April 18, 1968: Athletics win for the first time at home in Oakland

The Oakland Coliseum in its early days. (Courtesy of Doug McWilliams.)

Following the festivities of their first-ever home opener in Oakland the night before, the Athletics met the Baltimore Orioles again in the final game of their two-game series at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on the chilly night of Thursday, April 18, 1968. This game attracted a disappointing crowd of just 5,304. One of the reasons given for the small crowd was that “the distasteful 4-1 Baltimore victory on opening night when the A’s got only two hits disappointed the fans.”1 Attendance would be yet another problem that would plague the Athletics franchise throughout its stay in Oakland. Those in attendance that night, however, witnessed the first home victory for the Athletics.

The Athletics came into this game with a record of 3-3. Their starting pitcher was Chuck Dobson, a native of Kansas City who broke in with the then-hometown A’s in 1966 and fashioned a 10-10 record in 1967. In his first outing of the 1968 season in Washington, on April 13, Dobson pitched six innings (and faced two batters in the seventh) against the Senators in Oakland’s 9-6 win. He earned the victory despite giving up five runs.

Baltimore, which had won three of its first five games, countered with Jim Hardin, who was coming off an impressive rookie season in 1967. The young right-hander posted an 8-3 record with a sparkling 2.27 ERA. Hardin was also making his second start of the young season. On April 13 he pitched seven shutout innings and allowed just two hits in the Orioles’ 3-0 win over the Angels at Memorial Stadium.

The Orioles opened the scoring with two runs in the first inning. Curt Blefary reached first base on an error by A’s second baseman John Donaldson. Paul Blair followed with a single, putting runners on first and second. Both runners advanced on a fly out by Brooks Robinson, then cleanup hitter Frank Robinson singled them home to give Baltimore a 2-0 lead.

In the bottom of the inning, A’s leadoff hitter Bert Campaneris was hit by a pitch. After Reggie Jackson flied out, Sal Bando singled to center. “Campy sped to third and then suddenly pumped for home when second baseman Dave Johnson dawdled on the relay,”2 and Baltimore’s lead was cut to 2-1. The Athletics tied the game in the sixth inning when with one out Dobson singled, moved to second on a groundout, and scored on Jackson’s single to center field.

After allowing the two early runs, Dobson shut down the formidable Orioles offense. The young A’s hurler pitched nine innings, fanned six, and allowed nine hits, but Baltimore left 14 men on base, including 11 over the last six innings (eight in scoring position). Hardin was just as tough, shutting down the A’s for seven innings, allowing just four hits and two earned runs, while relievers John O’Donoghue and Eddie Watt kept Oakland off the scoreboard as the game moved into extra innings.

The Orioles threatened in the 10th inning. Blefary led off with a sharp single to right field. Jack Aker relieved Dobson. Blair lid down a bunt and was safe at first, moving Blefary to second. On a bunt, Brooks Robinson forced Blefary at third. The next batter, Frank Robinson, reached on an error by third baseman Bando, which loaded the bases. The A’s brought in Tony Pierce to face Boog Powell. Pierce, who had been hit hard in the early going and was saddled with an ERA of 18.00, got the Orioles’ slugging first baseman to hit into a double play, which ended the inning.

In the 11th inning, Ed Sprague came in to pitch for Oakland. With one out, Dave May walked and stole second (Campaneris dropped a good throw by Phil Roof that would have had May.) After Mark Belanger struck out, pinch-hitter (and Oakland native) Curt Motton unloaded a 390-foot double to right, scoring May and giving the Orioles a 3-2 lead. In the bottom of the inning, Moe Drabowsky came on in relief for Baltimore. With one out, Jackson walked. The next hitter, Bando, “shot a double play ball to Johnson, who booted it,”3 putting runners on first and second. Ramon Webster was the next batter for the A’s and hit a grounder to Belanger, who “with no chance to retire Webster at first – flung the ball into the Baltimore dugout. Jackson scored from second on the error for a 3-all tie.”4

There was no scoring again until the bottom of the 13th inning. The Orioles went to the bullpen and brought in right-hander Gene Brabender. Jackson greeted him with an infield single that Brabender should have fielded but didn’t. Bando bunted and was safe at first as Jackson moved to second. Webster advanced both runners with another sacrifice. Jim Gosger was walked intentionally to load the bases. Donaldson then hit a fly ball to left fielder Frank Robinson. A’s third-base coach John McNamara yelled to Jackson, “Go ahead. Challenge him!”5 Robinson was playing shallow, but Jackson tagged and broke for the plate. “The throw dribbled into the infield and never reached the plate,”6 allowing Jackson to score, giving the A’s a 4-3 win. Paul Lindblad, who pitched two scoreless innings of one-hit ball, was credited with the first home win for the Athletics.

There was some controversy regarding the final play: “Jackson appeared to leave early. Not an instant or a moment, but a full cadence count before Robinson ever got his glove on the ball.”7 Had the Orioles appealed, chances are Jackson would have been ruled out. A’s first-base coach Sherm Lollar, who had ben Baltimore’s bullpen coach in 1967, spoke to McNamara before the game. Lollar told the sportswriters, “From Sherm I learned that [Robinson] can’t throw early in the year.”8

After the game, A’s manager Bob Kennedy was looking for the ball that Donaldson hit. “Charlie Finley wants the ball,” said Kennedy.9 The ball was found, and Finley preserved it for history.

Sources

In addition to the sources cited in the Notes, the author used Retrosheet.org for material pertinent to this article.

https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1968/B04180OAK1968.htm

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/OAK/OAK196804180.shtml

Notes

1 Ron Bergman, “Oakland Park Excellent – But Crowds Aren’t,” The Sporting News, May 4, 1968: 7.

2 Bucky Walter, “A’s Enshrine Ball of First Win at Home,” San Francisco Examiner, April 19, 1968: 53.

3 Walter.

4 Lou Hatter, “Athletics Edge Birds, 4 to 3, in 13,” Baltimore Sun, April 19, 1968: C1.

5 Ron Bergman, “A’s Win in 13th,” Oakland Tribune, April 19, 1968: 27.

6 Bergman, “A’s Win in 13th.”

7 Phil Jackson, “Appeal On Tag-Up Play Might Have Wiped Out A’s Winning Run in 13th,” Baltimore Evening Sun, April 19, 1968: D1.

8 Bergman, “A’s Win in 13th.”

9 Walter, “A’s Enshrine Ball of First Win at Home.”