Oakland Athletics’ Top 5 Right Fielders of All Time
Power, Speed, Defense and Championships
In the time I’ve been writing for Swingin’ A’s, this has to be one of the easiest Top-whatevers I’ve had to come up with. Over their 48 seasons, the A’s have been blessed with talented, often times great, frequently power hitting players to patrol the right field pasture of the Oakland Coliseum. All five were able to hit with power, have speed, and play above average defensively
Interestingly, all five of these guys were key players in their teams reaching the postseason with a pair of these players being able to take the Athletics past the first round of playoffs and all the way to AL Pennants and World Championships.
Next: Mid-Season Trade Solidifies Outfield
NUMBER 5: Jermaine Dye
Oakland-born Jermaine Dye had been an All-Star and Gold Glove winner with the Kansas City Royals prior to being obtained by the Athletics in a typical Billy Beane mid-season three-team deal in 2001. The trade saw the A’s depart with three unknowns in exchange for a solid player who was a force that would be with them for the next four seasons and three ALCS.
At the time of the trade on July 25, the Athletics were 54-47, and were basically competing for second place for the AL Wild Card since they were 18 games behind the red-hot Seattle Mariners. The Athletics had been trying various players in RF, but none of whom were playing particularly well.
With Jermaine Dye starting right field, the Athletics had a solid outfield with Johnny Damon in left field and Terrence Long in center. A’s skipper Art Howe slotted Dye into the heart of the batting order and, Dye showed his worth for the Athletics hitting .297 and belting 13 HRs with 59 RBI in the 61 games played in the remainder of the season.
Dye was an asset as the A’s finished with a 102-60 record that year. One would think that would be sufficient to win the West, but they ended the season 14 games back of the division-winning Mariners and settled for the Wild Card. Unfortunately, the Athletics lost to the New York Yankees (like the prior season) in the ALDS and were eliminated in a 3-2 series.
In the 2002, Dye contributed to the 20 consecutive victory season, hitting .252 with 24 HRs, and batted over .400 in the ALDS vs. the Minnesota Twins. But, the A’s again fell in the first round. In 2003, he suffered a nasty season-ending injury, fouling a ball off his left shin and breaking his leg, but was able to return for the playoffs. Despite belting a HR in Game 3, the injury took its toll and he hit only .231 for the postseason as the A’s – again – fell in five games of the first round to the Boston Red Sox this time. After the 2004 season, Dye signed with the Chicago White Sox, leading them to a World Series Championship and was the World Series MVP.
Next: Careless Whispers and a Gold Glove
NUMBER 4: Josh Reddick
Josh Reddick made his debut for the Athletics at the start of the 2012 season after being obtained from the Red Sox and quickly became a fan favorite. With Reddick in right field, the A’s had a strong outfield with Yoenis Cespedes in left and Coco Crisp in center. Reddick whacked 32 HRs and 85 RBIs in 2012, both career highs, as he helped guide the A’s to win the AL West, who later fell to the Detroit Tigers in the ALDS. At the end of the season, he was named the 2012 AL Gold Glove winner for right field.
Reddick had a tough 2013 with wrist problems that saw him on and off the DL. The wrist affected the power he had from the previous season. On Aug 9 vs. the Toronto Blue Jays, Reddick hit three home runs in a single game for the first time in his career in a 14-6 rout. On the next day, he homered twice more against Toronto. The total of five home runs in two games tied the Major League record for most home runs in consecutive games. In two days, Reddick doubled his home run production from five to ten for the season. Two weeks later, Reddick was back on the disabled list and returned Sept. 9 with more production. From when he hit the 5 HRs to the end of the season, Reddick was back to his old self with a .285 BA. But, fell in the ALDS hitting only .235 as the A’s fell – again – to the Tigers in five games.
After undergoing offseason wrist surgery, the 2014 season didn’t begin well for Reddick as his glove and arm remained as good as ever, but he searched for his bat. He had a poor April and May and found himself on the DL on May 31. His returned for four games, but went back on the DL.
Reddick came back for good on July 22 as he introduced George Michael’s “Careless Whisper” as his walk-up song. He hit eight homers in 200 plate appearances in the second half. Reddick was the Athletics most productive hitter at a time the club was slumping from MLB’s best record to getting into the Wild Card on the last day of the season. Reddick carried that production into the Wild Card play-in game going 2-4 in the losing affair
2015 saw Reddick back to his 2012 form, batting .272 with 20 HRs and was a finalist again for a Gold Glove.
Next: Venezuelan Slugger Sparks Winning
NUMBER 3: Tony Armas
Tony Armas was a slugger in every sense of the word. During his prime in the early-80s, he was one of the best power hitters in the American League.
The Venezuelan-born Armas came to the A’s in 1977 as part of a multi-player deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates that saw the disbanding A’s depart with second baseman Phil Garner, but also brought over outfielder Mitchell Page and pitcher Rick Langford. Though Armas was the Opening Day center fielder that year, injuries in 1977 and 1978 only saw him playing in half the team’s games.
In 1980, under Manager Billy Martin, Armas became the everyday right fielder, complementing what many saw as “The Best Outfield in Baseball” with Rickey Henderson in left field and Dwayne Murphy in right. Playing his first full season not on the DL, Armas batted .279 with 35 home runs and 109 runs batted in in 158 games.
In the strike-shortened season of 1981, Armas was an All-Star and led the AL in home runs with 22. He was also named the American League Player of the Year by The Sporting News. With Armas, the 1981 Oakland A’s finished the regular, strike-shortened season with the best overall record in the American League by winning 64 games and losing just 45, with a winning percentage of .587. Though they defeated the Royals in the first-ever ALDS where Armas went 6-11 at the plate (.545), Oakland was swept by the Yankees in the ALCS.
In 1982, Armas hit only .232, but belted 28 HRs with 89 RBI. The A’s finished the 1982 season with a disappointing record of 68-94, and finished a distant 5th place in the AL West. At the end of the season, with the Red Sox high on a Minor League third baseman they foresaw as their 1983 starter, an unknown named Wade Boggs, Armas was dealt for the Red Sox starting third baseman who was a .300 hitter – Carney Lansford.
Next: Bash Brother 40-40
NUMBER 2: Jose Canseco
Since coming up to the Athletics at age 20 in September of 1985 as the Baseball America Minor League Player of the Year Award winner, Jose Canseco became the regular right fielder for the Oakland Athletics for the next seven seasons.
Canseco made his name known in 1986, his first full season, by becoming an All-Star and being named the American League’s Rookie of the Year with 33 home runs and 117 RBIs. In 1987 with 31 HRs that season and rookie Mark McGwire’s league leading 49, the duo were named the Bash Brothers. With Rickey Henderson coming over in 1989 and Dave Henderson in centerfield, the Athletics’ outfield was solid foul line to foul line.
In 1988, Canseco became the first player in Major League Baseball history to have at least 40 home runs with 42 and 40 stolen bases in the same season. With his league leading 124 RBI and .569 slugging percentage, Canseco was named AL MVP as the A’s captured the AL Pennant, defeating the Red Sox in four games in which Canseco hit 3 HRs. In his first (official) World Series at-bat, Canseco hit a Grand Slam off the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Tim Belcher.
Although he missed much of the 1989 season because of a broken wrist, Canseco still hit 17 home runs in 65 games and helped the Oakland Athletics win the AL West. In the ALCS, Canseco hit .294 vs. the Blue Jays, and is known for a mammoth home run hit into the top seats at Toronto’s Sky Dome. In the sweep of the San Francisco Giants in the ‘Battle of the Bay’ World Series, Canseco hit .357 with another HR in Game 3.
In 1990, Canseco belted 37 HRs and received the most votes of any player for the All-Star Game. The 103-win first place Athletics were swept that year by the Reds in the World Series.
For 1991, Canseco continued to be productive, hitting 44 home runs, capturing his second home run title and finishing 4th in MVP balloting in an off year for the A’s, who were 84-78 and fourth in the AL West. By August 1992, Canseco had hit 22 HRs in 97 games for the Oakland Athletics. On August 31, fans were shocked when Canseco was pulled from the on deck circle of a game and traded to the Texas Rangers for Rubén Sierra, Jeff Russell, and Bobby Witt. Ironically, Canseco had hit his first Major League home run off Russell.
During those years, Mr. 40-40 averaged 34 home runs a year, had 100+ RBI five times, captured AL Rookie of the Year honors in ‘87, two home run titles in ‘88 and ‘91, the 1988 MVP award, three Silver Slugger Awards, was part of three American League Pennants and a World Series Championship, and was selected to five All Star Games in his first 6 full Major League seasons.
Canseco did return to the Athletics during the 1997 season, but only produced a .235 BA and 23 HRs in 109 games before being granted free agency at season’s end.
Next: Mr. October
NUMBER 1: Reggie Jackson
After breaking into MLB mid-season with the KC Athletics, Reggie Jackson, playing in his first full season with the Oakland A’s, made himself known in 1968 as an emerging force with big-time power after hitting 29 home runs and ranking third in the American League. The mighty right fielder thrived in his second full season in 1970, chasing the single season home run record set by Roger Maris and Babe Ruth. By the All-Star break, Jackson had a record setting 37 HRS, and although he slowed in the second half, he still led the American League in runs scored and slugging percentage.
1970 was an off year for Reggie with only 23 HRs and a .237 BA, but he returned to the limelight in style with a productive 1971 which landed him on the AL All-Star team where he is remembered for smashing a mammoth home run off the light standard at Detroit’s Tiger Stadium. His 32 HRs and .273 BA that year helped the A’s win the first of five consecutive division titles.
In 1972, the A’s made their first World Series, but when Jackson stole home in the clinching Game 5 of the ALCS, he tore his hamstring and was unable to participate in the Fall Classic as the Athletics won the first of three-straight World Series Championships.
In 1973, Jackson led the AL with 32 home runs, 117 RBI and 99 runs, and won the AL Most Valuable Player Award. The Oakland Athletics won the pennant again and Reggie tore through the playoffs. In a hard-fought seven-game series, he was named World Series MVP after helping the A’s defeat the New York Mets.
Jackson helped the A’s to the 1974 World Series again batting .289 for the season and continued hot hitting in the five-game series with a .287 BA and homer. In 1975, Jackson again led the AL in HRs with 36, but after the team lost in the 1975 playoffs, he was traded to the Baltimore Orioles prior to the start of the 1976 season.
Next: Oakland Athletics Resolve All Arbitration Cases
Jackson returned to the Athletics in 1987 after signing a one-year contract and announcing it was his last season. Jackson was the last player in the Major Leagues to have played for the Kansas City Athletics.
Jackson was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1993, his first year of eligibility. Despite putting up more impressive statistics as an Oakland Athletic, Jackson chose to go in the Hall wearing a Yankees cap. He played more years with the A’s than Yankees (10 to five), hit more homers (269 to 144) and won more World Series (three to two).