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1978 Oakland Athletics Season
The 1978 Oakland Athletics season was the team's eleventh in Oakland, California. The team sought to rebound from its first losing season in a decade (a 63-98 result in 1977). Despite low expectations, the Athletics remained competitive for nearly three-quarters of the season. Despite posting a respectable 61-56 mark through 117 games, the Athletics collapsed in the season's final weeks; their 8-37 finish ensured a second consecutive season of fewer than 70 wins. Only one player (Billy North) remained from the team's 1974 championship season. He would be traded to the Dodgers in May. Prior to the season, owner Charlie Finley nearly sold the team to buyers who would have moved them to Denver. Offseason * February 25, 1978: Doug Bair and cash were traded by the Athletics to the Cincinnati Reds for Dave Revering. * March 15, 1978: Vida Blue was traded by the Athletics to the San Francisco Giants for Gary Alexander, Gary Thomasson, Dave Heaverlo, Alan Wirth, John Henry Johnson, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
American League West
The American League West is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. The division has five teams as of the 2013 season, but had four teams from 1994 to 2012, and had as many as seven teams before the 1994 realignment. Although its teams currently only reside along the West Coast of the United States, west coast and in Texas, historically the division has had teams as far east as Chicago. From 1998 (when the NL West expanded to five teams) to 2012, the AL West was the only MLB division with four teams. The current champion of this division is the Houston Astros. In 2013, the Houston Astros went from the National League Central to the AL West. That move gives all six MLB divisions an equal five teams and both leagues an equal 15 teams each. Division membership Current members * Houston Astros - Joined in 2013; formerly from the National League West, NL West (1969–1993) and National League Central, NL Central (1994–2012) * Los Angeles AngelsThe Angels were formerly known as ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Charlie Finley
Charles Oscar Finley (February 22, 1918 – February 19, 1996), nicknamed Charlie O or Charley O, was an American businessman who owned Major League Baseball's Oakland Athletics. Finley purchased the franchise while it was located in Kansas City, moving it to Oakland in 1968. He is also known as a short-lived owner of the National Hockey League's California Golden Seals and the American Basketball Association's Memphis Tams. Early life Finley was born in Ensley, Birmingham, Alabama, attended Ensley High School but was further raised in Gary, Indiana, and later lived in La Porte, east of Chicago. In 1946, he suffered a bout of tuberculosis that nearly killed him, until his wife's obstetrician, H. Close Hesseltine, convinced him that he could beat it, if he put his mind to it and he successfully did. Finley made his fortune in the insurance business, being among the first to write group medical insurance policies for those in the medical profession. Finley showed a penchant fo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sheldon Mallory
Sheldon Mallory (born July 16, 1953) is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder. He played one season in the major leagues in for the Oakland Athletics. Mallory was originally signed as an amateur free agent by the Kansas City Royals in . He was traded to the New York Mets in December 1976, and was purchased from them by the Athletics the following April. After his lone major league season, he spent one season each in the Toronto Blue Jays and Cleveland Indians organizations before retiring. References External links Major League Baseball outfielders Oakland Athletics players Billings Mustangs players Waterloo Royals players San Jose Bees players Jacksonville Suns players Omaha Royals players San Jose Missions players Syracuse Chiefs players Tacoma Tugs players Baseball players from Illinois 1953 births Living people People from Summit, Illinois {{US-baseball-outfielder-1950s-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mario Guerrero
Mario Miguel Guerrero Abud (born September 28, 1949) is a former Major League Baseball shortstop who played for four teams in an eight-year career from to . Career Guerrero signed with the New York Yankees as an amateur free agent in . After four plus seasons in their farm system, he was sent to the Boston Red Sox on June 30, as the player to be named later in the deal that brought future Cy Young Award winner Sparky Lyle to the Yankees. Guerrero made the Red Sox out of spring training , and won the starting shortstop job over Rick Burleson the following Spring following Luis Aparicio's retirement. During the off season, Guerrero was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals for pitcher Jim Willoughby. He split between the Cardinals and their triple A affiliate, the Tulsa Oilers, batting .239 in 64 games at the major league level. He was assigned to Tulsa in when he was traded to the California Angels for two minor leaguers. He signed as a free agent with the San Francisco Giants a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Phil Huffman
Phillip Lee Huffman (born June 20, 1958) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played two seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles. Early life and education Huffman played high school baseball in Texas for Brazoswood High School near his native Freeport, Texas. Baseball career Huffman was drafted out of high school in Texas in June 1977 by the San Francisco Giants as the team's second-round draft pick. In 1977, Huffman made 10 starts for the Great Falls Voyagers in the Pioneer Baseball League, a Class A rookie league, going 7–3. Huffman was part of a 7-for-1 transaction that sent him along with Gary Thomasson, Gary Alexander, Dave Heaverlo, John Henry Johnson, Alan Wirth and $300,000 to the Oakland Athletics for Vida Blue on March 15, 1978. Mario Guerrero was sent to the Athletics just over three weeks later on April 7 to complete the transaction. Huffman began the 1978 season pitching with the Jersey City ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
John Henry Johnson (baseball)
John Henry Johnson (born August 21, 1956) is a former Major League Baseball player. He was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the 15th round of the 1974 amateur draft. He made his major league debut after being traded along with Gary Thomasson, Gary Alexander, Dave Heaverlo, Phil Huffman, Alan Wirth and $300,000 from the Giants to the Oakland Athletics for Vida Blue on March 15, . Mario Guerrero Mario Miguel Guerrero Abud (born September 28, 1949) is a former Major League Baseball shortstop who played for four teams in an eight-year career from to . Career Guerrero signed with the New York Yankees as an amateur free agent in . After fo ... was sent to the Athletics on April 7 to complete the transaction. From 1979 thru 1981, Johnson played for the Texas Rangers. He ended his career with the Milwaukee Brewers. References External links 1956 births Living people Major League Baseball pitchers Baseball players from Houston Oakland Athletics players Texas ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Alan Wirth
Alan Lee Wirth (born December 8, 1956) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. Wirth pitched in parts of three seasons in Major League Baseball, from 1978 until 1980, for the Oakland Athletics. Career Wirth was originally drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the 3rd round of the 1974 Major League Baseball Draft. After four seasons in its organization, he was part of a 7-for-1 trade in which he along with Gary Thomasson, Gary Alexander, Dave Heaverlo, John Henry Johnson, Phil Huffman and $300,000 were sent to the A's for Vida Blue on March 15, 1978. Mario Guerrero was sent to the Athletics just over three weeks later on April 7 to complete the transaction. Wirth started the 1978 season with Oakland, but was sent to the minors in June. He also split the next two seasons between the major league A's and their minor league Ogden A's farm team. In all, Wirth pitched in 23 games over three seasons for Oakland before being released during spring training in 1981. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dave Heaverlo
David Wallace Heaverlo ( ;Markusen, Bruce. "#CardCorner: 1978 Topps Dave Heaverlo," National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. Retrieved August 2, 2021 born August 25, 1950) is a former right-handed . His was a forkball. He is noted for shaving his head at a time when it wasn't popular and wearing a unif ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gary Thomasson
Gary Leah Thomasson (born July 29, 1951) is an American former professional baseball player. He played as an outfielder and first baseman in Major League Baseball (MLB) between 1972 to 1980, most prominently as a member of the San Francisco Giants with whom he played for seven seasons. He also played for the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners, Montreal Expos, and the Cincinnati Reds. After his Major League Baseball career, he played for the Yomiuri Giants of Japanese Nippon Pro Baseball from 1981 to 1982. Thomasson was a member of the Yankees' 1978 World Series winning team over the Dodgers. Career Thomasson attended Oceanside High School in Oceanside, California and was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the 7th round of the 1969 Major League Baseball Draft. He made his Major League debut on September 5, 1972 at the age of 21, pinch-hitting for pitcher Frank Reberger in a 4–3 Giants' win over the San Diego Padres. In 1973, his first full Major Leagu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gary Alexander (baseball)
Gary Wayne Alexander (born March 27, 1953) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a catcher from 1975 through 1981 for the San Francisco Giants, Oakland Athletics, Cleveland Indians, and Pittsburgh Pirates. Alexander was traded along with Gary Thomasson, Dave Heaverlo, John Henry Johnson, Phil Huffman, Alan Wirth and $300,000 from the Giants to the Athletics for Vida Blue on March 15, 1978. Mario Guerrero was sent to the Athletics just over three weeks later on April 7 to complete the transaction. In a seven-season major league career, Alexander posted a .230 batting average with 55 home runs and 202 RBI in 432 games played. His best statistical season was in 1978 when he hit 27 home runs and had 84 RBI's, 57 runs, 112 hits and 20 doubles in 148 games played, all career-highs. On September 26, 1978, his home run with two outs in the ninth inning ended a no-hit bid by Mike Flanagan of the Baltimore Orioles. Alexander caught ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vida Blue
Vida Rochelle Blue Jr. (born July 28, 1949) is a former American professional baseball player. He was a left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball between and , most notably as an integral member of the Oakland Athletics dynasty that won three consecutive World Series championships between 1972 and 1974. He won the American League Cy Young Award and Most Valuable Player Award in 1971. A six-time All-Star, Blue is the first of only five pitchers in major league history to start the All-Star Game for both the American League (1971) and the National League (1978); Roger Clemens, Randy Johnson, Roy Halladay, and Max Scherzer are the others. During his 17-year career, he pitched for the Oakland Athletics (1969–77), San Francisco Giants (1978–81; 1985–86), and Kansas City Royals (1982–83). Early life Vida Blue was born and raised in Mansfield in DeSoto Parish in northwestern Louisiana. He was the oldest of six children born to Vida Blue, Sr, a laborer in a Mansfield iron ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dave Revering
David Alvin Revering (born February 12, 1953) is an American former professional baseball player. He appeared in 557 games as a first baseman, designated hitter and pinch hitter in Major League Baseball from 1978 to 1982 for four American League teams. He batted left-handed and threw right handed, and was listed as tall and . Early career Born in Roseville, California, Revering graduated from Bella Vista High School. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the seventh round of the 1971 Major League Baseball Draft. Revering developed into a top prospect for the Reds, hitting as many as 29 home runs and driving in 110 runs for Indianapolis Indians in . The Reds announced a trade in which they would acquire disgruntled Cy Young Award winning pitcher Vida Blue from the Oakland Athletics in exchange for Revering and $1.75 million at the Winter Meetings on December 9, 1977. Commissioner Bowie Kuhn vetoed the transaction on January 30, . A new deal was struck one month later on Febru ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
