1964 Kansas City Athletics season explained

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 tenth in the American League with a record of 57 wins, 105 losses and one tie,^[1] 42 games behind the American League Champion New York Yankees.

Offseason

• In January, owner Charles O. Finley signed an agreement to move the A's to Louisville, promising to change the team's name to the "Kentucky Athletics".^{[2] [3]} (Other names suggested for the team were the "Kentucky Colonels" and the "Louisville Sluggers.") By another 9–1 vote by the league owners, his request was denied.^{[4] [5] [6]} 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 after the 1967 season.
• On February 28, Finley signed a four-year lease to remain in Kansas City.^{[7] [8]} The club would pay no rent at Municipal 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.^[9]
• In early April, Finley tried to shorten the rather distant fences at the stadium by creating a 296feet Pennant Porch in right field, fronting a tiny bleacher section, to mock the famed short fence in right field at Yankee Stadium, home of the powerful Yankees.^{[10] [11]} The move was quickly vetoed by the league,^[12] so Finley rebuilt the fence to the bare legal minimum of, and repainted the fence to say "One-Half Pennant Porch".^{[13] [14]} Later he tried the ruse of putting a canopy over the little bleacher, which just happened to have an extension that reached out 29feet over the field. The league, not amused by Finley's sense of humor, again ordered him to cease and desist.

Notable transactions

• October 7, 1963: Sammy Esposito was released by the Athletics.^[15]
• November 27, 1963: Norm Siebern was traded to the Baltimore Orioles for Jim Gentile and $25,000.^[16]
• December 2, 1963: John Donaldson was selected by the Athletics from the Minnesota Twins in the rule 5 draft.^[17]

Regular season

• The club set a franchise record by hitting 107 home runs during home games, while the A's pitching staff gave up 132 home runs during home games. At the time, it was a major league record.^[18]
• Eighteen-year-old free agent Catfish Hunter was not able to pitch in 1964. He was sent to the Mayo Clinic, as surgeons worked on his right foot, which had been injured in a hunting accident the previous autumn. Hunter recovered at Finley's farm in La Porte, Indiana.^[19]
• Shortstop Bert Campaneris made his major league debut on July 23 at Minnesota, and hit two home runs off Jim Kaat in the first (first pitch) and seventh innings; joining the team earlier that day, he also singled, walked, and stole a base.^{[20] [21] [22] [23]}
• On September 5, 19-year-old Blue Moon Odom made his major league debut against the visiting New York Yankees. Odom started but lasted just two innings, giving up six earned runs on six hits with two walks and one strikeout. The A's tied the game in the third inning, so he did not get the loss.^{[24] [25]}
• On September 17, the A's were away on an eastern road trip and The Beatles played Municipal Stadium as part of their first U.S. tour.^[26] The date was originally supposed to be an off-day for the band between concerts in New Orleans and Dallas, but they agreed to perform when Finley offered their manager Brian Epstein a then-record sum of $150,000 (equivalent to $1.14 million in 2014). The group opened the half-hour Thursday night concert by saluting the host town with their medley of "Kansas City" and "Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey";^[27] a month later, they would record the medley for their fourth studio album, Beatles for Sale.

Notable transactions

• June 8, 1964: Catfish Hunter was signed as an amateur free agent by the Athletics.^[28]
• June 13, 1964: Joe Rudi was signed as an amateur free agent by the Athletics.^[29]

Roster

1964 Kansas City Athletics
Roster
Pitchers		CatchersInfielders		Outfielders		ManagerCoaches

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
C		97	294	66	.224	5	28
1B		136	439	110	.251	28	71
2B		130	435	115	.264	11	37
3B		150	557	134	.241	16	63
SS		157	604	170	.281	8	49
LF		95	204	46	.225	12	38
CF		157	573	137	.239	14	60
RF		160	588	161	.274	34	102

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
	67	269	69	.257	4	22
	93	220	53	.241	13	36
	102	204	49	.240	3	19
	49	139	27	.194	7	12
	43	118	32	.271	2	9
	104	100	20	.200	0	3
	31	94	19	.202	2	9
	37	91	19	.209	0	2
	17	54	12	.222	0	1
	25	53	9	.170	1	5
	16	52	11	.212	0	3
	15	46	12	.261	3	6
	6	22	3	.136	0	0
	4	9	0	.000	0	0

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
	40	219.1	12	14	4.43	184
	40	217.0	8	17	4.56	155
	39	173.2	10	14	4.92	79
	9	42.0	1	4	3.86	30
	5	17.0	1	2	10.06	10
	5	14.2	0	2	7.36	9

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
	53	168.1	5	13	5.29	119
	50	118.2	4	7	4.10	45
	34	83.2	0	6	4.73	64
	11	31.1	0	4	8.90	14

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
	81	9	8	20	3.59	74
	50	6	3	5	1.94	101
	21	0	2	1	3.67	18
	20	0	2	0	5.40	17
	19	1	5	0	6.53	21
	18	0	1	0	6.06	18
	9	0	1	0	8.82	7
	3	0	0	0	9.82	1

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.

External links

• 1964 Kansas City Athletics team page at Baseball Reference
• 1964 Kansas City Athletics team page at www.baseball-almanac.com

Notes and References

1. Web site: 2017-12-01 . Here are the stories behind seven of the wildest tie games in Major League history . 2023-07-30 . MLB.com . en.
2. News: Louisville and Finley sign two-year conditional pact . Lawrence Daily Journal-World . (Kansas) . Associated Press . January 7, 1964 . 12.
3. News: Finley Signs Contract to Transfer Athletics to Louisville . New York Times . January 6, 1964 . April 29, 2008.
4. News: Finley must remain in K.C. or possibly lose his club . Lawrence Daily Journal-World . (Kansas) . Reichler . Joe . Associated Press . January 17, 1964 . 11.
5. News: Finley is ready for court fight . Lawrence Daily Journal-World . (Kansas) . Associated Press . January 18, 1964 . 8.
6. News: Finley Will Open in Kansas City, But Promises Court Action Soon . John Drebinger . New York Times . January 18, 1964 .
7. News: Finley loves us, for a while . Lawrence Daily Journal-World . (Kansas) . Associated Press . February 29, 1964 . 7.
8. News: A's owner signs pact with city . Pittsburgh Post-Gazette . Associated Press . February 29, 1964 . 12.
9. 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,
10. News: Finley's Pennant Porch set . Lawrence Daily Journal-World . (Kansas) . Associated Press . Van Valkenburg . Jim . April 10, 1964 . 11.
11. News: Finley building Yankee-style 'Pennant Porch' in A's park . Lewiston Morning Tribune . (Idaho) . Associated Press . April 10, 1964 . 14.
12. News: Finley says he'll defy edict to dismantle 'Yankee' fence . Lewiston Morning Tribune . (Idaho) . Associated Press . April 12, 1964 . 11.
13. News: Finley now has Half-Porch and will continue a fight . Lawrence Daily Journal-World . (Kansas) . Associated Press . Van Valkenburg . Jim . April 14, 1964 . 11.
14. News: Pennant Porch no answer to Kansas Dity's problem . Lawrence Daily Journal-World . (Kansas) . Associated Press . Rathet . Mike . April 22, 1964 . 15.
15. https://www.baseball-reference.com/e/espossa01.shtml Sammy Esposito page at Baseball Reference
16. https://www.baseball-reference.com/s/siebeno01.shtml Norm Siebern page at Baseball Reference
17. https://www.baseball-reference.com/d/donaljo01.shtml John Donaldson page at Baseball Reference
18. 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,
19. 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,
20. News: Campaneris slams two HR's in first major league game. Eugene Register-Guard . (Oregon) . Associated Press . July 24, 1964 . 5B.
21. News: A's rookie Campaneris is hero in first appearance . Lawrence Daily Journal-World . (Kansas) . Associated Press . July 24, 1964 . 10.
22. News: Athletics' rookie has terrific start . Pittsburgh Press . UPI . July 24, 1964 . 20.
23. 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,
24. News: Pepitone powers Yanks . St. Petersburg Times . (Florida) . Associated Press . September 6, 1964 . 1C.
25. https://www.baseball-reference.com/o/odombl01.shtml Blue Moon Odom page at Baseball Reference
26. News: Beatles look like worms in lighted box Thursday . Lawrence Daily Journal-World . (Kansas) . Associated Press . September 18, 1964 . 5.
27. https://books.google.com/books?id=idN1CwAAQBAJ&dq=jimmy+piersall+the+beatles+charlie+finley&pg=PT52 Finley, Nancy. Finley Ball: How Two Outsiders Turned the Oakland A's into a Dynasty and Changed the Game Forever. Washington, DC: Salem Media Group, 2016.
28. https://www.baseball-reference.com/h/hunteca01.shtml Catfish Hunter page at Baseball Reference
29. https://www.baseball-reference.com/r/rudijo01.shtml Joe Rudi page at Baseball Reference