All-Time Teams #20: Oakland Athletics

I'm trying to revive this ongoing series where I'm naming an all-time team for each of the current 30 MLB franchises, but in the interest of time I'm abandoning the greatest eligible player who is not in the Hall of Fame part. 

Franchise History
Oakland Athletics (1968- )
Kansas City Athletics (1955-1967)
Philadelphia Athletics (1901-1954)

An asterisk (*) denotes a Hall of Famer.

15 Hall of Famers on this squad. Only the Cubs -- who added their 16th and 17th when Ron Santo and Lee Smith, respectively, were elected after I wrote their all-time team post -- have more. 

Starters
C - Mickey Cochrane* (1925-1933)
1B - Jimmie Foxx* (1925-1935)
2B - Eddie Collins* (1906-1914, 1927-1930)
SS - Bert Campaneris (1964-1976)
3B - Sal Bando (1966-1976)
LF - Rickey Henderson* (1979-1984, 1989-1995, 1998)
CF - Al Simmons* (1924-1932, 1940-1941, 1944)
RF - Reggie Jackson* (1967-1975, 1987)

Simmons was the regular center fielder for the first four years of his career, so he makes the position shift that avoids having to relegate one of this franchise's four or five best everyday players to the bench. 

Otherwise, I honestly can't see anyone taking exception with any of these starting picks, unless perhaps you're a Home Run Baker guy.

Rotation
Lefty Grove* (1925-1933)
Eddie Plank* (1901-1914)
Rube Waddell* (1902-1907)
Chief Bender* (1903-1914)
Eddie Rommel (1920-1932)

I suppose some will argue for Catfish Hunter over Rommel, which would give this team a rotation of five Hall of Famers, but a lot of those folks probably don't realize how good Rommel was, especially at the start of his career. Despite three consecutive top four Cy Young finishes -- some of which can be attributed to his win totals while pitching for the iconic 1972-74 dynasty -- nothing Hunter did with the A's can compare to Rommell's 1921-25 stretch while pitching for a mostly bad team.

Closer
Dennis Eckersley* (1987-1995)

Reserves
C - Terry Steinbach (1986-1996)

1B - Mark McGwire (1986-1997)

2B - Max Bishop (1924-1933)

SS - Miguel Tejada (1997-2003)
3B - Frank Baker* (1908-1914)
OF - Bob Johnson (1933-1942)

OF - Dwayne Murphy (1978-1987)

I was going to take Gene Tenace over Steinbach as backup catcher, but Tenace really was only a part-time catcher and Steinbach was an above-average offensive player and solid defender at the position for Oakland for nine years.

Advanced statistically speaking, Eddie Joost might deserve the backup SS spot over Tejada, but Tejada's league MVP and overall presence as a more dominant player wins out.

Henderson, I suppose, could backup Simmons in CF, but since neither of them played the position primarily in their career, Murphy's inclusion is almost essential.

Other tough omissions included Danny Murphy, Eric Chavez and Jose Canseco.

Bullpen
Rollie Fingers (1968-1976)*

Tim Hudson (1999-2004)
Vida Blue (1969-1977)

Catfish Hunter* (1965-1974)

I was seriously considering Barry Zito over Hunter, and he perhaps deserves the final spot on this staff on merit. But, Catfish is in the Hall of Fame, his uniform number is retired, and he's the team's leader in post-Depression era wins. So, despite his status as perhaps this franchise's most overrated player, he has to be represented here.

Manager
Connie Mack* (1901-1950)

It did take Mack five times as many seasons to win four times as many games as Tony LaRussa, but the latter will have to wait until St. Louis to get his due.

Next Up: Philadelphia Phillies