Chavez reflects on induction to A's HOF

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OAKLAND -- Due to his obligations as hitting coach of the Mets, Eric Chavez was unable to attend the ceremony for the induction of him and five other members -- Ray Fosse, Sal Bando, Joe Rudi, Steve Vucinich and Keith Lieppman -- into the A’s Hall of Fame on Aug. 7. So with the Mets in town over the weekend for a three-game series at the Coliseum, Chavez was honored with a special pregame moment of recognition in which he addressed the crowd and received his A’s Hall of Fame jacket from team president Dave Kaval.

Before the ceremony, Chavez, whose 13-year career with the A’s included six Gold Glove Awards for his stellar defense at third base, sat down in the Mets dugout and took some time to discuss his return to Oakland:

What does it mean to you to be part of this year’s A’s Hall of Fame class and be able to receive your kelly green jacket?

Chavez: It’s pretty cool. The history here in Oakland goes pretty deep. A lot of good players have come through here. But, honestly, recognizing two staff members that I grew up with here, Steve Vucinich and Keith Lieppman, these guys didn’t always get the headlines but meant a lot to the organization. Keith Lieppman basically helped raise me. I had many talks with him in Arizona before I started my career and he opened my eyes. He asked me, ‘How long do you want to play this game?’ I told him 10 years. He goes, ‘You kidding me? Why not 15 or 17?’ It ended up being about 17 years. He taught me a lot about the game. For the A’s to honor guys who not only played on the field, but [were] part of the organization as a whole, I thought was very classy.

What’s the biggest memory that hits you first when you walk back into this place?

Chavez: Honestly, like visually, we used to hit golf balls from home plate over Mt. Davis in the outfield. I saw [A’s groundskeeper] Clay Wood and, I know a lot has been said about the stadium and whatnot, but the playing surface has always been phenomenal. I walked out here and saw Clay and was just really appreciative of the work his crew always did over the years turning the stadium from football to baseball the very next day. The playing surface, I really appreciated the hard work they put in.

How are you liking the hitting coach role?

Chavez: I love it. I always gravitated towards the hitting aspect of the game. Learning all the stuff I’ve learned from guys like Jason [Giambi] to playing with guys like [Derek] Jeter and A-Rod later in my career and getting together with Kevin Long, who really helped me reinvent my swing later in my career, there was a lot of knowledge that I was part of for all those years. I just wanted to give back. Hitting is extremely hard, and I felt like I could help out in that area.

After the A’s hired Mark Kotsay as manager, did he reach out at all about bringing you on the coaching staff?

Chavez: I did talk to Mark a little bit and he told me I’m probably making more money in New York than I could in Oakland, and I told him he was probably right. But I talked to Billy [Beane] about possibly doing something. He said, "I’ll call you back in a week." But I think he was going to Turks and Caicos Islands or something and might have forgotten to call me back. But I do love this organization. I love all the people I kind of grew up with, and Mark’s a good one. Mark and I have known each other for a really long time. We’re really good friends. I got to talk with him and Brad [Ausmus] earlier. It’s good to see them all.