Sal Bando, 3-Time World Series Champion with Oakland A's, Dies at Age 78

Three-time World Series champion Sal Bando has died at age 78.

In a statement released through the Oakland Athletics, Bando's family announced he died Friday after having cancer for five-plus years.

The Milwaukee Brewers, who Bando played with for five seasons, offered their condolences to his family, friends and fans:

A sixth-round draft pick by the Kansas City Athletics in 1965, Bando made his big league debut late in the 1966 season. He became a full-time player at third base for the A's in 1968 after the franchise moved to Oakland.

Over six seasons from 1969 to 1974, Bando finished in the top 30 of American League MVP voting six times and was named to the All-Star team four times. The A's won three consecutive World Series titles from 1972 to '74.

After spending 11 seasons with the A's, Bando signed with the Brewers as a free agent in November 1976. The Arizona State alum appeared in 311 out of 324 possible games in his first two seasons with Milwaukee before he began to slow down physically.

Bando only appeared in 240 games over his final three seasons from 1979 to '81. In his final year, he hit .294/.368/.471 in the AL Division Series against the New York Yankees that the Brewers lost in five games.

Following his retirement as a player, Bando continued to work with the Brewers. He served as their general manager for eight seasons from 1991 to '99 before being reassigned in August 1999.

Bando was inducted into the National College Baseball Hall of Fame in 2013. He was named Most Outstanding Player of the 1965 NCAA baseball tournament after helping the Sun Devils win their first national championship.