Matt Keough

Signed as an infielder, Keough was heralded by A’s owner Charley Finley as Sal Bando‘s successor at third base. But when Keough hit .210 in Double-A in 1976, Finley put him on the mound. He joined Oakland a year later, and as a sophomore in 1978 was the A’s only All-Star. He remained in the rotation on Finley’s orders in 1979 despite a 2-17 record; he lost his first 14 decisions to tie the ML record for most consecutive losses at the start of a season. But his 16-13 mark in 1980 won him AL Comeback Player of the Year honors. He slumped to 11-18 (5.72) in 1982, tying for the AL lead in losses. Nursing a sore arm, he bounced around before landing in Japan, where his father, major leaguer Marty Keough, had played in 1968. His uncle, Joe Keough, spent most of his six-year career with the A’s.