Al Oliver played in Major League Baseball as an outfielder and first baseman from 1968 through 1985, most notably as a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates teams that won five National League Eastern Division titles in six years between 1970 and 1975 and, won the World Series in 1971.
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Al Oliver was promoted to the Major Leagues on September 14,1968, which was the day his father, Al Oliver Sr.
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Al Oliver finished second in the league with the 14 times he was hit by a pitch.
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Al Oliver played first base, joining second baseman Rennie Stennett, center fielder Gene Clines, right fielder Roberto Clemente, left fielder Willie Stargell, catcher Manny Sanguillen, third baseman Dave Cash, shortstop Jackie Hernandez and pitcher Dock Ellis in the starting lineup.
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Al Oliver scored 88 runs and totalled 176 hits, which was 8th in the NL.
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Al Oliver was named to his first All-Star game while finishing seventh in the NL MVP voting.
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In 1973, Al Oliver hit 20 home runs and drove in 99 runs while batting.
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Al Oliver hit 38 doubles and 12 triples, which were both second best in the NL.
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Al Oliver was seventh in NL MVP voting for the second time in three years.
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Al Oliver had a 23-game hitting streak in 1974 and another streak of 21 games where he got at least one hit.
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Al Oliver tied a personal mark with 65 extra base hits, which was good for 5th in the NL, 39 of which were doubles, which put him third in the NL in that category.
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Al Oliver was named as an outfielder on The Sporting News 1975 NL All-Star Team.
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Al Oliver stole a career-high 13 bases, although he was thrown out 16 times along the way.
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Al Oliver was traded along with Nelson Norman from the Pirates to the Rangers in the first four-team blockbuster deal in Major League Baseball history on December 8,1977 that involved the Atlanta Braves, New York Mets and a total of eleven players changing teams.
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Al Oliver was voted to the AL All-Star team for the first time.
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Al Oliver won his second consecutive Silver Slugger Award as the best hitter at his position, which in 1981 was designated hitter.
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Al Oliver became the first player to win Silver Slugger Awards at two different positions.
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Al Oliver wanted an extension to his contract of which he was paid $320,000 annually and had four years remaining, but asked to be traded after Rangers management rejected his renegotiation request.
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Al Oliver was set to be dealt to the New York Yankees for Oscar Gamble, Bob Watson and Mike Morgan prior to the 1982 regular season.
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Al Oliver was sent to the Montreal Expos for Larry Parrish and Dave Hostetler on March 31,1982 instead.
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Al Oliver led the NL in hits, doubles, extra bases, and total bases, and tied with Dale Murphy for the RBI lead with 109.
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Al Oliver's 43 doubles tied his 1980 career-high, and his 67 extra base hits was a career-high as well as his 22 home runs, breaking his 1973 personal best.
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Al Oliver was the first baseman on The Sporting News' NL All-Star Team.
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Al Oliver was voted the Montreal Expos Player of the Year at the end of the season.
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In 1983 Al Oliver led the NL in doubles with 38 and was fourth in the NL in hits with 184.
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On February 27,1984, Al Oliver was traded to the San Francisco Giants for Fred Breining and Max Venable.
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Al Oliver was caught by TV cameras angrily scowling in the dugout, knowing his night—and as it turned out, his season and career—were over.
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Al Oliver himself believes that he could have played four or five more years.
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Al Oliver was among the league's top ten in doubles nine times and among the league's top ten in hits nine times as well and finished in the top ten in batting average nine times.
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Al Oliver's shot came off Milt Pappas in the sixth inning of the last game played at the stadium, the second game of a June 28,1970, doubleheader against the Chicago Cubs.
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Al Oliver drove in the first run ever scored at Three Rivers Stadium.
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Al Oliver is portrayed on one of the Floodwall Murals in Portsmouth, Ohio, honoring local Major League Baseball players, scouts, and umpires.
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In September 2014, Al Oliver released his second book, titled Life is a Hit, Don't Strike Out that chronicled his life and career.
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