1976 Oakland Athletics
LeagueAmerican League
DivisionWest
BallparkOakland–Alameda County Coliseum
CityOakland, California
Record87–74 (.540)
Divisional place2nd
OwnersCharles O. Finley
ManagersChuck Tanner
TelevisionKPIX-TV
RadioKNBR
(Monte Moore, Bob Waller)
Seasons

The 1976 Oakland Athletics season involved the A's finishing second in the American League West with a record of 87 wins and 74 losses, 2+1⁄2 games behind the Kansas City Royals. The A's failed to win the division (and make the playoffs) for the first time since 1970. The team set and still holds the American League record for most stolen bases with 341,[1] second in Major League Baseball's modern era (since 1901) to the 1911 New York Giants, who had 347.[2]

The Athletics did not eclipse this season's win total until 1988 (104 wins). Nearly all of the team's stars (Sal Bando, Rollie Fingers, Gene Tenace, Joe Rudi, Bert Campaneris, Don Baylor, Phil Garner, Billy Williams, Claudell Washington, and an injury-plagued Willie McCovey) departed after this season. This staggering mass exodus led to a 24-win plunge in 1977 to last place in the standings and attendance.

Offseason

Regular season

As the 1976 season got underway (on April 9 for Oakland), the basic rules of player contracts were changing. It was ruled that baseball's reserve clause only bound players for one season after their contract expired. All players not signed to multi-year contracts would be eligible for free agency at the end of the 1976 season. Finley reacted by trading star players and attempting to sell others. On June 15, Finley sold left fielder Joe Rudi and relief pitcher Rollie Fingers to the Boston Red Sox for $1 million each, and pitcher Vida Blue[10] to the New York Yankees for $1.5 million. Three days later, Bowie Kuhn voided the transactions in the "best interests of baseball." Amid the turmoil, the A's still finished second in the A.L. West, 2.5 games behind the Royals.

Fire sale

  • Before the June 15 trading deadline, Finley contacted the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox. He had proposed a trade to the Red Sox that would have involved Joe Rudi, Rollie Fingers, Vida Blue, Gene Tenace, and Sal Bando for outfielder Fred Lynn, catcher Carlton Fisk, and prospects.[11] In trade talks with the Yankees, Finley proposed Vida Blue for catcher Thurman Munson, along with either outfielder Roy White or Elliott Maddox; he also offered Rudi for Munson.[11]
  • On June 14, Finley was unable to make any trades, and had started contacting other teams about the possibility of selling his players' contracts. Rudi, Blue, Baylor, and Tenace were worth $1 million each, while Bando could be acquired for $500,000. Boston general manager Dick O'Connell was in Oakland as the Red Sox would play the Athletics on June 15. Field manager Darrell Johnson had declared that he was interested in Rudi and Fingers; the Red Sox had agreed to purchase both contracts for one million dollars each.

O'Connell had contacted Detroit Tigers general manager Jim Campbell to purchase Vida Blue for one million dollars so that the New York Yankees could not get him.[12] Gabe Paul of the Yankees advised that he would pay $1.5 million for the opportunity to acquire Blue. Finley offered Blue a three-year extension worth $485,000 per season to make the sale more attractive to the Yankees.[12] With the extension, the Yankees agreed to purchase Blue.

  • Finley had then proceeded to contact Bill Veeck of the Chicago White Sox about purchasing Sal Bando. He then contacted the Texas Rangers, as they were interested in acquiring Don Baylor for the one million dollar asking price.[13]

Season standings

AL West W L Pct. GB Home Road
Kansas City Royals 9072 0.556 — 49–32 41–40
Oakland Athletics 8774 0.540 2½ 51–30 36–44
Minnesota Twins 8577 0.525 5 44–37 41–40
Texas Rangers 7686 0.469 14 39–42 37–44
California Angels 7686 0.469 14 38–43 38–43
Chicago White Sox 6497 0.398 25½ 35–45 29–52
  • By May 18, the Athletics were 18–24 (.429), and seven and a half games out of first place.[8]

Record vs. opponents

1976 American League record

Sources:
Team BAL BOS CAL CWS CLE DET KC MIL MIN NYY OAK TEX
Baltimore —7–118–48–47–1112–66–611–74–813–54–88–4
Boston 11–7—7–56–69–914–43–912–67–57–114–83–9
California 4–85–7—11–77–56–68–104–88–105–76–1212–6
Chicago 4–86–67–11—3–96–68–107–57–111–118–97–11
Cleveland 11–79–95–79–3—6–126–611–69–34–124–87–5
Detroit 6–124–146–66–612–6—4–812–64–89–86–65–7
Kansas City 6–69–310–810–86–68–4—8–410–87–59–97–11
Milwaukee 7–116–128–45–76–116–124–8—4–85–135–710–2
Minnesota 8–45–710–811–73–98–48–108–4—2–1011–711–7
New York 5–1311–77–511–112–48–95–713–510–2—6–69–3
Oakland 8–48–412–69–88–46–69–97–57–116–6—7–11
Texas 4–89–36–1211–75–77–511–72–107–113–911–7—

Notable transactions

Roster

1976 Oakland Athletics
Roster
Pitchers Catchers

Infielders

 Outfielders

Other batters

 Manager

Coaches

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
CLarry Haney8817740.226010
1BGene Tenace128417104.2492266
2BPhil Garner159555145.261874
3BSal Bando158550132.2402784
SSBert Campaneris149536137.256152
LFJoe Rudi130500135.2701394
CFBilly North154590163.276231
RFClaudell Washington134490126.257553
DHBilly Williams12035174.2111141

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
Don Baylor157595147.2471568
Ken McMullen9818641.220523
Jeff Newman437715.19504
Tommy Sandt416714.20903
Tim Hosley37559.16414
Ron Fairly154611.239310
César Tovar29458.17804
Matt Alexander61301.03300
Willie McCovey11245.20800
Wayne Gross10184.22201
Ángel Mangual8122.16701
Denny Walling3113.27300
Gary Woods681.12500
Jim Holt472.28602
Nate Colbert250.00000
Larry Lintz6810.00000
Don Hopkins300----00

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
Vida Blue37298.118132.35166
Mike Torrez39266.116122.50115
Paul Mitchell26142.0974.2567
Mike Norris2496.0454.7844

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
Stan Bahnsen35143.0873.3482
Dick Bosman27112.0424.1034
Glenn Abbott1962.1245.4927
Chris Batton24.0009.004

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
Rollie Fingers701311202.47113
Paul Lindblad656553.0637
Jim Todd497843.8122
Craig Mitchell10002.700

Farm system

Level Team League Manager
AAA Tucson Toros Pacific Coast League Hank Aguirre and Lee Stange
AA Chattanooga Lookouts Southern League Rene Lachemann
A Modesto A's California League George Farson
A-Short Season Boise A's Northwest League Tom Trebelhorn

References

  1. ↑ "Team Stolen Base Records & Team Caught Stealing Records". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved April 17, 2022.
  2. ↑ "1911 New York Giants Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved April 17, 2022.
  3. ↑ Dal Maxvill page at Baseball Reference
  4. ↑ Ray Fosse page at Baseball Reference
  5. ↑ "A's trade Jackson, Holtzman". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. April 3, 1976. p. 1B.
  6. ↑ Reggie Jackson page at Baseball Reference
  7. ↑ Charlie Finley: The Outrageous Story of Baseball's Super Showman, p.244, G. Michael Green and Roger D. Launius. Walker Publishing Company, New York, 2010, ISBN 978-0-8027-1745-0
  8. 1 2 Charlie Finley: The Outrageous Story of Baseball's Super Showman, p.245, G. Michael Green and Roger D. Launius. Walker Publishing Company, New York, 2010, ISBN 978-0-8027-1745-0
  9. ↑ Ken McMullen page at Baseball Reference
  10. ↑ "SITT – Vida Blue". Archived from the original on August 14, 2002. Retrieved July 4, 2008.
  11. 1 2 Charlie Finley: The Outrageous Story of Baseball's Super Showman, p.247, G. Michael Green and Roger D. Launius. Walker Publishing Company, New York, 2010, ISBN 978-0-8027-1745-0
  12. 1 2 Charlie Finley: The Outrageous Story of Baseball's Super Showman, p.248, G. Michael Green and Roger D. Launius. Walker Publishing Company, New York, 2010, ISBN 978-0-8027-1745-0
  13. ↑ Charlie Finley: The Outrageous Story of Baseball's Super Showman, p.249, G. Michael Green and Roger D. Launius. Walker Publishing Company, New York, 2010, ISBN 978-0-8027-1745-0
  14. ↑ Tim Hosley page at Baseball Reference
  15. ↑ Rickey Henderson page at Baseball Reference
  16. ↑ Ernie Camacho page at Baseball Reference
  17. ↑ Nate Colbert page at Baseball Reference
  18. ↑ Willie McCovey page at Baseball Reference
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