Oakland Athletics Siblings: Not Just The Bash Brothers
There have been over 350 brothers to play in Major League Baseball history, and nearly 100 sets of brothers have played together as teammates. Several players in the Hall of Fame had a brother that also played in MLB, but their performances did not reach the same level of prominence of their (usually older) sibling.
In their 48 seasons, there have been seven sets of brothers who have played for the Oakland Athletics, with only two of those sets being teammates at one time or another. In all cases, it is the older brother that fans will recognize with the younger sibling living in near obscurity in the shadow of his older brother’s accomplishments.
In consecutive order, let’s review the A’s sibling pairs, starting with…
Rene Lachemann (1968) and Marcel Lachemann (1969-1971)
Rene Lachemann came over to the A’s with the move from Kansas City, where he had played two prior seasons as a backup catcher. In 1968, he only appeared in 19 games and was sent back to Triple-A in June. Rene Lachemann played a total of three seasons in MLB and the A’s organization, and was just a .216 hitter with 11 homeruns.
The following season Marcel Lachemann made his appearance as a relief pitcher. He went 4-1, pitching in 28 games with two saves to his credit. In 1970, he appeared in more games (41) and pitched 58 innings with a 3-3 record and a 2.78 ERA, as well as two more saves. He appeared in only one game in 1971.
Both Lachemann brothers throughout their careers were up and down in the minor leagues, and both went on to be MLB managers. Marcell managed the California Angels from 1994 to 1996, while Rene managed several teams: the Mariners from 1981-1983, the Brewers in 1984, the Marlins from 1993-1996 and the Cubs in 1992. Rene Lachemann is most noted in Oakland Athletics lore for being the third base coach for Tony LaRussa during the A’s AL Pennant winning years in late 80s and early 90s.
Next: Athletics Brothers: The Bandos