| Blue Moon Odom | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born: (1945-05-29)May 29, 1945 (age 79) Macon, Georgia, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| September 5, 1964, for the Kansas City Athletics | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| August 17, 1976, for the Chicago White Sox | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 84–85 |
| Earned run average | 3.70 |
| Strikeouts | 857 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
Johnny Lee "Blue Moon" Odom (born May 29, 1945) is anAmerican formerprofessional baseball player.[1] He played as a right-handedpitcher inMajor League Baseball from1964 through1976, most notably as a member of theOakland Athleticsdynasty that won three consecutiveWorld Series championships between 1972 and 1974. The two-timeAll-Star also played for theCleveland Indians,Atlanta Braves, andChicago White Sox.
Odom was nicknamed Blue Moon in grade-school by a classmate who thought Odom's round face resembled the moon.[2] Odom ledBallard-Hudson High School inMacon, Georgia, to two consecutive state championships while amassing a 42–2 record.[3] He signed with the Kansas City Athletics upon graduation.
Odom began hisprofessional baseball career with theBirmingham Barons of theSouthern League. After one season in Birmingham, he received a September call-up to theKansas City Athletics in1964, and made his major league debut at just nineteen years old on September 5 atMunicipal Stadium inKansas City. Odom lasted just two innings against theNew York Yankees, giving up a three-runhome run in the first inning toMickey Mantle and surrendered three more runs in the second before giving way to thebullpen.[4]
Odom spent the entire1965 season with theLewiston Broncs of theNorthwest League. For the season, he went 11–14 with a 4.27earned run average and led the league ingames started (29) andinnings pitched (198). He only made one appearance at the major league level all season, pitching one inning and allowing oneearned run against theWashington Senators on September 22.[5]
Odom split the1966 season between Kansas City and the double A Mobile A's, going 5–5 with a 2.49 ERA at the major league level. He began the1967 season in Kansas City but was demoted in July with a 2–4 record and 5.15 ERA. For the season, he went 3–8 with a 5.04 ERA.
Odom's arrival as a quality major league starter would essentially coincide with his franchise's arrival the next season inOakland, California, as he improved to 16–10 with a 2.45 ERA once team ownerCharles O. Finley relocated his franchise. He had ano-hitter against theBaltimore Orioles broken up by aDavey Johnsonsingle with two out in the ninth on June 7,1968.[6] Baltimore scored a run in the first on threewalks as Odom walked eight in the game.[7] He finished third in theAmerican League with 98 walks and tiedFrank Bertaina for the league lead inwild pitches with seventeen. He was also named to his firstAll-Star Game, and pitched two scoreless innings.[8]
Odom was simply dominant in the first half of the1969 season, going 14–3 with a 2.41 ERA heading into the All-Star break. He also showed himself to be one of the league's better-hitting pitchers as he went 3-for-3 with a home run and sixruns batted in (RBI) against theSeattle Pilots on May 4.[9] He was named to his second consecutiveAll Star team, but was tagged for fiveruns (four earned) in just a third of an inning as theNational League cruised to a 9–3 victory.[10] His numbers tailed off considerably following the All-Star break, as he went 1–3 with a 4.09 ERA in the second half of the season.
Odom was on the A's roster in both 1970 and 1971.
After finishing second to theMinnesota Twins two years in a row in the newly realignedAmerican League West, the Athletics won the division in1971, but were swept by the Orioles in the1971 American League Championship Series.
Before the start of the1972 season, Odom was shot twice while trying to prevent a burglary at his neighbor's house.[11] He recovered, and went 15–6 with a 2.50 ERA in a rotation that also included future Hall of Famer and Cy Young award winnerCatfish Hunter, two-time no-hitter throwingKen Holtzman, and simultaneous Cy Young and MVP-winnerVida Blue as the A's cruised to their second consecutive division title in 1972.
In his first post-season start, Odomshutout theDetroit Tigers, holding them to just three hits in the second game of the1972 American League Championship Series to give Oakland a 2–0 series lead.[12] The Tigers came back to tie the series as Odom took the mound for game five of the ALCS. He held the Tigers to just oneunearned run in five innings, and Vida Blue pitched the final four innings as the A's beat the Tigers 2–1.[13]
Although both pitchers pitched well, and their team was now headed to the World Series, a fight broke out between the two men after the game. After going 24–8 with a 1.82 ERA and winning theCy Young Award in 1971, Vida Blue had a disappointing 1972 season in which he went 6-10. As a result, managerDick Williams decided to use Blue as areliever in the post-season.
Blue was unhappy with this decision and made his feelings known. During the team's post-game celebration on October 12, Blue joked with Odom that he choked, and needed to be rescued by him. At some point, the joking turned serious and nearly came to blows.[14]
Oakland held a 2–0 game lead against Cincinnati's "Big Red Machine" in the 1972 World Series as Odom facedJack Billingham in game three. Odom had allowed just one hit and two walks while striking out ten in six innings before giving up his first post-season earned run in the seventh inning. Unfortunately for Odom, Billingham was even more dominant, as he pitched eight scoreless innings to lead theCincinnati Reds to a 1–0 victory.[15]
In game five, Odom was used as a pinch runner with Oakland trailing 5–4 in the bottom of the ninth inning. With one out and Odom on third base, he tried to score after Reds second baseman Joe Morgan caught a pop fly in foul territory, and was thrown out at the home plate to end the ball game.[16]
Odom and Billingham were again embroiled in a pitchers' duel in game seven of the World Series, this time with Odom leading 1-0 before both pitchers gave way to their bullpens. The A's won the game 3–2,[17] giving the franchise their first world championship since moving to Oakland. For the post-season, Odom was 2–1 with a 0.71 ERA and eighteenstrikeouts in 25.1 innings pitched.
Though Odom fell to 5–12 with a 4.49 ERA in1973, his A's returned to the post-season. Odom was used in relief by Dick Williams during the 1973 post-season. He made just one appearance in the1973 American League Championship Series, pitching five innings and giving up just one earned run in their 6–0 loss to the Orioles in game two.[18]
Odom made two appearances in the World Series against theNew York Mets. In game two, he pitched two scoreless innings.[19] Odom entered game four of the series with only one out, two men on and three runs already on the board in the first inning. Odom gotDon Hahn to ground into adouble play to end the inning. He left the game in the fourth without giving up a run, however,Darold Knowles allowed both base runners he inherited from Odom to score.[20]
Odom was used in relief in the1974 season, earning his only careersave on August 30 against the Detroit Tigers.[21] The A's once again faced the Baltimore Orioles in the ALCS, beating them in four games. Odom's only appearance came in their game one loss.[22]
Just before the start of the World Series against theLos Angeles Dodgers, Odom and fellow A's reliever,Rollie Fingers got into a fight in the A's locker room after Odom commented on Fingers' wife. The incident lasted less than a minute, however, Fingers required six stitches on his head, and Odom sprained his ankle and had a noticeable limp.[23]
Regardless of his injury, Odom pitched a scoreless ninth inning in game two,[24] and earned the win in game five. Odom faced just one batter,Davey Lopes, in the fifth and final game of the World Series. Lopes grounded out to end the seventh inning with the score tied, 2-2.Joe Rudi led off the following inning with a home run to put Oakland up 3–2, and give Odom the win.[25]
Odom made just seven appearances for the A's in1975 before a May 20 trade sent him to theCleveland Indians forDick Bosman andJim Perry.[26] After just a month in Cleveland, Odom was traded again, this time to theAtlanta Braves forRoric Harrison.[27] Odom went 2–9 with a 7.22 ERA for his three clubs.
Odom began the1976 season playing minor league ball for the Atlanta Braves, and did not see any major league experience until a June 15 trade sent him to theChicago White Sox forPete Varney. In just his second start for the ChiSox on July 28, Odom combined with relieverFrancisco Barrios to pitch a no-hitter against his former team, the Oakland A's. Odom pitched the first five innings, Barrios the last four, in what would be his last big-league victory.[28]
Odom pitched six games for Oakland's triple-A affiliate, theSan Jose Missions in1977 before retiring. He was asked to represent the Athletics at the2008 First-Year Player Draft, June 5 inLake Buena Vista, Florida.
An excellent athlete, Odom was used 105 times as apinch-runner. He also wielded a strong bat (for a pitcher), hitting twelve home runs with a .195 careerbatting average. Odom had a 3–1 career record in the post-season with a 1.13 ERA and 27 strikeouts.
Odom was arrested twice in1985. The first time was for sellingcocaine to a co-worker. Then, during the trial, he was arrested a second time on December 11, for assault with a deadly weapon as he held his wife, Gayle, at gunpoint with a shotgun, holding police at bay for six hours.[29] He ended up spending six weeks in alcohol rehabilitation and another 55 days in jail for the drug conviction.
Odom was inducted into theGeorgia Sports Hall of Fame in2004.[30]
| Preceded by | No-hitter July 28,1976 (withFrancisco Barrios) | Succeeded by |