Who is the man: Gene Tenace played in 38 games for the A's in 1970, spending most of the season with the Triple A Iowa Oaks.
Can ya dig it: That No. 38 on his jersey looks ginormous.
Right on: First solo card! He appears with Vida Blue on a Rookie Stars card in the 1970 Topps set.
You see this cat Tenace is a bad mother: Tenace was the 1972 World Series MVP, helping Oakland to its first world championship. He was the first player to hit home runs in each of his first two World Series at-bats.
Shut your mouth: Tenace's name appears in the movie "Anchorman," as sportscaster Champ Kind describes his catch phrase: "Gene Tenace at the plate and whammy!"
No one understands him but his woman: Tenace was threatened by a man with a gun at the 1972 World Series. After Tenace hit his first home run, a man behind home plate started telling fans around him that if Tenace hit another one, the man would shoot Tenace. A woman alerted the police, who found a loaded revolver on the man. For the rest of the Series, FBI agents followed Tenace wherever he went and his family couldn't see him. Ten years later, at the 1982 World Series, Tenace received a letter from the same man apologizing for what he had done.
(A word about the back): That .305 average in 1970 would be the only time Tenance hit above .300 in a season during his 15-year career.
I didn't remember Tenace ever being clean shaven. After a quick look at his cards on Zistle I found that he didn't have his 'stache until 1974. All of his Topps cards from 1974 until his last one in 1984 had the mustache.
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