Shea Langeliers Hits Potentially Last Walk-Off for Oakland

Shea Langeliers had probably just recorded the last walk-off in Oakland A’s history. With the score tied 4-4 in the bottom of the ninth inning, Seattle Mariners pitcher Austin Voth threw the A’s catcher a sweeper that sailed far enough over the plate for Langeliers to turn on it and send the ball over the fence to left.

It was an unusual way to start the A’s final month of home games in Oakland.

With 12 more home dates on the schedule, there will be more opportunities for a defining Athletics hit, but there’s no guarantee one will be on the horizon. This home run could be the biggest hit in Oakland’s larger history when the month is over.

Although yesterday’s homer could be the last, Oakland’s first walk-off came in 1968, when the A’s moved from Kansas City, and came in their first win at the Oakland Coliseum on April 18. The A’s and the Baltimore Orioles were tied after nine innings, so they just kept playing. Baltimore scored in the top of the 11th inning on a double by Curt Motton that scored Dave May. The hit came off a reliever hit by Ed Sprague, the father of the A’s current director of player development, also named Ed Sprague.

In the bottom of the 11th, Reggie Jackson scored from second base on a fielder’s choice that led to an error on a throw to first base, tying the game. Both clubs played until the 13th, when the A’s got an opening single from Jackson. Sal Bando tried to hit it to second base but landed on first himself, also moving second base. Both Bando and Jackson were moved a base on a bounce by Ramon Webster. Jim Gosger was intentionally walked, loading the bases, and John Donaldson picked up the ball in the air deep enough to left field to bring Jackson home on a sac-fly.

A wins 4-3.

The A’s also notched another walk-off victory in Oakland’s first home series, defeating the New York Yankees 4-3 in the 11th inning. John Donaldson rose to the occasion with the bases loaded, but this time he singled to score the winning run.

Donaldson played for the A’s from 1966 to 1969, when he was traded to the newly formed Seattle Pilots, which moved to Milwaukee in 1970.

Baseball is funny that way. When we examine the first walk-off in franchise history, we discover that a connection to the current front office was involved, the player who scored the winning run on two separate occasions was both part of the A’s move to Oakland and part of the Pilots move to Milwaukee — and a similar fate awaited the A’s themselves all these years ago.

Seattle eventually acquired the Mariners in 1977, and with MLB’s expansion looming, perhaps a similar fate awaits Oakland.