Al Oliver

Did You Know?

• Oliver hit the last home run at Forbes Field, off Milt Pappas on June 28, 1970.
• He drove in the first run ever scored at Three Rivers Stadium on July 16, 1970.
• His son Aaron Oliver caught the first touchdown pass in Big 12 history.

Pittsburgh Pirates

Oliver attended Portsmouth High School in Portsmouth, Ohio, where he played alongside future Major Leaguer Larry Hisle. He earned a basketball scholarship to Kent State but signed with the Pirates at age 17 for $5,000 after a tryout camp. He was promoted to the majors on September 14, 1968, the day his father died, appearing in four games. In his official rookie season, he batted .285 with 17 home runs and 70 RBI, finishing second in NL Rookie of the Year voting. The following year he hit .270 and led the league in hit-by-pitches. On September 1, 1971, the Pirates fielded what is believed to be the first all-black lineup in league history, with Oliver at first base. That season he batted .282 with 31 doubles and seven triples. The Pirates won the World Series in 1971, beating the Baltimore Orioles in seven games, with Oliver as their regular center fielder.

Texas Rangers

On December 8, 1977, Oliver was traded from the Pirates to the Rangers in the first four-team blockbuster deal in MLB history, which also involved the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets. In 1978 he batted .324, second in the AL, with 170 hits and 35 doubles. The next season he hit .323, fifth in the league. Wearing number 0, the first major leaguer to do so, Oliver played all 163 games in 1980, reaching career highs in hits (209), doubles (43), and RBI (117) while batting .319.

He was named to the AL All-Star team for the first time and won The Sporting News AL Silver Slugger Award. On August 17, 1980, he set an American League record with 21 total bases in a doubleheader. In 1981 he batted .309, was selected to the All-Star game, and won his second consecutive Silver Slugger Award, becoming the first player to win the award at two different positions. He became the Rangers' all-time leading hitter (.319).

Montreal Expos

Oliver was traded to the Montreal Expos on March 31, 1982, after a proposed deal to the New York Yankees fell through. He became the Expos' starting first baseman. In 1982 he won the NL batting crown with a career-high .331 average, led the league in hits (204), doubles (43), extra bases (67), and total bases (317), and tied for the RBI lead with 109. He was third in NL MVP voting and won his third consecutive Silver Slugger Award. He was voted the Montreal Expos Player of the Year. He was selected for his seventh All-Star game, starting at first base.

Giants, Phillies, Dodgers, and Blue Jays (1984–85)

On February 27, 1984, Oliver was traded to the San Francisco Giants, then on August 20, 1984, to the Philadelphia Phillies. In the 1984–85 offseason, he was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers, and on July 9, 1985, to the Toronto Blue Jays. With the Blue Jays, he delivered two game-winning hits in the first four games of the 1985 American League Championship Series against Kansas City, but the Royals rallied to win the last three games. In the deciding seventh game, Oliver started as the designated hitter but was pinch-hit for after the Royals brought in a left-handed pitcher; he batted .375 for the series. Oliver claims he was forced to retire due to collusion among baseball owners. Courts later ruled that collusion had occurred, and in 1995 a judge ruled that Oliver was entitled to $680,031.05. He is one of the few players to have played for both major league Canadian teams.