Oakland Athletics: The Athletics’ All-Time 25-Man Roster

Center Fielder: Dave Henderson

Dave Henderson had a lengthy career before arriving in Oakland, having spent six years in Seattle as well as time in Boston and San Francisco. But it was during his six-year tenure with the Athletics that he won a World Series Championship, became an All-Star, and had the best seasons of his career.

Henderson joined the Athletics in the 1988 season, after a particularly bad year that saw him traded from the Red Sox to the Giants, and he rebounded spectacularly. That season, he hit .304/.363/.525 – the best year in his 14-year career. He went on to help the Athletics win the 1989 World Series, and he was named an All-Star in 1991.

Henderson was as asset both defensively and offensively, although his defense started to decline a bit as he aged. In 1989, however, he was a Top-10 player in terms of Defensive WAR, and in 1988 he was ranked sixth overall among position players in WAR.

The outfielder had a powerful swing, hitting 104 home runs during his stint with the A’s. Despite his tendency to strike out, his career .756 OPS makes him a good fit on the All-Time roster.

Runner-Up: Al Simmons

The Philadelphia Athletics saw a lot of talented players come through their system, and Al Simmons was no exception. He holds the franchise record for the highest career batting average, at .356, as well as the most runs ever scored in a season – 152 of them in 1930. Simons also holds a pair of franchise records for hits in a season: his 253 hits in 1925 were the most ever by a right-handed hitter, while his 183 in 1924 were the highest total for any A’s rookie.

Simmons played with the Athletics for nine years before heading to the Chicago White Sox, where he was a three-time All-Star. Before he left, he won the American League batting title in 1930 and 1931. Simmons was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1953 after a lengthy and impressive career.

Next: The Outfield: Left Field