OAKLAND — Reliever Sean Doolittle never was one to disappoint A’s fans when it came to Twitter.
On Sunday evening, Doolittle — traded to the Washington Nationals earlier in the day along with Ryan Madson — tweeted out a heartfelt goodbye to A’s fans:
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Doolittle was the final player left on the A’s who was a part of all three postseason teams from 2012-14. With his Metallica entrance music, his fiery demeanor on the mound and bushy red beard, he became a fan favorite at the Coliseum.
Even A’s executive VP of baseball operations Billy Beane, who pulled the trigger on the trade, expressed some nostalgia about sending Doolittle elsewhere.
“Some of my best memories are with Sean on the mound, whether it was setting up games during that playoff run (in 2012), in some cases closing them,” Beane said. “He had that great combination of being emotional but also under control in a very intelligent way.”