Mark McGwire is back with the A’s.
The former big league slugger was hired by the team as special assistant to player development, according to the Associated Press.
It’s a homecoming of sorts for McGwire, who spent parts of 12 seasons with the A’s during their days in Oakland.
McGwire, who was taken No. 10 overall by the A’s in the 1984 MLB Draft, won the 1987 American League Rookie of the Year and hit a then-rookie record 49 home runs.
Former Oakland Athletics Mark McGwire waves to fans after being inducted into the A’s Hall of Fame prior to the baseball game against the Texas Rangers, Sept. 21, 2019, in Oakland, Calif. AP
He was a key part of the Oakland team that won three straight AL pennants from 1988-90, including a 1989 World Series championship over their cross-bay rival Giants.
McGwire and Jose Canseco made up one of the most iconic duos in baseball history, nicknamed the “Bash Brothers,” during their six seasons together in Oakland.
In 1997, McGwire was dealt to the Cardinals, with whom he became an even larger figure in the game of baseball, breaking the single-season home run record set by Roger Maris in 1998 during a historic home run race with Sammy Sosa.
McGwire retired after the 2001 season, having hit 583 home runs and made 12 All-Star teams.
Since his playing days, McGwire has been held out of the Baseball Hall of Fame due to his ties to steroids, although the A’s inducted him into their team Hall of Fame in 2019.
Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire of the Oakland Athletics celebrate during a 1990 MLB season game at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland, California. Getty Images
It’s not the first time McGwire will be part of a team’s staff.
From 2010-12, McGwire served as the hitting coach for the Cardinals before taking the same position with the Dodgers from 2013-15.
He served as the bench coach for the Padres in the 2017 and ’18 seasons.
The A’s are entering their second of at least three seasons in Sacramento since leaving Oakland, which was where they had played since 1968.
The franchise is aiming to move to their permanent home in Las Vegas for the 2028 season.
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