Sal Bando

Lore & Background

A four-time All-Star player, Bando averaged 23 home runs and 90 runs batted in over an eight-year span. He finished second, third, and fourth in the American League Most Valuable Player Award voting from 1971 to 1974. He ended his playing career with the Milwaukee Brewers. After his playing career, Bando served as a special assistant with the Brewers before serving as the team's General Manager from October 1991 until August 1999. He was inducted into the National College Baseball Hall of Fame in 2013 and into the Oakland Athletics Hall of Fame in 2022.

In Their Own Story

The October night air at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum carried the smell of cut grass and diesel from the nearby highway. Bando stood in the on-deck circle, chewing on a wad of pine tar, watching the pitcher's windup from the side. His left hand gripped the bat just above the knob, knuckles white, eyes locked on the release point. The crowd behind him—a sea of flannel shirts, steel-toed boots, and beer-stained fingers—roared with a sound that felt like the earth shifting. He stepped in, planted his back foot, and as the ball left the pitcher's hand, the swing was one clean, violent arc. The crack echoed off the concrete walls of the Coliseum, and for a moment the whole stadium held its breath before the ball began its long, lazy flight into the night. Bando didn't celebrate. He just tapped the barrel against his thigh, looked back toward first base, and started the trot. That was the deal. That was always the deal.

Reader's Guide

Bando attended Warrensville Heights High School and Arizona State University, where he played college baseball for the Arizona State Sun Devils. He was a member of the 1965 College World Series champions and was named the College World Series Most Outstanding Player. The Kansas City Athletics selected Bando in the sixth round of the 1965 MLB draft. He made his MLB debut in 1966. Manager Hank Bauer named Bando team captain on May 30, 1969. He was named the starting third baseman for the American League in the 1969 MLB All-Star Game. Bando remains the only player to officially serve as captain of the A's in the franchise's history. During the 'Swingin' A's' era of 1971 to 1975, Bando was named to three consecutive All-Star Games (1972–1974) and was runner-up for the 1971 AL MVP Award. In 1973, he led the American League with 64 extra-base hits, 32 doubles, and 295 total bases. After the 1976 season, Bando signed a five-year contract worth $1.5 million with the Milwaukee Brewers, spending his last five seasons with the club. He retired after the 1981 season. In a 16-season career, Bando had a .254 batting average with 242 home runs and 1,039 RBIs in 2,019 games played. At the end of his career, Bando ranked third in AL history with 1,896 career games at third base. His 789 RBI as an Oakland player were a record until Mark McGwire passed him in 1996, and his 192 home runs with the team were a record for a right-handed hitter in Oakland until Jose Canseco passed him in 1991. After retiring, Bando became a special assistant to Milwaukee's general manager, Harry Dalton, until 1991. He served as a color analyst for NBC in 1982. Bando was named the Brewers' general manager on October 8, 1991. He held that position until August 12, 1999. Bando did a voice cameo in a 2006 episode of The Simpsons. He was CEO of The Middleton Doll Company. Bando was inducted into the National College Baseball Hall of Fame in 2013, the Milwaukee Brewers Wall of Honor in 2014, and the Oakland Athletics Hall of Fame in 2022.

Did You Know?

• Bando was the captain of the Oakland Athletics dynasty that won three consecutive World Series championships between 1972 and 1974.
• He remains the only player to officially serve as captain of the A's in the franchise's history.
• Bando was a member of the 1965 College World Series champions and was named the College World Series Most Outstanding Player.
• He was inducted into the Oakland Athletics Hall of Fame in 2022.