Legendary third baseman Sal Bando, who enjoyed his glory days in the 1970s and led the Oakland Athletics to three World Series victories, died Friday at the age of 78.
The Ohio native lost the battle with cancer he started five years earlier, the family said in a statement Saturday.
Bando was an excellent hitter, as evidenced by his two 100+ points in 1969 and 1974.
“We are heartbroken to learn of the passing of Athletics Hall of Famer Sal Bando,” the California team said in a written statement. “Captain Sal,” as he was affectionately known to A’s fans, was a four-time All-Star Gamer and led the team to three consecutive World Series titles.
Bando was drafted by Athletics in 1965 while the organization was based in Kansas City. After 11 seasons with the franchise, he joined the Milwaukee Brewers for his final five seasons.