Dave Hudgens had his only hit against a Blue Jays great. Now he joins the team as a bench coach – The Athletic

Dave Hudgens’ only major-league hit came in his only major-league start.

It was 1983. He was 26, and after a season in Triple A, during which he hit .279 with 21 home runs, Hudgens was rewarded by the Oakland Athletics with a September call-up, the first — and only — of his career.

He wasn’t getting much playing time, however. Most of his at-bats were coming via late-inning pinch-hit opportunities.

Then, on Sept. 25, he was listed as the A’s starting DH in a game against the Toronto Blue Jays.

The opposing starter that day?

Dave Stieb.

“I think the reason I started off him was because nobody else wanted to play,” Hudgens said of Stieb, who finished that season with a 3.04 ERA.

After a fly out and a groundout in his first two at-bats, Hudgens stepped to the plate in the bottom of the sixth, and on his third try against Stieb, he hit a single to left field.

“Nothing fantastic,” he said, “but…