The Athletics on Sunday formally retired Dave Stewart's No. 34 in a ceremony featuring people important to him, including Carnie Lansford, Reggie Jackson, Tony La Russa and more.
While many interacted with Stewart in various ways, perhaps one thing stands out to them: how fierce Stewart was on the field.
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Having known Stewart since he was a young boy, former A's outfielder Jackson explained how there was no one else he would rather have with him in a tough situation than Stewart.
"If they can give you one guy in the stadium to be with you in the fox hole, that has no understanding of the word 'fear,' it would be Dave Stewart," Jackson said.
What's more, former A's manager La Russa shared Jackson's sentiment.
"I understood a concept of fear because I feared Dave Stewart," La Russa said to the delight of the crowd. "Try to get him out of a game when he didn't want to come. Try to keep his innings pitched under 300. You should fear it and I feared it."
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Additionally, La Russa made note of Stewart's intensity by sharing a moment he remembers from the 1992 ALDS.
"We all walk in the clubhouse and there's Stew standing in front of everybody," La Russa recalls. "He told everybody, 'I don't want to hear of this negative crap, you bring your bags packed for Game 5 because we're going to Toronto.
"I will not let us lose.' "
La Russa went on to say Stewart pitched a complete game with the A's winning 5-2, and it showed what kind of player Stewart was: one that was accountable and did what needed to be done to win.
Stewart's will to win, compete and be the best pitcher he could be was not lost on former A's infielder Lansford.
Lansford recalled when Oakland traded for St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Joaquin Andujar. The latter had a relatively negative message to the team: the A's would not have a 20-game winner because they 'didn't know how.'
"I remember looking at Stew and Stew said to Joaquin, 'Is that right?'," Lansford said. "Four years later, Stew is a four-time 20-game winner."
That said, while Stewart was an incredible competitor on the field, he was a champion for Oakland off of it. This was apparent when Stewart went above and beyond in helping the community recover after the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake.
"Whatever you need, he will be there for you," La Russa said.
Stewart has stated that helping out the community after the earthquake was his "proudest moment" in Oakland, which makes sense considering it is his hometown.
For Stewart, being very competitive was just something he was used to, pantomiming striking out the best players with his brother. That was what he called to be the "beginning" of his dream and where his love for baseball came about.
He developed a chip on his shoulder when he talked with former teammate Dusty Baker, who told him to "make them take the uniform off your back," which helped save Stewart's career.
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In the end, Stewart was very appreciative of the opportunity he was given, eventually helping lead the A's to numerous World Series appearances, winning the World Series MVP in 1989.
"Thank you very much for putting me in a place that I never thought I would be. Thank you very much that, up until today, I didn't think I'd belong. Thank you," Stewart concluded.
With all that he's done for the A's, it's clear that there will never be another Stewart.
And with that being the case, A's fans are happy just the way that it is.