Member of inaugural Royals team Bob Oliver dead at 77
Former major-league outfielder and first baseman Bob Oliver, an original member of the Kansas City Royals in 1969, died Sunday in Rio Linda, Calif. He was 77.
Oliver, the father of former major-league pitcher Darren Oliver, spent eight seasons in the majors, including parts of four seasons with the Royals.
He debuted in the majors with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1965, appearing in three games. The Minnesota Twins traded for Oliver in December 1967 and the Royals drafted him with the 19th pick in the 1968 expansion draft.
As a 26-year-old in 1969, he played in 118 games in the Royals’ inaugural season. Oliver recorded the franchise’s first six-hit game that season.
The following year, he played in 160 games, hit 27 home runs, registered 99 RBIs and batted .260 with a .451 slugging percentage.
The Royals traded Oliver to the California Angels for Tom Murphy during the 1972 season, and Oliver went on to play for the Angels, Baltimore Orioles and New York Yankees. His final season in the majors was in 1975.
His son, Darren, was born in Kansas City and spent parts of 20 seasons as an MLB pitcher. Darren is currently a special assistant for the Texas Rangers, with whom he spent 10 seasons.
This story was originally published April 20, 2020 at 10:17 PM.
