Spring Training Team Profile: Toronto Blue Jays

Toronto Blue Jays

Established: 1977

Other Names:

None

2016 results: 89-73, 2^nd in AL East

Defeated Baltimore in AL Wild Card

Defeated Texas (3-0) in ALDS

Lost to Cleveland (4-1) in ALCS

2017 Prediction: 3^rd

World Series Titles: 2

Most Recent: 1993

Last World Series Appearance: 1993

Last Division Title: 2015

Ballpark: Rogers Centre

Est: 1989

Best Season: 1992

                After several years of being competitive but not good enough to win it all, the Jays reached the top of the mountain for the first time in 1992. The team finished with a 96-66 record, the second best in team history (the 1985 team won 99 games) and finished two games ahead of the Milwaukee Brewers in the AL East. After dropping the first game of the ALCS against Oakland, Toronto won three straight games to take a 3-1 series lead, and eventually won the series in six games. In the World Series against the Atlanta Braves, the Jays again won in six games, with the deciding game being decided in the 11^th inning. Toronto was led by offensive stars Roberto Alomar, Devon White, Joe Carter, John Olerud and Dave Winfield. The starting pitchers included Jack Morris, Juan Guzman, David Cone and Jimmy Key, with relievers Tom Henke and Duane Ward anchoring the bullpen.

Best All-time Player: George Bell

                Bell patrolled left-field for nearly a decade with the Blue Jays, and shared a love-hate relationship with the Jays’ fans and Toronto media. His explosive temper was matched by his desire to win and he could turn the boos into cheers easily with a home run or a great defensive play. In nine years, Bell hit 202 home runs, had 740 RBIs and scored 641 runs. He had decent speed that eroded over time, playing on the hard, unforgiving artificial turf of Exhibition Stadium. He was a three-time All-Star, won three Silver Slugger Awards and became Toronto’s first American League MVP when he won the award in 1987. His 47 home runs that year set the franchise’s all-time single season record that stood for 23 years until Jose Bautista hit 54 in 2010.

Best Player on the Current Roster: Josh Donaldson

                Since arriving in a trade for Brett Lawrie prior to the 2015 season, Donaldson has been the best all-round player on the club. Despite being hobbled by a hip injury in the later stages of last season, Donaldson kept playing with the same determination and grit that won him the AL MVP award in 2015. During that MVP season, JD led the American League in RBIs (123) and runs scored (122) while batting .297 and swatting 42 dingers en route to leading the Jays to their first post-season appearance in 23 years. In 2016, despite being hampered by the bad hip, he still hit 37 home runs, drove in 99 and again scored 122 runs. The three-time All-Star showed his MVP colours in the third game of the ALDS against Texas when he scored the series-clinching run on a scamper from second base on a botched double-play ground ball, topping it off with a head-first slide across home plate.

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Spring Training Team Profile: Texas Rangers

Texas Rangers

Established: 1961

Other Names:

Washington Senators (1961-1971)

2016 results: 95-67, 1^st in AL West

2017 Prediction: 2^nd

World Series Titles: 0

Most Recent: N/A

Last World Series Appearance: 2011

Last Division Title: 2016

Ballpark: Globe Life Park in Arlington

Est: 1994

Best Season: 2011

                After losing the 2010 World Series to the San Francisco Giants in five games, the Rangers took another shot in 2011. They won six more games than they had the previous year, finishing with a 96-66 record, good enough to win the AL West by ten games over the LA Angels. They took on the Tampa Bay Rays in the best-of-five ALDS and won the series in four games. Next up was the Detroit Tigers in the ALCS. In a high-scoring affair, the Rangers won their second consecutive Pennant by knocking off the Tigers in six games. They played the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series and took a three games to two lead into the sixth game. Twice in Game 6 (the 9^th inning and the 10^th), the Rangers were one out away from winning the World Series. But the Cards rallied to tie the game both times before winning it in the 11^th. St. Louis took the seventh game to win the Series. The Rangers were led on the mound by CJ Wilson, Colby Lewis and Derek Holland, and at the plate by Ian Kinsler, Adrian Beltre, Josh Hamilton and Nelson Cruz.

Best All-time Player: Ivan Rodriguez

                “Pudge” broke into the Big Leagues as a 19-year old in 1991 and while he only played 88 games, he still finished fourth in Rookie of the Year voting. It was a sign of things to come. His career lasted 21 years and he played 13 of them with the Rangers, appearing in 1507 games. While with Texas, he blasted 217 home runs, 842 RBIs, batted .304 and even stole 81 bases. He was an All-Star ten times with the Rangers (added four more with Detroit), won ten Gold Gloves (another three with Detroit) and six Silver Sluggers (one with Detroit). He was the American League’s Most Valuable Player in 1999. After leaving Texas, he played one year with the Florida Marlins, leading the team to the 2003 World Series Championship, and won the NLCS MVP Award that year. Four years with the Tigers were followed by brief stints with the Yankees, Houston, Texas again, and Washington.

Best Player on the Current Roster: Adrian Beltre

                Beltre will turn 38 this year, but he doesn’t seem to be slowing down. His sixth year in Texas saw Beltre hit 32 home runs, drive in 104 and have a batting average of .300. In 885 games with Texas, he has swatted 167 home runs, added 563 RBIs and is batting .308. During his 19-year career, Beltre is a four-time All-Star, has won four Silver Slugger Awards and five Gold Gloves. He is 58 hits away from 3000 and should get it barring injury in 2017.

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Spring Training Team Profile: Tampa Bay Rays

Tampa Bay Rays 

Established: 1998

Other Names:

Tampa Bay Devil Rays (1998-2007)

2016 results: 77-85, 5^th in the AL East

2017 Prediction: 5^th

World Series Titles: 0

Most Recent: N/A

Last World Series Appearance: 2008

Last Division Title: 2010

Ballpark: Tropicana Field

Est: 1993

Best Season: 2008

               

                Before the 2008 season, Tampa had played ten seasons. In the five-team American League East, they finished in last place nine of those years. The only exception was 2004 when they managed to climb to fourth. But in 2008, the team changed their name from Devil Rays to Rays and the sun began to shine on the club (yeah, I know they play in a dome with an unretractable roof). Not only did they finish with a winning record for the first time (97-65), they finished in first place, two games ahead of the Red Sox. After taking out the Chicago White Sox in four games in the ALDS, they met Boston in the ALCS. After dropping the first game, Tampa won three straight to take a three games to one lead. But the Red Sox battled back to force a Game 7. A 3-1 Tampa victory secured the first Pennant in team history. However, the Rays fell short of winning the World Series, losing in five games to the Philadelphia Phillies. Offensively, the Rays looked to Carlos Pena, rookie Evan Longoria, Carl Crawford and Melvin Upton Jr. Pitching wise, Tampa depended on starters James Shields, Matt Garza and Andy Sonnanstine, and relievers Troy Percival and David Price.

Best All-time Player: Evan Longoria

                Longoria has come along way, from being just a guy with a famous last name to the All-Star player he is today, and at only 31 years of age, he still has a lot of baseball left in him. He broke into MLB with the Rays at the age of 22 in 2008 and put up numbers (.272 average, 27 homers and 85 RBIs) good enough to win the AL Rookie of the Year Award. In his nine years with the Rays, he has been a three-time All-Star, won two Gold Gloves and a Silver Slugger Award. In 1279 career games, he has accumulated 1311 hits, 709 runs scored, a .271 batting average, 241 home runs, 806 RBIs and 45 stolen bases. Despite being the subject of trade rumours during this offseason, it looks like he will start 2017 with Tampa Bay. How long he stays with the organization is anybody’s guess.

Best Player on the Current Roster: Evan Longoria

                Yup, he’s also still the best player on the club. In 2016, he played in 160 games (fourth year in a row he’s reached that many), hit .273, 36 home runs and added 98 RBIs. He committed only nine errors in 366 chances at third base, good enough for a .975 fielding percentage.

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Spring Training Team Profile: St. Louis Cardinals

St. Louis Cardinals

Established: 1882

Other Names:

St. Louis Brown Stockings (1882)

St. Louis Browns (1883-1898)

St. Louis Perfectos (1899)

2016 results: 86-76, 2^nd in NL Central

2017 Prediction: 2^nd

World Series Titles: 11

Most Recent: 2011

Last World Series Appearance: 2013

Last Division Title: 2015

Ballpark: Busch Stadium III

Est: 2006

Best Season: 1942

               

                The Cardinals of the 1940s were perhaps the most dominant National League team of the era. Between 1942 and 1946, they won four NL Pennants and three World Series. The 1942 team won 106 games (still the highest in team history) but only won the Pennant by a mere two games as the second place Brooklyn Dodgers won 104 games. With no NLCS back then, it was a direct route to the World Series and a meeting with the New York Yankees. The “Murderers’ Row” Yankees featuring Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig were no more, but a new crop of talent, led by Joe DiMaggio, strived to continue the Yankee’s tradition of winning championships. But the Cards took care of them in five games. St. Louis was led by Stan Musial, Enos Slaughter and Walker Cooper at the plate, with 20-game winners Mort Cooper and Johnny Beazley leading the charge from the mound. The Cardinals would follow up their 1942 performance with 105 wins and the NL Pennant in 1943, 105 wins and the World Series Championship in 1944, 95 wins but missing the playoffs in 1945 and 98 wins and the World Series title in 1946. In five seasons, St. Louis won an amazing 509 games, averaging over a 100 wins per year.

               

Best All-time Player: Stan Musial

                Despite missing 1945 due to military service in World War 2, Stan “The Man” Musial played 22 seasons with the Cardinals, participating in 3026 games. His 3630 career hits puts him fourth on the all-time list behind Pete Rose, Ty Cobb and Hank Aaron. Musial also collected 725 doubles, 475 home runs, 1951 RBIs and had a batting average of .331. He batted over .300 17 times (including 16 seasons in a row) and won the batting title seven times. He was a 20-time All-Star, won the NL MVP Award in 1943, 1946 and 1948, led the Cardinals to four World Series, winning three of them (1942, 1944, 1946) and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1969.

Best Player on the Current Roster: Dexter Fowler

                Possibly the best free agent signing of the offseason was the Cardinals getting Fowler from division and arch rivals (and defending World Champions) Chicago Cubs. Fowler will provide a solid defensive presence and an above-average leadoff hitter for the Cards. In nine years in the Majors (stints with Colorado and Houston as well as the Cubs), he has collected 1001 hits, posting a .268 batting average, 78 home runs, 339 RBIs and 127 stolen bases. Fowler’s only All-Star Game appearance came in 2016. In 17 postseason games last year, he collected 18 hits, scored 11 runs, drove in six while providing steady defense in centre field.

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Spring Training Team Profile: Seattle Mariners

Seattle Mariners

Established: 1977

Other Names:

None

2016 results: 86-76, 2^nd in AL West

2017 Prediction: 3^rd

World Series Titles: 0

Most Recent: N/A

Last World Series Appearance: None

Last Division Title: 2001

Ballpark: Safeco Field

Est: 1999

Best Season: 2001

                The Mariners set the record for most regular season wins when they were victorious 116 times in 2001. They broke the previous mark of 114 set by the 1998 New York Yankees. They won the NL West by 14 games over the second-place Oakland Athletics, but unfortunately, their regular season feats didn’t help them much in the playoffs. After winning the ALDS in a hard-fought, five-game series against the Cleveland Indians, the Mariners were eliminated in the best-of-seven ALCS by the Yankees in five games. Seattle has not qualified for the post-season since, the longest current drought in baseball. The 2001 team was led offensively by rookie Ichiro Suzuki, Edgar Martinez, John Olerud and Bret Boone. The pitching staff was anchored by Jamie Moyer and Freddy Garcia, while closer Kazuhiro Sasaki led the bullpen.

Best All-time Player: Ichiro Suzuki

                One can only wonder what kind of career numbers Ichiro would have put up had he started his MLB career several years before he did. But in his 12 years with Seattle, he put up enough to be considered the best player in franchise history. His first year was 2001 and he captured the AL Rookie of the Year Award as well as the League’s MVP prize as well. He collected 200 or more hits his first ten years in the league, including an MLB record 262 in 2004. He led the league in hits for seven years, but surprisingly only won two batting titles. He collected 2533 hits with the Mariners, good enough for a .322 batting average. He was a ten-time All-Star, won ten Gold Gloves and three Silver Slugger Awards.

Best Player on the Current Roster: Robinson Cano

                It appears that Robinson Cano will never live up to the expectations that were expected of him when he signed his lucrative contract prior to the 2014 season. However, that doesn’t mean that he hasn’t put up some decent numbers since arriving from the Yankees. He struggled with the long ball in his first two seasons on the West Coast (his average was still good, though) but he seemed to get back into shape last season by blasting 39 of them, while adding 103 RBIs and batting .298. For his career, combined with the Yanks and Mariners, Cano has a .307 batting average in 1374 games, 278 home runs, 1086 RBIs and 50 stolen bases. The seven-time All-Star has won two Gold Gloves and five Silver Slugger Awards.

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Spring Training Team Profile: San Francisco Giants

San Francisco Giants

Established: 1883

Other Names:

New York Gothams (1883-1885)

New York Giants (1886-1957)

2016 results: 87-75, 2^nd in NL West

Defeated NY Mets in NL Wild Card

Lost to Cubs (3-1) in NLDS

2017 Prediction: 1^st

World Series Titles: 8

Most Recent: 2014

Last World Series Appearance: 2014

Last Division Title: 2012

Ballpark: AT & T Park

Est: 2000

Best Season: 2012

                While the Giants had some great teams while playing at the Polo Grounds in New York, the 2012 season could be argued as the best in franchise history due to their performance in the postseason. The team finished with a 94-68 record, eight games better than the second place Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West. They took on the Cincinnati Reds in the best-of-five NLDS and quickly fell behind two games to none, losing both games at home. But then they pulled off an incredible comeback and won three straight games in Cincinnati to advance to the NLCS against the St. Louis Cardinals. Another comeback followed as the Giants won three straight games after falling behind three games to one. The NL Pennant was followed by a four-game sweep of the Detroit Tigers in the World Series, giving the Giants the second of three titles they would win over a five-year span. The Giants were led offensively by Buster Posey, Pablo Sandoval and Hunter Pence. On the mound, starters Madison Bumgarner, Matt Cain and Ryan Vogelsong led the way while the bullpen was anchored by Santiago Castilla and Sergio Romo.

Best All-time Player: Willie Mays

                With all due respect to Barry Bonds, there is no better all-time Giant than Willie Mays. The “Say Hey” Kid played for 22 years in the Big Leagues, 20 with the New York/San Francisco Giants and the final year and a half with the New York Mets. While with the Giants, he played in 2857 games, batted .304, smashed 646 of his 660 career home runs, had 1859 RBIs and stole 336 bases. He was 19-time All-Star with the Giants, was the NL Rookie of the Year in 1951, won the NL MVP Award in 1954 and 1965, and was fantastic in the field as well winning 12 consecutive Gold Glove Awards from 1957 until 1968. His famous over-the-shoulder basket catch in the 1954 World Series is still considered the greatest catch in baseball history. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1979.

Best Player on the Current Roster: Madison Bumgarner

                Madison Bumgarner has been nothing short of sensational in the post season for the Giants over the past handful of years. The Giants have made the playoffs four times since 2010, winning three World Series championships, and Bumgarner has been in the middle of it all. In 16 appearances, 14 starts, he has a record of 8-3, a 2.11 ERA, one save and 87 strike outs. He has pitched in five World Series games, winning all four of his starts and saving the one game he came on in relief. He won the MVP Award in both the NLCS and World Series in 2014. His regular season numbers have been spectacular as well. In seven MLB seasons, he was won 100 games, has posted a 2.99 ERA, and struck out 1381 batters in 1397 innings. A four-time All-Star, he was also won two Silver Slugger Awards. 

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Spring Training Team Profile: San Diego Padres

San Diego Padres 

Established: 1969

Other Names:

None

2016 results: 68-94, 5^th NL Central

2017 Prediction: 5^th

World Series Titles: 0

Most Recent: N/A

Last World Series Appearance: 1998

Last Division Title: 2006

Ballpark: Petco Park

Est: 2004

Best Season: 1984

                The Padres won their first division crown in 1984, finishing with a 92-70 record and winning the National League West by 12 games over the second-place Atlanta Braves. They went into the NLCS against the heavily-favoured Chicago Cubs and quickly fell behind two games to none in the best-of-five series. But with the final three games at Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego, the Padres completed an epic comeback by winning all three games (7-1, 7-5 and 6-3) to capture the NL Pennant and go to the World Series. After splitting the first two games at home against the Tigers, the Padres dropped the next three in Detroit to finish their dream season on a down note. The ’84 Padres were led by starting pitchers Eric Show and Ed Witson, closer Rich “Goose” Gossage, and at the plate by Tony Gwynn, Steve Garvey and Graig Nettles.

Best All-time Player: Tony Gwynn

                It could be argued that Tony Gwynn is perhaps the best pure hitter baseball has seen since Ted Williams. His career began in 1982 when he played in 54 games and batted .289. He would play 19 more years (all 20 with the Padres) and never hit below .300 again. Think about that for a minute: 19 consecutive seasons hitting .300 or better…..that’s Cobb-esque. He won eight batting titles with his highest batting average coming in the strike-shortened season of 1994 when he hit .394. He was a 15-time All-Star, won seven Silver Slugger Awards, four Gold Gloves and led the National League in hits seven times. Even though he battled weight problems for the latter part of his career, he never lost his hitting stroke. He finished with 3141 hits for a .338 career average (good for 17^th on the All-time list), hit 135 home runs, added 1138 RBIs and stole 319 bases. He was inducted into the Hall Of Fame in 2007. Unfortunately, Gwynn’s problems controlling his weight escalated after he retired. He was diagnosed with cancer of a salivary gland that he attributed to a chewing tobacco habit, and he died at the age of 54 due to complications from his cancer.

Best Player on the Current Roster: Wil Myers

                Still only 26 years old, Myers will be entering fifth Major League season in 2017, his third in San Diego after playing two years in Tampa Bay to start his career. Last year was the first time Myers was in a full-time role and he responded by swatting 28 home runs, adding 94 RBIs and batting .259 to go along with his 28 stolen bases. After playing in the outfield in his first four seasons, he made the transition to first base last season and ended up being an All-Star. While with Tampa, he won the American League’s Rookie of the Year Award in 2013. In 392 career games, Myers has batted .257, hit 55 home runs, added 211 RBIs and stole 44 bases.

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Spring Training Team Profile: Pittsburgh Pirates

Pittsburgh Pirates

Established: 1882

Other Names:

Allegheny (1882-1886)

Pittsburgh Alleghenys (1887-1890)

2016 results: 78-83, 3^rd NL Central

2017 Prediction: 3^rd

World Series Titles: 5

Most Recent: 1979

Last World Series Appearance: 1979

Last Division Title: 1992

Ballpark: PNC Park

Est: 2001

Best Season: 1909

                The Pirates have won four World Series since the 1909 victory, but even though the two Championship teams in the 70s were exceptional, they don’t hold a candle to the 1909 squad. They finished first place in the National League with 110 wins (in 152 games), easily the most in franchise history. The second-place Cubs won 104 games, which any other year, would have been enough to capture the flag. The World Series wasn’t as easy, but the Pirates triumphed in seven games over the Detroit Tigers, led by arguably the best hitter in baseball history, Ty Cobb. Pittsburgh was led offensively by Honus Wagner, Dots Miller and Fred Clark while the pitching staff included Howie Camnits (25 wins), Vic Willis (22) and Lefty Leifield (19).

Best All-time Player: Honus Wagner

                Eighth on baseball’s All-time hits list with 3420, Wagner played 18 of his 21 MLB seasons with the Pirates, collecting 2967 of his hits in Pittsburgh. He also hit 82 home runs, had 1474 RBIs and 639 stolen bases while with the Pirates. He won eight batting titles, but never finished with an average over .400 and therefore always played second fiddle to Ty Cobb. But he did have over 100 RBIs nine times in his career while Cobb did it seven times. But when the two players faced each other in the World Series in 1909, Wagner batted .333 in leading his team to the Championship while Cobb hit a miserable .231. Wagner was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1936.

Best Player on the Current Roster: Andrew McCutcheon

                Not really sure how much longer McCutcheon will be a Pirate considering all the trade rumours that surrounded him during the offseason, but as long as he’s on the roster, he’s the best player on the team. In his eight years with the Pirates, he has accumulated 1304 hits for a .292 batting average, scored 720 runs, hit 175 home runs, added 637 RBIs and stolen 160 bases. He is a five-time All-Star, won four Silver Sluggers, and was awarded a Gold Glove in 2012. He won the NL MVP Award in 2013 when he batted .317, hit 21 home runs, had 84 RBIs and 27 stolen bases.

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Spring Training Team Profile: Philadelphia Phillies

Philadelphia Phillies

Established: 1883

Other Names:

Philadelphia Quakers (1883-1890, intermittently)

2016 results: 71-91, 4^th NL East

2017 Prediction: 5^th

World Series Titles: 2

Most Recent: 2008

Last World Series Appearance: 2009

Last Division Title: 2011

Ballpark: Citizens Bank Ball Park

Est: 2004

Best Season: 1980

                It took the Phillies nearly 100 years of existence to win their first World Series, but they finally did so in 1980. They finished with a record of 91-71, but had a fierce battle with the Montreal Expos in the final week and a half of the season. With ten games left, the teams met for a three-game series in Philadelphia, in which the Expos took two of three to take a half-game lead. The following weekend in Montreal, the Phillies turned the tables and took the first two of the three games to clinch the division. After splitting the first two games of the NLCS against Houston in Philly, the two teams played three thrilling extra inning games in the Astrodome. Houston won Game 3, 1-0, in 11 innings, while Philadelphia won Game 4, 5-3, in ten innings. Trailing 5-2 in the eighth inning in Game 5, the Phils scored five runs to take a 7-5 lead but surrendered two in the bottom of the inning, leaving the teams tied at seven. Philadelphia scored in the top of the 10^th to win the game, 8-7, and take the NL Pennant. They defeated the Royals in six games in the World Series. Offensively, the Phils were led by Pete Rose, Mike Schmidt, Greg Luzinski and Bob Boone, while the pitching staff included starters Steve Carlton and Dick Ruthven, and closer Tug McGraw.

Best All-time Player: Mike Schmidt

                It was hard to choose between Schmidt and Steve Carlton but the third baseman gets the nod over the pitcher because he played every day and not once every four or five days. In his 18-year big league career, all with the Phillies, Schmidt batted .267, hit 548 home runs, had 1595 RBIs and stole 174 bases. He was a 12-time All-Star, won nine Gold Gloves, six Silver Sluggers and was the National League MVP in both 1980 and 1981. In the team’s 1980 World Series victory over the Royals, he batted .381, hit two home runs and had seven RBIs in winning the Series’ MVP Award. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1995.

Best Player on the Current Roster: Odubel Herrera

                Remember when the Phillies had perennial All-Stars like Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino? And remember when Ryan Howard was good? Those days are gone, leaving Odubel Herrera the team’s best player by default. But that’s not to discredit Herrera. At only 25 years old, there’s no ceiling on his potential. In his two seasons, Herrera has a .291 batting average, 23 homers, 90 RBIs and 41 stolen bases, while earning a trip to the All-Star Game last season. 

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Spring Training Team Profile: Oakland Athletics

Oakland Athletics

Established: 1901

Other Names:

Philadelphia Athletics (1901-1954)

Kansas City Athletics (1955-1967)

2016 results: 69-93, 5^th in AL West

2017 Prediction: 5^th

World Series Titles: 9

Most Recent: 1989

Last World Series Appearance: 1990

Last Division Title: 2013

Ballpark: Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum

Est: 1968

Best Season: 1989

                Connie Mack’s Philadelphia Athletics won 100+ games five times and won five World Series. But the franchise never saw a team as powerful as the 1988-89-90 edition that bashed its way to three A.L. Pennants and the World Series Championship in 1989. While the ’89 team was the only time in those three seasons the team failed to reach 100 wins (99) they performed better in the postseason and blew away their opposition in both the ALCS (Toronto) and World Series (San Francisco). The team was led by a starting pitching staff that included Dave Stewart (21 wins), Mike Moore (19), Storm Davis (19) and Bob Welch (17). They also had closer Dennis Eckersley (33 saves and a 1.56 ERA). Offensively, the team was led by The Bash Brothers, Mark McGwire and Jose Canseco, and also included Rickey Henderson, Dave Parker and Carney Lansford.

Best All-time Player: Rickey Henderson

                The greatest base-stealer of all time; of that there can be no argument. Henderson tops the all-time thefts list with 1406 bags swiped, 468 more than Lou Brock who is second on the list. Rickey played 25 season in the Majors, 14 of them with the Athletics. While with Oakland, Henderson played in 1704 games, scored 1270 runs, had 1768 hits, 167 home runs, 648 RBIs and 867 of his stolen bases. He set the all-time single season stolen base record in 1982 when he swiped 130 of them. He was an All-Star six times while with the A’s, won a Gold Glove in 1981 and was the American League’s MVP in 1990. In 1989, he helped lead Oakland to the World Series Championship. In the ALCS against Toronto, he batted .400 with eight stolen bases in five games, winning the series MVP award. In the World Series against the Giants, he hit .474 and stole three more bases in the four-game sweep. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2009.

Best Player on the Current Roster: Khris Davis

                After playing the first three seasons of his career with Milwaukee, Davis joined the A’s for the 2016 season and had his breakout season. Although the batting average was rather low (.247), he swatted 42 home runs and had 102 RBIs. In his four big league seasons, Davis has already hit 102 home runs and is one of the lone bright spots for an A’s team that seems to be going nowhere but the basement. 

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