Eric Cesar Chavez (born on December 7, 1977) is an American Major League Baseball infielder for the New York Yankees. Chavez has previously played for the Oakland Athletics (1998–2010). Chavez has won six Rawlings Gold Glove Awards (2001–2006).

Chavez's high school success was such that in the 1996 Major League Baseball Draft, he was selected by the Oakland Athletics in the first round as the tenth pick. Chavez eventually chose a professional baseball career over a full scholarship at the University of Southern California (USC), signing with the Athletics on August 27, 1996. His time in the minor leagues was relatively short, lasting just under two seasons. He spent the 1997 season playing for the Visalia Oaks, the Single-A team in the Athletics' farm system. He played 134 games, all at third base, and hit .271 with 18 home runs and 100 RBI. Before the start of the 1998 season, Chavez was promoted to the Double-A Huntsville Stars. After 88 games, he had a batting average of .328, 28 home runs, 86 RBIs, 12 stolen bases, and a triple. His efforts caused him to be promoted to the Edmonton Trappers, where in 47 games he hit 11 home runs and had a .325 batting average. When Edmonton's season finished up on September 8, 1998, he was called up to the major leagues. He finished his minor league career by being named Minor League Player of the Year by Baseball America, as well as earning the J.G. Taylor Spink Award as the Topps/NAPBL Minor League Player of the Year.

Joshua Holt Hamilton (born May 21, 1981) is an American professional baseball player. An outfielder, Hamilton has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) since 2007. A member of the Texas Rangers (2008–present), he also played for the Cincinnati Reds (2007). He is a four-time MLB All Star and American League Most Valuable Player in 2010.

He was the first overall pick in the 1999 MLB draft by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. He was considered a blue chip prospect until injuries and a drug addiction derailed his career, beginning in 2001. Prior to the 2007 season, Hamilton was selected by the Chicago Cubs (picking for the Cincinnati Reds) in the Rule 5 Draft. He made his MLB debut in 2007 with the Reds and had a successful rookie season. During the off-season he was traded to the Texas Rangers for Edinson Volquez and Daniel Ray Herrera.

After his torrid start to the 2008 season, Hamilton was named to the American League All Star team, and made the All-Star team the next three seasons as well. He also participated in the Home Run Derby, where he hit a record 28 home runs in the opening round and finished with 35 home runs, which was second-most all-time in derby history. Hamilton won the AL batting title in 2010. On October 22, 2010, Hamilton was selected as MVP of the 2010 ALCS. On November 23, 2010, Hamilton was named the 2010 AL MVP, earning 22 of 28 first-place votes. On May 8, 2012 Hamilton became the 16th player in Major League history to hit four home runs in a game, and set an AL record for total bases in a game with 18.

Dallas Lee Braden (born August 13, 1983) is an American professional baseball pitcher with the Oakland Athletics of Major League Baseball. He was drafted out of Texas Tech University in the twenty fourth round of the 2004 Major League Baseball Draft by the Athletics. On May 9, 2010, Braden pitched the nineteenth perfect game in baseball history, in Oakland, defeating the Tampa Bay Rays, 4-0.

Braden was born in Phoenix, Arizona. He played Little League baseball in Stockton, California, playing in the Hoover Tyler Little League. Braden threw out the first pitch at the opening ceremonies of the 2006 Little League World Series.

Braden graduated from Stagg High School in Stockton, California, where he played baseball and ran cross country. His mother, Jodie Atwood, died of cancer during his senior year. After his mother's death, he lived with his maternal grandmother.

Before playing for the Texas Tech Red Raiders, Braden posted a combined record of 12-4 in two seasons at American River College. He threw a complete game against Fresno City College while allowing one hit and striking out 14 batters.

William Lamar "Billy" Beane III (born March 29, 1962) is a former Major League Baseball player and the current general manager (GM) and minority owner of the Oakland Athletics. Prior to his front office career, he played for the New York Mets (1984–85), Minnesota Twins (1986–87), Detroit Tigers (1988), and Oakland Athletics (1989). He joined the Athletics' front office as a scout in 1990, and was named GM after the 1997 season.

A first round draft pick, Beane's playing career failed to meet the expectations of the scouts, who projected him as a star. In his front office career, Beane has applied statistical analysis to players, known as sabermetrics, which has led all teams to reconsider how they evaluate players. He is the subject of Michael Lewis' 2003 book on baseball economics, Moneyball, which was made into a 2011 film starring Brad Pitt as Beane. Pitt was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his portrayal of Beane.

Beane grew up in Hollywood, Florida and San Diego, California, the child of a career military family. His father, a naval officer, taught him how to pitch. At Mt. Carmel High School (San Diego, California), he excelled at baseball, football, and basketball, but gave up football to avoid an injury that could prematurely end his baseball career. Despite this, Stanford University tried to recruit Beane on a joint baseball-football scholarship as the quarterback who would replace then-sophomore John Elway for the Stanford Cardinal football team.