1990 Oakland Athletics season


The Oakland Athletics' 1990 season was their 23rd in Oakland, California. It was also the 90th season in franchise history. The team finished first in the American League West with a record of 103-59.
The Athletics' 1990 campaign ranks among the organization's finest. Oakland, in winning 103 games, led the league outright in wins for a third consecutive season; they remained the last major North American team to accomplish this until 2017, when the feat was matched by the nearby Golden State Warriors of the NBA. The Athletics benefited from stellar performances in all areas of the game. The team's offense was led by eventual Hall-of-Famer Rickey Henderson, who finished the season with 65 stolen bases, 28 home runs, a.325 batting average, and took home the 1990 American League MVP Award. The Athletics also benefited from strong performances by superstars Mark McGwire and Jose Canseco. The pair clubbed 39 and 37 home runs, respectively; in doing so, they drove in a combined total of 209 runs. Over the course of the season, the team added to an already strong offense; the additions of recent All-Stars Willie Randolph, Willie McGee, and Harold Baines further widened the gap between the Athletics and the rest of the league. Established veterans and promising young players rounded out arguably the deepest roster in all of Major League Baseball. Eight of the Athletics' nine main postseason starters played in at least one All-Star Game between 1988 and 1990.
The Athletics pitching staff, in many regards, had an even stronger campaign. The starting rotation was led by veteran Bob Welch. Welch would finish the season with both an MLB-leading 27 wins and a 2.95 ERA; this performance was strong enough to net the 1990 Cy Young Award. Welch, as of 2014, remains the last MLB pitcher to win at least 25 games in a season. Fellow starter Dave Stewart, winner of 22 games, finished in a tie for the second-most wins in MLB. 1989 All-Star Mike Moore, 1991 All-Star Scott Sanderson, and longtime Athletic Curt Young rounded out the American League's top rotation. The Athletics' bullpen was led by superstar closer Dennis Eckersley, who posted a microscopic 0.61 ERA while recording 48 saves. As a team, the Athletics allowed only 570 runs.
The Athletics easily won the American League West for a third consecutive season, en route to a third consecutive AL Pennant with a four-game sweep of the Boston Red Sox. The Athletics entered the 1990 World Series as heavy favorites, but were swept by the Cincinnati Reds. Neither team has reached the World Series since.

Offseason

Record vs. opponents

Notable transactions

Dave Stewart's No-Hitter

On June 29, Dave Stewart no-hit the Toronto Blue Jays by a score of 5-0.

Player stats

Batting

Starters by position

Note: Pos = position; G = Games played; AB = At Bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting Average; HR = Home Runs; RBI = Runs Batted In
Pos.PlayerGABHAvg.HRRBI
CTerry Steinbach11437995.291957
1BMark McGwire156523123.23539108
2BWillie Randolph9329275.257121
3BCarney Lansford134507136.268350
SSWalt Weiss138445118.265235
LFRickey Henderson136489159.3252861
CFDave Henderson127450122.2642063
RFJosé Canseco131481132.27437101
DHHarold Baines329425.266321

Other batters

Pitching

Starting pitchers

Other pitchers

Relief pitchers

ALCS

Game 1

October 6, 1990, at Fenway Park

Game 2

October 7, 1990, at Fenway Park

Game 3

October 9, 1990, at Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum

Game 4

October 10, 1990, at Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum

World series

The four game sweep to the Reds in the 1990, was reminiscent of the A's loss to the Boston Braves 76 years earlier.

Awards and honors

All-Star Game