Bob Oliver--1970
On This Date in Major League
History, May 4, 1969…
On this date, outfielder Bob Oliver picked
the right bat, as the Kansas City Royals
record book was written in pen early
when Oliver collected six hits in six at-
bats on May 4, 1969. It was a lopsided
15-1 Royals win over the California
Angels that brought the fledging Royals
to a 13-11 mark early in their debut
season that eventually ended with a 69-
93 mark and a fourth place finish in the
American League West.
The back of Bob Oliver’s 1970 card
notes, the right-handed swinger “became
the 37th player in history to get six
straight hits in a game.”
Originally signed by the Pittsburgh
Pirates, Oliver was traded to the Twins in
1967 before being selected by the
Royals with the 10th pick of the 1969
Expansion Draft. The versatile Oliver
would meander around the diamond for
the Royals, playing first base, third base
and all three outfield positions for
Kansas City in 1969. He would bring pop
to the youthful Kansas City lineup, as
Oliver slugged 13 long balls, second
best for the infant Royals.
It was a Sunday and the Royals were in
Los Angeles on the verge of capturing
their fourth series, having already
defeated the Angels in two of the
previous games. Lefty Clyde Wright was
on the mound for the struggling Angels
who were 8-12 at the beginning of the
day. Oliver was penned in as the number
six hitter in manager Joe Gordon’s lineup.
After a scoreless first inning, Oliver
followed a lead-off walk to Chuck
Harrison with a single to left field in the
second. Moving to the keystone sack on
a bases-filling walk to Paul Schaal, Oliver
would be picked off second by Wright
who eventually allowed the Royals two
runs in the inning.
Oliver’s next at-bat saw the canter fielder
line a double to left off Eddie Fisher, who
had replaced Wright in the third inning.
Holding onto a 2-1 lead the Royals would
explode in the fifth inning, as both Joy
Foy and Oliver delivered two-run blasts.
Oliver’s home run off Pedro Borbon
capped the 5-run inning as Kansas held
a comfortable 7-1 lead when the Angels
took their swings in the bottom of the fifth.
The Royals would add a couple of runs
on a two-run homer off Lou Pinella’s bat
in the sixth, as Royals starter Roger
Nelson was cruising to his first career
complete game victory that would also
move him to 2-2 on the season.
Oliver would strike next when he rapped
out a lead-off single to center off Phil
Ortega in the 7th and eventually score
the first of six runs that would take the
Royals to 15 runs on the day. The big
seventh inning would allow Oliver to
collect his fifth hit of the day, an infield
single to third off George Burnett. The
26-year-old would finish his hit parade
with another infield single to third off
right-hander Tom Murphy in 9th inning.
The versatile Oliver would finish the ’
69 campaign with a .254 average, which
also included a 4-hit game against the
Washington Senators in the nightcap of
an August 13th double-header. He would
go on to hit .256 during his 8-year career
that saw him swing for the Pirates,
Angels, Orioles, Yankees, as well as the
upstart Royals.
While the six-hit feat would later be
matched by Kevin Seitzer (1987) and Joe
Randa (2004), for Kansas City it was a
day for the franchise to remember, as
Bob Oliver placed his name in the
Royals’ record book.
Editor's Note: Oliver would also place
himself in the Royals record books by
hitting the franchise's first grand slam, a
shot off Seattle's Jim Bouton on July 4,
1969. He would father future big league
hurler Darren Oliver, as the father-son
pair could boast that they both played
alongside Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan.
(5/1/10)
History, May 4, 1969…
On this date, outfielder Bob Oliver picked
the right bat, as the Kansas City Royals
record book was written in pen early
when Oliver collected six hits in six at-
bats on May 4, 1969. It was a lopsided
15-1 Royals win over the California
Angels that brought the fledging Royals
to a 13-11 mark early in their debut
season that eventually ended with a 69-
93 mark and a fourth place finish in the
American League West.
The back of Bob Oliver’s 1970 card
notes, the right-handed swinger “became
the 37th player in history to get six
straight hits in a game.”
Originally signed by the Pittsburgh
Pirates, Oliver was traded to the Twins in
1967 before being selected by the
Royals with the 10th pick of the 1969
Expansion Draft. The versatile Oliver
would meander around the diamond for
the Royals, playing first base, third base
and all three outfield positions for
Kansas City in 1969. He would bring pop
to the youthful Kansas City lineup, as
Oliver slugged 13 long balls, second
best for the infant Royals.
It was a Sunday and the Royals were in
Los Angeles on the verge of capturing
their fourth series, having already
defeated the Angels in two of the
previous games. Lefty Clyde Wright was
on the mound for the struggling Angels
who were 8-12 at the beginning of the
day. Oliver was penned in as the number
six hitter in manager Joe Gordon’s lineup.
After a scoreless first inning, Oliver
followed a lead-off walk to Chuck
Harrison with a single to left field in the
second. Moving to the keystone sack on
a bases-filling walk to Paul Schaal, Oliver
would be picked off second by Wright
who eventually allowed the Royals two
runs in the inning.
Oliver’s next at-bat saw the canter fielder
line a double to left off Eddie Fisher, who
had replaced Wright in the third inning.
Holding onto a 2-1 lead the Royals would
explode in the fifth inning, as both Joy
Foy and Oliver delivered two-run blasts.
Oliver’s home run off Pedro Borbon
capped the 5-run inning as Kansas held
a comfortable 7-1 lead when the Angels
took their swings in the bottom of the fifth.
The Royals would add a couple of runs
on a two-run homer off Lou Pinella’s bat
in the sixth, as Royals starter Roger
Nelson was cruising to his first career
complete game victory that would also
move him to 2-2 on the season.
Oliver would strike next when he rapped
out a lead-off single to center off Phil
Ortega in the 7th and eventually score
the first of six runs that would take the
Royals to 15 runs on the day. The big
seventh inning would allow Oliver to
collect his fifth hit of the day, an infield
single to third off George Burnett. The
26-year-old would finish his hit parade
with another infield single to third off
right-hander Tom Murphy in 9th inning.
The versatile Oliver would finish the ’
69 campaign with a .254 average, which
also included a 4-hit game against the
Washington Senators in the nightcap of
an August 13th double-header. He would
go on to hit .256 during his 8-year career
that saw him swing for the Pirates,
Angels, Orioles, Yankees, as well as the
upstart Royals.
While the six-hit feat would later be
matched by Kevin Seitzer (1987) and Joe
Randa (2004), for Kansas City it was a
day for the franchise to remember, as
Bob Oliver placed his name in the
Royals’ record book.
Editor's Note: Oliver would also place
himself in the Royals record books by
hitting the franchise's first grand slam, a
shot off Seattle's Jim Bouton on July 4,
1969. He would father future big league
hurler Darren Oliver, as the father-son
pair could boast that they both played
alongside Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan.
(5/1/10)
