Every sport evolves with each passing generation -- from the
size and athleticism of players to game strategy.
Baseball’s evolution, however, is both historic and unique given
the pre-integration and dead ball eras. For the former, full
segregation took place from 1887-1947. Full integration, which
was a gradual process, came in 1959. The Deadball Era was a
period in the early 20th century when baseball was characterized
by low scoring and emphasis on pitching.
There was the Steroid Era, which has no definite start time though it
is generally assumed that the era ran from the late 1980s until the
late 2000s. This era was defined by shattered home run records
leading to exorbitant salaries.
The Oakland Athletics have existed since 1901. They were the
Philadelphia A’s from 1901-1954. They called Kansas City home
from 1955-1967 before moving West to Oakland in 1968. As one
of the American League’s charter franchises, the A’s have won
nine World Series titles -- five in Philadelphia (1910, 1911, 1913,
1929, 193) and four in Oakland (1972, 1973, 1974, 1989). The
franchise has also won 15 pennants and 17 American League
West titles.
Today, I formed an A’s Dream Team that strictly honors the Oakland
era (1968-present). In a previous entry, I formed an A’s Dream
Team that encompassed all eras between the Philadelphia, Kansas
City and Oakland eras in 26-man roster format:
http://vincedadamo.blogspot.com/2021/01/all-encompassing-
For openers, to make this roster, four years as an Athletic are
required. No exceptions. With the free agency era, I’m not going to
cheapen this roster with 1-3 year rentals.
I’m forming a 12 man pitching staff, five starters and seven relievers.
For the latter, I want at least one lefthander in the bullpen. For position
players, I am taking what I believe is the best of the best regardless
of era. I’m not picking a designated hitter because the bench has
enough quality depth to choose one on a given day. For the bench
players, it’s the best of the rest with versatility being heavily
considered. Merit achievements such as Hall of Fame, All Star
appearances and Gold Gloves are considered but not guaranteed.
General impactfulness on the franchise is also considered.
Generational reminders
If you played on a World Series champion, there is no guarantee of
landing on this roster. If you played during a bad season, that does
not deter you from being on this roster. Off the field baggage is not a
deterrent to landing on this team, nor is any Steroid Era affiliation --
and this franchise has had a few. This is baseball, not the Boys
Scouts.
Starting rotation
Jim “Catfish” Hunter, Dave Stewart, Tim Hudson, Vida Blue, Barry
Zito
Hunter’s Hall of Fame career overlapped both the Kansas City and
Oakland eras. Hunter was also a central figure in the franchise winning
three World Series in the 1970s. Blue was both the Cy Young and
American League MVP in 1971. The hard-throwing left-hander was a
key part of the A's 1970s dynasty and one of five pitchers to be an
All-Star in both the American and National Leagues.
Stewart was a journeyman before he came to the A's but from 1987-
1990, the Oakland native was perhaps the best in the business. In
that span, Stewart had four consecutive seasons of 20 or more
wins and pitching at least 250 innings. Stewart also helped deliver
the franchise's first World Series championship in 15 years in 1989.
Hudson's career with the A's was only six seasons but he was
dominant in that period of time in compiling a 92-39 record with a
3.30 ERA. Zito's time with the A's was seven seasons that included
a Cy Young Award in 2002. During his time in Oakland, Zito compiled
a 102-63 record with a 3.55 ERA.
Bullpen
Closer -- Dennis Eckersley.
Rollie Fingers, Huston Street, Justin Duchscherer, Sean Doolittle,
Liam Hendricks, Rick Honeycutt.
Eckersley was a solid starter before being traded to the A's in 1987
but when he made the transition to closer, he became a Hall of
Famer. Eckersley is one of three relief pitchers to win both the Cy
Young and MVP in a single season (1992). On the way to a Hall of
Fame career, Fingers was instrumental in the A's winning three
World Series in the 1970s and he redefined the value of a relief
pitcher, which is known as the closer in today's game. Street spent
four seasons with the A's. He was the American League Rookie of
the Year in 2005 and recorded 94 saves which ranks fourth among
relievers in franchise history.
Duchscherer was a starter in his final two seasons with the A’s but
his first six came as a reliever during which time he fashioned a 3.13
ERA and two All Star appearances. Doolittle, who is now a
Washington National, was a versatile relief pitcher during his five
seasons with the A's and earned All-Star recognition in 2014.
Honeycutt spent seven seasons with the A's, most as Eckersley’s
setup man including three consecutive postseason appearances
from 1988-1990, during which time he gave up no runs in the
postseason. Hendricks recently completed his fifth season with the
A's, during which time he has compiled a 3.08 ERA plus 40 saves,
39 in the last two seasons. Hendricks has also been an All-Star
once in that span.
Infield
Catcher -- Terry Steinbach, First base -- Mark McGwire, Second
base -- Mark Ellis, Shortstop -- Bert Campenaris, Third base --
Sal Bando
Steinbach gets overlooked mainly because he was overshadowed
by the many stars that the A’s had in the late 1980s and early 1990s
but he was no less valuable. No catcher in franchise history has
more All Star bids than Steinbach. Nationally, McGwire has known
mostly for his time as a St. Louis Cardinal and his association with
PEDs hurt his perception. However, McGwire's 363 home runs in
Oakland uniform remain the most in franchise history. What Ellis
lacked in style he made up for in substance. While the lack of style
was perhaps a reason he frequently was overlooked when it came
to GoldGlove consideration, his .990 Fielding percentage is the
best in franchise history among second baseman.
Campaneris and Bando’s careers overlap both the Kansas City
and Oakland eras. Both were vital to the A’s 1970s World Series
titles. Campaneris remains the franchise's all time leader in career
hits. Bando was never voted League MVP but he was a candidate
on multiple occasions in helping the A's win three World Series in
the 1970s.
Outfield
Leftfield -- Rickey Henderson, Centerfield -- Dwayne Murphy,
Rightfield -- Reggie Jackson
This is the best outfield in franchise history regardless of era or city
and is likely not getting replaced any time soon. On the way to a
Hall of Fame career, Henderson spent 14 of his 25 Seasons with
the A's and became the game's all-time leading base stealer for his
career and in a single season in 1981. Given how the stolen base
has gone the way of the landline, those records are not likely to
be broken anytime soon. When the A's reacquired him in 1989,
Henderson helped lead them to a World Series championship.
Though some people know Jackson for his time as a New York
Yankee, his legacy was crafted as a member of the A's in the 1970s
for whom he helped deliver three World Series titles in the 1970s
on the way to a Hall of Fame career. Jackson's 269 career home
runs in an Oakland uniform remain third in franchise history. Murphy
is the least heralded of this threesome but he brought a
tremendous combination of power and speed. Murphy’s biggest
Hallmark was defense. Murphy was a six-time Gold Glove Award
winner, tied for most in franchise history.
Bench
Jose Canseco, Gene Tenace, Jason Giambi, Eric Chavez, Miguel
Tejada, Dave Henderson.
Along with McGwire, Canseco and Giambi’s association with
PEDs hurt their perception but there is no denying their impact on
the franchise. Canseco hit 254 home runs in an A’s uniform and
became the first player in major league history to have a 40-40
season (40 home runs, 40 stolen bases). Before leaving as a free
agent for the New York Yankees, Giambi was on his way to
becoming the best first baseman in franchise history. Giambi's
seven seasons in Oakland, however, were remarkable and that
included a 2000 American League MVP award.
Tenace makes this roster for a couple of reasons. For openers,
until Steinbach came along, Tenace was the best catcher in the
Oakland era. Tenace was also a significant cog in the A's winning
three World Series championships in the 1970s. Tenace was also
the World Series MVP in 1972. If not for a stretch of injuries, Chavez
might have been the best third baseman in franchise history but he
deserves a spot on this roster nonetheless because of his well-
roundedness both offensively and defensively. For the ladder,
Chavez was a six-time Gold Glove winner, tied with the
aforementioned Murphy for best in franchise history. Being with
the franchise only seven seasons is about the only thing that kept
Tejada out of the starting lineup for this team but he deserves a
spot in the lineup nonetheless. Tejada captured American League
MVP honors in 2002. Dave Henderson was a journeyman but his
years with the A's were the most impactful. Henderson, who
passed away at age 57 in 2015, remains a beloved figure among
A's fans and helped deliver the World Series Championship in
1989.
Manager
Tony LaRussa
In a sense, LaRussa's Hall of Fame career with the A's is star-
crossed. In one respect, he deserves credit for delivering three
consecutive American League pennants but the critics suggest
that only one World Series championship in that span with that
talent is an underachievement. While that view may have some
merit, you cannot deny the fact that LaRussa changed the vibe
of the A's organization after taking over Midway through the 1986
season. During his time with the A's, LaRussa compiled a record
of 798-673.
Team
1974.
With nine World Series championships, there is no shortage of
teams from which to choose but this one gets the nod. Early in
1974, owner Charlie Finley nearly tried to sell the team for an asking
price of $15 million. In the regular season, the A's won their fourth
consecutive American League West Division championships with
a 90-72 record. In the postseason the A's defeated Baltimore 3-1
and then defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-1 in the World Series.
Rollie Fingers was the World Series MVP and Jim “Catfish” Hunter
was the American League Cy Young Award winner. That season,
Campaneris, Jackson, Bando, Fingers, Hunter, and Joe Rudi each
made the All-Star team.
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