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Sal Bando

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Sal Bando
Bando in 2017
Third baseman
Born: (1944-02-13) February 13, 1944 (age 80)
Cleveland, Ohio
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
MLB debut
September 3, 1966, for the Kansas City Athletics
Last MLB appearance
October 3, 1981, for the Milwaukee Brewers
MLB statistics
Batting average.254
Home runs242
Runs batted in1,039
Teams
Career highlights and awards

Salvatore Leonard Bando (born February 13, 1944) is an American former professional baseball player and general manager.[1] He played in Major League Baseball as a third baseman from 1966 to 1981, most prominently as the team captain for the Oakland Athletics dynasty that won three consecutive World Series championships between 1972 and 1974.[2]

A four-time All-Star player, Bando averaged 23 home runs and 90 runs batted in over an eight-year span.[2] Although he was often overshadowed by his contemporary, Hall of Fame third baseman Brooks Robinson, Bando finished second, third, and fourth in the American League (AL) Most Valuable Player Award voting from 1971 to 1974.[1] He ended his playing career with the Milwaukee Brewers.

After his playing career, Bando served as a special assistant with the Brewers before serving as the team's General Manager from October 1991 until August 1999.[2] He was inducted into the National College Baseball Hall of Fame in 2013 and, in 2022 Bando was inducted into the Athletics Hall of Fame.[2][3]

Baseball career

1970 Oakland Athletics #6 Sal Bando Game Worn Jersey

Bando played college baseball at Arizona State University for coach Bobby Winkles. During the "Swingin' A's" era of 1971-75, Bando captained the team and led the club in runs batted in three times. He was the second American League third baseman to hit 200 career home runs, joining Brooks Robinson, and retired among the all-time leaders in games (5th, 1896), assists (6th, 3720) and double plays (7th, 345) at his position. In a 16-season career, Bando was a .254 hitter with 242 home runs and 1039 RBI in 2019 games played. His younger brother Chris was a catcher for the Cleveland Indians.

Over four consecutive American League Championship Series from 1971–74, he hit five home runs in 17 games, including two in Game 2 of the 1973 ALCS game and a solo shot in Game 3 of the 1974 ALCS, a 1-0 victory.

Playing almost exclusively at third base in Oakland, Bando played every infield position while with the Brewers, even making one appearance as a relief pitcher in a 1979 game.

Post-playing career

After retiring, Bando briefly served as a color analyst for NBC (teaming with Bob Costas[4] on telecasts), then became a front office executive with the Brewers. He was named the team's general manager on October 8, 1991.

Bando built only one winning team in over seven years as GM. That team, the 1992 Brewers, was largely composed of players he inherited from his predecessor Harry Dalton. They ended the season with 92 wins and 70 losses under the only manager Bando ever hired in his tenure as GM, Phil Garner, his former teammate in Oakland.

One of the lowlights of his tenure happened after that 1992 season when the club did not offer Paul Molitor salary arbitration until the 11th hour. Molitor signed a free-agent deal with the Toronto Blue Jays. At the time, Bando was quoted as disparaging Molitor as "only a (designated hitter)". The following season, Molitor was named the World Series MVP as the Blue Jays won their second championship. This was noted by some as one of the worst public relations blunders in Brewers history, although Bando has since claimed that his words were taken out of context.[citation needed] Bando held his position as GM until August 12, 1999, resigning the position after manager Phil Garner was fired. Bando was replaced by former Atlanta Braves assistant GM Dean Taylor.[2]

Bando did a voice cameo in the 2006 episode of The Simpsons titled "Regarding Margie."[5]

Currently, Bando is CEO of The Middleton Doll Company, a Columbus, Ohio, enterprise with multiple other businesses associated with it.[6] Both he and Jon McGlocklin established the firm which was originally the Bando McGlocklin Capital Corporation in 1979. The name changed to its current form on May 4, 2001 to reflect its acquisition of Lee Middleton Original Dolls Inc.[7] He is also a Catholic and involved in some Catholic organizations.[8][9]

Bando's son, Sal Bando, Jr., was the head baseball coach at High Point University from 2001 to 2008. Since 2010 Bando Jr. has been the head baseball coach at Marquette University High School, leading the team to two straight state championship appearances in his first two season there.[10][11]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Sal Bando at Baseball Reference". Baseball Reference. Retrieved November 22, 2019.
  2. ^ a b c d e Wolf, Gregory H. "Sal Bando". Society of American Baseball Research. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
  3. ^ "Athletics Hall of Fame". mlb.com. Retrieved 21 October 2022.
  4. ^ Kalb, Elliott (22 March 2012). "At 60, Costas remains at top of his game". MLB Network. Retrieved 23 March 2012.
  5. ^ Tarnoff, Andy (May 7, 2006). "Sal Bando makes cameo on "The Simpsons"". OnMilwaukee.com. Retrieved July 25, 2019.
  6. ^ Feran, Tim (March 18, 2010). "Famous Ohio Doll Company Has New Owner". Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
  7. ^ "Bando McGlocklin Capital changes name," Milwaukee Business Journal, Friday, May 4, 2001. Retrieved April 19, 2022.
  8. ^ Drake, Tim (April 13, 2003). "Season Opener For Pro-Life Major League Baseball Players". National Catholic Register. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
  9. ^ "Speaker Bios". Catholic Athletes for Christ. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
  10. ^ Walker, Don (December 9, 2010). "Sal Bando Jr. is new MUHS baseball coach". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved July 25, 2019.
  11. ^ Stewart, Mark (July 29, 2016). "Sal Bando Jr. will pull double duty at Milwaukee Marquette and MATC". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
Preceded by Milwaukee Brewers General Manager
1991–1999 		Succeeded by
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