Oakland Athletics: The Top 50 Oakland A’s of All-Time

#23: Blue Moon Odom

Like Catfish Hunter, Blue Moon Odom was a fixture in the 1970s Championship rotations after beginning his career when the team was still in Kansas City. Unlike Hunter, his number isn’t retired and he isn’t in the Hall of Fame, but he was still one of the best pitchers in Oakland history.

While the A’s were in Kansas City, Odom struggled to find an opportunity at the major league level, but he blossomed after the team landed in Oakland. Odom found himself one out shy of a no-hitter in 1968, when the Baltimore Orioles managed to escape infamy in the ninth inning.

In 1972, Odom was a star for the A’s. He posted a 2.50 ERA and a 15-6 record, and recorded a shutout and a win against the Detroit Tigers in the ALCS. He recorded a 1-0 loss in his first World Series game, but took the mound again for the clinching Game 7, when he defeated Cincinnati for the first-ever Oakland World Championship win. That was easily his best season, and by 1975, he was traded to the Cleveland Indians.

Next: Top 50 Oakland Athletics: #22