Tales from the Oakland Athletics

by Susan Slusser

Susan Slusser, who has covered the Oakland As for the past 12 years for the San Francisco Chronicle, looks at one of the most fascinating franchises in baseball history. She chronicles the successes of Hall of Famers such as Reggie Jackson, Catfish Hunter, and Dennis Eckersley, as well as some of the teams forgotten but no less fascinating stars, including folk hero Rube Waddell, the great players of the 1920s, like Jimmie Foxx, Mickey Cochrane, and Lefty Grove; and controversial superstar Jose Canseco. The franchises many championship seasons are also explored, especially the wild teams of the 1970s, as are three of the teams most important and influential figures Hall of Fame manager Connie Mack, who is credited with making baseball an acceptable professional sport; former owner Charlie Finley, who was crazy, colorful, and way ahead of his time; and current general manager Billy Beane, whose Moneyball approach has allowed a low-budget team to achieve tremendous results.

192 pages, Hardcover

Published March 1, 2009