52 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 2.39 | 72 | |
| 47 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3.28 | 34 | |
| 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4.30 | 26 | |
Farm system
- Life Magazine had declared the A's to have the best minor league system in professional baseball. Finley had spent $2.5 million on bonus contracts as a way of getting prospects to sign with his club.
LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: GCL A's