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

Rookie of the Year:

ShortStop:

Jose Canseco (1986)

Alfredo Griffin (6.12) - 24

Mark McGwire (1987)

Walt Weiss (1988)

Third Base:

Carney Lansford (24.05) - 43

MVP:

Wayne Gross (7.88) - 17

Jose Canseco (1988)

Outfield:

Cy Young:

Ricky Henderson (40.2) - 100

None

Dwayne Murphy (31.2) - 71

Mike Davis (14.4) - 37

No Hitters:

Jose Canseco (14.62) - 35

Mike Warren (1983)

Tony Armas (12.34) - 23

Dave Henderson (10.53) - 20

Notable Events:

Luis Polonia (4.77) - 11

Billy Beane (0.4) - 0

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

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

Notable Events:

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

to Walter Haas at the end of the year.

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

for Tony Armas. Quality for quality in this one

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(Most probably too hard)

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

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

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

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

during the 70's:

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

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

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

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

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

□ 1975 - Brian Kingman (Undrafted free agent)

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

□ 1976 - Rickey Henderson (4th round)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

managerial punch

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

□ 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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