New additions to A's Hall of Fame reminisce

This story was excerpted from Martín Gallegos’ A’s Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

OAKLAND – Part of a powerhouse A’s squad that won three consecutive American League pennants and a World Series championship from 1988-90, Carney Lansford was somewhat of an unsung hero on star-studded rosters that featured Hall of Famers Rickey Henderson and Dennis Eckersley, as well as sluggers Mark McGwire and Jose Canseco.

On Sunday afternoon, Lansford finally got his just due.

Prior to Oakland’s series finale against the Giants, Lansford was among the five members who made up the Athletics Hall of Fame 2023 class. Jason Giambi, Gene Tenace, Bob Johnson and longtime PA announcer Roy Steele were the other members who were also celebrated in a pregame ceremony at the Coliseum.

"The teams we had in the late '80s and early '90s were unbelievable,” Lansford said. “We had some great players, and we had a great time. Whether we played at home or on the road, we just really enjoyed it."

There is no downplaying the importance of Lansford to those successful A’s clubs. The San Jose native played the final 10 seasons of his 15-year big league career with the hometown A’s and amassed a 27.3 bWAR in his A’s career, which ranks 19th among all position players in franchise history. He was an All-Star in '88 and led AL third basemen in fielding percentage in '87 (.980), '88 (.979) and '90 (.970).

Lansford’s finest campaign came in the team’s 1989 championship run that culminated in a World Series win over the Giants, losing out on the AL batting title to Kirby Puckett by three points that year with a .336 batting average. Over that ‘89 postseason, Lansford was a key contributor, going 12-for-27 with a double, a home run and eight RBIs.

For those who played with Lansford, his impact went beyond the numbers.

“To talk statistics about Carney is really not enough,” said fellow A’s Hall of Famer Dave Stewart, who introduced Lansford during Sunday’s ceremony. “Where Carney fits best and why he belongs in the A’s Hall of Fame is because he was the example of how we should play the game. He came to the ballpark with intensity every day and did not allow any of us to give less than our best on a day-to-day basis to win baseball games.

“One of the best teammates you’ll ever play with and one of the best friends you’ll ever have. Carney Lansford, welcome to the Hall of Fame.”

Giambi put together a remarkable first seven seasons of his Major League career with the A’s, capturing the AL MVP Award in 2000 and just missing out on a repeat in 2001 with a second-place finish to Ichiro Suzuki.

Giambi’s six-year stretch from 1996-2001 was particularly impressive as he slashed .311/.415/.553 with 181 home runs, 221 doubles and 650 RBIs. He also returned to the A’s in the latter stage of his career in 2009.

"It’s a special fraternity of guys, and to be part of it is really special,” Giambi said. “The biggest thing is I'm just excited to be here. These fans are incredible. … This is where it all started, so it's always going to be special. The teams that I played for, from all my idols when I first got here -- Eckersley to McGwire to Terry Steinbach and Stew -- and to [play with Tim] Hudson, [Mark] Mulder, [Barry] Zito. To be a part of all those incredible teams is really special, and that's what means the most to me."

Asked what his favorite memory was while donning the green and gold, Giambi quickly responded with the two seasons he got to play alongside his brother, Jeremy, from 2000-01.

“That was like two years of Little League, having him as my teammate and going to the park every day,” Jason said of playing with Jeremy, who passed away in February 2022. “It will always be special. The favorite two years of my career.”

Tenace, whose four-homer performance against the Reds in the ‘72 World Series earned him MVP honors, spent eight seasons with Oakland and was a key member of an A’s dynasty that won three straight championships from 1972-74. That famed squad featured legends such as Reggie Jackson, Vida Blue, Catfish Hunter, Rollie Fingers, Bert Campaneris, Joe Rudi and Sal Bando.

"I want to just take a minute here to talk about the guys I played with,” Tenace said. “Good group of individuals, tremendous talent. But they had an intangible that not too many teams had back in those days. Talent is one thing. To win a world championship, you have to have tremendous makeup and tremendous mental toughness. We had that."