Sal Bando was born on Sunday, February 13, 1944, in Cleveland, Ohio. Bando was 22 years old when he broke into the big leagues on September 3, 1966, with the Kansas City Athletics. His biographical data, year-by-year hitting stats, fielding stats, pitching stats (where applicable), career totals, uniform numbers, salary data and miscellaneous items-of-interest are presented by Baseball Almanac on this comprehensive Sal Bando baseball stats page.
"Third baseman Sal Bando captained the feisty Oakland Athletics during their dynasty of the early 1970s, providing his share of punch and leadership to an exciting and talented ballclub. Although he retired third in career home runs by an American League third baseman - 242, behind only Graig Nettles and Brooks Robinson - his strongest point was neither his hitting not his fielding, but his drive to succeed." - Silverman, Matthew. Baseball: The Biographical Encyclopedia. Total Sports Publishing. May 2000. Sal Bando Page 52.
Sal Bando![]() Sal Bando Autograph on a 1981 Fleer Baseball Card (#510) |
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Sal BandoSal Bando Pitching Stats |
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| Year | Age | Team | G | GS | GF | W | L | PCT | ERA | CG | SHO | SV | IP | BFP | H | ER | R | HR | BB | IBB | SO | WP | HB | BK | HLD |
| 1979 | 35 | Brewers | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 6.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3.0 | 13 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - |
| Career | G | GS | GF | W | L | PCT | ERA | CG | SHO | SV | IP | BFP | H | ER | R | HR | BB | IBB | SO | WP | HB | BK | HLD | ||
| 1 Year | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 6.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3.0 | 13 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | ||
Sal BandoSal Bando Hitting Stats |
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| Year | Age | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | GRSL | RBI | BB | IBB | SO | SH | SF | HBP | GIDP | AVG | OBP | SLG |
| 1966 | 22 | Athletics | 11 | 24 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .292 | .320 | .417 |
| 1967 | 23 | Athletics | 47 | 130 | 11 | 25 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 16 | 0 | 24 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | .192 | .295 | .246 |
| 1968 | 24 | Athletics | 162 | 605 | 67 | 152 | 25 | 5 | 9 | 0 | 67 | 51 | 6 | 78 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 12 | .251 | .314 | .354 |
| 1969 | 25 | Athletics | 162 | 609 | 106 | 171 | 25 | 3 | 31 | 2 | 113 | 111 | 5 | 82 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 12 | .281 | .400 | .484 |
| 1970 | 26 | Athletics | 155 | 502 | 93 | 132 | 20 | 2 | 20 | 0 | 75 | 118 | 5 | 88 | 7 | 3 | 6 | 12 | .263 | .407 | .430 |
| 1971 | 27 | Athletics | 153 | 538 | 75 | 146 | 23 | 1 | 24 | 2 | 94 | 86 | 11 | 55 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 14 | .271 | .377 | .452 |
| 1972 | 28 | Athletics | 152 | 535 | 64 | 126 | 20 | 3 | 15 | 1 | 77 | 78 | 17 | 55 | 6 | 3 | 9 | 13 | .236 | .341 | .368 |
| 1973 | 29 | Athletics | 162 | 592 | 97 | 170 | 32 | 3 | 29 | 0 | 98 | 82 | 5 | 84 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 13 | .287 | .375 | .498 |
| 1974 | 30 | Athletics | 146 | 498 | 84 | 121 | 21 | 2 | 22 | 1 | 103 | 86 | 4 | 79 | 1 | 13 | 5 | 10 | .243 | .352 | .426 |
| 1975 | 31 | Athletics | 160 | 562 | 64 | 129 | 24 | 1 | 15 | 1 | 78 | 87 | 2 | 80 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 10 | .230 | .337 | .356 |
| 1976 | 32 | Athletics | 158 | 550 | 75 | 132 | 18 | 2 | 27 | 0 | 84 | 76 | 1 | 74 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 7 | .240 | .335 | .427 |
| 1977 | 33 | Brewers | 159 | 580 | 65 | 145 | 27 | 3 | 17 | 0 | 82 | 75 | 3 | 89 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 10 | .250 | .336 | .395 |
| 1978 | 34 | Brewers | 152 | 540 | 85 | 154 | 20 | 6 | 17 | 0 | 78 | 72 | 4 | 52 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 11 | .285 | .371 | .439 |
| 1979 | 35 | Brewers | 130 | 476 | 57 | 117 | 14 | 3 | 9 | 0 | 43 | 57 | 3 | 42 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 17 | .246 | .330 | .345 |
| 1980 | 36 | Brewers | 78 | 254 | 28 | 50 | 12 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 31 | 29 | 2 | 35 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 7 | .197 | .278 | .311 |
| 1981 | 37 | Brewers | 32 | 65 | 10 | 13 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .200 | .268 | .354 |
| Career | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | GRSL | RBI | BB | IBB | SO | SH | SF | HBP | GIDP | AVG | OBP | SLG | ||
| 16 Years | 2,019 | 7,060 | 982 | 1,790 | 289 | 38 | 242 | 7 | 1,039 | 1,031 | 69 | 923 | 65 | 57 | 75 | 149 | .254 | .352 | .408 | ||
Sal BandoSal Bando Fielding Stats |
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| Team | POS | G | GS | OUTS | TC | TC/G | CH | PO | A | E | DP | PB | CASB | CACS | FLD% | RF |
| 1966 Athletics | 3B | 7 | 6 | 169 | 30 | 4.3 | 28 | 5 | 23 | 2 | 1 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .933 | 4.47 |
| 1967 Athletics | 3B | 44 | 38 | 1,022 | 145 | 3.3 | 139 | 43 | 96 | 6 | 7 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .959 | 3.67 |
| 1968 Athletics | 3B | 162 | 159 | 4,244 | 477 | 2.9 | 460 | 188 | 272 | 17 | 27 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .964 | 2.93 |
| 1968 Athletics | LF | 1 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .000 | 0.00 |
| 1969 Athletics | 3B | 162 | 162 | 4,442 | 523 | 3.2 | 499 | 178 | 321 | 24 | 36 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .954 | 3.03 |
| 1970 Athletics | 3B | 152 | 150 | 3,982 | 436 | 2.9 | 416 | 158 | 258 | 20 | 22 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .954 | 2.82 |
| 1971 Athletics | 3B | 153 | 153 | 4,105 | 420 | 2.7 | 408 | 141 | 267 | 12 | 22 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .971 | 2.68 |
| 1972 Athletics | 2B | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2.0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .500 | 13.50 |
| 1972 Athletics | 3B | 151 | 151 | 4,032 | 479 | 3.2 | 460 | 123 | 337 | 19 | 29 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .960 | 3.08 |
| 1973 Athletics | 3B | 159 | 159 | 4,089 | 429 | 2.7 | 407 | 126 | 281 | 22 | 24 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .949 | 2.69 |
| 1974 Athletics | 3B | 141 | 139 | 3,591 | 423 | 3.0 | 400 | 113 | 287 | 23 | 28 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .946 | 3.01 |
| 1975 Athletics | 3B | 160 | 159 | 4,113 | 451 | 2.8 | 436 | 122 | 314 | 15 | 36 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .967 | 2.86 |
| 1976 Athletics | 3B | 155 | 155 | 3,991 | 446 | 2.9 | 429 | 125 | 304 | 17 | 26 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .962 | 2.90 |
| 1976 Athletics | SS | 5 | 0 | 32 | 8 | 1.6 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 1 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1.000 | 6.75 |
| 1977 Brewers | 2B | 1 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 4.0 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1.000 | 18.00 |
| 1977 Brewers | 3B | 135 | 135 | 3,489 | 386 | 2.9 | 373 | 96 | 277 | 13 | 31 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .966 | 2.89 |
| 1977 Brewers | SS | 1 | 0 | 21 | 4 | 4.0 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1.000 | 5.14 |
| 1978 Brewers | 1B | 5 | 4 | 114 | 47 | 9.4 | 46 | 43 | 3 | 1 | 4 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .979 | 10.89 |
| 1978 Brewers | 3B | 134 | 131 | 3,444 | 432 | 3.2 | 418 | 89 | 329 | 14 | 25 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .968 | 3.28 |
| 1979 Brewers | 1B | 4 | 2 | 60 | 20 | 5.0 | 20 | 18 | 2 | 0 | 3 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1.000 | 9.00 |
| 1979 Brewers | 2B | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 2.0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1.000 | 9.00 |
| 1979 Brewers | 3B | 109 | 107 | 2,803 | 321 | 2.9 | 309 | 87 | 222 | 12 | 16 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .963 | 2.98 |
| 1979 Brewers | P | 1 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .000 | 0.00 |
| 1980 Brewers | 1B | 7 | 1 | 56 | 19 | 2.7 | 18 | 16 | 2 | 1 | 2 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .947 | 8.68 |
| 1980 Brewers | 3B | 57 | 53 | 1,370 | 167 | 2.9 | 156 | 46 | 110 | 11 | 12 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .934 | 3.07 |
| 1981 Brewers | 1B | 9 | 5 | 153 | 61 | 6.8 | 61 | 58 | 3 | 0 | 6 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1.000 | 10.76 |
| 1981 Brewers | 3B | 15 | 10 | 290 | 30 | 2.0 | 29 | 7 | 22 | 1 | 3 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .967 | 2.70 |
| Career | POS | G | GS | OUTS | TC | TC/G | CH | PO | A | E | DP | PB | CASB | CACS | FLD% | RF |
| 3B Totals | 1,896 | 1,867 | 49,176 | 5,595 | 3.0 | 5,367 | 1,647 | 3,720 | 228 | 345 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .959 | 2.95 | |
| 1B Totals | 25 | 12 | 383 | 147 | 5.9 | 145 | 135 | 10 | 2 | 15 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .986 | 10.22 | |
| SS Totals | 6 | 0 | 53 | 12 | 2.0 | 12 | 3 | 9 | 0 | 1 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1.000 | 6.11 | |
| 2B Totals | 3 | 0 | 14 | 8 | 2.7 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 1 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .875 | 13.50 | |
| LF Totals | 1 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .000 | 0.00 | |
| P Totals | 1 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .000 | 0.00 | |
| 16 Years | 1,932 | 1,879 | 49,644 | 5,762 | 3.0 | 5,531 | 1,788 | 3,743 | 231 | 362 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .960 | 3.01 | |
Sal BandoSal Bando Miscellaneous Stats |
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| Baserunning Statistics | Other Positions | Common Hitting Ratios | Common Pitching Ratios | |||||||||
| Team | SB | CS | SB% | PH | PR | DH | AB/HR | AB/K | AB/RBI | K/BB | K/9 | BB/9 |
| 1966 Athletics | 0 | 0 | .000 | 4 | 0 | n/a | 0.0 | 8.0 | 24.0 | - | - | - |
| 1967 Athletics | 1 | 0 | 1.000 | 5 | 0 | n/a | 0.0 | 5.4 | 21.7 | - | - | - |
| 1968 Athletics | 13 | 4 | .765 | 0 | 0 | n/a | 67.2 | 7.8 | 9.0 | - | - | - |
| 1969 Athletics | 1 | 4 | .200 | 0 | 0 | n/a | 19.6 | 7.4 | 5.4 | - | - | - |
| 1970 Athletics | 6 | 10 | .375 | 2 | 3 | n/a | 25.1 | 5.7 | 6.7 | - | - | - |
| 1971 Athletics | 3 | 7 | .300 | 0 | 0 | n/a | 22.4 | 9.8 | 5.7 | - | - | - |
| 1972 Athletics | 3 | 1 | .750 | 1 | 0 | n/a | 35.7 | 9.7 | 6.9 | - | - | - |
| 1973 Athletics | 4 | 2 | .667 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 20.4 | 7.0 | 6.0 | - | - | - |
| 1974 Athletics | 2 | 3 | .400 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 22.6 | 6.3 | 4.8 | - | - | - |
| 1975 Athletics | 7 | 1 | .875 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 37.5 | 7.0 | 7.2 | - | - | - |
| 1976 Athletics | 20 | 6 | .769 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 20.4 | 7.4 | 6.5 | - | - | - |
| 1977 Brewers | 4 | 2 | .667 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 34.1 | 6.5 | 7.1 | - | - | - |
| 1978 Brewers | 3 | 2 | .600 | 4 | 0 | 12 | 31.8 | 10.4 | 6.9 | - | - | - |
| 1979 Brewers | 2 | 0 | 1.000 | 1 | 0 | 19 | 52.9 | 11.3 | 11.1 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| 1980 Brewers | 5 | 3 | .625 | 7 | 0 | 15 | 50.8 | 7.3 | 8.2 | - | - | - |
| 1981 Brewers | 1 | 1 | .500 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 32.5 | 21.7 | 7.2 | - | - | - |
| Career | SB | CS | SB% | PH | PR | DH | AB/HR | AB/K | AB/RBI | K/BB | K/9 | BB/9 |
| 16 Years | 75 | 46 | .620 | 42 | 5 | 80 | 29.2 | 7.6 | 6.8 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
Sal BandoSal Bando Miscellaneous Items of Interest |
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| Team | Roster | Uniform Numbers | Salary | All-Star | World Series |
| 1966 Kansas City Athletics | 6 | $12,000.00 | - | - |
| 1967 Kansas City Athletics | 6 | $14,000.00 | - | - |
| 1968 Oakland Athletics | 6 | $16,500.00 | - | - |
| 1969 Oakland Athletics | 6 | $18,000.00 | Stats | - |
| 1970 Oakland Athletics | 6 | $35,000.00 | - | - |
| 1971 Oakland Athletics | 6 | $45,000.00 | - | - |
| 1972 Oakland Athletics | 6 | $48,120.00 | Stats | Stats |
| 1973 Oakland Athletics | 6 | $60,000.00 | Stats | Stats |
| 1974 Oakland Athletics | 6 | $100,000.00 | Stats | Stats |
| 1975 Oakland Athletics | 6 | $100,000.00 | - | - |
| 1976 Oakland Athletics | 6 | $180,000.00 | - | - |
| 1977 Milwaukee Brewers | 6 | $281,200.00 | - | - |
| 1978 Milwaukee Brewers | 6 | $281,200.00 | - | - |
| 1979 Milwaukee Brewers | 6 | $281,200.00 | - | - |
| 1980 Milwaukee Brewers | 6 | $281,200.00 | - | - |
| 1981 Milwaukee Brewers | 6 | $281,200.00 | - | - |
| Sal Bando Stats by Baseball Almanac | ||||

Salvatore Leonard Bando was a Major League Baseball player with the Kansas City Athletics (1966-1967), Oakland Athletics (1968-1976), and Milwaukee Brewers (1977-1981). When Sal, his nickname, made his big league debut on September 3, 1966, he became the first former student from Warrensville Heights High School (Warrensville Heights, OH) to play in the majors.

Sal Bando Rookie Card | 1967 Topps Baseball Card (#33 | Checklist)
Baseball Almanac Research Library
The Back of the Baseball Card
SAL BANDO—3rd BASE. The Athletics have high hopes for this 23 year old infielder. A six foot righthanded batter, Sal hit .292 for Kansas City after joining the club late in '66.
On April 10, 1968, the Athletics played their first game in Oakland. The franchise had spent 53 years in Philadelphia, then 12 years in Kansas City, before relocating to Oakland. That day:
Sal Bando was the first third baseman in that first game for the Oakland Athletics, the first Oakland Athletics player to wear #6, and in the second inning Tom Phoebus grounded into a double play that was the first turned in Oakland — Sal Bando (3B) to John Donaldson (2B) to Ray Webster (1B).

Oakland Athletics First Game (Box Score) | Pottstown Mercury | April 11, 1968 | Page 34Baseball Almanac Research Library
In 1969, Sal Bando finished the season with 113 runs batted in, second on the team to Reggie Jackson who had 118 runs batted in — the two "RBI Machines" were the first players from the Oakland Athletics to post a 100+ RBI season. Four of Captain Sal's RBIs came courtesy of a grand slam Bando hit off George Brunet on April 16, 1969, the first grand slam ever hit in Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum.
Sal Bando was the only player on the inaugural 1968 Oakland Athletics to play in all 162 games. He led the American League in games played that season along with Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson. A year later, Bando led the American League again, and this time he led alongside two different hall of famers, Harmon Killebrew & Carl Yastrzemski!
Sal Bando might be the only baseball player in history to hang up his cleats and become the Chief Executive Officer of a doll company. An excerpt from Sports Illustrated: Where Are They Now:
In a way, A's owner Charlie Finley treated his players like dolls. He dressed them in gaudy uniforms and white shoes, paid them to grow facial hair and frequently pulled their strings -- to get them not to talk. Ironic, then, that Sal Bando, the tough-as-nails A's captain who often clashed with Finley, is now in the doll business -- the CEO of the Hartland, Wis.-based Middleton Doll Company.
Bando says Finley's management style influenced his own. "He taught me to make sure you get talented people to work for you," says Bando, 63. "What I learned not to do is treat people unfairly." The power-hitting third baseman led the A's in a near revolt in 1976 after Finley refused to allow ace Vida Blue, closer Rollie Fingers and outfielder Joe Rudi to play, as a protest against commissioner Bowie Kuhn's ruling that Finley couldn't sell the three. "Finley aired me out on the radio," says Bando. "You learn that's not the way you do business."

Sal Bando | The Simpsons | May 7, 2007Baseball Almanac Research Library
Sal Bando was the voice of Sal Bando (pictured above / he is driving) in an episode of the Simpsons (Regarding Margie) which Sports Illustrated for Kids featured in an issue Sports Figures on The Simpsons, writing in part:
Episode: Regarding Margie First aired: May 7, 2006 Memorable Moment After Homer refuses to pay Bart for spray painting their address (742) on the curb, Bart leaves the 2 off. Homer finishes painting the curb so it reads: 74 Oakland A's - Best Team Ever Lisa: "Dad, all you had to do was paint one number, now no one is going to be able to find our house!" Homer: "But sweetie, I just wanted to tell the '74 Oakland A's how I felt about them." Sal Bando, Gene Tenace and several members of the '74 A's roll up in a convertible. Sal Bando: "Look, that guy remembers us!" Gene Tenace: "Hey Sal Bando, give him a '74 A's thank you honk!" Sal Bando honks the horn and drives off. Homer: "My work here is done."
After hanging up his cleats, Sal Bando became a Special Assistant to the Milwaukee Brewers General Manager, Harry Dalton. In 1991, he took over as GM, the sixth in franchise history. On Friday, January 20, 2023, Sal Bando died of cancer in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. Captain Sal was 78 years old.