MLB Franchise Four – Biggest Snubs for Each Team
Oakland Athletics – Eddie Plank
Franchise Four: Dennis Eckersley, Jimmie Foxx, Rickie Henderson, Reggie Jackson
The history of the Oakland Athletics is as deep as any in baseball. Having played through three different cities and won nine championships during their 114 years of existence, the A’s have perhaps the most diverse group of players to choose from over the course of the years. Characters like the Bash Brothers, Catfish Hunter, Vida Blue, Lefty Grove, Eddie Collins, Sal Bando, Bert Campaneris, and more could have easily merited consideration.
Yet somehow, Dennis Eckersley was one of the chosen.
Now, I love Eckersley as much as the next guy. When he came into the game during the late 1980’s, you could almost check off the win automatically. And he was dominant during his nine years in Oakland, racking up 320 saves, a 2.74 ERA, a 2.44 FIP, a Cy Young, and an MVP award. However, was he really worth unseating the club’s all-time leader in wins, pitching WAR, and strike-outs?
Eddie Plank had all of that, leading the club with 284 wins, 1,985 strike-outs, and a WAR of 57.8, and did so with a life-time ERA of 2.39 and an FIP of 2.31. Yet again, he was also left off of the ballot, preventing fans from voting for the greatest pitcher to ever toe the rubber for the A’s.
Next: Blue Jays - Dave Stieb