A Brief Stay
Nick Hundley helps with preparations for the Coliseum visit
He wasn’t in Oakland for a long time, but he was there for a good time. Nick Hundley played in nearly 1,000 MLB games between 2008-2019. Only 31 were in Green and Gold.
For the kid who played high school ball in Kirkland, Washington, though, it makes sense that his final big league home games would take place in a stadium where you could fit a Costco between the dugouts and the base lines.
Hundley was nice enough to take a break from the Texas Rangers’ trade deadline meetings to share some memories from his 2019 season.
It was only five years ago that he suited up for a very good A’s team. I wondered how the home clubhouse felt. “Very similar to the visitor’s side,” he says right on cue.
We’ve all heard plenty about the problems with the Coliseum, not to mention the ugly public battles to keep the team in Oakland. This week I’m much more interested in the positives.
“It was one of those places that made you better as a team because you’re around the guys in close proximity,” Hundley shares. “We had a really good team and guys banded together.”
He rattles off the names of many teammates from that 97-win team that ultimately lost in the one-game Wild Card against Tampa Bay. They included position players Matt Olson, Marcus Semien, Matt Chapman, Ramon Laureano, and Mark Canha, as well as pitchers Brett Anderson, Chris Bassett, Frankie Montas (who was traded for the fifth time in his career yesterday), Sean Manaea, Jesus Luzardo, Liam Hendricks, Joaquim Soria, Blake Treinen, and Lou Trivino. That’s one hell of a core. Not one player from the 2019 roster remains in Oakland; no one seems to come to Oakland for a long time.
The A’s drew 1,670,000 fans that year, more than twice the amount that showed up last season.
Hundley gave some thought to the clubhouse conditions for the players. “The amenities were such that…” and he pauses. “It’s a place we went for the people. The people you walked on the field with were amazing. We were in it together. Nobody wanted to come to Oakland to play as a visitor, so we had the advantage.” Home-field advantage, East Bay-style.
The former catcher, a second-round selection of the Padres back in 2005, began working as a special assistant to the General Manager for the Rangers prior to the 2022 season. That GM, of course, is Chris Young, Hundley’s former battery mate with the Padres from 2008-2010. They won the World Series together as executives last year. Still, some of the charms of the Coliseum spark an innocent enthusiasm.
During the baseball season, he explains, the Raiders locker room — just above the baseball team’s clubhouse — was converted into the family room for the A’s. Hundley sounded giddy as he looked back on the opportunity to peek behind the curtain of a sacred space of the storied NFL franchise.
As for the places the rest of us can access: “Go into the outfield bleachers and experience the drums, the signs, the chants.”
Hundley’s four home ballparks prior to landing in Oakland were Petco Park, Camden Yards, Coors Field, and AT&T Park (now Oracle Park). After those shrines, maybe he was overdue for a little time at the Coliseum.
“It was a really interesting place to get ready to play, but at the end of the day, you’re playing in a big league ballgame. You either get the job done or you don’t.”
A’s Appreciation Week at WTP continues tomorrow! The trade deadline is at 6pm ET / 3pm PT today (Tuesday). It’s a fun week around here.