Oakland Athletics: The Top 50 Oakland A’s of All-Time

#39: Matt Stairs

Matt Stairs might be most well know for having played with more teams than any other position player in history, but the Athletics were lucky to get some of his best years. In addition to the Athletics, Stairs played for the Expos, Red Sox, Cubs, Brewers, Pirates, Royals, Rangers, Tigers, Blue Jays, Phillies, Padres, Nationals and even the Chunichi Dragons.

Stairs holds the major league record for career pinch-hit home runs, with 23 homers when called on to bat mid-game. He was also elected to the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 2015, as he is one of only four Canadian-born players to hit more than 200 home runs in his career.

In 1996, Stairs made his debut as an Oakland Athletic. He hit 38 home runs and knocked in 102 runs in 1998, playing so well that he was the recipient of MVP votes at the end of the season, although he did not come close to winning.

In 2000, the Athletics dealt the slugger to the Chicago Cubs in exchange for a minor league pitcher, where Stairs had a strong season. Although Stairs had a lengthy career and bounced around much more than the type of player who would normally end up on a list like this, his success with the A’s makes him one of their best non-steroid-powered sluggers in recent memory.

Next: Top 50 Oakland Athletics: #38