Before last week, never before had a city lost a team in all four major sports only to end up with absolutely nothing for its fans.
Oakland has started that club.
Now that the Oakland A’s have officially ended an era at Oakland Alameda County Coliseum that lasted more than a half century, its fans, and its collectors, are left empty.
Sure, the Golden State Warriors represent the state and particularly the Bay Area, but they left Oakland after decades of playing in the city to move to San Francisco.
The Oakland Seals, who later became the California Golden Seals, were part of the NHL’s first major expansion in 1967. They eventually moved to Cleveland to become the Barons. The Barons couldn’t make it in the era of the WHA so they merged with the Minnesota North stars.
The Oakland Raiders left Oakland for Los Angeles, came back to Oakland, and then moved again to Las Vegas.
As for basketball’s Oakland Oaks and football’s Oakland Invaders, they are footnotes of defunct leagues.
We would like to present our list of our favorite Oakland cards through the years. Cards of the Kansas City A’s, Los Angeles or Las Vegas Raiders, or Golden State Warriors while the team played in San Francisco are left off the list. This is an Oakland list. Therefore, my favorite Raiders card of all-time, the famous 1990 Score that shows the famous shoulder pads and baseball bat pose, is disqualified. So is anything and everything Marcus Allen, who is one of the greatest Raiders of all time.
Also, there are several players who were left off the list as they began their career in other cities so their rookie cards were not with Oakland. Catfish Hunter, Bert Campaneris and Sal Bando were Kansas City A’s. Nate Thurmond was a San Francisco Warrior. Dennis Eckersley came up with Cleveland. George Blanda began his career with the Chicago Bears. Ted Henricks was a Colt. Daryle Lamonica was a Buffalo Bill.
And to set the criteria, this is a list of favorite Oakland cards, not a list of the most valuable.
So shove a stick of crunchy Topps gum in your mouth for old times sake, and lets, take a trip down the hobby’s memory lane.
Lew Krausse 1969 Topps
So we are already breaking the rules, but this card is significant. Lew Krausse was a Kansas City A’s veteran but is worthy of this list because he threw the first ever pitch at Oakland Alameda County Coliseum.
Krausse opened the era of the Oakland A’s against the Baltimore Orioles on April 17, 1968. He gave up home runs to Boog Powell, Mark Belanger and Brooks Robinson as the A’s lost 3-1. Tony La Russa had one of Oakland’s two hits in the game.
Fred Besana1984 Topps USFL
If you know w ho Fred Besana is, you followed the USFL in the 1980s, and you particularly followed the Oakland Invaders.
Besana played college football for the California Golden Bears but spent much of his NCAA career as Steve Bartkowski’s back-up. He was drafted by Buffalo and dressed for two games as a back-up, and then the next year dressed for two games as a back up with the New York Giants. He played semi-pro ball, sold insurance, and ran a beer distributorship for three years before getting a shot with the Invaders. He led the Invaders to a division title and was second in passing to Bobby Hebert.
Two years later, the Invaders merged with the Michigan Panthers and Besana was back in his familiar back-up role, playing behind Hebert. When the USFL folded, he went back to his beer distribution company.
His Topps USFL card was the only card ever made of him.
Gary Smith, 1967-68 O-Pee-Chee
The expansion Oakland Seals, later known as the California Golden Seals, obtained Smith from the Toronto Maple Leafs, where he was primarily a minor league. Smith was given the nickname “Suitcase Smith” because he played for so many teams in his career.
The colorful and quirky goaltender would take all of his equipment off and then put it back on between periods. He wore up to 13 pairs of socks because he claimed his skates stretched during games. He also liked to pick the puck up and punt it down the ice – he said he was trying to hit the scoreboard.
Smith was the Seals goalie for their first few seasons and eventually went to the WHA. He was Wayne Gretzky’s roommate with the Indianapolis Racers. He was also the goalie in net for the California Golden Seals at Maple Leaf Gardens when Wayne went to his first NHL game as a kid.
In Vancouver while with the Canucks, Smith was in the running for a Hart Trophy but was pulled one game for letting in five goals. Rather than going to the bench, he skated off the ice, got in his car, and drive home. He was fined by the Canucks, and told the media that “it was really tough to drive home with my skates on.”
Oakland A’s team card 1970 Topps
Card #631 from the 1970 Topps set is a game. Not only are all of the big name stars from the A’s dynasty on this card, but baseball legend Joe DiMaggio is in front row of the team picture as a coach.
As Roy Carlson wrote in his epic Topps team series, the picture was actually taken from the 1969 A’s team photo as Joe only served in the role for two seasons.
Marshall Johnston, 1972-73 O-Pee-Chee
Johnston was a journeyman defenseman when he finally made the NHL for good, with the Golden Seals. What makes him special is that he retired during his third year with the team to become their head coach. Johnston went on to coach in the NCAA and became a prominent coach and General Manager in the NHL.
Jim Otto, 1961 Fleer RC
Otto is wearing number 50 in his rookie card photo. He wore the number in his first year (1960) with the Raiders before switching to 00 in 1961. Raiders equipment manager Frank Hinek suggested the number switch, and AFL commissioner Joe Foss approved it.
Otto played 210 consecutive games, was a nine time All-AFL First Team All-Star, and was a three-time Pro Bowler. He was named to the AFL All-Time Team and the NFL 100th Anniversary Team.
Mike Piazza 2007 Topps Trading Places
This memorabilia card has to be a part of any true Oakland collection. It features a piece of game-used bat and features Mike Piazza’s transition from a San Diego Padre to a member of the A’s. Okay, everyone raise your hand if you have absolutely no recollection whatsoever of Piazza playing with either team.
Herb Washington 1975 Topps
This is the only card ever made featuring a player whose position was Pinch Runner. Washington was a track star at Michigan State and the world record holder in the 50 and 60-yard dashes. He was signed by the A’s to come off the bench as a pinch runner, and was coached as a base runner by Maury Wells. He was eventually released and replaced by a fast player who could also play a position.
Washington was also drafted by the Baltimore Colts. After his brief baseball career, he started a restaurant management company and at one time owned 27 McDonald’s franchises. He was also a founding partner of the Youngstown Steelhounds minor league hockey team. He became an executive with the United Way and was later named the Director of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
In 105 MLB games, he had no batting, fielding or pitching statistics. His only stat was 31 stolen bases.
Here is a tidbit of information on the 1975 Herb Washington card you may not know about. Charlie Finley put a clause in Washington’s contract that he had to grow and play with facial hair. The problem was that Washington had a hard time growing a moustache. An eyebrow pencil was used on Washington’s upper lip to darken his moustache for his rookie card photo.
Eric Jordan 1984 Topps USFL
While the USFL had big name running backs like Herschel Walker, Marcus Dupree and Mike Rozier, Eric Jordan out of Purdue of the Oakland Invaders emerged as one of the league’s homegrown stars. Jordan ran for 948 yards in his career on 195 attempts, scoring nine rushing touchdowns. He also caught 22 passes for 173 yards. The Invaders were his only pro team. This was his only football card.
Ray Guy 1974 Topps
It took generations for punters to catch up to Ray Guy, and they still can’t deliver the pinpoint coffin corner accuracy he could. Guy is to punters what Nolan Ryan was to power pitchers. He is the only punter in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He is worthy of being in any Oakland collection.
Gene Upshaw 1972 Topps
One of the greatest offensive lineman of his era and a player who personified the mean and tough Raiders image, Upshaw is one of the most collectible linemen of all time. He also played a key role in the growth of the football card industry in his role as President of the NFL Players Association for many years.
Jim Hunter 1973 Topps Boyhood Photos of the Stars
Hunter’s rookie card was produced back when the team was the Kansas City Royals, but one of his best cards as an Oakland Athletic is in the Boyhood Photos of the Stars subset in 1973 Topps Baseball. The card back details the story of how he got the nickname “Catfish”. Hunter was injured in a hunting accident after he weas drafted, but when he recovered he went straight to the Major Leagues without ever playing in the Minors.
Sleepy Floyd 1986-87 Fleer
Through the 1980s, Eric “Sleepy” Floyd was one of the faces of the Golden State Warriors franchise, but he had to wait a few years before he had a rookie card. Floyd’s RC is in the famous 1986-87 Fleer Basketball set.
In that 1986-87 season, Floyd delivered one of the most epic games in NBA playoff history. In Game 4 of the Western Conference Semi-Finals, the Warriors were facing a possible sweep at the hands of the Los Angeles Lakers. Floyd set NBA records for the most points in a quarter (29) and most points in a half (39). He hit on 12 straight field goal attempts in the fourth quarter and ended up with 51 points in a Warriors win.
Dave Hrechkosy, 1975-76 O-Pee-Chee
Dave Hrechkosy was a rugged, tough, pure scorer at every level he played, but he had a hard time sticking in the NHL. In his only full NHL season, he scored 29 goals in 72 games for the California Golden Seals. He was only in Oakland for a brief time, but he was a fan favorite and borderline cult hero.
Joe Rudi 1969 Topps
Often playing in the shadows of Reggie Jackson, Vida Blue and Catfish Hunter, Rudi was one of the best players of the early 1970s. He was a three-time Gold Glove winner, he led the Major in hits I 1972, and he had a knack for getting timely hits and clutch home runs. Rudi is in the Athletics’ Hall of Fame. His rookie card is in the 1969 Topps set.
Jack Tatum 1973 Topps
“The Assassin” was one of the NFL’s most feared and respected defensive players. The hard-hitting safety from Ohio State was a three-time Pro Bowler and part of the Raiders’ Super Bowl XI championship team. He is one of the most collectible defensive players in NFL football card history.
Dwayne Murphy 1979 Topps
One of the greatest A’s of all tie, Murphy shares his rookie card with Bruce Robinson and Alan Wirth in the 1979 Topps set. He was a mainstay in center field throughout the 1980s, and he won six straight Gold Glove Awards. Murphy hit second for the As behind lead-off man Rickey Henderson. In 1984, he had 33 home runs and 88 RBIs.
Eric Chavez 1997 Bowman
Chavez is the best third baseman in Oakland A’s history. He won six straight Gold Glove awards and was a consistent offensive contributor. He played for 13 consecutive years for the A’s, second in tenure only to Rickey Henderson at 14.
Cliff Branch 1975 Topps
Branch was the perfect compliment to possession receiver Fred Biletnikoff for the Raiders. Branch ran the 100 meters in 10.0 seconds at the 1972 NCAA track and field semi-finals. His time was just .05 seconds off the world record. He also had one of the world’s fastest 200 meter times in 20.5. As good as he was in track, Branch was a football player first.
Branch won three Super Bowls with the Raiders – one in Oakland and two in Los Angeles. He finished his career with 8,685 receiving yards and 67 touchdown receptions. He was voted into the Hall of Fame posthumously in 2022.
Rollie Fingers 1969 Topps
What stands out on this multi-player rookie cards is that Rollie Fingers without facial hair is virtually unrecognizable. He appears on the card with Bob Floyd and Larry Burchart.
Fingers established himself as the premier relief pitcher in the game, and was a cornerstone of the 1972-74 A’s World Series dynasty. He was the MVP of the 1974 World Series with a win and three saves.
In 1975 he pitched the final two innings of a combined no-hitter in a game started by Vida Blue.
Dave Casper 1977 Topps
“The Ghost” is a Hall of Fame tight end who was a part of the Super Bowl XI championship team and a five-time Pro Bowler. He caught only nine passes in his first two seasons with the Raiders, but in 1976 broke through with 53 catches for 691 yards and 10 touchdowns. He is best known for his double overtime touchdown catch – his third of the game – in the 1977 AFC playoffs against Baltimore.
Rick Barry JD McCarthy Postcards
There weren’t any cards of the ABA’s Oakland Oaks in the late 1960s, but this first image of Rick Barry on a JD McCarthy postcard from the late 1960s is a must have for the serious Oakland collector.
Barry was drafted by the San Francisco Warriors out of Miami (FL) and starred for the Warriors before signing with the new Oaks franchise just an underhand free throw across the Bay.
Barry bounced around but became a fixture with the Warriors after they moved to Oakland in the 1970s. His rookie card is from the 1971-72 set when he was a member of the ABA’s New York Nets.
Joe Canseco 1986 Donruss Rated Rookie
Say what you want about Jose Canseco, but he is one of the greatest hitters of all time and also one of the greatest Oakland A’s of all time. He is the first member of the 40-40 Club, which Shohei Ohtani made obsolete with baseball’s first 50-50 season. He was a rookie of the year, an MVP, a two-time World Series winner, and he hit .266 with 462 home runs and 1,407 RBIs.
Canseco is often criticized for his admission of using steroids, but how many hundred Major leaguers did not get caught and never admitted it?
Canseco’s 1986 Donruss rookie card is his only solo rookie card. He shares his 1986 Fleer rookie card, and his 1986 Topps card is in the Topps Traded and Update set.
Gilles Meloche 1972-73 O-Pee-Chee
He was one of the greatest NHL goalies of his era, but playing on a weak team kept him from being a star while with the Golden Seals. Meloche was drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks, but they were set in goal with Tony Esposito as their starter.
Meloche went to Cleveland with the Golden Seals, and then to Minnesota when the Barons merged with the North Stars. He became an elite playoff goalie and an all-star, leading the North Stars to the Stanley Cup finals and two semi-finals.
He was the Pittsburgh Penguins starting goalie during the first few years of Mario Lemieux’s career.
If you go to an NHL game and see a fan wearing a retro Golden Seals jersey, it’s almost a guarantee that it’s a #27 Meloche jersey.
John Madden 1994 Ted Williams Card Company Roger Staubach NFL
It would have made sense to have an Action Packed card of John Madden, but even though the company made the All-Madden Team football card sets, and even though the famous Oakland raiders coach is on the back of every card, they did not make an actual John Madden card.
In 1994, the Ted Williams Card Company came out with Roger Staubach NFL Football. This was an underrated set of NFL legends.
Not only is John Madden in the set as the Raiders’ Super Bowl XI winning coach, but the photo on the card front captures the intensity with which he did it.
Mason Miller 2023 Bowman Draft Chrome Autograph
The flamethrowing A’s rookie transitioned to become a reliever this season and was named to the All-Star Game. What will always endear him to the hearts of A’s fans and collectors is that he threw the hardest pitch in the history of the Coliseum at 103.8 mph. He did it in the final at bat in the history of the stadium.
Tim Hardaway 1990-91 SkyBox RC
Unfairly to Hardaway, his rookie cards came out in the peak of an era of overproduction. But of all of his rookie cards – and that was a revolutionary time for basketball card designs – his sweetest is his 1990-91 SkyBox RC.
Hardaway was one of the NBA’s premier point guards in the 1990s and spent the first seven years of his career in Oakland after being draft by the Warriors in the first round of the 1989 draft. He was a five time NBA All-Star and a Hall of Famer. He was best known for running the Warriors’ famed Run TMC fast break with Mitch Richmond and Chris Mullin.
Derek Carr 2014 Panini Contenders Rookie Ticket Autograph
Derek Carr never won a Super Bowl for the Oakland Raiders, but he is the best quarterback in the franchise’s history. A second round draft pick, he was the first Raiders rookie in franchise history to start a season opener. He was also the only 2014 rookie to start in Week 1 at quarterback.
Carr is the Raiders all time leader in completions, passing yards and touchdown passes. He wears number 4 because his favorite player growing up was Brett Favre.
Chris Mullin 1986-87 Fleer
The Hall of Fame shooting guard/small forward was one of the best pure shooters in NBA history. Mullin was a five-time NBA All-Star and was a true leader of the Warriors. Before making it to the NBA, he was a member of the gold medal 1984 USA Olympic team, and then won another gold medal as a member of the 1992 USA Dream Team.
His rookie card is in the loaded 1986-87 Fleer set.
Mark McGwire 1985 Topps
McGwire followed directly in the footsteps of Jose Canseco, winning Rookie of the Year honors in 1987. As a rookie, McGwire hit .289 with 49 home runs with 118 RBIs. A member of the A’s World Series championship team in 1989, he also became the first player to hit 30 or more home runs in his first four full seasons.
He was a 12 time All-Star and a Gold Glove winner, and he captivated the baseball world in 1998 during his pursuit of Roger Maris’s home run record. McGwire shattered the record with 70 home runs.
McGwire admitted to using performance enhancing drugs during his career. However, he was a still a great hitter and finished his career with 583 home runs and 1,414 RBIs.
A year before his MLB debut, he appeared in the 1985 Topps USA Olympic Team subset.
Fred Biletnikoff 1965 Topps
A sure-handed receiver from Florida State, Biletnikoff was a big part of the Raiders’ AFL championship team in 1967 and their championship team in Super Bowl XI. He was the MVP of the Raiders’ Super Bowl XI win over Minnesota. He also played in Super Bowl II, which the Raiders lost to Green Bay.
With the Raiders (AFL and NFL combined), Biletnikoff had 589 receptions for 8,974 yards and 76 touchdowns. He also held a league record with 10 straight seasons of 40 or more receptions.
He was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1988.
Jim Plunkett 1990 Action Packed braille NNO
For any Jim Plunkett collector, this card is a must-have.
When Action Packed came out with their unique embossed football cards in 1990, they produced a special insert card featuring Raiders’ Super Bowl champion quarterback Jim Plunkett on a card that had the card backs embossed in braille. Plunkett’s mother was blind and his father had a high level of blindness.
Vida Blue-Gene Tenace Rookie Stars 1970 Topps
Although their first full cards are in the timeless and spectacular 1971 Topps set, Blue and Tenace appear together on a rookie card in 1970 Topps.
This card is epic for A’s collectors, as they were the marquee battery on the A’s dynasty.
Blue was a Cy Young Award winner and MVP in 1971, before the three World Series titles. Blue retired with 209 wins and 2,175 strikeouts.
Tenace, the catcher during the A’s dynasty, hit 201 home runs in his career. Even though he was a rookie when the A’s were in Oakland, he hit the last home run at Kansas City Municipal Stadium in a win over the Royals in 1972.
Klay Thompson 2012-13 Panini Rated Rookie Signatures
One of the greatest and most beloved Warriors of all time, Thompson is a five-time NBA All-Star and was a key part of the Warriors’ run of four championships between 2015 and 2022.
Known with Steph Curry as the “Splash Brothers”, Thompson is one of the best pure shooters in the game. Before being traded to the Dallas Mavericks last year, he posted a career average of 19.6 points per game and a .413 three-point shooting percentage. He has been the NBA three-point percentage leader for the last two seasons. He is also the son of former NBA star Mychal Thompson.
Ken Stabler 1973 Topps
The Hall of Fame quarterback was a four-time Pro Bowler and earned NFL MVP honors in 1974. He was a two-time leader in both completions and touchdown passes.
Known as “The Snake”, Stabler was a fan favorite in Oakland. He became the fastest starting quarterback to win 100 games, doing it in 150 games. Since then, that mark has been broken only by Terry Bradshaw, Joe Montana and Tom Brady.
Stabler was a standout basketball player and pitcher in high school, and was drafted by the New York Yankees, New York Mets and Houston Astros in consecutive years from 1966-68.
Although he was a rookie in 1970, he did not get a rookie card until the 1973 Topps set.
Draymond Green 2012-13 Panini Rookie Signatures
Draymond Green was the heart and soul of the Golden State Warriors through their championship years. He is a 12-year veteran of the Warriors and has won four NBA championships and is a four-tie All-Star, and he was also the NBA Defensive Player of the Year.
Green was loved in Oakland for wearing his heart on his sleeve. Although his career average is in single figures at 8.7 PPG (it’s 11.6 PPG in the playoffs), he can play and guard all five positions, play defense, rebound and shoot threes.
Ricky Henderson 1980 Topps
Born in Chicago, Rickey moved with his family to Oakland when he was two years old. His dream as a child was to play for the Raiders.
He was a gifted athlete, running for 1,000 yards as both a junior and senior in high school. He was drafted by the A’s and focused on baseball.
Henderson made his debut with the A’s in 1979, and then stole 100 bases in 1980, the year of his Topps rookie card.
He is the only player to have 100 runs, 100 stolen bases, and 100 walks in the same season. He did it three times.
Henderson was a 10-time All-Star, two-time World Series champion, 12-tiem stolen base leader, and he holds the MLB career records for stolen bases (1,406) and runs (2,295), and the single season stolen base record with 130.
He was a first ballot Hall of Famer.
Steph Curry 2009-10 Playoff National Treasures
There is little doubt that among all of the great Golden state Warriors to call Oakland home, Steph Curry has to be the greatest. He was the player who led the Warriors’ dynasty of NBA championships in 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2021.
Curry, arguably the most dangerous shooter in NBA history, is a four-time champion, an MVP of the Finals, a two-time regular season MVP, a 10-time All-Star, and the 2016 NBA leader in steals.
He is the son of former NBA star Dell Curry.
His rookie cards are in the 2009-10 sets. That was the last year that Topps produced NBA cards.
Reggie Jackson, 1969 Topps
In the year that Reggie Jackson’s rookie card came out, he hit 47 home runs and was on pace at one point to challenge the single season home run record of 61 held by Roger Maris. Jackson, ever the straw that stirred the drink, told Oakland reporters that he was dating a woman named Ruth Maris.
Jackson won three World Series with the A’s and two with the Yankees. He was a 14-time All-Star, the 1973 MVP, and a first ballot Hall of Famer.
A multi-sport athlete, he was offered football scholarships to be a running back at Alabama, Georgia and Oklahoma. All three schools were willing to break their own color barrier to land Jackson.
He finished his career with 563 home runs and 1,702 RBIs.
Few outside of Oakland remember this, but Jackson went back to Oakland in 1987 to finish his career, and he was teammates with young sluggers Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire. That season, he was also the last active Major Leaguer to have ever played for the Kansas City A’s.
Jackson was one of the first baseball spokesmen for the Upper Deck Company. Many of his own personal items, such as his MVP Award and World Series rings, were destroyed in two different house fires.
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