1964 Topps Tony LaRussa Al Lopez

Kansas City Athletics CTNW Favorites #5

Picking the top 5 Athletics from the KC era is a tough task. During the 13 years the A's spent in Kansas City, they finished last 6 times, second to last 5 times and never finished better than 7th. They have never had a Cy Young award winner, Rookie of the Year or MVP. The one thing they seemed to have no shortage of is Hall of Fame players turned Coach and/or Manager. They also had several players who went on to become great managers. Not only did they have a young Tony LaRussa but also Billy Martin, Whitey Herzog, Tommy Lasorda, and Dick Williams all played for the Kansas City A's.

1978 Topps Managers: 2011 N.L. Playoff Edition

In the divisional series we compared the team broadcasters as players. For the championship series we can compare the managers as players.

Ron Roenicke was an utility outfielder and pinch hitter who played on 6 major league teams from 1981-1988 hitting a meager .238.

Tony La Russa broke into the majors in 1963, then bumped back and forth from 1968- 1973. He primarily was in the Athletics organization but also played in the Braves and Cubs organizations. He was a middle infielder who hit .199 in 176 at bats.