Tuesdays, 6:00 – 7:50 pm (PT) • 6 weeks • October 22 – December 3
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Since the team's Oakland debut in 1968, the Athletics have experienced some of the most dramatic fluctuations in fortune among sports franchises. With a controversial move to Las Vegas looming after a protracted negotiation to remain in the East Bay, the Athletics will play their next three seasons in a minor league ballpark in Sacramento.
This course immerses students in the history of the rise and fall of this once-revered franchise. Led by an instructor with 14 years of executive experience during the team's heyday, it features insightful conversations with key figures from the Athletics' history in sports, politics, and economics. From the World Series era, featuring icons like Reggie Jackson and Catfish Hunter, to the powerhouse '80s and '90s, led by slugger Mark McGwire and closer Dennis Eckersley, and through the groundbreaking Moneyball era pioneered by general manager Billy Beane, the A's have taken their fans on a roller-coaster journey of triumphs and setbacks.
Join us as we dive into the complex identity of the Oakland Athletics as they continue to grapple with relocation challenges and maintain the unwavering loyalty of their fanbase.
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Course Instructor
Andy DolichPresident, Dolich Consulting
Andy Dolich has held executive positions in the MLB, NFL, NBA, and NHL with the Oakland A's, San Francisco 49ers, Golden State Warriors, Memphis Grizzlies, and Washington Capitals. He is the executive vice president of Fan Controlled Sports and Entertainment. Dolich is a co-author of Goodbye, Oakland: Winning, Wanderlust, and a Sports Town's Fight for Survival with Dave Newhouse and of 20 Secrets to Success for NCAA Student-Athletes and LOL, Loss of Logo: What's Your Next Move? He is also the co-host of the podcast Life in the Front Office and a columnist for the Ultimate Sports Guide.
Guest Speakers
Dave Stewart
Former Oakland A's Starting Pitcher
Dave Stewart's MLB playing career spanned 1978–1995. He won three World Series with different clubs while compiling a career record of 168–129, including 20 games in four consecutive seasons. He pitched for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Texas Rangers, Philadelphia Phillies, Oakland A's, and Toronto Blue Jays. Stewart was an All-Star known for his intimidating pitching style and postseason performances. He won one World Series MVP and two League Championship MVPs. After playing, he served as a pitching coach, assistant general manager, general manager, sports agent, and TV broadcaster for NBC Sports Bay Area, where he currently handles the A's post-game broadcasts.
Scott Ostler
San Francisco Chronicle Sports Columnist
Scott Ostler has been a sports columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle since 1991. He has covered five Olympics, World Cup soccer, and numerous World Series, Super Bowls, and NBA Finals. Ostler has authored several books and written for many national publications. He was voted California Sportswriter of the Year 13 times, including six times while at the San Francisco Chronicle. Previously, he worked for The Los Angeles Times, The National Sports Daily, and the Long Beach Press-Telegram.
Mark Purdy
Former San Jose Mercury News Sports Columnist
Mark Purdy was a San Jose Mercury News columnist for 33 years, where he informed readers with his commentaries on sports and life. He covered 14 Olympics and 32 Super Bowls and was named one of America's Top 10 sports columnists. In 1990, he and his colleagues won the Pulitzer Prize in General News Reporting for their coverage of the 1989 Loma Prieta "World Series" earthquake. Purdy coined the Sharks' secondary nickname of "Los Tiburones" and gave the moniker of "McCovey Cove" to the body of water outside the Giants ballpark.
Ted Robinson
National Sports Broadcaster
Ted Robinson is a multisports national broadcaster with NBC Sports, where he is a play-by-play announcer for tennis and Olympic swimming and diving. He also calls college football and basketball for the NBC Sports Network. He works for the Tennis Channel and the former PAC-12 Network. He was the radio play-by-play announcer for the San Francisco 49ers from 2009 to 2018.
Dave Newhouse
Former Oakland Tribune Sports Columnist and Co-Author of Goodbye, Oakland: Winning, Wanderlust, and a Sports Town's Fight for Survival
Dave Newhouse has been a prominent figure in the Bay Area sports scene since the 1940s. He was an award-winning sports writer and columnist for the Oakland Tribune, a pioneer among sports talk show hosts on San Francisco radio, and is the author of 19 books. His most recent book, Goodbye, Oakland: Winning, Wanderlust, and a Sports Town's Fight for Survival, co-authored with Andy Dolich, explores the story of Oakland losing its professional sports teams.
Former Oakland A's Starting Pitcher
Dave Stewart's MLB playing career spanned 1978–1995. He won three World Series with different clubs while compiling a career record of 168–129, including 20 games in four consecutive seasons. He pitched for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Texas Rangers, Philadelphia Phillies, Oakland A's, and Toronto Blue Jays. Stewart was an All-Star known for his intimidating pitching style and postseason performances. He won one World Series MVP and two League Championship MVPs. After playing, he served as a pitching coach, assistant general manager, general manager, sports agent, and TV broadcaster for NBC Sports Bay Area, where he currently handles the A's post-game broadcasts.
Scott Ostler
San Francisco Chronicle Sports Columnist
Scott Ostler has been a sports columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle since 1991. He has covered five Olympics, World Cup soccer, and numerous World Series, Super Bowls, and NBA Finals. Ostler has authored several books and written for many national publications. He was voted California Sportswriter of the Year 13 times, including six times while at the San Francisco Chronicle. Previously, he worked for The Los Angeles Times, The National Sports Daily, and the Long Beach Press-Telegram.
Mark Purdy
Former San Jose Mercury News Sports Columnist
Mark Purdy was a San Jose Mercury News columnist for 33 years, where he informed readers with his commentaries on sports and life. He covered 14 Olympics and 32 Super Bowls and was named one of America's Top 10 sports columnists. In 1990, he and his colleagues won the Pulitzer Prize in General News Reporting for their coverage of the 1989 Loma Prieta "World Series" earthquake. Purdy coined the Sharks' secondary nickname of "Los Tiburones" and gave the moniker of "McCovey Cove" to the body of water outside the Giants ballpark.
Ted Robinson
National Sports Broadcaster
Ted Robinson is a multisports national broadcaster with NBC Sports, where he is a play-by-play announcer for tennis and Olympic swimming and diving. He also calls college football and basketball for the NBC Sports Network. He works for the Tennis Channel and the former PAC-12 Network. He was the radio play-by-play announcer for the San Francisco 49ers from 2009 to 2018.
Dave Newhouse
Former Oakland Tribune Sports Columnist and Co-Author of Goodbye, Oakland: Winning, Wanderlust, and a Sports Town's Fight for Survival
Dave Newhouse has been a prominent figure in the Bay Area sports scene since the 1940s. He was an award-winning sports writer and columnist for the Oakland Tribune, a pioneer among sports talk show hosts on San Francisco radio, and is the author of 19 books. His most recent book, Goodbye, Oakland: Winning, Wanderlust, and a Sports Town's Fight for Survival, co-authored with Andy Dolich, explores the story of Oakland losing its professional sports teams.