When the Big 3 were money
From 2000-2003, the A’s went to the playoffs every year. The main reason, despite what you might read or see elsewhere: the Big Three.
In 2002, the year Michael Lewis highlighted in the book “Moneyball,” the A’s had a high on-base percentage, a stat featured heavily in Lewis’ book, but they finished in the middle of the pack in runs scored — while they led the league in ERA. Mark Mulder, Tim Hudson and Barry Zito combined for 57 wins and Zito earned the Cy Young.
“It was as much if not more the Big Three than it was ‘Moneyball,’ ” onetime A’s outfielder Eric Byrnes said. “That was a philosophy, but you still have to have pitching and the one thing Oakland had was pitching.
“Zito, Mulder and Hudson, when they were at the top of their game and pushing each other every single night, it was fun to watch the competition. I don’t think any of them would admit it, but I think they wanted to upstage each other.”
General manager Billy Beane pointed out that that the three starters fit the “Moneyball” ideal as low-risk collegians. Hudson, in particular, was a bargain, lasting until the sixth round of the draft because of his small stature, while Zito was knocked by some teams because he didn’t throw hard. Beane often has joked that drafting the three pitchers made him look smarter, and there’s no doubt they drove the A’s success: During their time in Oakland, the Big Three went a combined 275144, and they made seven All-Star appearances.
“That was obviously a unique situation,” Hudson said. “I think a lot of GMs around baseball would give their right arm for that. My time in Oakland, pretty much any time any of us was mentioned, we were all grouped together. That was kind of our identity, which was great.”
They were often compared to the original Big Three, Atlanta’s John Smoltz, Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux, though the Braves developed only Glavine.
“I thought people make a little bit too much of a big deal about that,” Mulder said. “You look at what the guys in Atlanta did, we can’t even compare to that. I do think it made us better, being compared to them, though.”
“After 2001, it was really the Big Three,” Zito said. “We had that energy. I thought it was flattering to be included in that group.”
The three came up within a year of each other and though lumped together, they have distinct personalities. Smallframed but fearless Hudson; thoughtful and unusual Zito, who initially drew attention for wearing outlandish clothes and carrying pink pillows and scented candles with him on the road; and Mulder, known by teammates as “the golden child’’ for his supreme confidence and his all-around athletic ability.
“You could tell they were something special,” former A’s first baseman Jason Giambi said. “Huddy was such a bulldog. I loved the way he competed, the way he threw the ball, he was incredible. Zito was always zany, but he had such great stuff and it was so fun to watch him develop. We rode him about the pink pillows. Mulder came up and he was the anchor. Every night, we felt we had a chance to win.”
“Zito is exactly how he’s described; very eccentric, basically on his own planet,” said Byrnes, a close friend of the left-hander. “He’s a very hard worker and pitching is an art for him. He was so dedicated to his craft — I’ve never seen anyone care so much, that was the biggest misconception about Barry, that he was loopy or flaky, that’s the last thing he was.
“Mulder was just doing what he does. He’s 6-6 and left-handed and the most physically gifted of the three. He was going to get outs, he was so talented, he’d just go at guys. Huddy for me is the little engine that could, the ringleader. The Alabama gunslinger, he got by on straight grit. He was going to put it all out there, he was cutthroat. You want him on your side in a fight, and don’t ever play poker with him. He took an entire paycheck from me once.”
Early on, Hudson gained a reputation for gutsiness, after stare-downs with stars such as Nomar Garciaparra and Barry Bonds. Hudson’s Aug. 19, 1999, start at Fenway Park vs. Pedro Martinez stood out for Rick Peterson, then the A’s pitching coach.
“I took him to the corner of the clubhouse to explain, ‘There’s no place like this, but if you can keep your focus, you’re not facing Pedro, you’re facing the Boston lineup,’ ” Peterson said. “Timmy was looking at me with this cool Clint Eastwood squint and he said, ‘Rick, I’m pitching against Pedro Martinez at Fenway Park in the pennant race. That’s what I’ve waited for my whole life.’ ”
Zito displayed equal poise during big games, according to Peterson, who recalled a conversation with the rookie before his Game 4 start in the 2000 division series, with the A’s facing elimination. Peterson was trying to chit-chat with Zito to make sure he was relaxed when, Peterson said, “I realized he hadn’t heard a word. Barry’s looking at the 360 degree panorama of Yankee Stadium and he said, ‘Rick, this is the real Yankee Stadium. This is the playoffs.’ ”
Zito then took off his jacked and cheerfully told outfielder Matt Stairs how much fun the game would be.
“Art Howe was filling out the lineup card and he said, ‘How’s the kid?’ ” Peterson said. “I said, ‘Better than you and I are.’ ”
The trio was split up after the 2004 season, when in a stunning three-day span, Beane traded Hudson to Atlanta and Mulder to St. Louis. After the 2006 season, the Giants signed Zito to a $126 million deal, then the richest ever for a pitcher; he was with the Giants for championships in 2010 and 2012, while Hudson was a member of the Giants’ 2014 title team.