On Saturday, Sept. 13, the A's inducted the Class of 2025 into the Athletics Hall of Fame during a pregame ceremony. The "Big Three" of Tim Hudson, Mark Mulder and Barry Zito, along with former Kansas City and Oakland A's broadcaster Monte Moore, are now enshrined in franchise history forever.
The A’s may never have been Rooted in Oakland had Walter A. Haas, Jr. not purchased the team following the 1980 season. Haas owned the club for 15 years from 1981 to 1995 and during that time the A’s won five American League West titles, three AL Pennants, and the 1989 World Championship. But Haas will be remembered just as much for what went on off the field, beginning with a commitment to the community.
The Athletics all-time leader in games played (1,795) and hits (1,882), Bert “Campy” Campaneris played 13 seasons for the A’s, including four in Kansas City (1964 to 1967) and nine in Oakland (1968 to 1976). When you trace the roots of the A’s three straight World Championships from 1972 to 1974, it all began on April 25, 1961, when the Kansas City A’s signed a 19-year-old Cuban named Dagoberto Campaneris. Campy made his Major League debut on July 23, 1964 and homered twice in his first game. He famously played all nine positions in a nine-inning game on Sept. 8, 1965.
Tony La Russa managed the A’s for 10 seasons from 1986 to 1995 and, under his guidance, won four American League West titles, three consecutive AL Pennants from 1988 to 1990, and the World Championship in 1989. La Russa won 798 games during his tenure with the A’s, which are the most in Oakland history and second only in Athletics history to Connie Mack’s 3,582. The A’s won an Oakland-record 104 games in 1988 and La Russa was named AL Manager of the Year, an honor he would garner again in 1992. He was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2014.
The A’s all-time home run king with 363, Mark McGwire played 12 seasons with Oakland from 1986-97. He broke the Major League record for home runs by a rookie with a league leading 49 in 1987 and was named American League Rookie of the Year. McGwire was tabbed to his first of an Athletics-record nine All-Star Games that year, including six straight from 1987 to 1992. The A’s reached the Postseason four times with McGwire, highlighted by a World Championship in 1989.
No pitcher in Oakland history has struck out more batters (1,315) or started more games (262) than Vida Blue. Drafted by the Kansas City A’s in 1967, Blue made his Major League debut in 1969 just eight days before his 20th birthday. He tossed a no-hitter in 1970 and then burst onto the national scene in 1971 when he won both the American League Cy Young Award and Most Valuable Player Award as a 21-year-old. Blue set Oakland records with 301 strikeouts and a league-leading 1.82 ERA while compiling a 24-8 record.
