The Kansas City Athletics

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 was a season in American baseball

Baseball

Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...

. It involved the Athletics finishing ninth 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 72 wins and 90 losses. The A's were last in the American League in paid attendance.
On September 18, 1962, after less than two full years of ownership, Charlie Finley asked the A.L. owners for permission to move the Athletics to the Dallas-Fort Worth area. His request was denied by a 9–1 vote.

Offseason

• October 11, 1961: Stan Johnson
  Stan Johnson
  Stanley Lucius Johnson is a former professional baseball outfielder. He played parts of two seasons in Major League Baseball, for the Chicago White Sox and for the Kansas City Athletics...
  
  , Bobby Prescott
  Bobby Prescott
  George Bertrand "Bobby" Prescott is a former professional baseball player, an outfielder, first baseman and third baseman who had a 19-year career, from 1952–1970, in North American minor league baseball and a brief trial with the Kansas City Athletics of the Major Leagues...
  
   and Jay Ward
  Jay Ward (baseball)
  John Francis "Jay" Ward is a former Major League Baseball player and minor league manager.An infielder, Ward played for the Minnesota Twins in and and the Cincinnati Reds in...
  
   were traded by the Athletics to the Los Angeles Dodgers
  Los Angeles Dodgers
  The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
  
   for Gordie Windhorn
  Gordie Windhorn
  Gordon Ray Windhorn is a former professional baseball player. He played in three seasons in Major League Baseball as an outfielder for the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, Kansas City Athletics and Los Angeles Angels. He went on to play six seasons in Japan for the Hankyu Braves from...
  
   and Bill Lajoie (minors).
• December 15, 1961: Lou Klimchock
  Lou Klimchock
  Louis Stephen Klimchock was an infielder for the Kansas City Athletics , Milwaukee Braves , Washington Senators , New York Mets and Cleveland Indians ....
  
   and Bob Shaw
  Bob Shaw (baseball)
  Robert John Shaw was a Major League Baseball pitcher.His career lasted a decade, and he pitched for the Detroit Tigers, Chicago White Sox, Kansas City Athletics, Milwaukee Braves, San Francisco Giants, New York Mets, and Chicago Cubs. He won 18 games with the American League pennant-winning White...
  
   were traded by the Athletics to the Milwaukee Braves
  Atlanta Braves
  The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
  
   for Joe Azcue
  Joe Azcue
  José Joaquín Azcue López is a former Cuban professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher for the Cincinnati Reds, Kansas City Athletics, Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox, California Angels and Milwaukee Brewers. Nicknamed "The Immortal Azcue", he was known for his...
  
  , Ed Charles
  Ed Charles
  Edwin Douglas Charles is a former third baseman in Major League Baseball. A right-handed hitter, Charles played for the Kansas City Athletics and New York Mets .-Minor league career:...
  
   and Manny Jiménez
  Manny Jiménez
  Manuel Emilio Jiménez Rivera is a former Major League Baseball left fielder. He played for the Kansas City Athletics...
  
  .
• Prior to 1962 season: Don Williams was acquired by the Athletics from the Chicago White Sox
  Chicago White Sox
  The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
  
  .

Regular season

• April 22, 1962: Future Basketball Hall of Famer Dave DeBusschere
  Dave DeBusschere
  David Albert DeBusschere was an American NBA and major league baseball player and coach in the NBA. In 1996, DeBusschere was named as one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history....
  
   made his major league baseball debut for the Chicago White Sox
  Chicago White Sox
  The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
  
   in a game against the Athletics. He pitched one inning and gave up one base on balls.
• August 26, 1962: Jack Kralick
  Jack Kralick
  John Francis Kralick , is a former professional baseball player who pitched in the Major Leagues from 1959 to 1967. He participated in 235 games in the course of an eight-year career that included stints with the Washington Senators/Minnesota Twins and Cleveland Indians...
  
   threw the first no-hitter in Minnesota Twins
  Minnesota Twins
  The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
  
   history against the Athletics. The Twins beat the Athletics by a score of 1-0.

Roster

1962 Kansas City Athletics
Roster
Pitchers		Catchers Infielders		Outfielders Other batters		Manager Coaches

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		162	600	185	.308	25	117
3B		147	535	154	.288	17	74
LF		139	479	144	.301	11	69
CF		132	338	86	.254	9	38

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
	107	310	86	.277	0	22
	72	223	51	.229	2	25
	25	74	11	.149	2	7
	14	19	3	.158	0	1
	8	16	4	.250	1	1
	1	1	0	.000	0	0

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
	13	89.2	6	4	3.01	56
	6	21.2	0	2	6.65	13

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
	34	127.2	4	12	3.95	38
	59	125	10	7	4.46	106
	37	116.2	8	5	3.86	71
	22	75.1	2	6	6.09	33
	10	28	1	1	5.14	19
	4	14.1	1	1	6.28	4

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
	33	0	3	2	5.82	28
	21	3	2	6	6.34	28
	18	0	1	0	9.43	12
	12	0	1	3	6.23	3
	9	0	0	0	3.52	6
	3	0	0	0	9.00	1
	3	0	1	0	9.00	0
	2	0	0	0	2.25	2

Farm system