Sal Bando

Salvatore Leonard "Sal" Bando (February 13, 1944 – January 20, 2023) was an American professional baseball player and general manager who played as a third baseman in Major League Baseball from 1966 to 1981. He attended Warrensville Heights High School, where he played baseball, football, and basketball and ran track, before continuing at Arizona State University. Bando is most prominently remembered as the captain of the Oakland Athletics dynasty that won three consecutive World Series championships between 1972 and 1974. A four-time All-Star, he averaged 23 home runs and 90 runs batted in over an eight-year span. Though often overshadowed by his contemporary, Hall of Fame third baseman Brooks Robinson, Bando finished second, third, and fourth in the American League Most Valuable Player Award voting from 1971 to 1974. He ended his playing career with the Milwaukee Brewers. After retiring as a player, Bando served as a special assistant with the Brewers before becoming the team's general manager from October 1991 until August 1999. He was inducted into the National College Baseball Hall of Fame in 2013, and in 2022 he was inducted into the Athletics Hall of Fame.