Former Oakland Athletics: Love or Hate
Jul 20, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics third baseman Josh Donaldson (20) and first baseman Brandon Moss (37) high five after defeating the Baltimore Orioles 10-2 at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports
I will never understand the hatred Oakland Athletics fans have for former-Athletic Matt Holliday.
Holliday did not have a choice in being traded to Oakland, and did not have a choice in his departure a few months later. He played well, not great. Was it lack of motivation? Was it the un-friendly Coliseum that suppressed his stats below the norm? Who knows. His chapter in the Oakland history books is a tiny one.
While Jason Giambi, Barry Zito, and Miguel Tejada, the Oakland Athletics’ most decorated modern stars, left as free agents, the bulk of general manager Billy Beane’s franchise altering transactions have been via trade.
So my question is simple: if an A’s player is traded can you still cheer for him?
Nick Swisher was booed upon his return to Oakland. He was traded to the Chicago White Sox, but a year later signed a free agent contract with the New York Yankees.
I posed the question on Twitter and Facebook and got, for the most part, the same response:
@JosephThomasD yep!
— Jason Burke (@ByJasonB) December 4, 2014
With the exception of a player being traded to a rival team, most people felt it was okay to cheer for a player that was traded because it wasn’t by their choosing that they left.
Perhaps that explains Swisher’s reception. Anyone who wears pinstripes is worthy of boos.
My question now is, SHOULD you cheer for that player?
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Josh Donaldson and Brandon Moss were beloved Athletics. Now they are employees of the Toronto Blue Jays and Cleveland Indians. Each had roughly two and a half years in Oakland. Is that enough time to sew themselves into the fabric of A’s history?
They were not drafted by the Oakland Athletics. They aren’t from the Bay.
What makes them so special that, while we were able to get over the departures of Giambi, Tejada, and Zito, Mark Mulder, Tim Hudson, Trevor Cahill, Gio Gonzalez, and Andrew Bailey we now ask for Beane’s head on a platter with every move he makes?
Moments like this make them special. The entire 2012 season makes them special.
The reason Scott Hatteberg is one of my favorite A’s is the same reason we should cheer for Donaldson when he comes to town: They were there for great moments in Oakland history.
For Hatteberg it was the walk-off home run in their record 20th consecutive win. For Donaldson and the gang it was game 162. How could you cheer against them?
This also means we shouldn’t shun the players replacing our beloved former-stars. There is a lot to like about them, Brett Lawrie in particular.
Each person is entitled to his or her own opinion. And I suppose the situation might dictate your response. There is not one right or wrong answer to the questions above.
With former-A’s Jeff Samardzija, Donaldson, Moss, Pat Neshek, Luke Gregerson, and Yoenis Cespedes all changing teams this winter, I want to hear from you.
Who are your favorite former A’s? Who do you perceive as villains?
Comment below or tweet us @FS_SwinginAs.