Comparing the 2015 Athletics with 1989

First base to first base

Sep 21, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics left fielder Brandon Moss (37) is congratulated after he scored in the fifth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Bob Stanton-USA TODAY Sports

Mark McGwire was the Athletics first baseman for the 1989 world series. I’ve never heard of this dude before so I did a little research and it turns out, he was pretty good. In 1989 he appeared in 143 games and posted a .231 batting average (the second lowest of his career with 100+ games). Where he excelled, according to my sources, was “bashing” the ball with his brother. In fact, in 1989, he had 33 home runs on the back of his baseball card.

Brandon Moss, in 2014, appeared in 147 games with a .234 batting average and 25 home runs. You will never hear me say that Moss is the next McGwire (he was one of my favorite players as a kid) but the numbers don’t lie. If Moss can stay healthy and replicate those numbers at the plate in 2015 while improving his defensive play, it’ll be exactly what the Athletics need at first base.