1964 Kansas City Athletics season

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.

1964 Kansas City Athletics
Major League affiliations
Location
Other information
Owner(s)Charles O. Finley
General manager(s)Pat Friday
Manager(s)Ed Lopat, Mel McGaha
Local televisionKCMO
Local radioKCMO (AM)
(Monte Moore, George Bryson, Betty Caywood)
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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

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 Home Road
New York Yankees 9963 0.611 — 50–31 49–32
Chicago White Sox 9864 0.605 1 52–29 46–35
Baltimore Orioles 9765 0.599 2 49–32 48–33
Detroit Tigers 8577 0.525 14 46–35 39–42
Los Angeles Angels 8280 0.506 17 45–36 37–44
Cleveland Indians 7983 0.488 20 41–40 38–43
Minnesota Twins 7983 0.488 20 40–41 39–42
Boston Red Sox 7290 0.444 27 45–36 27–54
Washington Senators 62100 0.383 37 31–50 31–50
Kansas City Athletics 57105 0.352 42 26–55 31–50

Record vs. opponents
1964 American League Records

Sources:
Team BAL BOS CWS CLE DET KC LAA MIN NYY WSH
Baltimore —11–710–88–1011–713–5–111–710–810–813–5
Boston 7–11—4–149–95–1312–69–95–139–912–6
Chicago 8–1014–4—12–611–716–210–89–96–1212–6
Cleveland 10–89–96–12—11–710–89–910–8–13–15–111–7
Detroit 7–1113–57–117–11—11–710–811–78–10–111–7
Kansas City 5–13–16–122–168–107–11—6–129–96–128–10
Los Angeles 7–119–98–109–98–1012–6—12–67–1110–8
Minnesota 8–1013–59–98–10–17–119–96–12—8–1011–7
New York 8–109–912–615–3–110–8–112–611–710–8—12–6
Washington 5–136–126–127–117–1110–88–107–116–12—

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
Roster
Pitchers Catchers

Infielders

 Outfielders 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
CDoc Edwards9729466.224528
1BJim Gentile136439110.2512871
2BDick Green130435115.2641137
3BEd Charles150557134.2411663
SSWayne Causey157604170.281849
LFManny Jiménez9520446.2251238
CFNelson Mathews157573137.2391460
RFRocky Colavito160588161.27434102

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
José Tartabull10410020.20003

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
Blue Moon Odom5171210.0610

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

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
John Wyatt8198203.5974
Ted Bowsfield504704.1045
Jack Aker90108.827

Farm system
See also: Minor League Baseball
  • 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
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
  1. "Finley Signs Contract to Transfer Athletics to Louisville". New York Times. January 6, 1964. Retrieved April 29, 2008.
  2. John Drebinger (January 18, 1964). "Finley Will Open in Kansas City, But Promises Court Action Soon". New York Times.
  3. 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
  4. Sammy Esposito page at Baseball Reference
  5. Norm Siebern page at Baseball Reference
  6. John Donaldson page at Baseball Reference
  7. 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
  8. 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
  9. 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
  10. Blue Moon Odom page at Baseball Reference
  11. Catfish Hunter page at Baseball Reference
  12. Joe Rudi page at Baseball Reference
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