Girish Mahajan (Editor)

1964 Kansas City Athletics season

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Owner(s)
  
Charles O. Finley

Manager(s)
  
Ed Lopat, Mel McGaha

General manager(s)
  
Pat Friday

Local television
  
KCMO

Local radio
  
KCMO (AM) (Monte Moore, George Bryson, Betty Caywood)

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.

Contents

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". (Other names suggested for the team were the "Kentucky Colonels" and the "Louisville Sluggers.") By another 9–1 vote his request was denied. 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.

    • Notable transactions

  • October 7, 1963: Sammy Esposito was released by the Athletics.
  • November 27, 1963: Norm Siebern was traded by the Athletics to the Baltimore Orioles for Jim Gentile and $25,000.
  • December 2, 1963: John Donaldson was selected by the Athletics from the Minnesota Twins in the rule 5 draft.

    • 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.
  • 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.
  • Bert Campaneris made his Major League debut on July 23, 1964. In his debut, he hit two HRs off Jim Kaat.
  • 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.

    • Notable transactions

  • June 8, 1964: Catfish Hunter was signed as an amateur free agent by the Athletics.
  • June 13, 1964: Joe Rudi was signed as an amateur free agent by the Athletics.

    • Starters by position

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

    Other batters

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

    Starting pitchers

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

    Other pitchers

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

    Relief pitchers

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

    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.

    • References

    1964 Kansas City Athletics season Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA