1957 Kansas City Athletics season
Encyclopedia
The Kansas City Athletics
season involved the A's finishing 7th in the American League
with a record of 59 wins and 94 losses.
Vic Power
became the first black player to lead the American League in fielding percentage
at any position. He led all American League first basemen with a .998 fielding average.
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
season involved the A's finishing 7th in the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
with a record of 59 wins and 94 losses.
Offseason
- October 15, 1956: Bob CervBob CervRobert Henry Cerv was an American baseball player. Prior to his professional career he was a standout baseball and basketball player at the University of Nebraska....
was purchased by the Athletics from the New York YankeesNew York YankeesThe New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
. - February 19, 1957: Art DitmarArt DitmarArthur John Ditmar is a former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Athletics and the New York Yankees . He batted and threw right-handed.A finesse control pitcher, Ditmar divided his career between the Athletics and Yankees...
, Bobby ShantzBobby ShantzRobert Clayton Shantz was a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Philadelphia Athletics , Kansas City Athletics , New York Yankees , Pittsburgh Pirates , Houston Colt .45's , St...
, Jack McMahanJack McMahanJack Wally McMahan is a former right-handed batting, left-handed throwing Major League Baseball pitcher who played in 1956 for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Kansas City Athletics....
, Wayne BelardiWayne BelardiCarroll Wayne Belardi played baseball at Bellarmine College Preparatory where he graduated in 1948. He then went on to play First Baseman in Major League Baseball for the Brooklyn Dodgers and Detroit Tigers. He played from 1950–56 and appeared in the 1953 World Series for the Dodgers.- External...
and players to be named later were traded by the Athletics to the New York YankeesNew York YankeesThe New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
for Irv NorenIrv NorenIrving Arnold Noren is a retired American professional baseball and basketball player. He played outfield in the Major Leagues from 1950-1960. He played for the St. Louis Cardinals, Washington Senators, New York Yankees, Kansas City Athletics, Chicago Cubs, and Los Angeles Dodgers...
, Milt GraffMilt GraffMilton Edward Graff was a Major League Baseball second baseman. He was born on Tuesday, December 30, 1930 in Jefferson Center, Pennsylvania. He was listed at a height of 5'7" and a weight of 158 pounds. Graff attended Butler Senior High School and then attended Pennsylvania State University and...
, Mickey McDermottMickey McDermottMaurice Joseph "Mickey" McDermott Jr. was an American left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball.-Pre-professional career:...
, Tom MorganTom Morgan (baseball)Tom Stephen Morgan was a Major League Baseball pitcher. A native of El Monte, California, the 6'2", 195 lb. right-hander was signed by the New York Yankees as an amateur free agent before the 1949 season...
, Rip ColemanRip ColemanWalter Gary "Rip" Coleman is a former left-handed Major League Baseball pitcher who played from 1955 to 1957 and 1959 to 1960 for the New York Yankees, Kansas City Athletics and Baltimore Orioles....
, Billy HunterBilly Hunter (baseball)Gordon William Hunter is a retired American shortstop, coach and manager in Major League Baseball.A slick-fielding, light-hitting shortstop from Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, the right-handed-batting Hunter was originally signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers. With his path to the majors blocked by Pee Wee...
and a player to be named later. The Yankees completed their part of the deal by sending Jack UrbanJack UrbanJack Elmer Urban is a former right-handed Major League Baseball pitcher who played from 1957 to 1959 for the Kansas City Athletics and St. Louis Cardinals....
to the Athletics on April 5. The Athletics completed the deal by sending Curt RobertsCurt RobertsCurtis Benjamin Roberts was a Major League Baseball second baseman. He was signed by the Boston Braves as an amateur free agent before the 1951 season, and played for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1954 to 1956. A native of Pineland, Texas, he stood 5'8" and weighed...
to the Yankees on April 4 and Clete BoyerClete BoyerCletis Leroy "Clete" Boyer was a Major League Baseball player.A third baseman who also played shortstop and second base occasionally, Boyer played for the Kansas City Athletics , New York Yankees and Atlanta Braves...
to the Yankees on June 4. - Prior to 1957 season: Lou KlimchockLou KlimchockLouis Stephen Klimchock was an infielder for the Kansas City Athletics , Milwaukee Braves , Washington Senators , New York Mets and Cleveland Indians ....
was signed as an amateur free agent by the Athletics.
Regular season
First basemanFirst baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
Vic Power
Victor Pellot
Victor Pellot a.k.a. "Vic Power" was the second black Puerto Rican to play in Major League Baseball and the first Puerto Rican to play in the American League...
became the first black player to lead the American League in fielding percentage
Fielding percentage
In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball...
at any position. He led all American League first basemen with a .998 fielding average.
Notable transactions
- June 15, 1957: Ryne DurenRyne DurenRinold George "Ryne" Duren was an American relief pitcher in Major League Baseball.He was known for the combination of his blazing fastball and his very poor vision. With his thick coke bottle glasses, few batters dared to dig in against Duren...
, Jim PisoniJim PisoniJames Peter Pisoni was an American professional baseball player, a backup outfielder in Major League Baseball. Pisoni played mainly as a center fielder for four teams between 1953 and 1960. Listed at , , he batted and threw right-handed, and was born in St...
, and Harry SimpsonHarry SimpsonHarry Leon "Suitcase" Simpson was an African American outfielder and first baseman in Major League Baseball who played for a number of teams. He played in the World Series with the New York Yankees in 1957, where they lost....
were traded by the Athletics to the New York Yankees for Ralph TerryRalph TerryRalph Willard Terry is a former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the New York Yankees , Kansas City Athletics , Cleveland Indians and New York Mets...
, Woodie HeldWoodie HeldWoodson George "Woodie" Held was a shortstop/outfielder in Major League Baseball who played for the New York Yankees, Kansas City Athletics, Cleveland Indians, Washington Senators, Baltimore Orioles, California Angels and Chicago White Sox. He batted and threw right-handed...
, Billy MartinBilly MartinAlfred Manuel "Billy" Martin, Jr. was an American Major League Baseball second baseman and manager. He is best known as the manager of the New York Yankees, a position he held five different times...
, and Bob MartynBob MartynAcademically, Martyn double-majored in mathematics and sociology and he graduated cum laude. While playing professional baseball, he earned his masters degree in education in 1959, studying between seasons....
. - August 1, 1957: Johnny GrothJohnny GrothJohn Thomas Groth is a former professional baseball player who played outfield in the Major Leagues from 1946 to 1960. He was born in Chicago, Illinois. He play for the Detroit Tigers , St...
was purchased from the Athletics by the Detroit TigersDetroit TigersThe Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
. - August 27, 1957: Al AberAl AberAlbert Julius Aber , nicknamed Lefty, was a left-handed Major League Baseball pitcher who played six years in the Major Leagues with the Cleveland Indians , Detroit Tigers , and Kansas City Athletics ....
was selected off waivers by the Athletics from the Detroit TigersDetroit TigersThe Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
.
Roster
| 1957 Kansas City Athletics | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roster | |||||||||
| Pitchers |
Catchers Infielders |
Outfielders |
Manager Coaches |
||||||
Player stats
| = Indicates team leader |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 129 | 467 | 121 | .259 | 14 | 42 | |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 124 | 345 | 94 | .272 | 11 | 44 | |
Starting pitchers
Note: G = Games played; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Other pitchers
Note: G = Games played; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5.02 | 8 | |
| 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12.00 | 0 | |
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5.40 | 0 |
League leaders
- Vic PowerVictor PellotVictor Pellot a.k.a. "Vic Power" was the second black Puerto Rican to play in Major League Baseball and the first Puerto Rican to play in the American League...
, American League leader, fielding percentage, first basemen (.998)