sang songs, such as "Hey Ray Oyler yer Bat's Too Small." Former fan club members still boast that Oyler holds the all-time Pilots records for assists, putouts, and home runs by a shortstop (the Pilots played only one year, and Oyler was their shortstop). In Ball Four, Seattle teammate Jim Bouton wrote that Oyler's nickname was "Oil Can Harry" because "he always looks as though he had just changed a set of rings." Oyler hit a career-high seven home runs for the Pilots in 1969, and increased his batting average to .165. Later years In December 1969, Oyler was traded to the Oakland A's with pitcher Diego Segui for infielder Ted Kubiak and pitcher George Lauzerique. Oyler was sold by Oakland in April 1970 and played his final 24 games with the California Angels, with a perfect fielding percentage and a .083 average at the plate. In a six-year career, he finished with a .175 batting average (221-for-1265). After his major league career ended, Oyler was a player-coach for the Honolulu and Salt Lake City teams of the Pacific Coast League before retiring in 1973. After Oyler retired from baseball, he settled in the Seattle area, working for the Safeway supermarket chain, managing a bowling alley in Bellevue, Washington and working at Boeing. Oyler played slowpitch softball in Seattle from 1973 to 1980 and also occasionally pitched batting practice for the Tigers when they were in Seattle playing the Mariners. He suffered a heart attack at his Redmond home on January 26, 1981, and died at the age of 43. He is buried at Sunset Hills Memorial Park in Bellevue. References External links Ray Oyler Obituary from The Seattle Times "More Amazing Tales from Indiana" Ray Oyler Photographs at Seattle Pilots site 1937 births 1981 deaths Major League Baseball shortstops Baseball players from Indianapolis Detroit Tigers players Seattle Pilots players California Angels players Hawaii Islanders players Syracuse Chiefs players Sportspeople from Redmond, Washington