
PROGRAMMING NOTE: NBC Sports California is looking back at the A's 50 Memorable Moments since the franchise relocated to Oakland in 1968. Below are the next two moments you can vote on. Tune into A's Pregame Live tonight at 4:30pm to watch highlights of the two moments. After the A's and Royals conclude, tune into A's Postgame Live to see which moment will move on to the next round!
1. Dallas Braden's Perfect Game on Mother's Day 2010 (Six-time winner -- Defeated Jason Kendall scores game-winning run on errant throw back to pitcher in 2005)
(From Dallas Braden)
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Well, they haven’t taken it away yet so I guess it might not be a dream after all. It’s still insane to think that on such a special day for so many people, my teammates and I were able to etch ourselves into the hearts of A’s fans everywhere.
In the moment, I had no clue. At the same time, I was fully aware. Completely focused and emotionally distracted at the same time. Hell, I talked myself into the wrong count in the last at-bat of the game. The 27th out. In that moment I had no clue. No clue I’d become the vehicle for such an emotional moment shared between mothers and their families across baseball that special day. I do believe that’s what I was -- merely a vehicle to connect people through our beautiful game. My mom, along with the baseball gods, and Landon Powell, I guess, all steered us down the path of history and to be able to share and relive those special moments and memories is a blessing a young little leaguer can only dream of.
I hope that through my passion for the game you feel the same love I, myself, my wife, baby girl, and grandmother have felt from each of you, the fans of the Green & Gold. We couldn’t be happier to share this Mother’s Day and every Mother’s Day from here on out, TOGETHER! It’s a perfect fit if you ask me.
VS.
2. A's four-game sweep of the Yankees in 2012
(From A's play-by-play broadcaster Glen Kuiper)
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The A's reached the All-Star Break in 2012 with a record of 43-43, nine games out of 1st place. The team had showed signs of being pretty good, but just had not put it all together. That all changed during a four-game series against the Yankees in July.
In Game 1, a 1st inning home run by Yeonis Cespedes got the crowd going immediately, and the A's went on to win 4-3.
In Game 2, another thriller that ended with a Brandon Moss walk-off single for a 3-2 win.
Game 3 featured a Cespedes solo home run in the 4th, and Brandon Inge a solo home run in the 8th to break a 1-1 tie, and the A's won 2-1. I remember thinking after Game 3 that this team may be finally putting it all together.
Game 4 left no doubt in my mind that something special was starting to happen. Down 4-0 early, the A's fought back. Seth Smith tied it in the bottom of the 9th with a solo home run that sent the Coliseum into a frenzy. I had goosebumps sitting in the booth. In the bottom of the 12th, Coco Crisp won it with a walk-off single.
A four-game sweep. All four wins by one run, and two walk-offs. Each game the crowds got bigger and louder. I was 100 percent convinced that this team was going to roll in the 2nd half, and they did. After the four-game sweep of the Yankees, the A's went 43-24 the rest of the way. They finished the regular season with a six-game winning streak and won the division on the final day. The 2012 season was the most enjoyable season I have had in my broadcasting career. A special team with special players. Man, that was fun.
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