u/ernmanstinky

This team just popped in my head. I am old enough to remember the team.

C mike heath.

1b Jim Spencer at the end of the year with Dave revering being traded to the Yankees.

2b our friend and oaklamd native shooty babbit.

Ss Fred Stanley and Rob picciolo. Both glove first (only) players when that was common up the middle. It was, however, before advanced metrics and in retrospect it'd easy to ask what the heck they were doing on mlb rosters.

3b Wayne gross and Mickey klutts. Great baseball names.

Lf of course Rickey.

Cf Dwayne Murphy with his unsung gold gloves, drawing walks and hitting for power.

Rf tony armas. 2 time al homer champ.

Dh cliff Johnson.

The team was known to be the pinnicle of Billy Martin's Billy ball though the team led mlb in homers that year. Had the best record in the al and won the west in the strike shortened split season. Rickey led the league in hits, runs, and steals and frankly should have won mvp. Tony armas led the al in homers. Mccatty led the league in era for our si cover all aces rotation. Norris (should have been 1980 Cy young), kingman, Langford, and Keough. Dave beard was in the pen (he's active on social media and is happy to talk to fans).

We lost in the alcs to the Yankees, because Yankees, and it is kind of a microcosm, for me at least, of our entire oakland fandom experience. Something special was built and celebrated by us only to come crashing down, short of the glorious potential, when faced with ugly differentials in money and monied interests.

What we built was real, cohesive, and earned but came smashing against money and greed.

What we had was special.