Thursday, March 28, 2019

Losing Sucks

Losing your keys sucksLosing a bet sucks tooLosing a loved one sucks the most.  But losing weight and your virginity isn't that bad.  Unfortunately... this post won't be covering either of those areas today.

Today's post is about my favorite baseball team, the Oakland Athletics, and their depressing loss to the Cincinnati Reds in the 1990 World Series.

Brian over at Collecting Cutch is hosting a contest on his blog.  He's looking for bloggers to make a post about a year your favorite team didn't win the World Series.  Within your post, he'd like you to talk about why that year's roster stood out to you and who were your favorite players that weren't superstars.  In addition he wants us to talk about any players who went on to have hall of fame careers.

I went with the 1990 Athletics, because that season they entered the postseason with the best record in baseball and swept the Boston Red Sox in the ALCS to get to the World Series.  Everything about that team looked primed to win it all.

Sadly, they were swept by Chris Sabo, Billy Hatcher, Jose Rijo, and company.

But I still have fond memories of that team.

2018 Topps Diamond Icons Autographs #AC-RH

Rickey Henderson won the AL MVP Award that season when he led the MLB in offensive WAR, on base percentage, runs created, and runs scored.  He also represent one of three guys on this roster who would eventually get an invitation to Cooperstown.

2004 Topps Retired Signature Edition Autographs #TA-DEC
2016 Archives All-Star Signature Buybacks (1991 Bowman) #231

Dennis Eckersley and Harold Baines are the other two.

2016 Topps Legacies of Baseball Tenacity Autograph #TA-JC
2016 Topps Legacies of Baseball Tenacity Autograph #TA-MM

The Bash Brothers combined to hit 76 home runs that season and drove in 209 runs.

2007 Topps Co-Signers Solo Sigs #SS-DH
2012 Archives Fan Favorites Autographs #FFA-CL
2018 Arhives Fan Favorites Autographs #FFA-TS

Henderson, Baines, McGwire, and Canseco were surrounded by guys like Carney Lansford, Dave Henderson, Terry Steinbach in the lineup which made them one of the scarier hitting teams in the league.

But their pitching wasn't too shabby either.

2013 Archives Fan Favorites Autographs #FFA-BW
2003 UD Sweet Spot Classic Greats Signature #CG-DSt

Bob Welch won the AL Cy Young Award that year.  Dave Stewart won the ALCS MVP Award for his performance against the Red Sox.  These two guys won a total of 49 games between them that season, while the aforementioned Eck earned 48 saves.

2017 Five Star Heart of a Champion Autograph #FSHC-RH

As for my favorite player on the team, that title goes to Rickey.  However Brian wants us to tell him our favorite player who isn't considered a superstar.

2007 UD Sweet Spot Classic Signatures #SPS-CL

I'd say Carney Lansford fits that description.  He wasn't a superstar (only made the all-star team once), but he was the A's clubhouse leader on all of those World Series teams.  Plus the guy could hit.  In ten seasons with the Athletics he had over 1,300 hits.

It's been almost three decades since the A's have gone back to the World Series and until they do... the 1990 Oakland Athletics will leave a sour taste in my mouth.  That team was so talented, but much like the 1988 team, they just couldn't finish the job.  Damn.  Losing sucks.

Well that's it for today.  A huge shout out to Brian for this interesting contest and Blog Bat-Around idea.

Happy Thursday and sayonara!

15 comments:

Johnnys Trading Spot said...

Thanks for the heads up on the contest, I'd have a lot to choose from during the 90's.

Bulldog said...

I really enjoyed those A's teams. Watching them lose really was tough to watch. Those Rickey cards are sweet. The Tenacity are as great looking cards. Fun post. Thanks.

defgav said...

Hey, at least you had '89!

arpsmith said...

I had forgotten how stacked that team was, they were fun to watch. I am surprised Lansford only made one all-star team, I remember him as better than that. You have a very nice auto collection from that team, I am jealous of those two Rickeys!

SumoMenkoMan said...

Great post. Man, Lansford has a very nice signature. He really took his time!

bbcardz said...

Very impressive A's autos! Yes, at least the A's had '89 as defgav stated. The A's also did well in the '70's too. Some teams have yet to win a World Series.

Matt said...

Some great cards there and that is an interesting bat around. Not sure I can fit it into my new theme with the Yankees mainly winning in the era I am doing lol

kirk said...

it was always a treat to wath rickey henderson. dave stewart as well.i guess the red's pitching was enough to stop that great lineup. cool cards

Matt said...

The though of those late 80's/early 90's Athletics teams still gives me the spooks. The Red Sox just kept getting swept by them in the postseason. Dave Stewart was our real life boogie-man...

Zippy Zappy said...

Woof, sounds like that one heck of a super team. But if it makes you feel any better, I feel like your other favorite team (the Padres) are going to look even better if/when they make it to the World Series again.

Zippy Zappy said...

*sounds like that was one heck of a super-team

Nick said...

I'm surprised you had autographs of all these guys -- I wouldn't have guessed dudes like Dave Henderson or Carney Lansford had any on the market.

Henry Blanchette said...

The A's have always been one of my favorite teams in Baseball besides the Red Sox and Cubs. Love that Dennis Eckersley auto from '04 in particular.

Collecting Cutch said...

That team was loaded. As a Pirates fan, I hate the 1990 Reds too as you mentioned. Thanks for joining the contest and plugging it.

Fuji said...

johnnys trading spot - yeah... the braves were so awesome in the 90's. definitely thought they'd win more than one.

bulldog - i had been looking for a set that both mcgwire and canseco signed for... with both guys featured as a's. the tenacity pair happened to fall into my price range

defgav - yeah. can't complain. now if the padres could finally win one.

arpsmith - lansford was an excellent hitter. yeah, i was surprised he only made one myself

sumomenkoman - it's all about the cursive L ;)

bbcardz - wish i could have been born a few years earlier to appreciate those 3 they won in the 70's. i still make it a priority to pick up guys from those teams... even if i wasn't quite an a's fan yet.

parts of my past - boo hoo. ;)

kirk - there are few things i enjoyed more back in the day than watching rickey in action. good times

matt - stew is the man. a's fan love that guy. he's a big reason for their success those three years they went to the world series

zippy zappy - i'm crossing my fingers. i've liked everything i've heard about their young talent

nick - i'm so bummed that i don't have a dave henderson on-card autograph. one day... i hope to add one to my collection.

henry blanchette - looks like we look out for each others teams. i often cheer for the sox, mainly b/c i'd rather see them win than the yankees

collecting cutch - thanks for the contest and the idea for this post!