Mark McGwire Returns to the Athletics

Mark McGwire is making a comeback with the Oakland Athletics, this time as a special assistant in player development.

This is somewhat of a reunion for him, having spent a significant part of his career—around 12 seasons—with the Athletics while playing in Oakland.

Drafted 10th overall by the Athletics in 1984, McGwire grabbed the spotlight by winning the American League Rookie of the Year in 1987, hitting 49 home runs, which was a record for rookies at that time.

During his tenure, he was a vital contributor to Oakland’s teams that claimed three consecutive American League pennants from 1988 to 1990, including the 1989 World Series title against the San Francisco Giants.

He famously teamed up with Jose Canseco for six seasons in Oakland, a duo that became known as “The Bash Brothers,” remembered fondly by fans.

Then, in 1997, he joined the St. Louis Cardinals and gained even more fame, notably breaking Roger Maris’s single-season home run record in 1998—a remarkable chapter in a home run race with Sammy Sosa.

McGwire called it a career after the 2001 season, having racked up 583 home runs and earning 12 All-Star selections.

Although he faced hurdles with Hall of Fame induction during his active years, primarily due to steroid allegations, he was inducted into the Athletics’ Hall of Fame in 2019.

This isn’t McGwire’s first time on a coaching staff; he served as the hitting coach for the Cardinals from 2010 to 2012, and he did the same for the Dodgers from 2013 to 2015. He was also a bench coach for the Padres during the 2017 and 2018 seasons.

As for the Athletics, they are currently based in Sacramento, marking at least the second season after the team’s departure from Oakland, where they had been since 1968. They have plans to relocate to Las Vegas by the 2028 season.