PROGRAMMING NOTE: NBC Sports California is looking back at the A's 50 Memorable Moments since the franchise relocated to Oakland in 1968. Below are the next two moments you can vote on. Tune into A's Pregame Live today at 6:30 p.m. to watch highlights of the two moments. After the A's and Mariners conclude, tune into A's Postgame Live to see which moment will move on to the next round!
1. A's winning 2012 AL West title on final day of the season (Five-time winner -- Defeated Marco Scutaro's bases-clearing double in Game 3 of the 2006 ALDS against the Twins)
(From A's play-by-play broadcaster Glen Kuiper)
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On the morning of Sept. 25, 2012, the A's trailed the first place Texas Rangers by five games with nine to play. My thought, oh well, Wild Card game here we come.
Six games later, the A's were two back with three to play. And the Rangers were coming to town for a season-ending three-game series. My thought, forget that Wild Card game, lets win this thing.
The A's win the first two games of the series to catch the Rangers for 1st place. Then on Oct. 1, Game 162, all hell broke lose at the Coliseum.
Getting ready to do the game that morning, I remember feeling nervousness, tension, but most of all excitement. Be at your best, don't screw anything up, don't start screaming in the 1st inning, and just enjoy the moment. The A's trailed 5-1 going to the bottom of the 4th inning, and I was concerned. I should have known better. That A's team had no intention of losing that day. Forget the Wild Card game, this division is ours. The A's scored six runs in the 4th inning, the final two runs scoring on a dropped fly ball in CF by Josh Hamilton. When something like that happens, you just know it is your teams' day. With the crowd going nuts the rest of the game, the Coliseum turned into a party zone. The A's won the game 12-5, and won the Division.
Oakland Athletics
It was by far the most fun series I have ever announced, capped of by Game 162. I had a sore throat for two weeks from yelling during our broadcasts, but it was well worth it.
VS.
2. Dave Stewart's no-hitter against Toronto in 1990
(From former A's pitcher and current NBC Sports California analyst Dave Stewart)
I REMEMBER MY PREGAME WARM-UP WAS THE WORST I EVER HAD IN MY CAREER, JUST COULDN’T HIT MY LOCATION, TRIED TO THROW THE BALL OUTSIDE, IT WOULD GO INSIDE, BREAKING BALL WAS FLAT, FORK-BALL WAS NON-EXISTENT, IT WAS JUST UGLY. DAVE DUNCAN, WHEN WE WERE WALKING BACK TO THE DUGOUT SAID HE THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO BE A TOUGH DAY FOR ME, AND I JUST TOLD HIM, WE’LL BATTLE IT OUT AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS.
SURE ENOUGH, WE START THE GAME, I WALKED THE FIRST TWO GUYS I FACED. SOMEHOW, I GET A GROUNDBALL DOUBLEPLAY AND THEN A POP-UP TO GET OUT OF THE INNING. THAT’S THE THING I REMEMBER MOST, IT WAS NOT MY BEST PREGAME WARM-UP.
I REALLY DIDN’T GET COMMAND OF MY STUFF UNTIL ABOUT THE FIFTH INNING, AND AFTER THE FIFTH INNING, I THINK I STRUCK OUT THE SIDE, I TOLD DAVE DUNCAN, THESE GUYS DON’T HAVE A CHANCE, I’M GONNA NO-HIT THEM. THERE WAS NO DOUBT IN MY MIND.
MY TEAMMATES KNEW WHAT WAS GOING ON, BUT HAVING SOMEONE COME UP AND TALK TO ME DURING A GAME, I DIDN’T SUFFER FROM THAT IN MY CAREER. MY TEAMMATES NEVER SAT AROUND ME, THEY NEVER TALKED TO ME BECAUSE I WASN’T ONE OF THOSE GUYS WHO WANTED CONVERSATION. HAVING SOMEONE COME TALK TO ME WHILE I’M IN MY ACTUAL START WAS NON-EXISTENT. I LOVED MY TEAMMATES, BUT THAT WAS NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN.
PITCHING A NO-HITTER IN TORONTO ON ARTIFICIAL SURFACE IS DIFFICULT IN ITSELF, BUT THEN TO MANUEVER THEIR LINE-UP BECAUSE THEY WERE A GREAT HITTING TEAM IS TOUGH TO DO SO IT RANKS UP THERE.
CHAMPIONSHIPS ARE ALWAYS AT THE TOP, I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO HAVE WON THREE. I THINK THIS WOULD BE RIGHT BEHIND THE CHAMPIONSHIPS. THERE’S “1” AND “1-A”. THE NO-HITTER WOULD BE “1-A."
VOTE HERE: