1964 Kansas City Athletics season
1964 Kansas City Athletics | |
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Major League affiliations | |
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Other information | |
Owner(s) | Charles O. Finley |
General manager(s) | Pat Friday |
Manager(s) | Ed Lopat, Mel McGaha |
Local television | KCMO |
Local radio |
KCMO (AM) (Monte Moore, George Bryson, Betty Caywood) |
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The 1964 Kansas City Athletics season was the tenth for the franchise in Kansas City and the 64th overall. It involved the A's finishing 10th in the American League with a record of 57 wins and 105 losses, 42 games behind the American League Champion New York Yankees.
Offseason
In January 1964, Charles O. Finley signed an agreement to move the A's to Louisville, promising to change the team's name to the "Kentucky Athletics".[1] (Other names suggested for the team were the "Kentucky Colonels" and the "Louisville Sluggers.") By another 9–1 vote his request was denied.[2] Six weeks later, by the same 9–1 margin, the A.L. owners denied Finley's request to move the team to Oakland, where the team would eventually move a few years later.
- On February 23, 1964, Charlie Finley had signed a four-year lease to remain in Kansas City. The club would pay no rent on the stadium but the city would get 5% on admission and 7.5% on concessions. The clause was that if the club could not reach a paid attendance of 575,000 fans, then the club owed nothing.[3]
Notable transactions
- October 7, 1963: Sammy Esposito was released by the Athletics.[4]
- November 27, 1963: Norm Siebern was traded by the Athletics to the Baltimore Orioles for Jim Gentile and $25,000.[5]
- December 2, 1963: John Donaldson was selected by the Athletics from the Minnesota Twins in the rule 5 draft.[6]
Regular season
- The club set a franchise record by hitting 107 home runs during home games. The pitching staff also gave up 132 home runs during home games. At the time, it was a major league record.[7]
- Draft pick Catfish Hunter was not able to pitch in 1964. He was sent to the Mayo Clinic, as surgeons worked on his right foot. Hunter recovered at Charlie Finley's farm in Lapointe, Indiana.[8]
- Bert Campaneris made his Major League debut on July 23, 1964. In his debut, he hit two HRs off Jim Kaat.[9]
- On September 5, Blue Moon Odom made his major league debut against the New York Yankees. Odom pitched 2 innings, giving up 6 earned runs on 6 hits and 2 walks while striking out one.[10]
Season standings
American League | W | L | Pct. | GB |
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New York Yankees | 99 | 63 | .611 | -- |
Chicago White Sox | 98 | 64 | .605 | 1 |
Baltimore Orioles | 97 | 65 | .599 | 2 |
Detroit Tigers | 85 | 77 | .525 | 14 |
Los Angeles Angels | 82 | 80 | .506 | 17 |
Cleveland Indians | 79 | 83 | .488 | 20 |
Minnesota Twins | 79 | 83 | .488 | 20 |
Boston Red Sox | 72 | 90 | .444 | 27 |
Washington Senators | 62 | 100 | .383 | 37 |
Kansas City Athletics | 57 | 105 | .352 | 42 |
Record vs. opponents
1964 American League Records Sources: | |||||||||||||
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Team | BAL | BOS | CWS | CLE | DET | KC | LAA | MIN | NYY | WSH | |||
Baltimore | — | 11–7 | 10–8 | 8–10 | 11–7 | 13–5–1 | 11–7 | 10–8 | 10–8 | 13–5 | |||
Boston | 7–11 | — | 4–14 | 9–9 | 5–13 | 12–6 | 9–9 | 5–13 | 9–9 | 12–6 | |||
Chicago | 8–10 | 14–4 | — | 12–6 | 11–7 | 16–2 | 10–8 | 9–9 | 6–12 | 12–6 | |||
Cleveland | 10–8 | 9–9 | 6–12 | — | 11–7 | 10–8 | 9–9 | 10–8–1 | 3–15–1 | 11–7 | |||
Detroit | 7–11 | 13–5 | 7–11 | 7–11 | — | 11–7 | 10–8 | 11–7 | 8–10–1 | 11–7 | |||
Kansas City | 5–13–1 | 6–12 | 2–16 | 8–10 | 7–11 | — | 6–12 | 9–9 | 6–12 | 8–10 | |||
Los Angeles | 7–11 | 9–9 | 8–10 | 9–9 | 8–10 | 12–6 | — | 12–6 | 7–11 | 10–8 | |||
Minnesota | 8–10 | 13–5 | 9–9 | 8–10–1 | 7–11 | 9–9 | 6–12 | — | 8–10 | 11–7 | |||
New York | 8–10 | 9–9 | 12–6 | 15–3–1 | 10–8–1 | 12–6 | 11–7 | 10–8 | — | 12–6 | |||
Washington | 5–13 | 6–12 | 6–12 | 7–11 | 7–11 | 10–8 | 8–10 | 7–11 | 6–12 | — |
Notable transactions
- June 8, 1964: Catfish Hunter was signed as an amateur free agent by the Athletics.[11]
- June 13, 1964: Joe Rudi was signed as an amateur free agent by the Athletics.[12]
Roster
1964 Kansas City Athletics | |||||||||
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Roster | |||||||||
Pitchers
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Catchers
Infielders
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Outfielders
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Manager
Coaches
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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
Pos | Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
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C | Edwards, DocDoc Edwards | 97 | 294 | 66 | .224 | 5 | 28 |
1B | Gentile, JimJim Gentile | 136 | 439 | 110 | .251 | 28 | 71 |
2B | Green, DickDick Green | 130 | 435 | 115 | .264 | 11 | 37 |
3B | Charles, EdEd Charles | 150 | 557 | 134 | .241 | 16 | 63 |
SS | Causey, WayneWayne Causey | 157 | 604 | 170 | .281 | 8 | 49 |
LF | Jiménez, MannyManny Jiménez | 95 | 204 | 46 | .225 | 12 | 38 |
CF | Mathews, NelsonNelson Mathews | 157 | 573 | 137 | .239 | 14 | 60 |
RF | Colavito, RockyRocky Colavito | 160 | 588 | 161 | .274 | 34 | 102 |
Other batters
Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in
Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
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Tartabull, JoséJosé Tartabull | 104 | 100 | 20 | .200 | 0 | 3 |
Pitching
Starting pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
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Odom, Blue MoonBlue Moon Odom | 5 | 17 | 1 | 2 | 10.06 | 10 |
Other pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
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Relief pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
Player | G | W | L | SV | ERA | SO |
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Wyatt, JohnJohn Wyatt | 81 | 9 | 8 | 20 | 3.59 | 74 |
Bowsfield, TedTed Bowsfield | 50 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 4.10 | 45 |
Aker, JackJack Aker | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8.82 | 7 |
Farm system
- The A's scouts had signed 80 prospects for $650,000, at the time, the most money spent on prospects in one year.[9]
Level | Team | League | Manager |
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AAA | Dallas Rangers | Pacific Coast League | John McNamara |
AA | Birmingham Barons | Southern League | Haywood Sullivan |
A | Daytona Beach Islanders | Florida State League | Grady Wilson, Bill Posedel and Lew Krausse, Sr. |
A | Burlington Bees | Midwest League | Bill Robertson |
A | Lewiston Broncos | Northwest League | Bobby Hofman |
Rookie | Wytheville A's | Appalachian League | Gus Niarhos |
References
- ↑ "Finley Signs Contract to Transfer Athletics to Louisville". New York Times. January 6, 1964. Retrieved April 29, 2008.
- ↑ John Drebinger (January 18, 1964). "Finley Will Open in Kansas City, But Promises Court Action Soon". New York Times.
- ↑ Charlie Finley: The Outrageous Story of Baseball's Super Showman, p.73, G. Michael Green and Roger D. Launius. Walker Publishing Company, New York, 2010, ISBN 978-0-8027-1745-0
- ↑ Sammy Esposito page at Baseball Reference
- ↑ Norm Siebern page at Baseball Reference
- ↑ John Donaldson page at Baseball Reference
- ↑ Charlie Finley: The Outrageous Story of Baseball's Super Showman, p.75, G. Michael Green and Roger D. Launius. Walker Publishing Company, New York, 2010, ISBN 978-0-8027-1745-0
- ↑ Charlie Finley: The Outrageous Story of Baseball's Super Showman, p.81, G. Michael Green and Roger D. Launius. Walker Publishing Company, New York, 2010, ISBN 978-0-8027-1745-0
- 1 2 Charlie Finley: The Outrageous Story of Baseball's Super Showman, p.79, G. Michael Green and Roger D. Launius. Walker Publishing Company, New York, 2010, ISBN 978-0-8027-1745-0
- ↑ Blue Moon Odom page at Baseball Reference
- ↑ Catfish Hunter page at Baseball Reference
- ↑ Joe Rudi page at Baseball Reference
External links
- 1964 Kansas City Athletics team page at Baseball Reference
- 1964 Kansas City Athletics team page at www.baseball-almanac.com