We say happy birthday to Joe Rudi who was born on this day in 1946.
The Oakland A's won 3 consecutive World Series titles in 1972, 1973 & 1974. They also won AL West division titles in 1971 and 1975.
The A's had great players, from Reggie Jackson to Catfish Hunter to Rollie Fingers. All 3 are in the Hall of Fame.
They also had the quiet but extremely reliable Joe Rudi in left field.
Rudi broke with the A's in 1967 and became a regular in 1970 with a .305 average. He played left field for the A's until free agency blew up the team after the 1976 season.
Rudi retired with the Angels after 1982: .264 career average, 179 HR, 810 RBI & 3 Gold Gloves for his amazing work in left field.
And he made a great catch in game 7 of the 1972 World Series to win the first title!