Kansas City Athletics - Spring Training Shots

While I was putting the Lew Krausse card back in my 1967 binder after a recent post, I noticed a large number of Athletics' players photographed in spring training. The Athletics trained in Bradenton, FL from 1963-68, before moving to Arizona in 1969.  (The Pirates moved in to Bradenton in 1969, where they remain to this day.)

As I did with the Dodgers about a year ago, here are the Athletics, in their last year as Kansas City Athletics. Most of the players in the 1967 set are featured WITH caps, and in their green and white uniform. (I think only infielders Ed Charles and Ossie Chavarria are in the green and gold (away?) uniforms.

Here are the two standard "pitching poses". Most of the A's pitchers were very young. Catfish Hunter completed 2 years in the majors, Jim Nash and Chuck Dobson 1 each, with Lew Krausse the veteran of these four pitchers with 4 years.

Here are four more players, warming up before manager Al Dark puts them through some "fundamentals training". That white building behind Campy appears in several of the photos. I wonder if that's the clubhouse, or maybe just the maintenance shed for the lawn tractors and such.

Here we see Al Dark, in the white cap that the coaching staff wore (maybe so the fans in Kansas City knew where to direct their vitriol during a game?). Paul Linblad's cap looks like it just came out of the box THAT day.

Lots of youth here. Every one of these 11 players had 4 years or less in the bigs, except Mike Hershberger with 6 years.

I really like the 1967 Athletics' cards.  In the 1968 set, they're a complete airbrushed mess, what with their move to Oakland.

Jim Grant (#545)

I see that the Twins are in last place on this blog with only 6 posts, and since Mudcat Grant is the only unposted Twin already scanned to my computer...

Jim "Mudcat" Grant was a star pitcher for the Indians and Twins, before finishing his career with several other teams.

Mudcat was signed by the Indians in 1954. After 4 seasons in the minors, he made his debut with the Indians in April 1958. Grant was a swingman for 3 seasons, then joined the starting rotation fulltime in 1961. He collected a then-career-high 15 wins that season.

In June 1964, Mudcat was traded to Minnesota for pitcher Lee Stange and 3B-OF George Banks. His finest season was 1965, when he led the AL with 21 wins and 6 shutouts, and propelled the Twins to their first World Series.

After the 1967 season (when he was one of six "Jims" on the pitching staff), Grant and shortstop Zoilo Versailes were traded to the Dodgers for catcher John Roseboro and relievers Ron Perranoski and Bob Miller. Grant spent his final 4 seasons bouncing from Los Angeles to Montreal to St Louis to Oakland to Pittsburgh and back to Oakland.

Jim was released by the Athletics after the 1971 season, and pitched for their AAA Iowa Oaks team in 1972, before retiring.  


I started a non-sports blog a short while ago. Check it out! 

 

Bengal Belters (#216)

Here is another of the 13 multi-player cards that Topps included in their 1967 set - the Detroit Tigers' "Bengal Belters". (I always pictured Norm Cash as your typical burly, slugging 1st baseman, but here he looks smallish next to Al Kaline.)

Norm Cash was signed by the White Sox in 1955, and after appearing briefly with Chicago in '58 and '59 (including the 1959 World Series), he was traded to the Indians in a 7-player deal that included Minnie Minoso returning to the Sox. A week before the 1960 season started, Cash was flipped to the Tigers.

After sharing the starting 1st base job in 1960, Norm had a break-out season in 1961, starting 157 games and leading the AL in hits (193), batting average (.361), and intentional walks (19). Cash held the starting 1B job until June 7th, 1974, when catcher Bill Freehan moved out to 1st base, sending Cash to the bench for the rest of the season.

Al Kaline joined the Tigers as a bonus baby in 1953 at age 18, having never played in the minors. He appeared in 30 games that season (mostly as a pinch-hitter) then was a regular outfielder for the Tigers for the next 19 seasons (1954-72).

He led the AL in hits (200) and batting average (.340) in 1955, and hit over .300 eight other times. He also hit .379 in the 1968 World Series, and played in the 1972 ALCS.

Normally the team's right fielder, he was the regular center fielder in '59, '60, and parts of '65 and '66. Kaline was a part-time RF/1B in 1973, and the full-time DH in his final season (1974).

Lew Krausse (#565)

Today we check out Lew Krausse, pitcher for the Kansas City Athletics. This was the Athletics' last year in Kansas City, and Krausse was in the rare 7th series, so it's really the last look at a player in a KayCee uniform. (The other 7th series Athletics are rookie cards, and a capless Bob Duliba.)

Krausse grew up in the Philadelphia suburbs (the topic for my next 1960s Baseball blog post), and went to Chester High School, as did long-time Pirates' manager Danny Murtaugh. (Lew's stomping grounds were the same as my dad's, although Krausse was 12 years younger, so they probably didn't cross paths.)

Krausse's dad (Lew Sr.) pitched for the Philadelphia Athletics in 1931-32.

Lew Jr. had been a star all through little league and high school baseball (pitching 18 no-hitters in high school), and was signed as a $125,000 bonus baby by the Athletics in 1961. He pitched a complete game shutout (vs the Angels) in his major-league debut in June, at age 18.

After appearing in 12 games (8 starts) as a rookie, he spent all of 1962 (class-A) and 1963 (AAA) in the minors. Krausse also spent the bulk of 1964-65 in the minors, but did appear in a half-dozen games with the A's in each season.

Lew became a full-time big-leaguer at the start of the 1966 season. In each of the next four years, he split his time between the starting rotation and the bullpen, but was always among the top four or five A's pitchers in innings pitched (along with Catfish Hunter, Chuck Dobson, Blue Moon Odom, and Jim Nash).

After the 1969 season, Krausse was traded to the Brewers (along with outfielder Mike Hershberger, catcher Phil Roof, and pitcher Ken Sanders) for 1st baseman Don Mincher and infielder Ron Clark.

After 2 seasons in Milwaukee, Lew was traded to the Red Sox (with pitcher Marty Pattin and outfielder Tommy Harper) for first baseman George Scott, pitchers Jim Lonborg and Ken Brett, catcher Don Pavletich, and outfielders Billy Conigliaro and Joe Lahoud. Lew pitched for the BoSox in 1972, but was released the following spring.

He was quickly re-signed by the Athletics, and spent most of the season in the minors, before signing with the Cardinals in September. Krausse spent the '74 and '75 seasons bouncing around in the minors with the Braves and Athletics.

Johnny Callison (#85)

I generally try not to post a player's card if he's already appeared on one of my other blogs (like this 1969 card of Johnny Callison), but I'm making an exception here for several reasons:

1. Callison is one of my favorite Phillies from when I was growing up in the 1960s (CommishBob's too!)
2. This was my first Callison card
3. I read a story today on the Philadelphia newspaper's website, and I needed a place to pass the link along, for all Callison fans to read
4. It's all-star day, and 49 years ago, Johnny Callison was the toast of the town.

Heeere's Johnny!

Callison also pops up here.

And check out Deal's take on his Phungo blog.

The 1967 Pirates

Here are the 1967 Pirates. In 1966, the team finished in 3rd place with a 92-70 record. In 1967 they dropped to 81-81.

Manager Harry Walker was replaced in mid-season by Danny Murtaugh (in his 2nd of 4 stints as the Pirates' manager). At least the Bucs were consistently a .500 team. Walker's record was 42-42, while Murtaugh's was 39-39.

Here are the starting pitchers, in order of games started. Bob Veale led the team with a 16-8 record in 31 starts (203 innings). Tommie Sisk also started 31 games (207 innings) and compiled a 13-13 record. After that, the rotation was a mixed bag of guys who started and relieved. Dennis Ribant was 9-8 in 22 starts, while Woody Fryman slumped to 3-8 after a fine rookie season, and was traded to Philadelphia after the season for Jim Bunning.

Steve Blass started half of his 32 games, with a 6-8 record. Veteran Billy O'Dell was 5-6 in 11 starts in his 13th and final season. Vern Law was also in his last (17th) season, fashioning a 2-6 record in 10 starts. Al McBean was primarily a reliever, but made 8 starts along with his 43 relief appearances.

Veteran Elroy Face (a Pirate since 1953) was the short man in the bullpen, pitching 74 innings over 61 games, while saving 17. Juan Pizarro made 9 starts and 41 relief appearances, contributing 8 wins. Pete Mikkelsen pitched in 32 games (all in relief) before shipping out to the Cubs in early August. [My first '67 Mikkelsen card had a printing error, with each color printed slightly out of alignment. I'll have to see if I still have it.] Rookie John Gelnar joined the team after Mikkelsen's departure, and pitched in 10 games with an 8.05 ERA.

Other pitchers were Bruce Dal Canton (8 games in a September call-up), Jim Shellenback (3 games in April, 3 in September), Bob Moose (getting his feet wet in late September, prior to his key rotation role from 1968-73), and journeyman Bill Short (6 games in April-May).

Except for catcher Jerry May (at age 23 in his 1st season as a regular), the starting 8 were a veteran group. Donn Clendenon had a career year in 1966 then settled back to his usual output in 1967. Bill Mazeroski and Gene Alley were a fine defensive keystone combo.

Former Dodgers' shortstop Maury Wills came over in the off-season, and spent 2 years as the Pirates' 3rd baseman. Like Clendenon, left fielder Willie Stargell also slumped in '67, dropping from 33 to 20 home runs. Willie also started 33 games at 1st base, mostly during Clendenon's mid-June trip to the DL. Center fielder Matty Alou led the NL in batting in '66 with a .342 average, and hit .338 in 1967. "Bob" Clemente led the team with 23 homers, and led the NL with a .357 batting average.

Here are the subs, in order of playing time. Manny Mota had 378 plate appearances as a pinch-hitter and 4th outfielder. He made 3 dozen starts each in left and center. Jose Pagan was the primary infield sub, playing 2nd, short, and third, as well as left field. Veteran Jim Pagliaroni was the team's regular catcher for 4 seasons, but only played in 44 games this year. Most of his starts came during Jerry May's 4-week absence in mid-season. Al Luplow was acquired from the Mets in late June, and was used as a pinch-hitter and corner outfield reserve.

Rookie Manny Sanguillen was called up in late July when May was injured, and started 23 games behind the plate. He was back in the minors for all of 1968 before returning in 1969. Andre Rodgers, Manny Jimenez, and Jesse Gonder all played bit parts in 1967, with Gonder's MLB career ending in June.

Bob Robertson had a 9-game cup of coffee in September. His big seasons with the Pirates were 1970-73. Stargell and Clendenon were INDEED Pitt Power in 1966, but both saw their numbers dip in '67. This was Harry Walker's 3rd and last season with the Pirates. Danny Murtaugh (who preceded Walker) replaced him after 84 games, and would finish out the season before re-retiring. He came back twice in the 1970s.

Jim Price was sold to the Tigers 4 days before the season opener. Luke Walker did not play for the Pirates in 1967. George Spriggs played 38 games (mostly as a pinch-hitter) in the first 10 weeks of the season, before being sent back to the minors.


Transactions from the end of the 1966 season to the end of 1967:

10/12/66 - Traded pitcher Wilbur Wood to the White Sox for Juan Pizarro.

10/14/66 - Released outfielder Jerry Lynch.

10/17/66 - Purchased Bill Short from the Red Sox.

11/28/66 - Lost outfielder Dave Roberts to the Athletics (rule 5 draft).

11/29/66 - Drafted Manny Jimenez from the Athletics (minor league draft).

12/01/66 - Traded 3B Bob Bailey and SS Gene Michael to the Dodgers for Maury Wills.

12/06/66 - Traded outfielder Don Bosch and pitcher Don Cardwell to the Mets for catcher Gary Kolb and Dennis Ribant.

04/07/67 - Sold Jim Price to the Tigers.

06/21/67 - Purchased Al Luplow from the Mets.

08/04/67 - Pete Mikkelsen selected by the Cubs off waivers.

10/03/67 - Released Billy O'Dell.

11/28/67 - Drafted 2B Chuck Hiller from the Phillies (rule 5 draft).
                  Lost George Spriggs to the Red Sox (rule 5 draft).
                 Traded Dennis Ribant to the Tigers for Dave Wickersham.

11/29/67 - Sold Bill Short to the Mets.

12/02/67 - Traded 1B Bob Oliver to the Minnesota Twins for pitcher Ron Kline.

12/03/67 - Sold Jim Pagliaroni to the Athletics.

12/15/67 - Traded pitchers Woodie Fryman, Bill Laxton, Hal Clem, and SS Don Money to the Phillies for pitcher Jim Bunning.
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