Bob Oliver

Robert Lee Oliver (born on February 8, 1943 in Shreveport, Louisiana) is a former Major League Baseball player. A first baseman who also played third base and the outfield on occasion, Oliver played for the Pittsburgh Pirates (1965), Kansas City Royals (1969-72), California Angels (1972-74), Baltimore Orioles (1974) and New York Yankees (1975). He batted and threw right-handed. Drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates before the 1963 season, Oliver played in the Pirates’ farm system for four seasons (with a late call-up in 1965, during which he made his MLB debut). He was traded to the Minnesota Twins and spent two more seasons in the minor leagues. Oliver made the majors for good in 1969, having been selected by the Kansas City Royals in the previous October's expansion draft. Playing on a young team that also included fellow rookies Pat Kelly and Lou Piniella (the eventual American League Rookie of the Year), Oliver batted .254 with 13 home runs and 43 runs batted in in 118 games played. That year, Oliver achieved two firsts in Royal history: 1) He was the first Royal to collect six hits in a nine-inning game (only two other Royals, Kevin Seitzer in 1987 and Joe Randa in 2004, have accomplished this feat) with a 6-for-6 performance in a May 4 victory over the California Angels, and 2) he hit the Royals' first-ever grand slam, the shot coming off Jim Bouton in the first game of a July 4 doubleheader against the American League's other 1969 expansion team, the Seattle Pilots. 1970 was a breakout year for Oliver; he established career highs in home runs (27) and RBIs (99) and runs scored (83). He enjoyed two more solid seasons in 1972 (during which he was traded to the California Angels), batting .269 with 20 home runs and 76 RBIs, and 1973, batting .265 with 18 home runs and 89 RBIs while splitting his time as a utility player. Bob’s son Darren is currently a pitcher with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Both father and son were one-time teammates of Nolan Ryan—Bob from 1972 to 1974, and Darren as a rookie with the Texas Rangers in 1993, Ryan's final Major League season. In his career Oliver batted .256 with 94 home runs and 419 runs batted in, in 847 games played.

External links

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference