2000-06 Oakland Athletics Playoff Teams: Not Just Moneyball

Years of Cellar Finishes Broken

In 2000, the Oakland Athletics broke an eight-year drought of making it to the postseason, mostly with final standings in the cellar. Over the seven seasons of 2000-2006, the A’s would make the playoffs in five of those years and Billy Beane’s “Moneyball” transactions were credited with constructing the team.

In that era the A’s were loaded with homegrown talent consisting of sluggers Jason Giambi (2001 MVP), Miguel Tejada (2002 MVP) and Eric Chavez along with an ace pitching staff of the “Big 3”, Barry Zito (2002 CYA), Tim Hudson, and Mark Mulder caught by Ramon Hernandez.

As part of the ongoing series this offseason, I will examine some of the trades and free agent signings that built this team.

Billy Taylor to the Mets for Jason Isringhausen

During the 1999 season, Beane acquired Isringhausen, a high-prospect pitcher, at the trade deadline sending 37-year-old reliever Billy Taylor to the Mets. While Taylor pitched in just 18 games for the Mets and recorded an 8.10 ERA, Isringhausen went on to be a strong closer as the A’s made the playoffs in 2000 and 2001. He compiled 75 saves during his two-plus-year tenure with the A’s and can be most remembered for closing the game on the last day of the 2000 season when the A’s won the AL West.

Kenny Rogers to the Mets for Terrence Long

Around the same time, with the trade deadline looming and soon-to-be free agent Kenny Rogers available, Beane acquired young outfielder Terrence Long who would become the A’s future centerfielder. Starting the 2000 season in AAA, Long hit over .400 and was brought up to the big club in late April where he would finish second in the Rookie of the Year balloting setting an Oakland rookie record with 104 runs and tying the rookie record with 168 hits.

Ben Grieve, Angel Berroa, and A.J. Hinch for Johnny Damon, Mark Ellis and Cory Lidle.

This transaction was part of a three-team deal involving the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and Kansas City Royals prior to the 2001 season. Grieve, who had been the 1998 Rookie of the Year, never flourished and the A’s received Damon as a lead-off hitter. Ellis made his Major League debut at the start of the 2002 season becoming the A’s regular second baseman for years to come, even leading the club in batting average with .317 in 2005.

José Ortiz, Todd Belitz and Mario Encarnación to the Rockies for Jermaine Dye.

Dye was a solid player that was developed by the Royals and was known for his ability to hit for power and for his powerful throwing arm. On July 25, 2001, with the A’s in second place at 54-47, Beane obtained Dye to complete an outfield of Dye as the starting right fielder, and Damon and Long making up the rest of the outfield. Dye was put into the heart of the batting order and, in the remaining 61 games, he hit .297 with 13 home runs, 59 RBIs, and 41 runs scored. He helped lead the team to a 102-60 record, which while being 14 games back of the division winning Mariners, was good enough to win the Wild Card that year. Dye would be a key contributor for the next three seasons.

Mark Guthrie and Tyler Yates to the Mets for David Justice

Just one week prior in December 2001, Justice had been swapped by the New York Yankees to the New York Mets. On Dec. 14, the A’s looking for a regular DH and back-up outfielder for the departing Damon. In MoneyBall, The Justice deal was refered to as an “experiment” by Asst. GM Paul DePodesta to ascertain if veteran hitters were able to get on base with an experienced batter’s eye. The experiment was a success as Justice, in his final MLB season, was AL Player of the Week the first week of the 2002 season and had a .376 OBP as the Oakland Athletics went on again to the playoffs.

Scott Hatteberg Signed as a Free Agent

With 2001 MVP Giamb gone, the Athletics signed Hatteberg, who had a career high on-base percentage, on Dec. 21 2001 to a one-year contract with a $950,000 base salary. Unlike the MoneyBall scene, Beane and Athletics’ coach Ron Washington did not show up unannounced on his doorstep to make their pitch – it was all done by phone and playing first base was a spring training conversation.

Up Next: Five Things That Went Wrong For the Athletics In 2015

In his three seasons with Oakland, Hatteberg helped the Athletics reach the playoffs twice — in 2002 and 2003. He hit 49 homers and batted .269 from 2002 through 2005 with 263 RBI and an on base percentage of .355. His best year was 2004 when he hit .287, scored 87 runs, hit 15 home runs, drove in 82 runs, and had an on base percentage of .367. Hatteberg is noted for the Sept. 4, 2002 game against the Royals with the score tied at 11 after the A’s had blown an 11-0 lead and a 19-game winning streak on the line. Hatteberg pinch-hit with one out and drove a pitch well over the right field wall for a walk-off home run to give the A’s a 12-11 win and an American League record 20-game winning streak.