Oakland Athletics: The Top 50 Oakland A’s of All-Time
#7: Sal Bando
Perhaps the best third baseman in Athletics history, Sal Bando was a four-time All-Star who earned the honor of being team captain during their Championship run. He started his career in Kansas City in 1966, moving to Oakland with the team in 1968. He would spend the next 11 years as an Athletic before heading to the Milwaukee Brewers with Rollie Fingers in 1977. He retired in 1981, and was named Milwaukee’s general manager ten years later.
In his career, he hit just .254, but he also had 1,039 RBIs and 242 home runs – high marks for a third baseman in that era. He was also a strong defensive player, with 345 career double plays. Although he did play other positions with the Brewers, he was exclusively a third baseman for the A’s.
Bando was an important part of the A’s 1970s teams, and he helped them to win all three of their World Championships between 1972 and 1974. His tenure as an executive was not as successful – he only had one winning season as the GM of the Brewers.
Next: Top 50 Oakland Athletics: #6