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.

1978 Oakland Athletics
Major League affiliations
Location
Results
Record69–93 (.426)
Divisional place6th
Other information
OwnersCharles O. Finley
ManagersBobby Winkles, Jack McKeon
Local televisionKPIX-TV
(Monte Moore, Bob Waller)
Local radioKALX/KNEW (AM)
(Larry Baer & Bob Kozberg/Bud Foster, Bob Cosgrove, Curt Flood & Jim Peterson)
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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

Vida Blue trade

The trade of Vida Blue was a very complicated deal for A's owner Charles O. Finley. At the end of the 1977 season, Finley attempted to trade Vida Blue to the Cincinnati Reds for a player of lesser stature and cash, but baseball commissioner Bowie Kuhn vetoed the deal. The commissioner claimed that it was tantamount to the sale of the star pitcher to the Yankees that the commissioner voided during 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

After the 1977 season, Charlie Finley had heart bypass surgery and his health was in decline. He had received offers from groups in New Orleans and Washington, D.C., and from billionaire oilman Marvin Davis from Denver.[6] In December 1977, Finley agreed to sell the Athletics to Marvin Davis for 12.5 million dollars. The franchise would move to Denver for the 1978 season. The American League owners approved the sale and the transfer of the franchise.[7] The board of the Oakland Coliseum had prepared a lawsuit against Finley, as there were still 10 years left on their stadium lease. Bowie Kuhn and San Francisco Giants owner Bob Lurie worked with Finley to attempt to find a compromise that would allow the Athletics to leave Oakland.

Regular season

Season standings
AL West W L Pct. GB Home Road
Kansas City Royals 9270 0.568 — 56–25 36–45
Texas Rangers 8775 0.537 5 52–30 35–45
California Angels 8775 0.537 5 50–31 37–44
Minnesota Twins 7389 0.451 19 38–43 35–46
Chicago White Sox 7190 0.441 20½ 38–42 33–48
Oakland Athletics 6993 0.426 23 38–42 31–51
Seattle Mariners 56104 0.350 35 32–49 24–55

Record vs. opponents
1978 American League record

Sources:
Team BAL BOS CAL CWS CLE DET KC MIL MIN NYY OAK SEA TEX TOR
Baltimore —7–84–68–19–67–82–87–85–56–911–09–17–48–7
Boston 8–7—9–27–37–812–34–610–59–27–95–57–33–711–4
California 6–42–9—8–76–44–79–65–512–35–59–69–65–107–3
Chicago 1–83–77–8—8–22–98–74–78–71–97–87–811–44–6
Cleveland 6–98–74–62–8—5–105–65–105–56–94–68–11–910–4
Detroit 8–73–127–49–210–5—4–67–84–64–116–48–27–39–6
Kansas City 8–26–46–97–86–56–4—6–47–86–510–512–37–85–5
Milwaukee 8–75–105–57–410–58–74–6—4–710–59–15–56–412–3
Minnesota 5–52–93–127–85–56–48–77–4—3–79–66–96–96–4
New York 9–69–75–59–19–611–45–65–107–3—8–26–56–411–4
Oakland 0–115–56–98–76–44–65–101–96–92–8—13–26–97–4
Seattle 1–93–76–98–71–82–83–125–59–65–62–13—3–128–2
Texas 4–77–310–54–119–13–78–74–69–64–69–612–3—4–7
Toronto 7–84–113–76–44–106–95–53–124–64–114–72–87–4—

Notable transactions

Draft picks

Roster
1978 Oakland Athletics
Roster
Pitchers Catchers

Infielders

 Outfielders

Other batters

 Manager

Coaches

Player stats

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
CJim Essian12627862.223326
1BDave Revering152521141.2711646
2BMike Edwards142414113.273123
SSMario Guerrero143505139.275338
3BWayne Gross11828557.200723
LFMitchell Page147516147.2851770
CFJoe Wallis8527966.237626
RFGary Thomasson4715431.201516
DHGary Alexander5817436.2071022

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
Taylor Duncan10431982.257237
Jeff Newman10526864.239932
Miguel Diloné13525859.229114
Tony Armas9123951.213213
Glenn Burke7820047.235114
Dell Alston5817336.208110
Rico Carty4114139.2771131
Willie Horton3210232.314319
Rob Picciolo799321.22627
Bruce Robinson288421.25008
Steve Staggs477819.24400
Billy North245211.21205
Dwayne Murphy605210.19205
Tito Fuentes13436.14002
Tim Hosley13237.30403
Mike Adams15153.20001
Larry Murray11121.08300
Marty Perez16120.00000
Jerry Tabb1291.11101
Darrell Woodard3390.00000
Scott Meyer891.11100
Mark Budaska441.25000

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
Matt Keough32197.18153.24108
John Henry Johnson33186.011103.3991
Pete Broberg35165.210124.6294
Steve Renko27151.06124.2989
Alan Wirth1681.2563.4331
Mike Morgan312.1037.300
Tim Conroy24.2007.710

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
Rick Langford37175.27133.4392
Mike Norris1449.0055.5136
Craig Minetto412.0003.753

Relief pitchers

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

Player G IP W L SV ERA SO
Elías Sosa68109.082142.6461
Dave Heaverlo69130.036103.2571
Bob Lacey74119.28953.0160
Joe Coleman1019.23001.374
Steve McCatty920.00004.5010

Farm system
See also: Minor League Baseball
Level Team League Manager
AAA Vancouver Canadians Pacific Coast League Jim Marshall
AA Jersey City A's Eastern League John Kennedy
A Modesto A's California League Gaylen Pitts
A-Short Season Bend Timber Hawks Northwest League Ed Nottle

References
  1. Dave Revering page at Baseball Reference
  2. Vida Blue page at Baseball Reference
  3. Sheldon Mallory page at Baseball Reference
  4. Dick Allen page at Baseball Reference
  5. Mark Williams page at Baseball Reference
  6. 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
  7. Charlie Finley: The Outrageous Story of Baseball's Super Showman, p. 273
  8. Manny Sanguillén page at Baseball Reference
  9. Joe Coleman page at Baseball Reference
  10. Joe Wallis page at Baseball Reference
  11. Mickey Klutts page at Baseball Reference
  12. Tito Fuentes page at Baseball Reference
  13. Willie Horton page at Baseball Reference
  14. Keith Atherton page at Baseball-Reference
  15. Kelvin Moore page at Baseball-Reference
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