Mark Ellis is not the first name you come up with on a “best of” list, but the fact remains that he accumulated over 1,000 Hits with the team, which is an impressive feat for any franchise.
An old rookie at 26 with the Washington Senators, Connie Mack's Philadelphia Athletics would trade for him, and from 1922 to 1925, he had three .300 seasons, and in the one year he didn't hit that mark, he batted .299. He was deemed expendable and was dealt with the St. Louis Browns in 1926, but was back in 1928.
Gene Tenace was the Catcher during Oakland’s mini-dynasty in the early 70s, and a lot of his value did not show up on a traditional stat sheet.
A Second Round Pick in 1965, Tenace would debut for the Athletics in 1969 and performed in a backup role until 1972. He earned more playing time in the 1972 Playoffs and would bat .348 in the World Series with 4 Home Runs and 9 RBIs. He was named the World Series MVP in the Athletics' first World Series win on the West Coast.
It took a long time for George Earnshaw to make the Majors, but once the 6’ 4” did, he wasted little time proving that he belonged.