A Brief Look at Oakland Athletics All-Star Game History

By Rich Campbell

With 2024 slated to be the last season the Athletics franchise will play in Oakland, this month let’s take a look at the illustrious All Star history the team has enjoyed whilst in Oakland.

I will ask the questions and answer them. Enjoy!

Did Oakland ever host the All-Star Game?

Yes! The year was 1987 and the A’s were just beginning to build the team that would make three teams that would make the World Series from 1988 to 1990.

Who represented the A’s when the All-Star Game was in Oakland?

Reliever Jay Howell and 23-year-old Mark McGwire, who was on his way to a Rookie of the Year Award. Tony LaRussa and Rene Lachemann also served as coaches that year. In an autobiographical addition, I was at the game that year. Here is the box score, if you are interested in more details. The NL won 2-0 in 13 innings.

Flyover before the 2014 All-Star game in Minneapolis, MNPhoto byWikimedia Commons

What year did Oakland have the most All-Stars?

That was 1975. After winning three consecutive World Series, the 1975 AS team featured seven Athletics, including franchise stalwarts Vida Blue, Campy Campaneris, Rollie Fingers, Reggie Jackson, Joe Rudi, Gene Tenace, plus 20-year-old local product Claudell Wasington, who finished 14th in MVP voting that year.

Who has the most ASG appearances representing Oakland?

Mark McGwire represented the Green and Gold nine times in the Midsummer Classic. Others with at least four appearances representing the franchise: Rickey Henderson (6), Catfish Hunter (6), Reggie Jackson (6), Campy Campaneris (5), Jose Canseco (5), Sal Bando (4), Dennis Eckersley (4) and Rollie Fingers (4).

How about at the other end of the spectrum? Who are the forgettable All-Stars from Oakland?

It is hard to narrow it down to just one. But I will bet most people do not fondly remember the AS appearances of Jeff Newman (1979), John Jaha (1999) or Yonder Alonso (2017). If you prefer pitchers, who remembers the selections of Justin Duchscherer (2005 and 2008), Ryan Cook (2012) or Paul Blackburn (2022)? They can all tell their grandkids they were All-Stars.

Who was the best Oakland player never to make an All-Star team?

That has to be Eric Chavez. While winning Gold Gloves in six consecutive seasons (2001-06) with the A’s, he drove in 100 or more runs in four of those years. The team made the playoffs in four of those seasons, yet Chavez was a perennial AS snub.

What was the most famous All Star game moment for an Athletic?

In 1971, Reggie Jackson hit a towering home run in Detroit that is still talked about 50 years later.

In fact, just this week John Smoltz asked Reggie about that home run during the Fox broadcast from Rickwood Field, as it is certainly a part of baseball lore.

Finally, who will represent the A’s in the 2024 All-Star Game?

Mason Miller has to be odds on choice. The dynamic closer has a 2.08 ERA and 14 saves for a team with just 29 wins and he has amassed 1.6 bWAR (all stats through June 21). Several national writers think Brent Rooker has a shot at making the team for the second straight season. A top DH, Rooker leads the team with 44 RBIs and has an OPS+ of 144 (100 is league average) and 1.5 bWAR.

If I had a vote, I think JJ Bleday is the most deserving Athletic. His OPS+ of 134 is a tick below Rooker, but his play in center makes him the most valuable Athletic, as his 2.4 bWAR leads the team by a healthy margin. A longshot possibility is Shea Langeliers (1.3 bWAR), whose 14 homers is tied for the lead among AL catchers with Adley Rutschman.

Rich Campbell is a Marketing Professor at Sonoma State University by day and A’s fan by night. He has previously been a sports business contributor at Forbes.com and his academic writing has appeared in Sport Marketing Quarterly. You can find him on Twitter @RichCampbelPhD.