Zito, Mulder & Hudson to be inducted into A’s Hall of Fame

The following release is courtesy of Athletics Communications

The “Big Three” of Tim Hudson, Mark Mulder and Barry Zito, along with former Kansas City and Oakland A’s broadcaster Monte Moore, will be inducted into the Athletics Hall of Fame on Sept. 13 prior to the A’s 7:05 game against Cincinnati, the club announced today.

The trio of Hudson, Mulder and Zito were the mainstays of the A’s starting rotation that made four straight playoff appearances from 2000-03, winning three American League West titles and one AL Wild Card.

The “Big Three” pitched together from 2000-04 and combined for a 234-119 (.663) record and a 3.54 ERA in 464 starts over that five year span.  All three were home-grown players as Hudson was a sixth round draft pick in 1997 while Mulder and Zito were first round selections in 1998 and 1999 respectively.

Hudson was the first of the three to make his Major League debut and went 11-2 with a 3.23 ERA in 21 starts as a rookie in 1999.  He followed that up with a league-leading 20 wins in 2000, when he was named to his first of two All-Star teams and finished second in American League Cy Young balloting.  Hudson finished his A’s career with a 92-39 record, .702 winning percentage, 3.30 ERA, 899 strikeouts, 16 complete games and eight shutouts in 183 starts in six seasons.

Mulder joined the A’s early in the 2000 season and had his breakthrough campaign in 2001 when he went 21-8 with a 3.45 ERA in 34 starts.  He finished second in AL Cy Young balloting that year and led the league in wins and shutouts (4).  Mulder won 19 games the following season and earned back-to-back All-Star nods in 2003 and 2004, earning the start in the 2004 All-Star Game at Houston.  He led the league in complete games in 2003 (9) and 2004 (5) and finished his five years in the Green and Gold 81-42 with a 3.98 ERA, 22 complete games and eight shutouts in 150 starts.

Of the three players, Zito spent the most seasons with the A’s, logging a 102-63 record, a 3.58 ERA, nine complete games, four shutouts and 1,098 strikeouts in 225 games over eight seasons.  He won the AL Cy Young Award in 2002 after posting a 23-5 record and a 2.75 ERA in 35 starts.  Zito was named to his first of three All-Star teams that year, also earning the honor in 2003 and 2006.  He led the AL in wins in 2002 and topped the circuit in games started in 2001, 02, 05 and 06.

Moore broadcasted A’s games on radio and television for more than 20 years.  He was hired by Charlie Finley to call Kansas City A’s games on KCMO in 1962 and continued his role as the voice of the A’s when the club moved west to Oakland in 1968.

During the A’s run of three consecutive World Championships from 1972-74, Moore introduced the term “dinger” on his broadcasts and began bringing a bell to the ballpark, which he would ring when “The Swinging A’s” homered.  The 1977 season would be Moore’s last on the radio, although he continued his duties on A’s television broadcasts for three more seasons.  Moore returned in 1988 as the play-by-play man on KPIX-TV and would call games on television for five more years.

All three of the players have Sacramento ties as Mulder (two starts) and Zito (18 starts) pitched for the River Cats in 2000 before being promoted to Oakland.  Hudson had one rehab start with Sacramento in 2004.

When is the next Athletics game?

• Monday, June 2nd – Thursday, June 5th – vs. Minnesota Twins
• Friday, June 6th-Sunday, June 8th – vs. Baltimore Orioles
• Monday, June 9th – Wednesday, June 11th – @ Los Angeles Angels
• Friday, June 13th-Sunday, June 15th – @ Kansas City Royals
• Monday, June 16th – Thursday, June 20th – vs. Houston Astros

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