New Arrival: Gene Tenace, c/1b, Oakland Athletics

Another signed FDC. I was looking for a nice index card, but this is just so much nicer. I am not sure why the autographs pop so nice, but they do.

• Gene Tenace was another player who played an instrumental part of the Oakland Athletics dynasty of the 1970’s
• Tenace was in the majors from 1969 to 1983, though he spent a lot of time as a part-time player in both the beginning and end of his career.
• But during his prime–I will say from 1973 to 1980 with the A’s and Padres–he was a damn fine player. He would hit .241/.391/.434 and average 21 HR a season during that span. Good for an OPS+ of 138.
• He would be an All-Star only once, in 1975.
• The hallmark of his career must be the 1972 World Series. He would hit .348/.400/.913 with 4 HR in the series and be selected the MVP.
• George Springer joins Gene Tenace (1972) as the only players to hit 4 game-tying or go-ahead home runs in a World Series.
• He won three World Series with the A’s…but he was also part of the 1982 World Champion St. Louis team, and was a coach on the Blue Jays teams that won in 1992 and 1993. So that is six rings if you are keeping track at home.
• All told he would amass 46.8 WAR over his 15 seasons in the majors, with a final line of .241/.388/.429 with 201 HR and an OPS+ of 136.