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Good morning, Athletics Nation!
Unfortunately, the weekend featured some sad news for the A’s community, with the passing of former pitcher Matt Keough at age 64. Keough, a California native, spent most of his nine-year MLB career playing for Oakland and later worked in the A’s front office.
“Matt was a great baseball man and a proud Oakland A,” said A’s Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations Billy Beane. “He had an incredible passion for the game and we were lucky to have him and his wealth of knowledge alongside us for the years he worked as a Special Assistant. He left an unforgettable impression on everyone he touched in baseball. Our sincere condolences are with the entire Keough family tonight.”
Keough was drafted by the A’s in 1973, out of high school in Newport Beach. He debuted in the majors in 1977, and served as a full-time starter for five seasons from 1978-82. He was traded to the Yankees in ‘83, and briefly pitched for the Cardinals, Cubs, and Astros before finishing his MLB career in ‘86. He went to Japan and played another four years, then launched a front office career with the A’s, Rays, and Angels.
Among his career highlights, Keough made the All-Star team in 1978, and then after struggling in ‘79 he rebounded and was named Comeback Player of the Year in ‘80. In 1981 he helped the A’s reach the playoffs.
The Keough family has strong baseball roots. Matt’s father Marty Keough and uncle Joe Keough played in the majors, and Joe was briefly on the A’s in the ‘60s. Matt’s son Shane Keough was an outfielder in the A’s minor league system for several years, getting as far as High-A Stockton in 2010.
Athletics Nation wishes the best to the Keough family!
A’s Coverage:
- Slusser: Matt Keough, one of A’s ‘Five Aces,’ dies at age 64
- Gallegos: Former A’s pitcher Matt Keough passes away
- Hickey: Matt Keough, One of Athletics’ Five Aces, Dead at 64
- Hickey: Some Ex-Athletics Pitchers Could Be MLB Test Cases as Korea Baseball Revs Up Monday
- Hickey: Athletics Jesus Luzardo’s First Game vs. Boyhood Hero Miguel Cabrera Not on Immediate Agenda
- Hickey: On This Day in 1991, the A’s Rickey Henderson Moved Past Lou Brock With Steal No. 939
- Brazil: Dontrelle Willis Q&A: MLB vet ‘really proud of’ A’s star Marcus Semien
- Slusser: Former A’s minor-leaguer Miguel Marte dies of COVID-19 at age 30
- Hall: Former Oakland A’s minor leaguer Miguel Marte dies of coronavirus complications at age 30
- Hall: Today in Oakland A’s history (5/1): Rickey Henderson sets career stolen base record
- Hall: Ode to Oakland A’s jerseys, the best in MLB
- Nico: Sunday Bon Mots From Six Feet Away
- A’s trivia: Stolen base leaders
MLB News & Interest:
- ESPN: MLB reaches deal on pay structure with umpires during pandemic
- ESPN: Indians reliever Emmanuel Clase suspended 80 games over PED
- Topkin: For Rays and MLB, plans for starting play are coming into focus
- MLB: Needed it ‘so bad’: Snell is first The Show champ
- Castrovince: The 10 strangest trades in MLB history
- Clair: Milkfish Boy, the mascot we never knew we needed
- Gonzalez: Angels’ Albert Pujols not yet ready to talk retirement
- Polishuk: How Worried Should The Cardinals Be About Paul Goldschmidt?
- Today in Baseball History
Best of Twitter:
In memory of Keough
The A’s organization mourns the loss of former pitcher and special assistant Matt Keough.
— Oakland A's (@Athletics) May 3, 2020
"He left an unforgettable impression on everyone he touched in baseball. Our sincere condolences are with the entire Keough family tonight." - Billy Beane pic.twitter.com/sEGaLiFLc7
Sean Manaea giving back to the community
.@BABYSMGIRAFFE is pitching in to show his appreciation for those working on the front lines. Manaea provided more than 200 meals from Pot Pie Paradise & Deli and Irving Subs to the EMS teams with Falck Northern California and the SF Fire Department. pic.twitter.com/P482JRzryg
— Oakland A's (@Athletics) May 1, 2020
Dan Straily making an Opening Day start in Korea
The #KBO opening day is tomorrow and we will have @danstraily67 on the hill to start it off! He'll face the KT Wiz and Odrisamer Despaigne. #LotteGiants pic.twitter.com/0K1Nwz8HJX
— Sung Min Kim (@sung_minkim) May 4, 2020
Eric O’Bearity?
Today my neighbor yelled “Eric! There’s a bear!”
— Eric O’Flaherty (@EOF34) May 2, 2020
I turned around and the bear was already in my yard, I was on my dock with nowhere to go.
This is the first thing that’s happened since I retired that has replicated the pressure and adrenaline of pitching in an mlb game. pic.twitter.com/OIS62FoAMR
The bear leaving felt like getting out of a bases loaded jam. An exhilarating high.
— Eric O’Flaherty (@EOF34) May 2, 2020
If you wonder why athletes struggle when they retire its bc they’ve been injecting “bear encounter” into their veins for 80% of their life and then suddenly have to go cold turkey involuntarily.
