Oakland Athletics - The Reagan Years (1980-1989)

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1980

Decade

104

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Titles:

Top Athletics Players of the Eighties

Western Division Champs (1981) - Lost to Yankees

AL Champs (1988) - Lost to Dodgers

Pitchers:

World Champs (1989) - Beat Giants

Dave Stewart (13.95) - 45

Steve McCatty (7.05) - 32

BallPark: Oakland Alameda Stadium

Mike Norris (6.59) - 31

Rick Langford (2.62) - 30

Team Name: Athletics

Curt Young (4.85) - 25

Dennis Eckersley (7.82) - 25

Owners:

Matt Keough (2.03) - 24

Charlie Finley (1980)

Bob Welch (6.33) - 19

Walter A Haas Jr / Levi Strauss Corporation (1981-1989)

Storm Davis (3.48) - 17

Chris Codiroli (1) - 16

General Managers:

Jay Howell (1.85) - 15

Charlie Finley (1980)

Mike Moore (5.46) - 11

Roy Eisenhart (1981-1982)

Brian Kingman (0.27) - 5

Sandy Alderson (1983-1989)

Todd Burns (4.44) - 3

Managers:

Catchers:

Billy Martin (1980-1982)

Mike Heath (8.48) - 32

Steve Boros (1983-1984)

Terry Steinbach (6.82) - 21

Jackie Moore (1984-1986)

Jeff Newman (1986)

First Basemen:

Tony LaRussa (1986-1989)

Mark McGwire (11.24) - 23

Bruce Bochte (3.92) - 12

Hall of Famers:

Dennis Eckersley

Second Basemen:

Rickey Henderson

Tony Phillips (13.99) - 26

Mark McGwire (Pending)

Davey Lopes (5.3) - 10

Tony LaRussa

ShortStop:

Rookie of the Year:

Alfredo Griffin (6.12) - 24

Jose Canseco (1986)

Mark McGwire (1987)

Third Base:

Walt Weiss (1988)

Carney Lansford (24.05) - 43

Wayne Gross (7.88) - 17

MVP:

Jose Canseco (1988)

Outfield:

Ricky Henderson (40.2) - 100

Cy Young:

Dwayne Murphy (31.2) - 71

None

Mike Davis (14.4) - 37

Jose Canseco (14.62) - 35

No Hitters:

Tony Armas (12.34) - 23

Mike Warren (1983)

Dave Henderson (10.53) - 20

Luis Polonia (4.77) - 11

Notable Events:

Billy Beane (0.4) - 0

1980 - Charlie Finley hires Billy Martin as manager. Martin is known for

Notable Events:

turning around any team into a winner. The A's go from 54 to 83 wins.

Finley's gambit works as the value of the franchise increases and he sells

1982 - Third baseman Carney Lansford, 25, is acquired from Boston

to Walter Haas at the end of the year.

for Tony Armas. Quality for quality in this one

1980 - Billy Martin 's aggressive style of managing turns the A's into winners.

1982 - Jose Canseco, 17, is selected in the 15th round of the free agent draft

It's called Billy Ball and Ricky Henderson leads the way with 100 stolen bases.

1983 - Sandy Alderson, an excellent baseball man, is hired as GM.

1981 - The A's win the Division playing Billy Ball. Martin has five top

Alderson builds the mini-dynasty of the late Eighties / early Nineties with

starting pitchers, but a weak bullpen. He drives his starters hard.

astute drafting of position players, a couple of key, relatively low cost free

(Most probably too hard)

agent acquistions, one major trade for a big time starter, and intuitively

grabbing several pitchers who still had life in them off of the scrap heap:

1981 - The core of the Division champs had been acquired by Charlie Finley

□ 1983 - Catcher Terry Steinbach, 21, drafted in the ninth round

during the 70's:

□ 1984 - Slugger Mark McGwire, 20, drafted in the first round (10th overall)

□ 1973 - Mike Norris (Drafted in the first round); Matt Keough (7th round);

□ 1985 - Shortstop Walter Weiss, 21, drafted in the first round (12th overall)

□ Dwayne Murphy (15th round); Steve McCatty (Undrafted free agent)

□ 1986 - Righthander Dave Stewart, 29, signed after being released by Philly

□ 1975 - Brian Kingman (Undrafted free agent)

□ 1987 - Righty Bob Welch, 30, acquired from the Dodgers for Alfredo Griffin

□ 1976 - Rickey Henderson (4th round)

□ 1987 - Righty Storm Davis, 25, stolen from the Padres for two nobodies

□ 1977 - Rick Langford, Tony Armas - trade with Pirates for Phil Garner

□ 1987 - Righty Dennis Eckersley, 32, stolen from the Cubs for three nobodies

□ 1979 - Mike Heath - trade with Texas for journeyman pitcher John Johnson

□ 1988 - Outfielder Dave Henderson, 29, a bargain free agent from the Mariners

□ 1989 - Righty Mike Moore, 29, a bargain free agent from the Mariners

1982 - The A's lose 94 games as the starting pitching suffers a rash of injuries.

Billy Martin's handling of the staff is suspected to be a cause for the spate

1986 - Tony LaRussa is hired as manager giving the A's a potent one-two

of injuries. it's hard to argue with the logic.

managerial punch

The starting pitchers's numbers from '80 to '81 to '82

(note that '81 was a short season, 1/3 of the games were not played)

1986 - The A's start turning it around as Jose Canseco wins Rookie of the Year.

□ Rick Langford, 28, 290IP 19-12 2.86 => 195 IP 12-10 2.99=> 237IP 11-16 4.21

It continues in 1987 as Mark McGwire also wins Rookie of the Year, hitting

□ Steve McCatty, 26, 221IP 14-14 3.86=> 186IP 14-7 2.33=> 129IP 6-3 3.99

49 homers as a rookie - pre steroids. The A's win the pennant in 1988

□ Mike Norris, 25, 284IP 22-9 2.53=> 173IP 12-9 3,75=-> 166IP 7-11 4.76

as Walt Weiss becomes the A's third straight Rookie of of the Year.

□ Matt Keough, 24, 250IP 16-13 2.92=> 140IP 10-6 3.40=> 209IP 11-18 5.72

□ Brian Kingman, 25, 211IP 8-20 3.83 => 100IP 3-6 3.95=> 123IP 4-12 4.48

1988 - The World Series, won by the Dodgers, is marked by Kirk Gibson's

dramatic game one walk off home run off of unhittable closer Dennis Eckersley

1982 - Martin is fired after the season. His managerial history is magic for a

year or so and then a negative boomerang affect as his act wears thin.

1989 - The A's win the World title against the crosstown rival Giants. The

It's hard to keep up the high intensity forever. Besides, Martin did his job.

World Series is marked by a severe earthquake in the bay area. The timing

He turned the A's into a winner so that Finley could sell the club at a premium,

is eerie. The series becomes insignificant to the events surrounding it.

even tho' it was at the expense of several promising careers.