 Despite these hitting numbers, which were good for a catcher at the time, he was placed on waivers by the Cubs just a few games into the 1976 season, and he was claimed by Oakland.His return to the A's was somewhat more successful than his first stay from the standpoint of playing time, but his batting numbers declined sharply, as he only hit for a .199 batting average over 79 games between 1976 and 1978.He remained in the A's farm system until 1981, when he was released on August 27 after one final stint at the major league level, during which he went just 2-for-21.