Sal Bando, who represented Sun Devil Athletics and the ASU Baseball program for nearly 60 years across the nation, passed away January 20, 2023 at the age of 78, but his contributions to the athletic department throughout history are easily remembered.
Bando came to Arizona State by accident.
In the Cleveland sandlots during the late 1950s, Rich Liskovec was the most important man in town. The Arizona State Professor of Emeritus in Mathematics was a Kent State graduate and spent his summers back home in Ohio coaching youth baseball.
He stumbled upon catcher Tony Alecsi. Through multiple summers in the sandlot and national tournaments, Alecsi became revered and feared as a high schooler.
In 1963, Liskovec told Sun Devil Baseball head coach Bobby Winkles that Alecsi was a player who could turn a program around. Because of Liskovec and Winkles, Alecsi opted out of his National Letter of Intent with Ohio State Football.
Liskovec then pushed Winkles to bring his third baseman to Tempe. Before Bando could sign his own NLI with the Buckeye football program, Winkles made him a Sun Devil. John Pavlik and Jim Gretta rounded out the four members of Liskovec's summer squad who joined ASU.
The 1964 Sun Devil squad achieved new heights, reaching the College World Series for the first time. It was the beginning of the modern-era Arizona State baseball program.
ASU became the 1965 CWS Champions, beating Ohio State. Bando scored the game-winning run and the Sun Devils cemented themselves at the heart of the national stage.
"In the 1965 College World Series, Sal could do no wrong," said Alecsi. "He looked like Brooks Robinson in the field. He crushed the ball, got big hits, he was a gamer. Sal seemed to get the big hits when you needed it. It was just like the sandlot."
Bando won Most Outstanding Player on a team that featured two All-Americans, Luis Lagunas and Rick Monday.
In his Sun Devil career, he was a career .319 hitter with 92 RBI and 99 runs scored, including crossing the plate as the winning run in the 1965 CWS. In 2010, Bando was named to the College World Series Legends Team and in 2013, inducted into the College Baseball Hall of Fame.
Bando was inducted into the Sun Devil Hall of Fame as a Charter Inductee in 1975 and his number six was retired 1996.
"Sal Bando was the man," said Don Bocchi, Sun Devil Hall of Famer. "Nobody crossed Sal. Sal was a tough guy, tough competitor, but he also was the one of nicest human beings with the warmest smile ever off the field. When he smiled, his eyes would smile. He smiled with his face and he had a twinkle. He was such a kind, gentle man, other than when he played. He was a physical specimen and great athlete."
Bando's combination of fearlessness and kindness bred success at all levels.
He was selected in the sixth round of the inaugural Major League Baseball Draft in 1965 by the-then Kansas City Athletics.
Bando was promoted to the Major Leagues alongside fellow Sun Devil, Monday, in 1966.
"Sal and I were not only teammates. I felt privileged to call him a friend," said Monday. "In fact, we both got called up the same day. We were in Mobile, Alabama. Sal and I jumped in the car and drove to Kansas City. We drove all night and checked into the hotel at 7:30 a.m.. We had a workout at 11 a.m. at the ballpark and we made our Major League debuts that night. He was not just an extremely good player, but he was a leader and a terrific man. I feel privileged to have been able to call him a friend for so many years."
He was named Team Captain on May 30th, 1969 and was the starting third baseman for the American League in the 1969 All-Star Game.
Bando was a three-time World Series Champion with the Oakland Athletics and finished in the top five of the American League MVP voting three times. He was a four-time All-Star including three straight from 1972-74 and led all of baseball in doubles and total bases in 1973.
"I have never met anybody that was so accomplished and so humble," said Skip Hancock, ASU starting pitcher in 1965. "He was a physical presence, he was built like a Mack Truck. Sal Bando was the greatest athlete that I ever had the chance to play with."
After 11 years in Oakland, Bando played for the Milwaukee Brewers for five seasons from 1977-81. He was recruited by Brewers owner and future Commissioner of Major League Baseball Bud Selig, who personally flew to Bando's home as a pitch.
Bando hit .285 in 1978, the second highest full-season average of his career and smacked 17 homers in each of his first two years with the Brewers. He retired after the 1981 season.
"Sal Bando epitomized Sun Devil Baseball," said head coach Willie Bloomquist. "From a distance, I learned by watching Sal on how to represent ASU at the major league level. He had a profound impact on me as a Sun Devil and big leaguer."
He stayed with Milwaukee immediately upon retirement, joining the organization as a special assistant in 1982. A natural leader, he continued his rise in the front office, eventually serving as General Manager from 1991-99.
Bando's success came as no surprise to Monday, who felt Bando's presence embodied excellence.
"One of the things I talk about is that there's really only three things in life that we are totally in charge of; that's our effort, our attitude and our credibility," said Monday. "Sal Bando stood at the front of the line with all three of those. There was never a question as to his effort, attitude and credibility. I think that speaks volumes about who Sal was as a person."
Through all of his accomplishments, Bando never lost touch with Arizona State. It was his family.
Bando's personality was made by his own family. His father was an independent contractor and worked long hours so he could put food on the table. However, he went through great lengths so he never missed a game.
"At Christmas time, Mr. Bando would shut down his business and relocate his entire family to Arizona," said Alecsi. "He enrolled the kids in a school in Mesa or Tempe, wherever he rented a house, so he never missed a game. When the season was over in June, he'd move the family back, re-open the business and enroll them back in the schools."
The Bando family connection to ASU grew.
Chris Bando, Sal's brother, is a 1984 Inductee to the Sun Devil Hall of Fame. He was named to the 1978 All-America Team, the All-CWS Catcher and set NCAA single-season records for doubles (30) and RBI (30). Nephew Ben Bando was also a letterwinner at ASU in 2006.
On annual get-togethers in Tempe, Bando would join his teammates and drive to California so they could see Bobby Winkles. Winkes, and all of ASU, were family.
"He was just so kind, warm, I love Sal," said Alecsi, choking up. "I was quite devastated when I found out that he died. I was in touch with his wife during this time. I was so saddened, I just loved him so much as a person, he was just wonderful."
Sal Bando is survived by his wife of 54 years, Sandy, sons Salvatore Jr., Santino and Stefano, grandchildren Mia, Maci, Salvatore, Luciana, Cristiano and Max, brother Chris and sister Vicky. Private memorial services will take place in Hartland, Wisconsin.
Bando came to Arizona State by accident.
In the Cleveland sandlots during the late 1950s, Rich Liskovec was the most important man in town. The Arizona State Professor of Emeritus in Mathematics was a Kent State graduate and spent his summers back home in Ohio coaching youth baseball.
He stumbled upon catcher Tony Alecsi. Through multiple summers in the sandlot and national tournaments, Alecsi became revered and feared as a high schooler.
In 1963, Liskovec told Sun Devil Baseball head coach Bobby Winkles that Alecsi was a player who could turn a program around. Because of Liskovec and Winkles, Alecsi opted out of his National Letter of Intent with Ohio State Football.
Liskovec then pushed Winkles to bring his third baseman to Tempe. Before Bando could sign his own NLI with the Buckeye football program, Winkles made him a Sun Devil. John Pavlik and Jim Gretta rounded out the four members of Liskovec's summer squad who joined ASU.
The 1964 Sun Devil squad achieved new heights, reaching the College World Series for the first time. It was the beginning of the modern-era Arizona State baseball program.
ASU became the 1965 CWS Champions, beating Ohio State. Bando scored the game-winning run and the Sun Devils cemented themselves at the heart of the national stage.
"In the 1965 College World Series, Sal could do no wrong," said Alecsi. "He looked like Brooks Robinson in the field. He crushed the ball, got big hits, he was a gamer. Sal seemed to get the big hits when you needed it. It was just like the sandlot."
Bando won Most Outstanding Player on a team that featured two All-Americans, Luis Lagunas and Rick Monday.
In his Sun Devil career, he was a career .319 hitter with 92 RBI and 99 runs scored, including crossing the plate as the winning run in the 1965 CWS. In 2010, Bando was named to the College World Series Legends Team and in 2013, inducted into the College Baseball Hall of Fame.
Bando was inducted into the Sun Devil Hall of Fame as a Charter Inductee in 1975 and his number six was retired 1996.
"Sal Bando was the man," said Don Bocchi, Sun Devil Hall of Famer. "Nobody crossed Sal. Sal was a tough guy, tough competitor, but he also was the one of nicest human beings with the warmest smile ever off the field. When he smiled, his eyes would smile. He smiled with his face and he had a twinkle. He was such a kind, gentle man, other than when he played. He was a physical specimen and great athlete."
Bando's combination of fearlessness and kindness bred success at all levels.
He was selected in the sixth round of the inaugural Major League Baseball Draft in 1965 by the-then Kansas City Athletics.
Bando was promoted to the Major Leagues alongside fellow Sun Devil, Monday, in 1966.
"Sal and I were not only teammates. I felt privileged to call him a friend," said Monday. "In fact, we both got called up the same day. We were in Mobile, Alabama. Sal and I jumped in the car and drove to Kansas City. We drove all night and checked into the hotel at 7:30 a.m.. We had a workout at 11 a.m. at the ballpark and we made our Major League debuts that night. He was not just an extremely good player, but he was a leader and a terrific man. I feel privileged to have been able to call him a friend for so many years."
He was named Team Captain on May 30th, 1969 and was the starting third baseman for the American League in the 1969 All-Star Game.
Bando was a three-time World Series Champion with the Oakland Athletics and finished in the top five of the American League MVP voting three times. He was a four-time All-Star including three straight from 1972-74 and led all of baseball in doubles and total bases in 1973.
"I have never met anybody that was so accomplished and so humble," said Skip Hancock, ASU starting pitcher in 1965. "He was a physical presence, he was built like a Mack Truck. Sal Bando was the greatest athlete that I ever had the chance to play with."
After 11 years in Oakland, Bando played for the Milwaukee Brewers for five seasons from 1977-81. He was recruited by Brewers owner and future Commissioner of Major League Baseball Bud Selig, who personally flew to Bando's home as a pitch.
Bando hit .285 in 1978, the second highest full-season average of his career and smacked 17 homers in each of his first two years with the Brewers. He retired after the 1981 season.
"Sal Bando epitomized Sun Devil Baseball," said head coach Willie Bloomquist. "From a distance, I learned by watching Sal on how to represent ASU at the major league level. He had a profound impact on me as a Sun Devil and big leaguer."
He stayed with Milwaukee immediately upon retirement, joining the organization as a special assistant in 1982. A natural leader, he continued his rise in the front office, eventually serving as General Manager from 1991-99.
Bando's success came as no surprise to Monday, who felt Bando's presence embodied excellence.
"One of the things I talk about is that there's really only three things in life that we are totally in charge of; that's our effort, our attitude and our credibility," said Monday. "Sal Bando stood at the front of the line with all three of those. There was never a question as to his effort, attitude and credibility. I think that speaks volumes about who Sal was as a person."
Through all of his accomplishments, Bando never lost touch with Arizona State. It was his family.
Bando's personality was made by his own family. His father was an independent contractor and worked long hours so he could put food on the table. However, he went through great lengths so he never missed a game.
"At Christmas time, Mr. Bando would shut down his business and relocate his entire family to Arizona," said Alecsi. "He enrolled the kids in a school in Mesa or Tempe, wherever he rented a house, so he never missed a game. When the season was over in June, he'd move the family back, re-open the business and enroll them back in the schools."
The Bando family connection to ASU grew.
Chris Bando, Sal's brother, is a 1984 Inductee to the Sun Devil Hall of Fame. He was named to the 1978 All-America Team, the All-CWS Catcher and set NCAA single-season records for doubles (30) and RBI (30). Nephew Ben Bando was also a letterwinner at ASU in 2006.
On annual get-togethers in Tempe, Bando would join his teammates and drive to California so they could see Bobby Winkles. Winkes, and all of ASU, were family.
"He was just so kind, warm, I love Sal," said Alecsi, choking up. "I was quite devastated when I found out that he died. I was in touch with his wife during this time. I was so saddened, I just loved him so much as a person, he was just wonderful."
Sal Bando is survived by his wife of 54 years, Sandy, sons Salvatore Jr., Santino and Stefano, grandchildren Mia, Maci, Salvatore, Luciana, Cristiano and Max, brother Chris and sister Vicky. Private memorial services will take place in Hartland, Wisconsin.