Biggest plays in Oakland Athletics history
Major League Baseball history is built on moments — swings, pitches, and split-second plays that reshaped seasons and, in some cases, entire franchises. From walk-off home runs in winner-take-all games to clutch hits under October pressure, the biggest plays often came when the stakes were highest. Stacker identified the most impactful plays in Oakland Athletics history using data from Stathead. Plays were ranked by their Championship Win Probability Added (cWPA), a metric that measures how much a single play changed a team’s odds of winning the World Series.
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#10. October 17, 1911 (WS Gm 3)
– Score: down 1-0 (9th inning, 1 out)
– Opponent: SFG
– Event: HR
– Play Description: Home Run (Line Drive to Deep RF)
– cWPA: 13.13%
#9. October 14, 1973 (WS Gm 2)
– Score: down 6-5 (9th inning, 2 outs)
– Opponent: NYM
– Event: 1B
– Play Description: Single to LF; S. Bando Scores; R. Jackson to 2B
– cWPA: 13.24%
#8. October 07, 1972 (ALCS Gm 1)
– Score: down 2-1 (11th inning, 1 out)
– Opponent: DET
– Event: 1B
– Play Description: *WALK-OFF*:Single to RF (Ground Ball thru 2B-1B); M. Hegan Scores; G. Tenace Scores (Advanced on throw) on E9 (throw to 3B) (Unearned run)
– cWPA: 13.31%
#7. October 21, 1973 (WS Gm 7)
– Score: ahead 2-0 (3rd inning, 2 outs)
– Opponent: NYM
– Event: HR
– Play Description: Home Run (Deep CF-RF); J. Rudi Scores
– cWPA: 13.48%
#6. October 14, 1929 (WS Gm 5)
– Score: down 2-0 (9th inning, 1 out)
– Opponent: CHC
– Event: HR
– Play Description: Home Run (Fly Ball to Deep RF); M. Bishop Scores
– cWPA: 14.43%
#5. October 22, 1972 (WS Gm 7)
– Score: down 3-2 (8th inning, 2 outs)
– Opponent: CIN
– Event: Out
– Play Description: Popfly: LF (Short LF)
– cWPA: 16.71%
#4. October 22, 1972 (WS Gm 7)
– Score: tied 1-1 (6th inning, 2 outs)
– Opponent: CIN
– Event: 2B
– Play Description: Double to LF (Line Drive to LF Line); B. Campaneris Scores
– cWPA: 18.53%
#3. October 21, 1973 (WS Gm 7)
– Score: tied 0-0 (3rd inning, 1 out)
– Opponent: NYM
– Event: HR
– Play Description: Home Run (Deep RF); K. Holtzman Scores
– cWPA: 18.73%
#2. October 06, 1930 (WS Gm 5)
– Score: tied 0-0 (9th inning, 1 out)
– Opponent: STL
– Event: HR
– Play Description: Home Run (Deep LF); M. Cochrane Scores
– cWPA: 19.50%
#1. October 19, 1972 (WS Gm 4)
– Score: down 2-1 (9th inning, 1 out)
– Opponent: CIN
– Event: 1B
– Play Description: Single to CF (Fly Ball to CF-RF); A. Lewis Scores; G. Tenace to 3B
– cWPA: 19.98%
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