A-s Inept A-s They Could Be

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TRIVIA QUESTION:  He batted over .400 in two straight World Series with the Yankees but finished his career in 1965 with the A's and the Braves. Who was he?

 

ANSWER TO TRIVIA QUESTION IN THE PREVIOUS COLUMN: When the Dodger's Tommy Davis drove in 153 runs in 1962, he broke the franchise record set by Roy Campanella when the team played in Brooklyn. Campanella drove in 142 runs in 1953.

The Kansas City A's of the 1960's were an enigma. In three of four years during the middle part of the decade they were as inept as a team could be. From 1964-1967 they lost 393 games, finishing 10th out of 10 teams in three of those seasons. The rest of the decade wasn't much better. When you look at the roster for the 1964 club however, you have to wonder what might have been.

Taking the players in their better years you would have an all-star team for the decade. The 1964 club had the likes of Blue Moon Odom who won at least 15 games three times, Jose Santiago who three years later would lead the AL in winning percentage with Boston at 12-4, Moe Drabowsky who became a premier closer with Baltimore, Ken Sanders who became an outstanding closer with Milwaukee and led the league in 1971 with 31 Saves, Lew Krausse a solid starter later in his career, and John Wyatt, Wes Stock and Jack Aker. The latter three proved to be some of the best relievers in the game combining for 249 Saves. Several of the above later wore World Series rings.

At the plate there was more of the same. Jim Gentile belted 179 career homers and drove in 141 in 1961 to lead the AL. With 374 career home runs, Rocky Colavito would lead the league in RBI the following season (with Cleveland), Bert Campaneris, Ken Harrelson and Jose Tartabull were all budding stars who would have outstanding seasons after 1964. Even Dick Green would have a nice career and eventually play in a World Series. The rest of the team wasn't that bad.

It might have been the presence of team owner Charlie O. Finley who was a character himself (see a previous blog) but what went wrong with a team which could not win?

The team did lack a stopper; a pitcher it could depend on to stop a losing streak and the A's had many losing streaks. The club lost four of it's first five and never looked forward. By May 24th they were 11 games back of the league leaders and the season was pretty much over.

Around that time they lost 10 of 11, won three out of four and promptly lost 10 of their next 12. Then all of a sudden they won eight of their next nine. Could there be a resurgence. They went from 16.5 games back to 13 back and there was a new found spirit in the clubhouse. That lasted for all of ten minutes. Another losing streak (10 out of 11) where the A's scored a total of 17 runs in 11 games. Back to 18.5 games out.

July they lost 9 of 11, then 7 of 9, then 11 of 13, in August and into September 13 of 15, 9 of 10, and finished the season losing four straight. When the dust had cleared they never won more than five straight and never hit .500 on the season.

The worst day was July 25th when they were pounded by the Angles 18-2. Orlando Pena gave up 11 runs with four homers in just four innings. Bo Belinsky shut the A's down on five hits. The teams best day was October 4th when the season mercifully ended. They were shut out by the White Sox in the final two games. It was a season of 57-105.

They started the 1965 season the way 1964 ended. They lost 11 of their first 13. After two wins they promptly lost 10 of 11 and at 5-21 manager Mel McGaha was gone. He had taken over mid way through the previous season. It was basically the same team with almost the same result but two games better with 103 losses.

The big difference perhaps was 1965 which saw the debut of a young pitcher from Hertford, North Carolina by the name of Jim "Catfish" Hunter. The future Hall of Famer started his rookie season and finished 8-8. He got his first win after two losses on July 27th, besting future Cy Young winner, Jim Lonborg in a wild game 10-8. Hunter did not pitch well, giving up five earned runs in five innings but a W is a W and the rest was history. He would go on to win 20 or more games in five straight seasons in the 1970's with the A's and then the Yankees.

Thank you to those of you who purchased my book after reading this column. It has been appreciated. 

Please share this blog with your friends and colleagues and leave a comment at the bottom of the blog if you have one. Thank YOU VERY MUCH!!

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Tommy D; None Better for Two Years

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TRIVIA QUESTION:  When Tommy Davis drove in 153 runs in a season, which Dodger great's record did he surpass?

 

ANSWER TO TRIVIA QUESTION IN THE PREVIOUS COLUMN: One high school in California really has a reputation for turning out great athletes. Vada Pinson, Curt Flood, Frank Robinson and basketball HOFer Bill Russell all attended McClymonds High School. 

At one point in his career the name Tommy Davis struck fear into the hearts of opposing pitchers. Every time he came up to pinch-hit, he shook them to their toes. Tommy Davis did some things with the bat most people have forgotten, but one thing they should never forget was his ability to hit in the pinch.

When he retired he had bested the record of a player only purists remember; Frenchy Bordagaray. Bordagaray played for several teams including the Giants during the depression years and later retired to work for the parks district in Ventura, CA, where he became a local hero. He retired with a lifetime pinch-hit average of .310. When Davis retired he was 63-197 in the pinch for a .312 record.

Davis was known for more than his pinch-hitting. in 1962 at the age fo 23 he had his best year ever. His .346 BA edged Frank Robinson by four points and his 230 hits led the NL along with his 153 RBI. He also smacked a career high 27 homers. The following year he bested Roberto Clemente by half a dozen points at .326 to win his second batting title. That year he led the Dodgers to the World Series where he hit .400 with a pair of triples as Los Angeles beat the Yankees to take the title.

In 1964 he tailed off but still hit a respectable .275 but his homers and RBI dropped substantially. It was 1965 however which pretty much killed his career. On May 1, 1965 in a game against the Giants, he slid into second base awkwardly and dislocated his ankle. He was lost for the year. It opened the door for Lou Johnson who filled in admirably and became a hero when the Dodgers played the Twins in the 1965 Series. 

In 1966 Davis came back to hit .313 but with only three homers and being the fourth outfielder for much of the season it was obvious he was on his way out. He played in the World Series but wasn't much of a factor as the Dodgers were swept by the Orioles in four.

The off season saw him packing his bags for New York as the Dodgers dealt him to the Mets for Ron Hunt and Jim Hickman. Derrell Griffith went along with him.  He hit .302 with 16 homers in his only season in New York before he was shipped off to the American League Chicago White Sox in a multiplayer trade which brought Tommy Agee to New York. It was the trade which was key in building the Miracle Mets of 1969.

Before the decade of the 1960's ended he would also play in Seattle and Houston. He hit .271 in his only season for the Pilots who only had one season in the Northwest city. Davis would end his career with a .294 lifetime average and 153 homers. At times he set franchise records and outperformed teammates including the year of the pitcher; 1968. He led the Sox in batting that season by far at .268

A three time all-star he played for 12 teams in 18 seasons and was often bitter about it. He said he could not understand why he kept being released, or sent elsewhere. His casual style of play may have been a factor because it wasn't his bat. He stated later "the lazier I felt the better I hit", and admitted he often went into the clubhouse to read and even to shave between at bats as a DH with Baltimore.

It was a decent big league career which might have been better if not for the injury. But for two straight seasons there were few better in history, let alone the decade known as the turbulent 60's. 

Thank you to those of you who purchased my book after reading this column. It has been appreciated. 

Please share this blog with your friends and colleagues and leave a comment at the bottom of the blog if you have one. Thank YOU VERY MUCH!!

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Vada Pinson; What Could Have Been

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TRIVIA QUESTION:  What do Vada Pinson, Curt Flood, Frank Robinson and Celtic Bill Russell all have in common?

 

ANSWER TO TRIVIA QUESTION IN THE PREVIOUS COLUMN: Ray Oyler, Bud Harrelson, Dal Maxvil and Roy McMillan were all slightly built shortstops who weighed in the 170 pound range. The ONE physical attribute they all shared however was they were all 5'11" tall. While they were all know mostly for their glove and the fact they were terrible hitters, if they all stood side by side they would all measure the same height. 

It may have been providence, it may have been dumb luck but when the St. Louis Cardinals replaced a retired great for an aging but still lots-left-in-the-tank great, they should have stuck with their first thought. At the end of the 1968 season and a World Series loss to the Detroit Tigers, Roger Maris decided to call it a career. 

The Cards went in search of a new right fielder. Or perhaps they should not have gone outside the organization at all and stuck with what they had. The Cards chose to go outside and sent pitcher Wayne Granger and blossoming outfielder Bobby Tolan to the Reds for long time standout, Vada Pinson. At 29 Pinson was still playing at a high level. His five home runs matched Maris in 1968 but he did hit .271 or better than Maris' .255.

Two seasons earlier he led the league in triples, the second time he'd done that and his career featured four times getting 200 or more hits in a season. He twice led the league in that category and twice led the senior circuit in doubles. He averaged nearly 30 a season. He was also a strong defensive outfielder and looked just like what the Cardinals needed.

Teaming him with Lou Brock and Curt Flood and recently acquired Joe Torre seemed like a way to return to the series in 1969. It would not be a three peat for St. Louis as they fell into fourth place in the newly set up divisional structure. 

The highlight of the season for Pinson came on September 18th against the Pirates. With the Pirates ahead 7-4 in the seventh Pinson came to the plate to face lefty Joe Gibbon with Flood on base. The Cardinal outfielder promptly smacked a Gibbon pitch into the seats for a two run homer, putting the Card's right behind Pittsburgh 7-6. Just as important it was Pinson's 2000th hit of his career. St. Louis would eventually win the game 8-7 making the homer so much sweeter for Pinson.

Ironically, Pinson matched Maris batting average .255 and home run total (5) from the previous season. Despite having his best ever defensive year and leading the entire NL in fielding percentage, at the end of the season St. Louis management felt the experiment did not work and sent Pinson to Cleveland for Jose Cardenal. Not the best move as Pinson went on to record some strong seasons with the Indians and the Angels. In 1970, the year after he was traded he belted 24 homers and hit .286. Four more good years followed before he retired after the next five seasons with 2757 hits, just short of the magic 3000 mark.

For his part Cardenal hit only .243 in his only year as a Cardinal before moving on to several teams and registering around the .300 mark the next six seasons. Perhaps the Cardinals should have stuck with Tolan. Over the next two years for the Reds Tolan played in 152 games each season, collected 380 hits, averaged .310, hit 37 homers, drove in 173 runs and stole 83 bases. They were the only really good seasons in his career.

For Pinson it certainly looks like a HOF career although he was overshadowed by some of the best outfielders in game during his playing time. It would be too much to compare him to Mays, Aaron, Robinson, Clemente, Kaline, Brock, Billy Williams, and Yaz. Most believe he should be there anyway.

Thank you to those of you who purchased my book after reading this column. It has been appreciated. 

Please share this blog with your friends and colleagues and leave a comment at the bottom of the blog if you have one. Thank YOU VERY MUCH!!

Please pick up a copy of my book "Tales of My Baseball Youth; A Child of the 60's" at www.bobbrillbooks.com, or on Amazon.

No Stick, He Stuck-Ray Oyler

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TRIVIA QUESTION:  Along with Ray Oyler what was the common physical attribute shared by several other shortstops of the day including Roy McMillan, Bud Harrelson, and Dal Maxvil?

 

ANSWER TO TRIVIA QUESTION IN THE PREVIOUS COLUMN: In 1979 Harvey Haddix returned to the Pittsburgh Pirates to join the "We are Family" team as pitching coach. It was there he won his second World Series ring. He won his first as a member of the 1960 Pirates where he won two games against the Yankees and picked up his second win in Game 7 when Bill Mazeroski homered to win the series.

If you were to argue who was the worst hitter in baseball history with at least five years of service, a good argument could be made for Detroit Tigers shortstop, Ray Oyler. Long before the establishment of the Mendoza Line, things got so bad for Oyler the Tigers chose to bring their outstanding defensive center fielder in to play shortstop during the 1968 World Series, over Oyler. 

Oyler came to the Tigers in 1965. He was known as a defensive wiz at shortstop. At 5'11" and 165 pounds he didn't look like much. Kind of a string bean type of player. In the same mold perhaps as Bud Harrelson of the Mets or Mark Belanger of the later Orioles. and Dal Maxvill of the Cardinals. But even the weakest hitters of that group were no match for the bottom dropping out when it came to Oyler.  

Oyler came to the plate 217 times in his rookie season and battled .186. Remarkably, it was his second best season at the dish over his six year career. Defensively he made 11 errors in 246 chances. His .955 fielding average belied his reputation, but then again he was a rookie.

When 1966 rolled around, the Tigers were grooming him for the spot as their regular shortstop. They never believed he would be a standout at the plate and they had sluggers Al Kaline, Norm Cash, Willie Horton, Bill Freehan, Jim Northrup and Dick McAuliffe to wear out the opposing pitchers. Batting Oyler at the bottom of the order was not going to be a liability.

The following year there was little improvement. He still made 11 errors in about the same number of chances, played about the same number of games and had about the same number of at bats. His average dropped to .171. 

The Tigers were on their way up however, moving from 4th in 1965, to 3rd in 1966 and in 1967 (Oyler's best season) they came in second. For the shortstop it was a breakout season. He registered career highs in games played (148), plate appearances (424), hits (76) and for the only time in his career crossed the Mendoza Line. He hit .207. He even smacked 14 doubles. It was the only time in his career he ever hit an extra base category for double digits.

In the field he was not so good. He made a career high 21 errors and fielded a dismal .964. Only his rookie season was worse. Clearly Ray Oyler was not working out. The Tigers went into the 1968 season with high hopes. Those hopes were achieved. With Denny McClain picking up 31 wins Detroit would face the Cardinals in the World Series. Defending champs.

The Tigers were a great team and Oyler was just another cog in the wheel. He had his worst year at the plate, .135 but in the field he settled down. He made only eight errors in 111 games and had his best defensive percentage at .977. It was a respectable season in the field and it's what the Tigers needed and wanted. Not that it mattered, he managed his worst ever slugging percentage as a regular player at .186.

When it came time to face the NL Champion Cardinals however, Manager Mayo Smith decided to take no chances, by taking a chance. He moved one of the leagues best defensive center fielders, Mickey Stanley to shortstop instead of Oyler. Stanley had played the position in the minors so he was familiar enough and it gave Smith the opportunity to get another bat, any bat into the line-up. It also meant aging Al Kaline who at 33 was limited to 102 games, would be in the outfield.

Kaline was a fan favorite and a Detroit legend. He'd been usurped in the outfield this season with Stanley, Horton and the strong armed Northrup. Moving Stanley to short meant Kaline would play. Kaline responded, batting .379 and smacking two home runs. While Stanley only hit .214, Oyler never came to the plate. He played in four games defensively. Stanley did make two errors in the seven game series, but both came in Detroit blowouts, 8-1 and 10-1. 

Detroit won the series in seven games and Oyler was only a factor except by not being a factor. By not playing, Kaline led the Tigers to victory. He was nudged out of MVP honors by Mickey Lolich who won three games in the Series. 

(Oyler makes a play at 6:54 of the above video.)

For Oyler it was the end of the line in Detroit. With expansion the Seattle Pilots ended up with Oyler who, after one season, moved onto the California Angels where he finished his career with a lifetime batting average of .175 with 221 career hits in six seasons. Fittingly, he didn't hit .100 that final season (limited playing time) closing at .083. The Tigers would try an abundance of players at the position until 1977 when Alan Trammel arrived on the scene. 

Ray Oyler died in 1981 at the age of 42 of a heart attack.

Thank you to those of you who purchased my book after reading this column. It has been appreciated. 

Please share this blog with your friends and colleagues and leave a comment at the bottom of the blog if you have one. Thank YOU VERY MUCH!!

Please pick up a copy of my book "Tales of My Baseball Youth; A Child of the 60's" at www.bobbrillbooks.com, or on Amazon.