Oakland Athletics Rookie Is Leading The Charge

Oakland Athletics’ recent call up Ryon Healy has injected the team with a breath of fresh air. The former Oregon Duck ,no stranger to success, is competing hard and having fun.

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Oakland Athletics rookie third baseman, Ryon Healy is the perfect addition to the team’s Green Collar baseball theme. The team may be sitting below .500 and may not have the firepower the San Francisco Giants possess, but the mix of young and veteran players make the team at O.co Coliseum fun to watch.

With the energy Healy has brought to the club since arriving from the minors, fans should expect a few more shaving cream pies for the rookie if he keeps up the pace he’s on. He certainly gave the team a jolt after his walk off home run against the Tampa Bay Rays Saturday night and he has both the club and the fans buzzing.

After dealing with a case of the butterflies after a 0 for 4 debut, Healy has settled in. The West Hills, CA native delivered his first two major league hits — including the game winning three-run shot over the left field wall against the Toronto Blue Jays.

Some would not have thought Healy would be the rookie sensation in the A’s youth movement. Oakland is seemingly trying to get younger by the day while still trying to stay competitive, and he is helping them do just that. For Healy though, he has played this hard since his days at PK Park in Eugene, Oregon.

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Regardless of sport, Oregon Ducks are winners. It might surprise some, but Oregon is not all about a football team coming out with flashy new uniforms on Saturdays. Before the rise of football, Steve Prefontaine dazzled spectators at Hayward Field, the site of Tracktown USA.

Oregon has produced quality teams in sports other than football. And their baseball team has seen a nice influx of talent since its return in 2009. Presumably, the university wanted a piece of the action after the success of longtime Oregon State coach Pat Casey who helped the Beavers win back-to-back titles.

One big reason for the success of Oregon’s baseball program was the hiring of head coach George Horton. With a successful career building and managing a Cal State Fullerton program that produced a national title in 2004, Horton was chosen by the Oregon Athletic Department to lead their program.

Oregon immediately put itself in “win now” mode and didn’t want the program to flounder — and Horton wanted the challenge of building the Oregon baseball program. He’s done a nice job making the Ducks a perennial contender despite missing out on the postseason this past year.

As a freshman at Oregon, Healy made an impact right away, appearing in 37 games and leading the team with four home runs and a .320 batting average. His breakout came in his junior year when he hit .333 with 11 home runs, scored 44 runs, and knocked in 56 RBI’s.

Consistent improvement in his game as well as his power got him drafted by the Athletics in the third round of the 2013 amateur draft. The question for Healy then became about his dedication to reach the ultimate goal.

The road to the show can never be easy. Players in the farm systems have to come ready to play and improve each day or they ultimately get moved down the pecking order. From the Oregon players selected in the draft, Healy was the closest one to making the Majors after the program restart.

He proved to be a good pick for the Athletics as he accelerated through the A’s farm system. With his persistence and solid play while with AAA Nashville in the PCL, Healy finally got his opportunity to wear the green and gold — two colors he is very familiar with.

Healy’s early success is the just the beginning for Oregon products, as there are a number of other Ducks who are about to have an impact on Bay Area sports. Former Ducks Arik Armstead and DeForest Buckner will be making big plays defensively under Chip Kelly and the San Francisco 49ers.

Not to be outdone, but a little bit farther down the road, the Giants have their own Oregon product in their farm system in pitcher Matt Krook. A 2016 pick in the fourth round, Krook has seen a rebirth with single A Salem-Keizer. In his six starts, he has posted a 1.80 ERA and seems to be developing well. He may still have a long road ahead of him, but has the tools to succeed.

Next: Oakland Athletics Are Plagued By Injury And Misfortune

For now, the early impact Healy is making for Oakland is a delight for A’s and Ducks fans alike. He is just one of many examples of athletes who compete hard and show through their sheer perseverance and will to win, that good things will come. The only concern Healy should have right now, are the pranks the A’s are known to pull on their rookies.