Al Oliver facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Al Oliver |
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Oliver with the San Francisco Giants in 1984
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| Outfielder / First baseman | |||
| Born: October 14, 1946 Portsmouth, Ohio, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| September 23, 1968, for the Pittsburgh Pirates | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| October 5, 1985, for the Toronto Blue Jays | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .303 | ||
| Hits | 2,743 | ||
| Home runs | 219 | ||
| Runs batted in | 1,326 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Albert Oliver Jr. (born October 14, 1946) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as an outfielder and first baseman. His career lasted from 1968 to 1985.
Al Oliver is best known for playing with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He helped them win five division titles and the World Series in 1971. He was chosen for the All-Star team seven times. In 1982, he led the National League in batting average and runs batted in (RBI) while playing for the Montreal Expos. Oliver hit over .300 (meaning he got a hit more than 30% of the time he batted) in eleven different seasons. He also won the Silver Slugger Award three times.
After playing for the Pirates, he also played for the Texas Rangers, Montreal Expos, San Francisco Giants, Philadelphia Phillies, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Toronto Blue Jays. His nickname was "Scoop." Oliver batted and threw with his left hand.
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Playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates
Al Oliver went to Portsmouth High School in Ohio. He was a great basketball player and even got a scholarship to play in college. But before college, he tried out for baseball teams. He signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates when he was 17 years old.
Oliver joined the Major Leagues on September 14, 1968. In his first full season in 1969, he hit .285 with 17 home runs. He also brought in 70 runs for his team. He finished second in the voting for the MLB Rookie of the Year Award.
In 1970, the Pirates won the National League East title. This was their first time in the postseason since 1960. However, they lost to the Cincinnati Reds in the championship series.
On September 1, 1971, the Pirates made history. They had the first all-black starting lineup in league history. Oliver played first base in this game. The team went on to win the World Series that year. They beat the Baltimore Orioles in seven exciting games. Oliver was their regular center fielder.
In 1972, Oliver's batting average went up to .312. He hit 12 home runs and had 89 RBI. He was chosen for his first All-Star game. In 1973, he hit 20 home runs and had 99 RBI. The Pirates won their third straight division title but lost in the playoffs.
In 1974, Oliver hit .321. He had 198 hits, which was one of the best in the league. He also had 38 doubles and 12 triples. Willie Stargell, a famous player, said Oliver was great at hitting the ball. Oliver had a 23-game hitting streak that year. The Pirates won their division again but lost in the playoffs.
In 1975, Oliver played in his second All-Star game. He hit .280 with 18 home runs and 84 RBI. He had 39 doubles, which was third-best in the league. The Pirates won the division again but were swept by the Cincinnati Reds in the playoffs.
In 1976, Oliver hit .323. This was the first of nine seasons in a row where he hit over .300. He played in the All-Star game again. In 1977, Oliver hit .308 with 19 home runs and 82 RBI. He also stole a career-high 13 bases.
Playing for the Texas Rangers
In December 1977, Oliver was traded from the Pirates to the Texas Rangers. This was a big trade involving four teams and many players.
In 1978, Oliver had a .324 batting average, which was second-best in the American League (AL). He also had 170 hits and 35 doubles. In 1979, he hit .323, placing him fifth in the league.
In 1980, Oliver wore the number 0 on his uniform. He was the first player in MLB to do this. He played in all 163 games for the Rangers. He had career highs in hits (209), doubles (43), and RBI (117). His batting average was .319. He was chosen for the AL All-Star team for the first time. He also won his first Silver Slugger Award as an outfielder. On August 17, he set an AL record with 21 total bases in a doubleheader.
In 1981, Oliver hit .309. He was chosen for his fifth All-Star game. He also won his second straight Silver Slugger Award. This time, he won it as a designated hitter. He was the first player to win this award at two different positions.
Playing for the Montreal Expos
Oliver wanted a new contract with the Rangers. When they said no, he asked to be traded. On March 31, 1982, he was traded to the Montreal Expos. He became the Expos' starting first baseman.
In 1982, Oliver had an amazing year with the Expos. He hit a career-high .331, winning the National League batting title. He also led the NL in hits (204), doubles (43), and extra bases (67). He tied for the lead in RBI with 109. He hit a career-high 22 home runs. He played in his sixth All-Star game. He also won his third straight Silver Slugger Award, this time as a first baseman. He was named the Montreal Expos Player of the Year.
In 1983, Oliver led the NL in doubles with 38. He hit .300 again and reached 2,500 career hits. He was chosen for his seventh All-Star game, starting at first base.
Later Career: Giants, Phillies, Dodgers, and Blue Jays (1984–85)
In 1984, Oliver was traded to the San Francisco Giants. Later that year, he was traded again to the Philadelphia Phillies.
In 1985, Oliver was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Then, on July 9, 1985, he was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays. With the Blue Jays, Oliver helped his team in the 1985 American League Championship Series. He had two game-winning hits. However, his team lost the series. Oliver batted .375 in the series. He is one of the few players to play for both Canadian MLB teams, the Toronto Blue Jays and the Montreal Expos.
Oliver believes his career ended early because of a situation where team owners made agreements that limited players' options. A judge later ruled that this had happened. Oliver was awarded money in 1995 because of this. Many people, including fellow player Andre Dawson, believe Oliver could have played for several more years. They think he might have even reached 3,000 career hits if he hadn't been forced to stop playing.
Career Highlights and Records
Al Oliver batted .300 or more in eleven different seasons. His 2,743 career hits rank very high on the all-time list. He is also among the top 50 players ever in games played (2368), total bases (4083), RBI (1326), and extra-base hits (825). He was often among the league's top ten in doubles, hits, batting average, total bases, and RBIs. Because of his great career, his name has been mentioned as a possible player for the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Oliver hit the very last home run at Forbes Field, a famous old stadium. This happened on June 28, 1970. He also got the first run ever scored at Three Rivers Stadium, the Pirates' next home field.
Personal Life
Al Oliver's son, Aaron Oliver, played football for Texas A&M University. He caught the first touchdown pass in the history of the Big 12 Conference.
In 2013, Al Oliver was named "Mr. Ambassador" for his hometown of Portsmouth, Ohio. This was to honor his work for the community. He is also shown on one of the Floodwall Murals in Portsmouth, which celebrates local baseball players.
In 2014, Oliver released his second book. It is called Life is a Hit, Don't Strike Out. The book tells the story of his life and baseball career.
See Also
- List of Major League Baseball career hits leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career doubles leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career runs scored leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career runs batted in leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career total bases leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual runs batted in leaders
- List of Major League Baseball batting champions
- List of Major League Baseball annual doubles leaders
