1980 Oakland Athletics season

Last updated

1980  Oakland Athletics
League American League
Division West
Ballpark Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
City Oakland, California
Record83–79 (.512)
Divisional place2nd
Owners Charles O. Finley
Managers Billy Martin
Television KPIX-TV
(Monte Moore, Wayne Walker)
Radio KDIA
(Ted Robinson, Red Rush, Dom Valentino)
←  1979 Seasons 1981  →

The 1980 Oakland Athletics season was the team's thirteenth season in Oakland. The A's, under first-year manager Billy Martin, began the season with low expectations following their insipid 1979 campaign. Strong performances from pitchers Mike Norris, Matt Keough, and Rick Langford, along with the brilliant play of breakout star (and future Hall-of-Famer) Rickey Henderson, paved the way for a staggering 29-win increase over the previous year's output. The Athletics, only one year removed from baseball's worst record, swung to a second-place finish behind their 83–79 record.

Contents

The season also marked the end of the Charlie Finley ownership era. Finley sold the team to Walter A. Haas, Jr. shortly before the start of the 1981 season. The A's would remain under Haas' ownership until 1995.

Offseason

Regular season

In 1980, Charlie O. Finley hired Billy Martin to manage the young team. The club was led by new young stars Rickey Henderson, Mike Norris, Tony Armas, and Dwayne Murphy. The starting pitching staff was also notable in that they completed 94 starts, virtually unheard of in the era of the relief pitcher. Rick Langford finished 28 of his 33 starts, totalling 290 innings, and tallying a 19-12 record. Norris went 22-9 with a 2.53 ERA, completed 24 starts, and was runner-up to Steve Stone in the Cy Young Award balloting that year. Martin made believers of his young charges as "Billyball" (characterized as featuring aggressive base running) was used to market the team, and the Athletics finished second in 1980.

Rickey Henderson broke Ty Cobb's American League record for most stolen bases in one season (96) by recording 100 stolen bases. [3]

Season standings

AL West 		W L Pct. GB Home Road
Kansas City Royals 97650.599—49–3248–33
Oakland Athletics 83790.5121446–3537–44
Minnesota Twins 77840.47819½44–3633–48
Texas Rangers 76850.47220½39–4137–44
Chicago White Sox 70900.4382637–4233–48
California Angels 65950.4063130–5135–44
Seattle Mariners 591030.3643836–4523–58

Record vs. opponents

1980 American League record

Sources:
TeamBALBOSCALCWSCLEDETKCMILMINNYYOAKSEATEXTOR
Baltimore —8–510–26–66–710–36–67–610–27–67–56–66–611–2
Boston 5–8—9–36–47–68–55–76–76–63–109–37–55–77–6
California 2–103–9—3–104–65–75–86–67–62–103–1011–211–23–9
Chicago 6–64–610–3—5–72–105–85–75–85–76–76–76–7–25–7
Cleveland 7–66–76–47–5—3–105–73–109–35–86–68–46–68–5
Detroit 3–105–87–510–210–3—2–107–66–65–86–610–2–14–89–4
Kansas City 6–67–58–58–57–510–2—6–65–88–46–77–610–39–3
Milwaukee 6–77–66–67–510–36–76–6—7–55–87–59–35–75–8
Minnesota 2–106–66–78–53–96–68–55–7—4–86–77–69–37–5
New York 6–710–310–27–58–58–54–88–58–4—8–49–37–510–3
Oakland 5–73–910–37–66–66–67–65–77–64–8—8–57–68–4
Seattle 6–65–72–117–64–82–10–16–73–96–73–95–8—4–96–6
Texas 6–67–52–117–6–26–68–43–107–53–95–76–79–4—7–5
Toronto 2–116–79–37–55–84–93–98–55–73–104–86–65–7—

Notable transactions

Draft picks

Roster

1980 Oakland Athletics
Roster
PitchersCatchers

Infielders

Outfielders

Other batters

Manager

Coaches

Player stats

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 Jim Essian 8728566.232529
1B Dave Revering 106376109.2901562
2B Jeff Cox 5916936.21309
SS Mario Guerrero 11638191.239223
3B Wayne Gross 113366103.2811461
LF Rickey Henderson 158591179.303953
CF Dwayne Murphy 159573157.2741368
RF Tony Armas 158628175.27935109
DH Mitchell Page 11034885.2441751

Other batters

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

PlayerGABHAvg.HRRBI
Jeff Newman 127438102.2331556
Mike Heath 9230574.243133
Dave McKay 12329572.244129
Rob Picciolo 9527165.240518
Mickey Klutts 7519753.269421
Mike Davis 519520.21118
Orlando González 257017.24301
Mike Edwards 465914.23703
Randy Elliott 14395.12801
Ray Cosey 991.11100

Pitching

Starting pitchers

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

PlayerGIPWLERASO
Rick Langford 35290.019123.26102
Mike Norris 33284.12292.53180
Matt Keough 34250.016132.92121
Steve McCatty 33221.214143.86114
Brian Kingman 32211.18203.83116

Other pitchers

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

PlayerGIPWLERASO
Craig Minetto 78.0027.885

Relief pitchers

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

PlayerGWLSVERASO
Bob Lacey 473262.9445
Jeff Jones 351352.8434
Dave Hamilton 2103011.4023
Dave Beard 130113.3812
Ernie Camacho 50006.949
Rick Lysander 50007.905
Mark Souza 50007.712
Alan Wirth 20004.501
Rich Bordi 10004.500

Awards and honors

League records

League leaders

Farm system

LevelTeamLeagueManager
AAA Ogden A's Pacific Coast League José Pagán
AA West Haven Whitecaps Eastern League Ed Nottle
A Modesto A's California League Keith Lieppman
A-Short Season Medford A's Northwest League Brad Fischer

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References

  1. ↑ Jim Todd page at Baseball Reference
  2. ↑ Joe Wallis page at Baseball Reference
  3. ↑ Numbelievable!, p. 46, Michael X. Ferraro and John Venziano, Triumph Books, 2007, Chicago, Illinois, ISBN   978-1-57243-990-0
  4. ↑ Randy Elliott page at Baseball Reference
  5. ↑ Rich Bordi page at Baseball Reference
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