Sal Bando

Born Salvatore Leonard Bando in Cleveland, Ohio on February 13, 1944, Bando attended Arizona State University. A standout third baseman at Arizona, he was drafted by the Kansas City Athletics in 1965, which dwelled at the bottom of the American League, which allowed a talented young player to reach the majors that much quicker. Bando was 22 years old when he broke into the big leagues on September 3, 1966, with the Athletics in Kansas City. (In 1968, the team moved to Oakland and began calling itself the A's.) Bando was a key player for 11 seasons with Charley Finley's K.C./Oakland A's, developing into an All-Star third baseman and the emotional leader of the team. He was a pivotal part of Oakland's success in the first half of the 1970s, during which the team ran off five consecutive division championships (1971-75) and won three consecutive World Series (1972-74.) In the early part of his career, Bando appeared on track for a Hall of Fame career, but like some of his other teammate