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“Sal Bando was the godfather. Capo di capo. Boss of all bosses on the Oakland A’s. We all had our roles, we all contributed, but Sal was the leader and everyone knew it.”

— Reggie Jackson in his 1984 autobiography

From Mr. October, the straw stirred the drink for the Yankees in the Big Apple that’s high praise.

The three-time World Series champs of the 1970s, Oakland’s Swingin’ A’s, were full of strong personalities and accomplished players. Led by eccentric owner, Charlie Finley, the team boasted three men who claimed the MVP Award during their careers in Jackson, Vida Blue, and Rollie Fingers.

The talented roster featured Cy Young Award winner and Cooperstown man Catfish Hunter, two-time 20-game winner Ken Holtzman, 6-time All Star Bert Campaneris, and World Series MVP Gene Tenace.

On the star-studded squad, it was Bando who was team captain from 1969-1976.

Though his teammates overshadowed him at times, Bando was solid. During his years as captain he averaged 23 homes and 90 RBI and walks per season while posting a 131 OPS+.

Those who take a more analytic approach using advanced metrics believe Bando has a strong case for the Hall of Fame.

Shown here is a Topps contract signed by Reggie Jackson to appear on baseball cards. It is dated February 28, 1974, just four months after the conclusion of a season in which he earned both the regular season and World Series MVP.

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With five trips to the ALCS and three consecutive World Series titles, the Swingin’ A’s were the team of the 1970s. Their undisputed leader was third baseman Sal Bando.

The College World Series Most Outstanding Player for the 1965 champion Arizona State team, Bando brought a winning pedigree to the A’s as a 6th-round pick. The third baseman made his big league debut with the Kansas City Athletics in 1966 and became the everyday third baseman in ’68, the team’s first year in Oakland.

The following season Bando made his first All Star team and was named the captain of the A’s. By year’s end he had 111 walks, 31 homers, 113 RBI, a .400 on-base percentage, and a 153 OPS+. Another productive year ensued in 1970 when he slugged 20 homers and and upped his walks and on-base percentage to 118 and .407, respectively.

Oakland started their decade’s dominance in ’71 with the AL Western Division championship. Though they were swept aside in the ALCS by Earl Weaver’s Baltimore Orioles, their run was just beginning. From 1972-1974 Bando’s Athletics won three consecutive World Series titles, joining the Yankees as the only franchises to do so.

During Bando’s reign as the A’s captain from 1969-1976 he had single-season WAR totals of 8.2, 7.2, and four more seasons of at least 5.4. The team played in five championship series with Bando as their leader.

After the ’76 season Bando signed with the Brewers. In his first year he hit hit 27 doubles, 18 homers, and had 82 runs batted in. He followed that up with his seventh 5+ WAR campaign in ’77. Bando played with the Brewers through the 1981 when he hit .294 in his final postseason appearance in the ’81 ALDS.

The third baseman left the game with the Oakland record for career RBI. His home run total was also the most among Oakland right-handers. The next A’s team to win a World Series had a pair of sluggers who surpassed those marks in Mark McGwire and Jose Canseco.

Bando’s career WAR of 61.5 ranks ahead of Cooperstown’s Harmon Killebrew, Vladimir Guerrero, Ichiro Suzuki, Mike Piazza, and Willie Stargell. It also puts him ahead of popular Hall candidates Dick Allen, Jeff Kent, and Joe Mauer.

When the Oakland captain first appeared on the writers’ ballot in 1987 he received three votes. His 0.7% voting percentage made him one-and-done.

The National College Baseball Hall of Fame selected him for induction in 2013. Nine years later he was elected to the Oakland Athletics Hall of Fame in 2022.

Shown here is a check made out to Bando from the Brewers in his first year in Milwaukee.

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Sal Bando closed his 16-year big league playing career with the Milwaukee Brewers. After hanging up his spikes in 1981, he remained with the organization as a special assistant to GM Harry Dalton.

When Dalton left the post in 1991 the team named Bando its GM in October. He remained in the position for the next 8 years until resigning on August 12, 1999.

In the image above shows Bando’s signature in the form of the check’s endorsement.

The front of the check is signed by Brewers Vice President Thomas J. Ferguson who spent over a half-century in the game. His association with baseball began during World War II when he began shining shoes in the Red Sox clubhouse in 1945. The following season he was the Boston Braves ball boy.

When the Korean War broke out, Ferguson saw combat in the Army. When discharged in 1954 he worked his way up the Milwaukee Braves organization, eventually serving as clubhouse manager for both the Braves and the visiting teams.

In 1961 at age 31 Ferguson became the big league’s youngest traveling secretary with the California Angels. In the 1970s he returned to Milwaukee as the Brewers Vice President. It is in this capacity that he signed the check.