Atta boy Eck! Athletics retire Dennis Eckersley's number 43

[riverside sluggers]

Eckersley number retired by A's

 

August 13, 2005

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -- A year after his election to the Hall of Fame, pitcher Dennis Eckersley had his number retired by the Oakland Athletics on Saturday. "This is the topper,'' Eckersley said before the Athletics' game against Minnesota Twins. "This is a feeling unmatched because this is my hometown. It's as special as anything that has happened to me.'' Eckersley wore No. 43 with Oakland, and became the fourth Athletics' player to have his number retired. The others are Reggie Jackson, Catfish Hunter and Rollie Fingers. Surrounded by former teammates who helped Oakland to three consecutive World Series appearances between 1988-90, Eckersley recounted the worst and best moments of his career.

 

Kirk Gibson, in his only plate appearance, hit a two-run homer off Eckersley to end Game 1 of the 1988 World Series in Los Angeles. "It's one of my worst memories,'' Eckersley said. "I never knew it would come to this; a commercial with a guy crawling to the plate. I've seen the real deal a thousand times. At the time it was devastating but now it's easy to look back and realize it was a great moment. I just got the raw end of the deal. "Meanwhile Kirk Gibson is a coach with Detroit and I'm in the Hall of Fame.'' The best moment occurred a year later in an earthquake-delayed World Series in San Francisco.

 

"I was lucky enough to have the ball in my hand after the last out,'' he said. "That's the most incredible moment of my career.'' A 20-game winner with the Cleveland Guardians in 1978, Eckersley was converted to a reliever -- reluctantly -- when he arrived in Oakland in 1987. He recorded 320 of his career 390 saves with the Athletics. He also has 197 victories, despite spending 12 years in the bullpen. "I didn't think I was finished starting,'' he said. "Luckily they thought I was.'' A sellout crowd of more than 41,000 stood and cheered for over three minutes when he was introduced to the strands of his signature song, "Bad to the Bone.''

 

"Our theory was get Eck in the game,'' former Oakland outfielder Rickey Henderson said. "You knew the game was over.''

[Sox Fan on Cape]

A classy guy who deserves it.

[yankeessuck013]

congrats!

[Sizzlin22]

That's pretty cool, the second best closer ever deserves it.

[jlcrss9]

Unfortunately most of what people will remeber him for is the gibson homer.