Once upon a time, when the A’s were scooping up World Series faster than you could say “Cornelius McGillicuddy,” they had a swell left fielder named Joe Rudi.
Rudi could do anything on a ballfield but get noticed. He wasn’t flashy. He wasn’t a first-name-only guy like Reggie, Vida, Rollie, Catfish, Blue Moon or Campy.
During 1971-75, when the A’s won five consecutive division titles and three World Series, Rudi averaged 17 home runs, 73 RBI, a .273 average while earning two Gold Gloves and three appearing in three All-Star games. The national media didn’t know what to do with Rudi, so they called him “underrated.