49 Who Crossed the Bay, Giants and A’s

When the 1997 season came to a close 49 players had logged regular-season playing time with both the San Francisco Giants and Oakland A’s. While many made little or no impact—hello, Brad Komminsk—there were a handful who were celebrated on both sides of the Bay.

Players who have achieved at least a modicum of success with both clubs:

PLAYERS WITH AT LEAST 10 HOME RUNS FOR EACH TEAM:

• Dave Kingman: 100 with A’s, 77 with Giants
• Mike Aldrete: 18 with A’s, 14 with Giants
• Stan Javier: 23 with A’s, 10 with Giants

PLAYERS WITH AT LEAST 100 HITS FOR EACH TEAM:

• Billy North: 664 with A’s, 252 with Giants
• Kingman: 406 with A’s, 278 with Giants
• Stan Javier: 475 with A’s, 200 with Giants
• Felipe Alou: 655 with Giants, 158 with A’s
• Aldrete: 275 with Giants, 145 with A’s

PLAYERS WITH AT LEAST 1,000 AT BATS FOR EACH TEAM:

• Kingman: 1,702 with A’s, 1,242 with Giants
• North: 2,447 with A’s, 1,006 with Giants

PITCHERS WITH AT LEAST 10 WINS FOR EACH TEAM:

• Vida Blue: 124 with A’s, 72 with Giants
• Kelly Downs: 47 with Giants, 10 with A’s

PITCHERS WITH AT LEAST 100 STRIKEOUTS:

• Blue: 1,315 with A’s, 704 with Giants
• Downs: 494 with Giants, 104 with A’s
• Dave Heaverlo: 133 with Giants; 113 with A’s

PITCHERS WITH AT LEAST 100 INNINGS:

• Blue: 1,945.2 with A’s, 1.131.1 with Giants
• Heaverlo: 237.2 with Giants, 221.1 with A’s
• Downs: 762 with Giants, 201.2 with A’s
• Elias Sosa: 223.2 with Giants, 109 with A’s

BAY AREA BAFFLER: Name the three players who have appeared in postseason games for both teams. Answers below.

ONE NAME, TWO PLAYERS, BOTH TEAMS: Steve Ontiveros was a member of the Giants and A’s. However, he was two different players. The Giants’ Ontiveros was an infielder 1973-76; the A’s Ontiveros was a pitcher who toiled at the big-league level 1985-88 and ’94-95.

LOPSIDED TRADES: There have been very few trades during the 30 years that both teams have existed on the West Coast. Without much of an argument the Giants have gotten the better of the deals.

In 1978, the Giants acquired Blue for seven mostly mediocre players, including such luminaries as Alan Wirth and Phil Huffman.

In 1988, the Giants picked up Rod Beck for Charlie Corbell.

In 1990, in what is believed to be the last player-for-player deal between the two clubs, the Giants got Darren Lewis (and minor-leaguer Pedro Pena) for Ernie Riles.

It hasn’t been entirely a washout for the A’s scouts and front-office staff. At the end of the 1987 season, the Giants gave up on free-agent-to-be Dave Henderson. The next year, Hendu joined the A’s where he became a permanent fixture on their pennant-winning teams and one of most prolific sluggers.

RANDOM NAMES: The only brothers to have played for both are the Alous: Matty, Felipe and Jesus. Hall of Famers who have played for both: Joe Morgan, Willie McCovey. Current managers who have played for both: Felipe Alou, Dusty Baker and Phil Garner. Two players who have hit a home run for the A’s and pitch for the Giants: Matty Alou and Dave Kingman. Alou pitched two innings for the ’65 Giants and hit one home run for the ’72 A’s. Kingman tossed four innings for the ’73 Giants and hit 77 home runs from 1971-74.

THE 49 WHO PLAYED ON BOTH SIDES OF THE BAY: Mike Aldrete, Gary Alexander, Felipe Alou, Jesus Alou, Matty Alou, Dusty Baker; Bill Bathe, Vida Blue, Ollie Brown, Ernie Camacho, Orlando Cepeda, Joe Coleman, John D’Acquisto, Kelly Downs, Randy Elliott, Tito Fuentes, Phil Garner, Rich Gossage, Dave Heaverlo, Dave Henderson, Stan Javier, Jay Johnstone, Ed Jurak, Bob Kearney, Mike Kingery, Dave Kingman, Brian Kingman, Brad Komminsk, Bob Lacey, Gary Lavelle, Johnnie LeMaster, Darren Lewis, Willie McCovey, Willie McGee, Joe Morgan, Bill North, Marty Perez, Luis Quiñones, Dave Righetti, Ernie Riles, Rick Rodriguez, Alejandro Sanchez, Scott Sanderson, Lary Sorensen, Elias Sosa, Gary Thomasson, Rusty Tillman, Manny Trillo, and Ed Vosberg.

ANSWER TO BAY AREA BAFFLER

• Matty Alou (1962 World Series with Giants, 1972 American League Championship Series and World Series with A’s)
• Kelly Downs (1987 NLCS, 1989 NLCS and World Series with Giants; ’92 ALCS with A’s)
• Stan Javier (1988 ALCS and World Series, 1989 ALCS and World Series with A’s; 1997 Division Series with Giants)