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 Tigers 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 (One-time winner -- Defeated Randy Velarde's Unassisted Triple Play in 2000)
(From A's play-by-play broadcaster Glen Kuiper)
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.
Sports
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.
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2. Mike Warren no-hits the White Sox as a rookie in 1983
(From Ben Ross)
It may be the unlikeliest no-hitter in MLB history. On September 29, 1983, 22-year-old A's rookie Mike Warren no-hit the AL West champion Chicago White Sox at the Coliseum in Oakland.
Carlton Fisk made the final out of the game, flying out to left fielder Rickey Henderson, and the A's blanked the White Sox, 3-0. Warren notched five strikeouts in the no-no.
The right-hander from Inglewood finished his rookie season 5-3, with a 4.11 ERA. He would only pitch two more seasons, ending his career with a 9-13 record and a 5.06 ERA, but he is one of just 12 Athletics to ever toss a no-hitter.
VOTE HERE:
Which @Athletics 50th Anniversary moment was more memorable?
The winning moment will move on to the next matchup.— A's on NBCS (@NBCSAthletics) August 3, 2018
