Life Is A Hit; Don't Strike Out

By Al Oliver

Al Oliver is a former Major League Baseball player. Over the course of his eighteen year career, he has been blessed to be able to play for the Pittsburgh Pirates (1968-77), Texas Rangers (1978-81), Montreal Expos (1982-83), San Francisco Giants (1984), Philadelphia Phillies (1984), Los Angeles Dodgers (1985) and Toronto Blue Jays (1985). From 1970

• Language: English
• Publisher: VIP Ink Publishing, L.L.C.
• Release date: Sep 30, 2014
• ISBN: 9781939670144

Book preview

Life Is A Hit; Don’t Strike Out

Al Oliver

Life Is A Hit; Don’t Strike Out

Copyright © 2014 by Al Oliver All rights reserved.

Published 2014

Published by VIP Ink Publishing, L.L.C. www.vipinkpublishing.com

For information about special discounts for bulk purchases, please contact VIP Ink

Publishing, L.L.C. special sales department at [e-mail]

Cover Design and Book Layout by Sarah McClain.

www.thewritesarah.com

All rights reserved. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and

recording without prior written permission from the publisher.

Oliver, Al

Life Is A Hit; Don’t Strike Out

Pages: 254

1. Oliver, Al 2. Baseball, 3. MLB 4. Sports 5. United States—Biography

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014945861

First Edition Print

ISBN 13: 978-1-939670-13-7

ISBN: 978-1-939670-13-7

Printed in the USA.

Thank You

I would first like to thank God! I would also like to thank all of the contributors to this book: My Father & Mother, other Family & Friends, Washington School and their Teachers, Northend Community of Portsmouth, 14th Street Community Center, Beulah

Baptist Church, Pastor John Henry Smith, Pastor Jessie E. Bowen, PHS High School & Jr. American Legion, My Teammates, PHS High School Basketball Teammates,

Raquetball Players, Donna Oliver—for two good looking children, My children—Aaron

Oliver, Felicia Oliver, & Patrick Harris, Patricia Oliver—for caring and loving my grandsons—Sky’ & Ty, Branch Rickey, Roberto Clemente, Martin Luther King, Jr., Dock Ellis, Willie Stargell, Jackie Robinson, Larry Doby, all Baseball Fans around the world, SOMC Medical Center & Staff, Kings Daughters Medical Center & Staff, The late Dr.

James Mullins & Staff, Dr. James McGinnis & Staff, Dr. Laura Reese & Staff, City of Portsmouth & Officials, Kiwanis Club of Portsmouth, Veterans Past & Present, President Rita Morris Rice & Shawnee State University, Atty. Marilee Stephenson, Senator

Sherrod Brown, Gov. John Kasich, Scott Rawlins & Christ Community Church, Jeff

Albrecht, Zach McCoy, Portsmouth H.O.F. Committee, Pittsburgh Pirates Organization,

Texas Rangers Baseball Club, Monteal Expos, San Francisco Giants, Philadephia

Phillies, Los Angeles Dodgers, Toronto Blue Jays, MLB Hall of Fame, Army National

Guard 215th, State Representative Terry Johnson, Dr. James F. Scott, Portsmouth High School Class of 1964, Senior Special Olympics, Portsmouth Mural Board and the others that are two numerous to mention.

Thanks to a brother who had the utmost respect for me. One that I could depend on. One who felt my spiritual belief enabled me to maintain stability in life and family. At the end he felt I was a Hall of Famer. True or not. He was my Hall of Famer. Thanks Jim!

James Franklin Oliver

9/26/55-4/28/14

Lastly, I would like to thank the VIP Ink Publishing L.L.C. staff for all their hard work.

Alfred Adams/David Dee, Robert Rath, Mr. GP, Angele Ancale, Josh Williams, Sheree

Matherne, Brandon Drake, Patrick Bourgeois, Jay Rabalais, Jason Gros, Vicky

Bourgeois, Sarah McClain, Amy Dullnig, and Alyson Miller.

Stats

Hal l of Fame

Awar ds (yr l g awar d)

On-Base%

1991 BBWAA ( 4.3%)

1982 NL batting_title

1982 NL .392 (4t h)

Sl ugging %

Of f ensive WAR† †

1974 NL .475 (9t h)

1982 NL 6.0 (4t h)

1982 NL .514 (4t h)

Career 46.5 (200th)

Mont hl y Awar ds (yr -mont h l g awar d)

Sil ver Sl ugger s

1976 June NL Player of the Month

1980 AL (OF)

1982 June NL Player of the Month

1981 AL (DH)

1982 NL (1B)

WAR Posit ion Pl ayer s† †

MVP (yr l g (r k, shr ))

1982 NL 5.2 (10t h)

1972 NL (7, 15%)

1973 NL (23, 2%)

1974 NL (7, 26%)

Weekl y Awar ds (yr -week l g awar d)

1976 NL (12, 9%)

1974 Aug 18th NL Player of the Week

1977 NL (16, 3%)

1975 Jul 6th NL Player of the Week

1978 AL (14, 7%)

1976 Jun 13th NL Player of the Week

1980 AL (11, 8%)

1978 Jul 30th AL Player of the Week

1981 AL (16, 2%)

1980 Sep 21st AL Player of the Week

1982 NL (3, 52%)

1981 May 31st AL Player of the Week

1983 NL (19, 1%)

1982 Aug 15th NL Player of the Week

1.25 Career Shares (186th)

Of f ensive Win %

Caught St eal ing

1982 NL .756 (2nd)

1977 NL 16 (9th)

Assist s as 1B

Win Pr obabil it y Added (WPA)† †

1983 NL 118 (3r d)

Career 24.6 (149t h)

On-Base Pl us Sl ugging

Put out s† †

Put out s as 1B

1982 NL .906 (4t h)

1983 NL 1,207 (5t h)

1983 NL 1,207 (5t h)

Put out s as LF (s.1954)

1977 NL 215 (5t h)

Put out s as OF

1980 AL 287 (4t h)

1975 NL 380 (2nd)

Out s Made

Put out s as CF (s.1954)

1973 NL 490 (5t h)

1971 NL 309 (4t h)

1975 NL 481 (5t h)

1972 NL 334 (5t h)

1980 AL 477 (7t h)

1975 NL 374 (2nd)

Career 6,736 (69t h)

1976 NL 307 (5t h)

Al l -St ar Games

Bat t ing Aver age

At Bat s

1972 *

1972 NL .312 (6t h)

1973 NL 654 (4t h)

1975 *

1974 NL .321 (2nd)

1974 NL 617 (8t h)

1976 *

1977 NL .308 (10t h)

1975 NL 628 (5t h)

1980 *

1978 AL .324 (2nd)

1980 AL 656 (2nd)

1981 *

1979 AL .323 (5t h)

1981 AL 421 (6t h)

1982 *

1980 AL .319 (8t h)

1983 NL 614 (9t h)

1983 (1B)

1981 AL .309 (9t h)

Career 9,049 (66th)

1982 NL .331 (1st)

1983 NL .300 (9t h)

Career .303 (168t h)

Tot al Bases

Runs Bat t ed In

1973 NL 303 (5t h)

1972 NL 89 (10t h)

Hit s

1974 NL 293 (5t h)

1973 NL 99 (7t h)

1972 NL 176 (8t h)

1975 NL 285 (6t h)

1980 AL 117 (4t h)

1973 NL 191 (5t h)

1980 AL 315 (5t h)

1982 NL 109 (1st)

1974 NL 198 (4t h)

1982 NL 317 (1st)

Career 1,326 (98t h)

1977 NL 175 (10t h)

Career 4,083 (78t h)

1978 AL 170 (8t h)

Times On Base

1980 AL 209 (4t h)

1980 AL 253 (10t h)

1981 AL 130 (6t h)

1982 NL 269 (2nd)

1982 NL 204 (1st)

Hit By Pit ch

Career 3,360 (128t h)

1983 NL 184 (4t h)

1969 NL 13 (4t h)

Career 2,743 (55t h)

1970 NL 14 (2nd)

Tr ipl es

1971 NL 5 (9th)

1971 NL 7 (10t h)

1976 NL 5 (9th)

1973 NL 7 (8th)

Singl es

Career 82 (151st)

1974 NL 12 (2nd)

1972 NL 133 (4t h)

1980 AL 144 (5t h)

1981 AL 96 (6t h)

Games Pl ayed

1982 NL 137 (6t h)

1980 AL 163 (1st)

Doubl es

1983 NL 135 (6t h)

1982 NL 160 (8t h)

1971 NL 31 (8t h)

Career 1,918 (62nd)

1983 NL 157 (10t h)

1973 NL 38 (2nd)

Career 2,368 (91st)

1974 NL 38 (2nd)

1975 NL 39 (3rd)

1978 AL 35 (6t h)

Runs Scor ed

Runs Cr eat ed

1980 AL 43 (2nd)

1972 NL 88 (8t h)

1974 NL 101 (10th)

1981 AL 29 (2nd)

1975 NL 90 (10t h)

1980 AL 108 (10t h)

1982 NL 43 (1st)

1980 AL 96 (10t h)

1982 NL 125 (1st)

1983 NL 38 (1st)

1982 NL 90 (10t h)

Career 1,347 (134t h)

Career 529 (38t h)

Career 1,189 (183r d)

Ext r a Base Hit s

Def . Games as 1B

1973 NL 65 (5t h)

1982 NL 159 (3r d)

1974 NL 61 (4t h)

1983 NL 153 (1st)

1975 NL 65 (5t h)

1980 AL 65 (7t h)

Def . Games as LF (s.1954)

1982 NL 67 (1st)

1980 AL 141 (3r d)

Career 825 (98th)

Def. Games as CF (s.1954)

Doubl e Pl ays Gr ounded Int o

1972 NL 138 (3r d)

1969 NL 18 (5t h)

1975 NL 153 (1st)

1973 NL 18 (10t h)

1974 NL 20 (5t h)

1975 NL 19 (4t h)

Def . Games as OF

1981 AL 17 (2nd)

1975 NL 153 (2nd)

1983 NL 21 (1st)

1984 NL 23 (2nd)

Doubl e Pl ays Tur ned as OF

Career 254 (29th)

1975 NL 3 (3rd)

Doubl e Pl ays Tur ned as CF (s.1954)

Pl at e Appear ances

1971 NL 2 (3rd)

1973 NL 690 (10t h)

1975 NL 3 (3rd)

1980 AL 709 (6t h)

1983 NL 664 (10t h)

Career 9,778 (94t h)

Doubl e Pl ays Tur ned as LF (s.1954)

1977 NL 1 (4t h)

Int ent ional Bases on Bal l s

1980 AL 2 (2nd)

1981 AL 10 (2nd)

1982 NL 15 (5t h)

Assist s as LF (s.1954)

1983 NL 17 (3rd)

1978 AL 7 (5t h)

Career 119 (83rd)

1980 AL 9 (5t h)

Sacr if ice Fl ies

1970 NL 7 (5th)

Base-Out Wins Added (REW)† †

1971 NL 10 (2nd)

1980 AL 3.3 (9t h)

1972 NL 7 (10t h)

1982 NL 4.7 (2nd)

1973 NL 9 (3rd)

Career 31.0 (108t h)

1975 NL 8 (6th)

1977 NL 8 (5th)

Base-Out Runs Added (RE24)† †

1978 AL 9 (7th)

1982 NL 46.34 (2nd)

Career 95 (46th)

Career 305.02 (118t h)

AB per SO

Sit u. Wins Added (WPA/LI )† †

1969 NL 12.2 (10t h)

1982 NL 4.1 (3r d)

1970 NL 15.7 (5t h)

Career 23.6 (159t h)

1977 NL 14.9 (6t h)

1979 AL 14.5 (6t h)

Adjust ed OPS+

1980 AL 14.0 (7t h)

1974 NL 136 (9t h)

1981 AL 15.0 (6t h)

1982 NL 150 (4t h)

1983 NL 14.0 (9t h)

Adj. Bat t ing Runs

Fiel ding % as LF (s.1954)

1982 NL 43 (2nd)

1977 NL .978 (3r d)

Career 244 (202nd)

1980 AL .974 (3r d)

Adj. Bat t ing Wins

1980 AL 2.8 (10t h)

Fiel ding % as CF (s.1954)

1982 NL 4.4 (2nd)

1971 NL .981 (4t h)

Career 24.7 (188t h)

1972 NL .985 (5t h)

1975 NL .987 (4th)

Range Fact or /9Inn as CF (s.1954)† †

1971 NL 2.82 (3r d)

1974 NL 2.98 (3r d)

1976 NL 2.99 (3r d)

Range Fact or /Game as OF

1971 NL 2.66 (1st)

1974 NL 2.93 (1st)

Range Fact or /Game as CF (s.1954)

1976 NL 2.88 (2nd)

1971 NL 2.70 (1st)

1974 NL 3.00 (1st)

1976 NL 2.93 (2nd)

Career 2.58 (77th)

Range Fact or /9I nn as OF† †

1971 NL 2.79 (2nd)

1974 NL 2.91 (4t h)

Range Fact or /Game as LF (s.1954)

1976 NL 2.93 (5t