1977 Oakland Athletics season

Last updated

1977  Oakland Athletics
League American League
Division West
Ballpark Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
City Oakland, California
Record63–98 (.391)
Divisional place7th
Owners Charles O. Finley
Managers Jack McKeon, Bobby Winkles
Television KPIX-TV
Radio KNBR
(Monte Moore, Bob Waller)
←  1976 Seasons 1978  →

The 1977 Oakland Athletics season was a season in American baseball. The team finished seventh in the American League West with a record of 63 wins and 98 losses. Paid attendance for the season was 495,578, one of the worst attendance figures for the franchise during the 1970s. [1]

Contents

Offseason

Regular season

After the 1976 season, most of the Athletics' veteran players who had become eligible for free agency left. In 1977, only three years after winning the World Series, the A's finished with the worst record in the American League West, behind even the expansion Seattle Mariners (though by only 1/2 game, as one game with the Minnesota Twins was canceled by weather and never made up).

On June 10, Jack McKeon was fired as manager and replaced by former Arizona State University coach Bobby Winkles. [11]

After the season, owner Charlie Finley attempted to trade Vida Blue to the Cincinnati Reds for a player of lesser stature and cash, but Commissioner Bowie Kuhn vetoed the deal. The commissioner claimed that it was tantamount to the sale of the star pitcher to the New York Yankees that the commissioner voided in 1976. The commissioner claimed that adding Blue to the Reds' already formidable pitching staff would make a mockery of the National League West race. Instead, Blue was traded across the bay to the San Francisco Giants in a multi-player trade that received the Commissioner's blessing.

Proposed sale

Kuhn and other owners thought that the Athletics relocating would alleviate baseball's problems in the Bay Area regarding poor attendance. Kuhn attempted to get an ownership group to purchase the Athletics and relocate to Washington, D.C., with the intention of moving them to the National League. [11]

Season standings

AL West 		W L Pct. GB Home Road
Kansas City Royals 102600.630—55–2647–34
Texas Rangers 94680.580844–3750–31
Chicago White Sox 90720.5561248–3342–39
Minnesota Twins 84770.52217½48–3236–45
California Angels 74880.4572839–4235–46
Seattle Mariners 64980.3953829–5235–46
Oakland Athletics 63980.39138½35–4628–52

Record vs. opponents

1977 American League record

Sources:
TeamBALBOSCALCWSCLEDETKCMILMINNYYOAKSEATEXTOR
Baltimore —6–85–65–511–412–34–711–46–48–78–27–34–610–5
Boston 8–6—7–33–78–79–65–59–64–68–78–310–16–412–3
California 6–53–7—8–76–44–66–95–57–84–75–109–65–106–4
Chicago 5–57–37–8—6–44–68–76–510–53–710–510–56–98–3
Cleveland 4–117–84–64–6—8–73–711–42–93–127–37–32–99–5
Detroit 3–126–96–46–47–8—3–810–55–56–95–55–62–810–5
Kansas City 7–45–59–67–87–38–3—8–210–55–59–611–48–78–2
Milwaukee 4–116–95–55–64–115–102–8—3–88–75–57–35–58–7
Minnesota 4–66–48–75–109–25–55–108–3—2–88–67–88–79–1
New York 7–87–87–47–312–39–65–57–88–2—9–26–47–39–6
Oakland 2–83–810–55–103–75–56–95–56–82–9—7–82–137–3
Seattle 3–71–106–95–103–76–54–113–78–74–68–7—9–64–6
Texas 6–44–610–59–69–28–27–85–57–83–713–26–9—7–4
Toronto 5–103–124–63–85–95–102–87–81–96–93–76–44–7—

Opening Day lineup

  1. Billy North, CF
  2. Rodney Scott, 2B
  3. Mitchell Page. LF
  4. Dick Allen, 1B
  5. Manny Sanguillén, C
  6. Wayne Gross, 3B
  7. Earl Williams, DH
  8. Tony Armas, RF
  9. Rob Picciolo, SS

Notable transactions

Roster

1977 Oakland Athletics
Roster
PitchersCatchers

Infielders

OutfieldersManager

Coaches

Player stats

= Indicates team leader

Batting

Starters by position

Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in

PosPlayerGABHAvg.HRRBI
C Manny Sanguillén 152571157.275658
1B Dick Allen 5417141.240531
2B Marty Perez 11537386.231223
3B Wayne Gross 146485113.2332263
SS Rob Picciolo 14841984.200222
LF Mitchell Page 145501154.3072175
CF Tony Armas 11836387.2401353
RF Jim Tyrone 9629472.245526
DH Earl Williams 10034884.2411338

Other batters

Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in

PlayerGABHAvg.HRRBI
Rodney Scott 13336495.261020
Mike Jorgensen 6620350.246832
Rich McKinney 8619835.177621
Billy North 5618448.26119
Larry Murray 9016229.17919
Jeff Newman 9416236.222415
Jerry Tabb 5114432.222619
Willie Crawford 5913625.184116
Sheldon Mallory 6412627.21405
Tim Hosley 397815.192110
Matt Alexander 904210.23802
Larry Lintz 41304.13300
Mark Williams 320.00001

Pitching

Starting pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

PlayerGIPWLERASO
Vida Blue 38279.214193.83157
Rick Langford 37208.18194.02141
Doc Medich 26147.21064.6974
Mike Norris 1677.1274.7735
Matt Keough 742.2134.8523
Dock Ellis 726.0159.6911
Mike Torrez 426.1314.4412

Other pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

PlayerGIPWLERASO
Joe Coleman 43127.2442.9655
Pablo Torrealba 41116.2462.6251
Jim Umbarger 1244.0156.5524
Stan Bahnsen 1122.0126.1421
Paul Mitchell 513.20310.545
Steve McCatty 414.1005.029
Craig Mitchell 35.2017.941

Relief pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

PlayerGWLSVERASO
Doug Bair 454683.4668
Bob Lacey 646873.0369
Dave Giusti 403362.9828
Steve Dunning 61003.934
Jeff Newman 10000.000

Awards and honors

All-Stars

Farm system

LevelTeamLeagueManager
AAA San Jose Missions Pacific Coast League Rene Lachemann
AA Chattanooga Lookouts Southern League George Farson
A Modesto A's California League Tom Trebelhorn
Rookie Medicine Hat A's Pioneer League Orlando Gómez

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References

  1. ↑ Charlie Finley: The Outrageous Story of Baseball's Super Showman, p. 272, G. Michael Green and Roger D. Launius. Walker Publishing Company, New York, 2010, ISBN   978-0-8027-1745-0
  2. ↑ Chuck Tanner Trades and Transactions at Baseball Almanac
  3. ↑ Billy Williams page at Baseball Reference
  4. ↑ Craig Minetto page at Baseball Reference
  5. ↑ Ken McMullen page at Baseball Reference
  6. ↑ Rick Langford page at Baseball Reference
  7. ↑ Jim Todd page at Baseball Reference
  8. ↑ Jerry Tabb page at Baseball Reference
  9. ↑ Jim Tyrone page at Baseball Reference
  10. ↑ Dick Allen page at Baseball Reference
  11. 1 2 Charlie Finley: The Outrageous Story of Baseball's Super Showman, p. 271
  12. ↑ "1977 Oakland Athletics Roster by Baseball Almanac".
  13. ↑ 1977 A's Batting Orders at Baseball Reference
  14. ↑ Sheldon Mallory page at Baseball Reference
  15. 1 2 Dock Ellis page at Baseball Reference
  16. ↑ Shooty Babitt page at Baseball Reference
  17. ↑ Denny Walling page at Baseball Reference
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