Oakland A's 2016 Player Profile: Josh Reddick

It was on December 28th, 2011 when Josh Reddick made his way to Oakland from Boston, via a trade that saw Andrew Bailey and Ryan Sweeney swapped for Reddick and a pair of minor leaguers. Just over four years and several wild facial hair experiments later, here we are.

Some quick-facts on our beardy outfielder:

• Name: William Joshua "Josh" Reddick (#22)
• Born: February 19th, 1987 (29 on Opening Day 2016) in Savannah, GA
• Height/Weight: 6'2"/180lbs

(Reddick's contract will see him on the team for all of the 2016 season, though Beane has hinted that there could be room for the Georgian to stay longer, but that remains to be seen.)

• Reddick is from Georgia, and if you know anything about him at all, it's probably this fact. (Or perhaps you just remember when his walk-up song was the Wham! classic, 'Careless Whisper'... which is a fine thing to remember, as well) Mainly, because he will not let you forget his Georgia pride.
• Reddick attended Middle Georgia College, but is a die-hard UGA Bulldogs Football fan. He even has two dogs which are, you guessed it ... bulldogs.

• During college football season, Reddick can usually be found live-tweeting UGA games with gusto. (As a side note, Reddick's Twitter and Instagram need to be brought up. Just in general. Mainly because he wins at the Internet, mainly for gold like this)
• At 6'2" and 180lbs, Reddick is not a big, beefy guy by just about any standards, which is why it's all that much more amusing when he covers himself in WWE bling -- one of his other favorite things in life.
• Reddick is pretty much Spider-Man. He likes to scale outfield walls in his spare time to scoop potential home runs away from the opposing team.
• Since the beginning, Reddick has had fun with his beard and hair, always doing something new and wild, going from a charming-country-boy look to the Manic Caveman.
• In 2014, Reddick selected Wham's 'Careless Whisper' as his walk-up song, which got so much response from fans, they were seen bringing saxophones (plastic or otherwise) into O.co Coliseum to serenade Reddick with when he walked up to the plate, his choice cut blasting through the air.

On the side of his stats, Reddick's numbers have only grown since he was shipped from Boston four years ago, as well as his acrobatics in the outfield, making him a more solid player year by year. And at 28, he's still young and has room to grow.

While many things are unpredictable, it's nice to have a character to enjoy on the squad who is sure to provide entertainment on and off the field, no matter what's happening around him. And always remember ...

"Time can never mend
The careless whispers of a good friend  
To the heart and mind
Ignorance is kind
There's no comfort in the truth
Pain is all you'll find..."

-G. Michael (1984)

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