As the Athletics prepare to host the Texas Rangers this Thursday afternoon, it marks the end of an era for Oakland baseball fans. This game will be the last time the Athletics take the field representing the city of Oakland, as the team gears up for a relocation to Sacramento after the season concludes. The Athletics’ journey will then take another significant turn with an eventual move to a new ballpark off the Las Vegas Strip.
A Storied Past
The Oakland Athletics boast a rich history filled with remarkable achievements and notable figures. Rickey Henderson, one of the most iconic players to ever don the green and gold, had an illustrious career that extended across nine Major League teams. He earned the 1990 American League Most Valuable Player Award and garnered six All-Star nods while playing for Oakland. Over more than 1,700 games with the Athletics, Henderson compiled a batting average of .288, an on-base percentage of .409, and a slugging percentage of .430. His 167 home runs and astronomical 867 stolen bases remain etched in team lore. Henderson’s contribution to the team is magnified further by his 72.7 Wins Above Replacement (WAR), a staggering 20 more than any other player in Oakland history.
Legends of the Game
Oakland’s rich baseball history features other standout names like Sal Bando, Reggie Jackson, and Mark McGwire. In the early 2000s, pitchers Barry Zito, Tim Hudson, and Mark Mulder were instrumental in propelling the team to success. The Athletics have clinched four World Series titles and six American League pennants, a testament to their competitive edge and talent cultivation.
One of the defining moments in baseball’s free agency era is traced back to the Athletics. In 1974, Jim "Catfish" Hunter became baseball’s first modern free agent. He later signed a groundbreaking five-year, $3.2 million deal with the New York Yankees, a contract that reshaped the financial landscape of the sport.
A Legacy of Innovation
Dennis Eckersley, another luminary in Athletics history, remains memorable for his remarkable 51 saves during the 1992 season, a performance that earned him the Cy Young Award. The team also embraced cutting-edge strategies and philosophies, most notably through the "Moneyball" approach popularized by Michael Lewis. Sandy Alderson, influenced by Bill James' yearly abstracts and Eric Walker’s "The Sinister First Baseman," laid the groundwork for this innovative concept. Billy Beane, the general manager who brought "Moneyball" to life, adopted the central insight that "it was more efficient to create a closer than to buy one," a philosophy that has since influenced countless front offices across Major League Baseball.
Voices of the Game
The Athletics' legacy is not just built on statistical achievements but also on the cultural mythology surrounding their players. As Tom Verducci eloquently puts it, "There are certain figures in American history who have passed into the realm of cultural mythology, as if reality could no longer contain their stories: Johnny Appleseed. Wild Bill Hickok. Davy Crockett. Rickey Henderson." The sentiment echoes a bygone era, encapsulating the larger-than-life aura of Oakland’s heroes.
Bill James, a revered figure in baseball analytics, once remarked, "If you could split him in two, you'd have two Hall of Famers," in reference to Rickey Henderson, underscoring the unparalleled impact Henderson had on the game.
The saga of the Athletics is not merely a sequence of relocations and wins but also a tribute to the undying loyalty of its fans. Charles Finley, who owned the team during its transformative years, once stated, "I bought the team in Kansas City. I have brought it to Oakland. There is a difference. Bringing it to Oakland was my choice. Once I make a decision, I stand by it. I give my word of that."
As the Athletics turn the page on their Oakland chapter, the echoes of their storied past resonate with the achievements of their iconic players and the groundbreaking innovations they brought to baseball. While the future holds new beginnings in Sacramento and Las Vegas, the legacy of the Oakland Athletics will forever be etched in the annals of baseball history.