Players who spent time with both A's, Giants

OAKLAND -- Residing on opposite ends of the Bay Bridge for nearly six decades, the A’s and Giants have intertwined in each other’s history, from the 1989 Battle of the Bay World Series to the annual Interleague series between the two clubs to determine the winner of "The Bridge" trophy.

Though the two sides rarely do business together -- Oakland and San Francisco have struck just two deals involving Major League players since 1990 -- many well-known players have suited up for both teams, 96 to be exact. Here’s a look at some of the most prominent players to play for both the A’s and Giants:

Vida Blue
A’s: 1969-77
Giants: 1978-81, '85-86

One of the best players not in the Hall of Fame, Blue performed at a high level for each club. The left-hander was a second-round pick by the A’s in the 1967 MLB Draft and soon established himself as a pillar of the A’s dynasty in the 1970s that captured three straight World Series titles from ‘72-74. Spending nine seasons with the A’s, Blue earned three All-Star selections and won both the American League Cy Young Award and MVP Award in ‘71 after setting Oakland single-season records for ERA, shutouts and strikeouts, going 24-8 with a 1.82 ERA and 301 punchouts. He went 124-86 with a 2.95 ERA over those nine seasons before getting traded across the Bay following the ‘77 campaign.

The success continued for Blue in San Francisco. He went on to make three more All-Star teams with the Giants, going 72-58 with a 3.52 ERA in six seasons. Also playing two seasons for the Royals between his two stints with San Francisco, Blue finished his career compiling a 29 bWAR with the A’s and 13.9 bWAR with the Giants.

Barry Zito
A’s: 2000-06, '15
Giants: 2007-13

Zito’s career was a tale of two cities as he spent the entirety of it playing in the Bay Area. In Oakland, Zito burst onto the scene by showing off an impressive looping 12-6 curveball that quickly became one of the most devastating pitches in the game. After finishing sixth in AL Rookie of the Year voting in 2000, Zito reached elite levels with the A’s, winning the AL Cy Young Award in ‘02 with a record of 23-5 to go with a 2.75 ERA. Over his first seven seasons, Zito went 102-63 with a 3.55 ERA and also pitched well in the playoffs with a 2.43 ERA over six AL Division Series starts.

After the '06 season, Zito went on to sign across the Bay with the Giants to a seven-year, $126 million deal, which at the time was the richest contract for a pitcher in Major League history. Though his stint across the Bay did not start out well as many felt his production did not match the value of the lucrative deal, Zito soon became a postseason hero for the Giants in '12 as a major contributor to their World Series title run. In seven seasons with San Francisco, Zito went 63-80 with a 4.62 ERA.

Zito had a short homecoming in '15, signing a Minor League deal with the A's. He reached the Majors in September and appeared in three games before officially retiring later that October.

Dave Kingman
Giants: 1971-74
A’s: 1984-86

Playing for seven teams across 16 Major League seasons, Kingman’s career began with the Giants and ended with the A’s. Throughout it all, he became known as one of the game’s top power hitters by slugging 442 career home runs. The first overall pick in the secondary phase of the 1970 MLB Draft by the Giants, Kingman spent four seasons with San Francisco and amassed 77 home runs with 217 RBIs.

Making three All-Star teams with the Mets and Cubs, Kingman was released by the Mets following the '83 season after batting a career-low .198 with 13 home runs in a limited role. Kingman signed with the A’s later that offseason, and it turned out he still had plenty left in the tank. He enjoyed a career resurgence in '84, named AL Comeback Player of the Year after hitting .268 with 35 homers and 118 RBIs. Kingman slugged 100 home runs over three seasons with Oakland, and though he hit 35 home runs in '86, the club decided not to renew his contract and instead brought back Reggie Jackson for one final season in '87. Kingman went on to sign a Minor League deal with the Giants in '87 but retired after playing 20 Triple-A Phoenix games that season.

Miguel Tejada
A’s: 1997-2003
Giants: 2011

After a few players who enjoyed a fair amount of success on both sides of the Bay, we get to Tejada, who by far enjoyed much more success with Oakland. Miggy remains the last A’s player to win the AL MVP Award, having done so in '02 with an incredible campaign that included a .308/.354/.508 slash line with 34 home runs and 131 RBIs. Though he only played seven seasons with the club, Tejada still ranks first among A’s shortstops in home runs (156), RBIs (604) and slugging percentage (.460).

Continuing his strong run as one of the game’s best shortstops with the Orioles and Astros, Tejada later joined the Giants near the end of his career, signing a one-year deal in 2011. He didn’t make it through a full season with San Francisco, released in early September after hitting just .239 with four home runs and 26 RBIs.

Willie McCovey
Giants: 1959-73, '77-80
A’s: 1976

McCovey will forever be remembered as a Giant, but often overlooked is the Hall of Famer’s brief stint in Oakland. A member of the Padres to begin the '76 campaign, McCovey’s contract was purchased by the A’s later that year. He played in 11 games for Oakland and went 5-for-24 with three walks. “Stretch” returned to the Giants the following year and spent the final four seasons of his career with his original club. In 19 seasons with the Giants, McCovey clubbed 469 of his 521 career home runs.

Orlando Cepeda
Giants: 1958-66
A’s: 1972

Those unaware of McCovey’s time with the A’s are even less likely to know about Cepeda’s short stint. Cepeda is another Hall of Famer who enjoyed most of his success with the Giants, playing nine seasons for San Francisco. He joined the A’s in a trade from the Braves in '72 and appeared in just three games, going hitless in three at-bats before a knee injury ended his season. Cepeda intended to retire after the season, but the implementation of the designated hitter in '73 extended his career by a couple of years. He went on to play two more seasons, with the Red Sox and Royals, before retiring from MLB after the '74 season.

Joe Morgan
Giants: 1981-82
A’s: 1984

Building his Hall of Fame resume as a key piece of the “Big Red Machine” Reds clubs, Morgan, who grew up in Oakland, spent the final years of his career with a homecoming of sorts by playing for both Bay Area clubs. At age 38, Morgan enjoyed a solid '82 campaign with San Francisco that garnered him National League MVP Award votes after batting .289 with 14 home runs, 61 RBIs and 24 stolen bases. The second baseman later joined Oakland for his final Major League season in '84 and hit .244 with six homers and 43 RBIs.

Tim Hudson
A’s: 1999-2004
Giants: 2014-15

One-third of the famed “Big Three” alongside Zito and Mark Mulder, Hudson was excellent in six seasons with the A’s, going 92-39 with a 3.30 ERA, with two All-Star selections and two top-four AL Cy Young Award finishes over that time. The right-hander’s final two Major League seasons came with San Francisco, helping the Giants to a World Series title in '14 while also earning an All-Star selection that year.

Santiago Casilla
A’s: 2004-09, '17-18
Giants: 2010-16

Casilla is remembered fondly by fans in San Francisco. The right-hander notched 123 saves over seven seasons with the Giants and won three World Series titles with the club. In eight seasons with Oakland, Casilla posted a 4.67 ERA in 241 relief appearances. His second stint with Oakland often came with criticism from fans as his struggles eventually led to losing the closer’s job to Blake Treinen.

Marco Scutaro
A’s: 2004-07
Giants: 2012-14

For a guy whose career numbers don’t really stand out, Scutaro was a beloved player on both sides of the Bay. The infielder collected plenty of clutch hits with the A’s, including a memorable walk-off three-run blast in '07 off Yankees closer Mariano Rivera with two outs and two strikes. He captured the hearts of the Oakland fans as they often chanted “MAR-CO. SCU-TA-RO” whenever he was at the plate.

Joining the Giants in '12 via trade from Colorado, he immediately energized the club and etched himself in San Francisco history as a playoff hero later that year, earning NL Championship Series MVP honors en route to a World Series championship. Scutaro carried the success into '13 by earning the first and only All-Star selection of his career, but injuries limited him to just five games in '14 before he retired later that year.

Rich Gossage
Giants: 1989
A’s: 1992-93

Gossage had a lot of mileage on his right arm by the time he played for both Bay Area clubs. His velocity was diminished, but the Hall of Famer pitched well in his one season with San Francisco, posting a 2.68 ERA in 31 relief appearances and recording four saves. He was claimed by the Yankees off waivers later that season, missing out on a chance to pitch in the Battle of the Bay World Series.

Signing a pair of one-year deals with the A’s in '92 and '93, Gossage compiled a 3.78 ERA over 69 appearances in his stint with Oakland.

Other noteworthy players to appear for both the A’s and Giants:

Felipe Alou, Dusty Baker, Trevor Cahill, Rajai Davis, Ray Durham, Alan Embree, Keith Foulke, Jose Guillen, Dave Henderson, Stan Javier, Yusmeiro Petit, Drew Pomeranz, Dave Righetti, Jeff Samardzija, Stephen Vogt.