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RIP Matt Keough

Discussion in 'Sports and News' started by mpcincal, May 3, 2020.

  1. mpcincal

    mpcincal Well-Known Member

    Former MLB pitcher who was part of the highly regarded (and overworked) five-man rotation for the 1980-81 Athletics, and found later fame with his mentions in "Moneyball" and appearances in "The Real Housewives of Orange County"

    Matt Keough: Former Oakland Athletics pitcher and 'Real Housewives' figure dies at 64 - CNN

    Sucks about how his career ended: He was in spring training with the Angels in 1992, and was told he'd made the team, but sitting in the dugout during a spring game in Scottsdale he was hit in the head by a foul ball and was in serious condition for awhile.

    Also, he passed just a few weeks after his daughter lost her newborn son.
     
  2. cyclingwriter2

    cyclingwriter2 Well-Known Member

    Whenever I get in trouble with a 1980s sporcle quiz, I write in his name. Always good for a point.
     
  3. Corky Ramirez up on 94th St.

    Corky Ramirez up on 94th St. Well-Known Member

    I love, love reading about those early 80s BillyBall teams. Overworked pitching, yes, but they were running all over the place. Having Rickey and Dwayne Murphy on the team didn't hurt things at all. But according to Retrosheet, Keough, Mike Norris, Rick Langford and Steve McCatty threw 56 of the team's 60 complete games!!

    They had that one chance in '81, but they got beat up pretty bad by the Yankees in the ALCS. Interesting to hear the crowd in New York when Billy was introduced before Games 1 and 2 - that was a 50/50 mix of boos and cheers.

    Sidenote ... I was amazed to see that three years after he won 20 games, Ed Figueroa finished his career on that '81 A's team after only two games. I thought he hung around much longer than that ...
     
  4. DanOregon

    DanOregon Well-Known Member

    This sucks. Those early '80s A's were so much fun. Adding to the excitement was that Rickey and Keough (and a few others) were from the area. Keough had the "softball toss" record at my middle school (longest throw I guess) when I went there. Cool seeing his name on that board.
     

    Attached Files:

    cyclingwriter2 likes this.
  5. Twirling Time

    Twirling Time Well-Known Member

    Has to be the last of the four-man rotations. Haven't heard any since.
     
  6. Scout

    Scout Well-Known Member

    The five starters on the 80 As averaged 1,042 batters faced. The top being Langford with 1166.

    The most Verlander has ever faced in a season is 982.

    Jesus
     
  7. tapintoamerica

    tapintoamerica Well-Known Member

    In the early years of Rotisserie Baseball, the bio on Matt Keough read simply, "Dear God, please Kill Matt Keough."
    In that year or shortly thereafter, Keough was hit by a line drive in the dugout during a spring training game and nearly died.
    Matt Keough, One of Athletics' Five Aces, Dead at 64
     
  8. cyclingwriter2

    cyclingwriter2 Well-Known Member

    Going to point it while the vox populi is that Martin overworked the “five aces,” and that led to their arms breaking down almost at once; keough actually injured his shoulder in a fall in the dugout; Norris fell on his arm during a brawl with Seattle and Langford apparent had a weird muscle growth on his throwing arm that caused his problems.
     
  9. Slacker

    Slacker Well-Known Member

    Keough began his pro career in 1973 as a shortstop, following in the footsteps of his father, Marty, and his unlike, Joe, both of whom played outfield and first base in the big leagues.

    RIP SI, too.
     
  10. tapintoamerica

    tapintoamerica Well-Known Member

    Autocomplete is weird when it changes uncle to unlike.
    Second thing: nice editing.
     
  11. Slacker

    Slacker Well-Known Member

    Did not know this about Keough's ex ...

    Tomasino was one of the three beautiful muses in the ZZ Top music videos "Legs," "Sharp Dressed Man" and "Gimme All Your Lovin.' " She was also the Playboy Magazine Playmate of the Month in November 1980.

    [​IMG]
     
  12. mpcincal

    mpcincal Well-Known Member

    I looked it up on Baseball Reference, and saw they had those 60 complete games in a shortened 1981 season; the Tigers and Indians tied for second in the majors with 33.
    The year before, in 1980, the A's had 94 complete games; the Brewers were second with 48.
     
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