A four-time All-Star player, Bando averaged 23 home runs and 90 runs batted in over an eight-year span.[2] Although he was often overshadowed by his contemporary, Hall of Fame third baseman Brooks Robinson, Bando finished second, third, and fourth in the American League (AL) Most Valuable Player Award voting from 1971 to 1974.[1] He ended his playing career with the Milwaukee Brewers.
After his playing career, Bando served as a special assistant with the Brewers before serving as the team's General Manager from October 1991 until August 1999.[2] He was inducted into the National College Baseball Hall of Fame in 2013 and, in 2022 Bando was inducted into the Athletics Hall of Fame.[2][3]
During the "Swingin' A's" era of 1971 to 1975, Bando was named to three consecutive All-Star Games (1972–1974)[2] and he was runner-up for the 1971 American League (AL) Most Valuable Player Award, won by teammate Vida Blue, after helping lead the team to the first of five straight division titles.[6] In 1973, he led the American League with 64 extra-base hits, 32 doubles, and 295 total bases.[7] Bando remained a strong MVP candidate through Oakland's championship run, finishing third and fourth in the voting in 1973 and 1974.[1]
1970 Oakland Athletics No. 6 Sal Bando Game Worn Jersey
After years of combative relations with team owner Charlie Finley, Bando signed a five-year contract worth $1.5 million with the Milwaukee Brewers after the 1976 season, spending his last five seasons with the club.[2][8][9][10]
At the end of his career, Bando ranked third in AL history with 1,896 career games at third base, and also ranked fourth in league history in assists (3,720), tied for fourth in double plays (345), and tenth in putouts (1,647); his 235 home runs as a third baseman ranked third in AL history. His 789 RBI as an Oakland player were a record until Mark McGwire passed him in 1996, and his 192 home runs with the team were a record for a right-handed hitter in Oakland until Jose Canseco passed him in 1991.
Post-playing career
After retiring, Bando became a special assistant to Milwaukee's general manager, Harry Dalton, focusing on scouting and coaching during spring training.[13] He served in the part-time position until 1991.[2] He served as a color analyst for NBC, teaming with Bob Costas in 1982.[14][15]
Bando was named the team's general manager on October 8, 1991, succeeding Dalton.[16] That month, he fired manager Tom Trebelhorn and hired Phil Garner, a former teammate with the Athletics, to succeed him; Garner had no managerial experience.[17] Bando and Garner had only one winning team, the 1992 Brewers.[2]
After the 1992 season, the club did not negotiate with free agent Paul Molitor or offer him salary arbitration until close to the deadline.[18] At the time, Bando said that the team would view Molitor as a designated hitter rather than a position player.[19] Molitor, who had entered the offseason wanting to re-sign with the Brewers, signed with the Toronto Blue Jays, who won the 1993 World Series with Molitor named the World Series MVP.[20] Bando held his position as GM until August 12, 1999, resigning the position after Garner was fired.[21] Bando was replaced by former Atlanta Braves assistant GM Dean Taylor.[2]
Bando was CEO of The Middleton Doll Company, a Columbus, Ohio, enterprise with multiple other businesses associated with it.[23] Both he and Jon McGlocklin established the firm, which was originally the Bando McGlocklin Capital Corporation, in 1979. The name changed to its current form on May 4, 2001, to reflect its acquisition of Lee Middleton Original Dolls Inc.[24]
In 1969 Bando married Sandy Fortunato. The couple had three sons, Salvatore Jr., Sonny and Stefano.[citation needed]
Sal Bando, Jr., was the head baseball coach at High Point University from 2001 to 2008. Since 2010 Bando Jr. has been the head baseball coach at Marquette University High School, leading the team to two straight state championship appearances in his first two seasons there.[27][28]
