Not every Hall of Fame player has a memorable run with every team they were on. Let’s take a look at five greats that you may have forgotten were part of the Oakland A’s franchise.
Over the years, the Oakland A’s franchise has been home to numerous Hall of Famers. In total, 38 players and six managers who were a part of the franchise, dating back to its status as one of the founding members of the American League, have been enshrined in Cooperstown. Out of those 44 individuals, five were inducted wearing an A’s cap. Of course, that number is misleading, given that those early members of the A’s often were immortalized with either a blank cap, or no cap at all.
It is easy to imagine those five as members of the A’s. Dennis Eckersley, Rollie Fingers, Rickey Henderson, and Al Simmons all had their greatest seasons with the franchise. Dick Williams spent only three years in Oakland, but he was a key part of their third dynasty.
That still leaves quite a few other players and managers whose careers were not as glorious with the franchise. Their careers may have been winding down, or their stay with the A’s was too brief to make much of an impact. And yet, when looking at their historical information, the franchise is still listed amongst those teams.
Let’s take a trip down memory lane and look back at five Hall of Fame players whose time with the Oakland A’s franchise is generally forgotten.