Budaska, who to me had a surname that screamed “slugger”, actually was not, however he did appear in four games for the A’s in 1978, his first taste of the Majors.
Over those four games he went 1-for-4 at the plate with a double and a walk, while also striking out two times, playing a game each in Right and Left Field.
However that brief time in the Big Leagues was short lived, as he would go on to spend the next two seasons in the Minor Leagues, putting in some decent numbers, combining for a batting average right around .300.
It wasn’t until 1981 that he’d make it all the way back up, appearing in nine games for the A’s during their “Billy-Ball” era, where he would end up batting .156 with five hits over 32 at-bats.
The following seasons, however, he would take his talents over to Japan where he spent the final season of his pro career playing for the Taiyo Whales in the Central League, barely hovering over .200.
Budaska is another player who spent a considerable time as a pro-player in the United States, in his case nine years, all with one organization (just like recently profiled Jim Minshall).
I find these guys interesting, wondering if they either felt stuck with the same club, or perhaps felt they had a greater level of expectation.
I wonder...
