MLB: Oakland A's...Team News, Game Updates, Love and Tears

2008-11-25T11:39:00.000-08:00

Catch the A's at spring training in 2009--great tickets are here!

2008-10-30T11:35:00.001-07:00

Get out there and vote next Tuesday, November 4th, Oakland!

2008-10-20T09:30:00.000-07:00

What do you think? Are the A's shopping Street? Full article here, but I'm interested in other viewpoints.

Smith vs. Milwood Tonight

2008-09-22T12:56:00.000-07:00

I have no doubt that Greg Smith can hold his own against the Rangers' pitcher in this week's series. I'm just a little nervous about the rest of the team.

Star Spangled Banner

2008-07-03T11:15:00.000-07:00

Cheesy though it may be, the 4th of July always makes me feel patriotic. The rest of the year, I grumble about fat, lazy, greedy Americans. But when the fireworks displays go off in the background during a live performance of our national anthem, I get all mushy inside and proud of where we live.

This year I'm watching the SF Symphony in Mountain View. A quick search for California event tickets for the Fourth gave me the idea. I'll be sure to bring my Kleenex, in case I, uh, get something in my eye.

Vida Blue

2008-06-30T10:36:00.000-07:00

Last week's game was Vida Blue Day for the fans. Fans got to see him throw the first pitch and take home replica jerseys. Here's an article about it. What a cool dude.

A is for All Star

2008-06-28T11:02:00.000-07:00

Vote for your A's! The voting ends July 2nd, and our guys are not looking too good so far. I know it's unlikely that most of you will be traveling across the country with MLB All-Star Game tickets in hand, but it'll still be more fun to watch on TV with familiar faces. So c'mon, give our guys a chance. Show your pride and vote! It'll be like practice for November.

Thank You, Duch of Hurl!

2008-06-23T10:31:00.001-07:00

Sunday's game was beautiful! A 7-1 win against the Marlins. Nice! Some of his teammates had not-so-great moments in the game, but Justin Duchscherer stayed focus and pulled everyone through. Great job!

Want info? Nope, still not getting it.

2007-10-09T10:09:00.000-07:00

I've been wondering this question too, so thought this particular Q&A was interesting. From MLB.com:

"What's the real deal with the changes on the medical staff? I'm glad they did something, but I don't really know what this something means.
-- Lance W., Austin, Texas

I have no idea what the real deal is. It's no secret that some of the players have been unsatisfied with the medical staff over the past few years, and Beane made it clear at the end of the season that changes were likely to be made. But the organization in general has been extremely tight-lipped about all things medical, so you shouldn't hold your breath if you're expecting some serious light to be shed on the situation. It's being kept strictly in-house."

New managers can be a good thing

2007-06-04T15:59:00.000-07:00

I don't know exactly what it is, but I like Bob Geren. I didn't hate Art Howe or Ken Macha, but I just got a feeling that they weren't as open. Like they were in it to sell tickets, and didn't care about the love of baseball, maybe.

It feels different now, somehow. I just wish the Oakland A's had brought Geren in a year earlier!

Lost vs Mariners

2007-04-04T08:57:00.000-07:00

Superior defense was a hallmark of the 2006 American League West champions, but a sixth-inning error led to four unearned runs and an Opening Day loss to the host Mariners on Monday.

A routinely reliable bullpen helped define the 2006 club, too, but the two most consistent members of that unit were the primary culprits in Tuesday's 8-4 loss at Safeco Field.

2007-01-16T11:51:00.000-08:00

Is anyone excited about the Oakland A's offer to Erstad? Or does everyone loathe the idea?

Piazza Learning the DH

2006-12-10T18:26:00.000-08:00

Mike Piazza was signed by the Oakland Athletics this week to become the designated hitter and occasion the catcher. Piazza signed a 1-year $8.5 million deal with the A's where he will be playing in a new league at a new position. Piazza had a decent year last season with the San Diego Padres, and the A's are hoping to get a repeat performance in 2007.

The Fremont A's?

2006-11-16T09:24:00.000-08:00

I doubt it. But (possibly) picking a new name is a minor consideration when the big news is that the Oakland A's will be getting a new stadium. Twenty-five miles south of Oakland, but not all the way to San Jose, where the company that's footing the bill is based. Cisco, the world's largest maker of computer-networking stuff, is rumored to be planning to be planning some techie-type features like a way to buy your hotdogs and beer from your seat, using a wireless device.

We'll have to wait a bit to see such wonders, of course. The new ballpark will take two or three years to construct. But the A's are committed to Oakland and McAfee Coliseum through 2010 anyway. So we've got awhile to argue about their name.

31 Scariest

2006-10-31T14:05:00.000-08:00

Moments in sports. That was in the sports section of the Sacramento Bee, what with this being Halloween. They ran the whole gamut, from Mike Tyson chomping on Evander Holyfield's ear to attempted (maniac vs. Monica Seles) and actual (terrorists vs. Israeli Olympians) assassinations.

Makes you appreciate how fun it is to be scared by Halloween ghosts and goblins as opposed to real life!

Ken Macha Leaving Oakland Athletics

2006-10-18T08:08:00.000-07:00

Interesting that a lot of MLB managers whose teams didn't come anywhere near the playoffs will be hanging onto their jobs, while the manager who was there to guide the Oakland A's well into the playoff brackets won't. Getting swept by the Detroit Tigers out of the ALCS didn't gain Ken Macha any gold stars, but sometimes a team is just "due" -- that's how the Tigers' march to the World Series has felt. But if 2006 is the year of the Tiger, couldn't 2007 be the year for the A's?

Commentary about Macha and his players and A's GM Billy Beane all hint at communication problems. Interesting that so many relationships, business and personal, succeed or fail based not on specific knowledge or skill but on communication.

Bradley to Oakland A's: Keep Standing Up

2006-10-14T15:30:00.000-07:00

Oh, no, I wanted to put my 2 cents worth in here while my Oakland Athletics were ahead in Game 4--because if they don't finish ahead, it's Game Last for 2006. I liked what Milton Bradley said about the A's having heart and just needing to keep standing up.

Sure enough, as soon as I started typing, the Tigers tied things up! So I'm shutting up and going back to pacing in front of the TV.

Athletics Coast to Playoffs

2006-10-02T12:02:00.000-07:00

The Oakland Athletics have been looking sub-par lately, but they did what they had to do to make their way into the postseason. The Athletics ended the season on a good note with a win against the Los Angeles Angels who won the first 3 games of the series. On Tuesday, October 3, the Athletics begin the postseason in Minnesota to face off against the Twins. These two teams seem evenly matched, so this should be an exciting series to watch.

Trouble in the West

2006-07-11T10:35:00.000-07:00

Am I the only Oakland A’s fan whose feeling slightly fragile at the moment? A 1-3 series loss against the Angels and with games against the Boston Red Sox and Detroit Tigers coming up… I feel our position in the AL West is somewhat tenuous. I have worries about the Texas Rangers. Some say they can’t finish off a season when they’re on a run like this, but there up and down results are enough to scare me. Let’s see…

I think we may be exaggerating his value a little.

2006-06-12T16:37:00.001-07:00

The Oakland A’s are just behind the Texas Rangers in the AL West. We had some luck using Mike Rouse against the New York Yankees whom we swept this weekend. Yes – I said we swept the New York Yankees in a three game series.

Rouse proved valuable in the series and there is talk that he might unseat Marco Scutaro when Bobby Crosby returns. Rouse appears to be a better hitter but I think that is only because Scutaro hasn’t been himself this year. We can’t forget that Marco Scutaro has been a major contributor on this team for the past few seasons. I don’t think Mike Rouse will be taking anyone’s well-earned spot just because he put forth an incredible effort in this one series. He did a great job but it will take more than a few great plays to keep him from returning to the Minors after this substitution gig is over.

I think we may be exaggerating his value a little.

2006-06-12T16:37:00.000-07:00

Rookies Are Shining This Season

2006-05-17T09:14:00.000-07:00

The Oakland A's outfielder Nick Swisher is shaping up to be one of the best rookies in the majors this year and he’s doing some great hitting for the team. Swisher has 12 home runs, 30 RBIs and a .305 batting average. I’m predicting that he’ll get American League Rookie of the year if he keeps this playing up, although his main competition is the Yankee’s second baseman Robinson Cano. Are there any thoughts on this year’s astounding rookies from any other baseball fans out there?

9 in a row to follow losing streak.

2006-04-18T18:18:00.000-07:00

The Oakland A’s win over the Texas Rangers featured back to back home runs by Milton Bradley, Eric Chavez and Frank Thomas. The 5-4 win was a nice end to our four game losing streak, but it didn’t seem to boost the confidence of the team at all. We ended up losing the series to the Rangers on Sunday. We are staying at home to meet up with the Detroit Tigers and won’t have another break for at least 9 games. We need to win some of those games.

Can’t talk. Watching basketball.

2006-03-27T17:58:00.000-08:00

I find it hard to pay attention to spring training while March Madness is going on. UCLA made it to the final four and the Oakland A’s won 2 and lost 1 this weekend. I watched a ton of college basketball in the past two days and hardly had time to watch any spring training coverage. Opening Day is one week away, so I expect my attention will turn to baseball in due time.

Oakland A’s Fan Says Black Eyed Peas Got It

2006-02-27T11:30:00.000-08:00

I’ve been into some great music lately. I picked up the Black Eyed Peas new album. A friend recommended it and I am a lover of hip-hop so I bought it. I am hooked on My Humps. That song is just playful and catchy. Now I have to go see them at the Oakland Arena on May 12 with the Pussycat Dolls.

Baseball Fans Look to Lakers

2006-02-12T20:33:00.000-08:00

Oakland A’s fans don’t have to look far for entertainment in the off season. The Los Angeles Lakers have been making plenty of people stop and watch this season. Kobe Bryant has been the star of the team again this season and notably scored over eighty points in one game.

WBC Controversy Comes to Light

2006-01-23T14:59:00.000-08:00

I can’t believe that Cuba was being refused admission into the World Baseball Classic. They aren’t terrorists, they are baseball players and it shouldn’t matter what country they are from. If you are going to hold an event called the World Baseball Classic then the world has to be welcome. I am glad Cuba is going to be permitted to play but it never should have been in question.

Rockies Todd Helton: Good Man, Great Player

2006-01-16T13:08:00.000-08:00

There has been a lot of talk recently about Rockies infielder Todd Helton. He is the personification of the great players and good men of baseball’s legendary past. Todd Helton has mentioned that during the 2005 season he was plagued by back pain and played his best despite his suffering. We never heard about this last year and he never took time off from the game. That kind of dedication in a player has not been seen by this fan in a long time. With all the pretentious fame-frenzied sports personalities we hear about every day it is nice to see a man so committed to his team that he puts his personal issues aside when its time to work.

Players Use Winter Leagues For Conditioning

2006-01-07T17:16:00.000-08:00

Many players in Major League Baseball spend the off-season playing in the winter leagues. Many of those players are pitchers who need to show their teams that they are taking extra time to condition themselves for spring training and regular season play. A few players use the winter leagues to gain visibility because Major League teams watch the winter leagues for veteran players who are improving their game. Venezuela and the Dominican Republic are a few countries that have winter leagues. This fan wishes those games were televised so we could have baseball all year round. That’s what I call Heaven.

Historical Event and Rebuilding Year

2005-12-30T12:45:00.000-08:00

The Oakland A’s had a great 2005 season. We started out slow and inconsistent but tightened up and finished a close second in the American League West. Some believe that 2005 was a rebuilding year for the A’s. I have no doubt we will start next season with a winning record because we spent the time to rebuild.

In March of 2006 the best baseball players in the world will battle for their countries in the first World Baseball Classic. Sixteen countries will compete for eighteen days in the tournament and the winner will have the world title.

Milton Bradley Big Gamble

2005-12-23T17:30:00.000-08:00

The Oakland A’s rolled the dice and chose to take on Milton Bradley. So many people are upset at the teams gamble on this player. He has health issues and personal problems that make him look like a bad gamble from a fan’s prospective. The A’s management team claims that he is worth the risk and thinks that Bradley could possibly lead this team to the playoffs. I don’t think Bradley is really all that, but if they think he can benefit the team I can’t condemn them for their decision to add him to the roster. I also can’t deny that he is a fine ball player.

Milton Bradley to Play for A’s

2005-12-14T14:39:00.000-08:00

So many changes occur during the Winter Meeting that it is hard to keep track of who went where and how much they went for. The Oakland A’s made some changes gaining some depth in the outfield and in the infield. We acquired Milton Bradley and Antonio Perez from the Los Angeles Dodgers and Ned Colletti. Oakland really needed some hitters and that is what they got. If Bradley can stay healthy his bat can be a real asset to this team. Perez and Bradley seem to be very versatile players. Bradley has a reputation for being a troublemaker off the field, yet the A’s feel he is an acceptable risk considering he can be rewarding to the team as a hitter.

Kids Count on Baseball Players

2005-12-06T18:52:00.000-08:00

I truly believe that baseball is the most culturally conscious and patriotic sport of all. During the off season the teams do a great many charitable things for their own communities. The players’ reputations as role models are on the line with the whole steroids scandal, yet many of them remain the all-American heroes our children can still look up to. Supporting your local baseball team goes further than buying new stadiums and paying key players enormous salaries, because they give back whenever and however they can. Children are looking up to baseball players for their commitment and athleticism, not for the bling they wear or their egotistical rhetoric.

Mets want Molina, Rangers Trade Blalock

2005-11-25T16:13:00.000-08:00

It looks like the New York Mets are courting Bengie Molina to fill the position of catcher. When Mike Piazza left, the Mets turned all their player acquisition attention to the catcher role. The Marlins are trading Mike Lowell and Josh Beckett to the Texas Rangers who are offering up Hank Blalock and John Danks. The Texas Rangers like many MLB teams are focusing most of their player acquisitions on improving their bullpen. The Oakland A’s will probably lose and gain some good players before the spring and let’s hope we can improve in all our weak areas.

Mancha Gone and Kendall on the Way Out

2005-11-20T13:55:00.000-08:00

There are a lot of questions this off-season about where our Oakland A’s are going. Who is going to replace Ken Macha as manager of the A’s? Will we move Jason Kendall to free up some salary room because that ten million dollar contract is choking us? Kendall had a great impact on how this team did this season and it would be a shame to just throw out someone with his leadership skills. It seems that every team in Major League Baseball is dead focused on their pitching right now and we are no different. Kendall’s trade value would have to go up for releasing him to make any sense and he would need a better bating average for that to happen.

Play Through the Pain

2005-06-16T15:43:00.000-07:00

In the golden years of baseball, players would always play through the pain, probably because they didn’t have a choice on the matter. I think ball players now and days are babied way too much. For example Athletics’ short stop Bobby Crosby missed the first two months of the regular season due to some cracked ribs, which is fine I understand that. Yet when he came back he tweaked his ankle a bit and the coaches are giving him days off in practice and considering giving him a couple of days off from game days.

Back Problems

2005-06-06T12:58:00.000-07:00

Center fielder Mark Kotsay is out due to a back injury. It is highly doubtful that he will make the coast to coast trip to Washington D.C. to play the Nationals in a three game series. Kotsay is more likely to stay back in Oakland to have certain test done on his back. If all goes well with the tests, he may end up meeting up with the rest of his team later on in the series, maybe.

Houston Street

2005-05-31T15:55:00.000-07:00

I myself am a Texas native and an Oakland Athletics fan, so to see Huston Street pick up his second win in just 1 2/3 innings just makes me all warm inside. For those of you who don’t know about Houston Street, he is a Texas native as well and played for my Alma Mater, University of Texas at Austin.

The Athletics ended up beating the Devil Rays 5-4 in an llth inning game last night. Street was brought in to close and pitched flawlessly not giving up any runs.

Did You Ever Think It?

2005-05-25T15:45:00.000-07:00

I would have never thought at any point last year that our Oakland Athletics would be 17-27. Not to mention we are dead last in the American League West Division.

Yeah, that means we are 8 ½ games back behind the division leading Angels. Something has got to give. I know we have the pitching and hitting capability, so why don't we use them?

Go A's

Bad Habits

2005-05-23T14:46:00.000-07:00

From what I hear two American League scouts reported to the Athletics that the reason right-handed-pitcher Danny Haren is struggling when he faces a team’s line up the second time around in the game, it is simply because Haren has fallen into an unlikely predictable pitch-sequence pattern. This is a very bad habit to have for a pitcher. By the 4th or 5th inning it becomes batting practice for opposing teams.

Not Forgotten

2005-05-17T11:06:00.000-07:00

It almost seems the second Baseman Mark Ellis who missed all of the 2004 with a torn labrum in his right shoulder, is being overlooked. Why? Well, as insurance the A's traded for Keith Ginter as a safety net. Although something happened to Ellis during rehab. Ellis has been playing so well that Ginter has been riding the pine. Ellis was a college shortstop, and is not as suave as most second basemen but he retains the fundamentals to be a starting 2B and one of the team's much needed consistent hitters.

The Pay Off

2005-05-09T13:57:00.000-07:00

from Foxsports.com

Switch-hitting OF Bobby Kielty's improvement from the left side of the plate is the result of reduced movement as he waits for the pitch. Kielty, who hit .172 from the left side last year, wasn't keeping his lower body still enough. He spent the offseason working on keeping his body "quiet" in the box, and the work has paid off.

Pitching Woes

2005-04-25T12:15:00.000-07:00

Joe Blanton fell to 0-2 despite limiting the Angels to one run over eight innings tonight. Blanton has a 1.75 ERA after four starts, but the A's have scored a total of four runs while he's been in the game. Blanton isn't this good, so don't go picking him up in shallow mixed leagues. On the other hand, the Oakland offense isn't this bad, so do expect him to have a fair amount of value in AL-only leagues.

Scouting ahead

2005-04-10T17:28:00.001-07:00

from Foxsports.com

CF Mark Kotsay isn't a prototypical leadoff hitter because he often hacks at the first pitch he sees, but since aborting his attempts early in 2004 to follow the A's philosophy of patience at the plate, he has been tremendous. He isn't extremely fast, but he's a smart baserunner who likes to challenge outfielders. And when someone challenges Kotsay's arm, he usually wins the battle.

What don't we Know

2005-03-23T12:16:00.000-08:00

from Foxsports.com

With two weeks left in camp, the A's still haven't settled on a starter at three positions -- left field, right field and second base. Eric Byrnes had a career year in 2004, but his name still surfaces in trade rumors, and the team hasn't done anything to quiet them. If he's with the club come opening day, he'll likely start in left, and rookie Nick Swisher seems to be the favorite to land in right, but Charles Thomas and Bobby Kielty are going to get plenty of playing time. At second base, Mark Ellis has been outstanding in all phases of the game, but the A's would like to add some righthanded pop to their lefthanded-leaning lineup. And Keith Ginter, who is Ellis' primary competition for the starting job, has more power potential. Closer Octavio Dotel is a bit of a concern at this point because he was limited by elbow trouble late last season and still isn't close to throwing in the 92-96-mph range that he needs to be effective.

Spring Training

2005-02-28T16:08:00.000-08:00

from Foxsports.com

The A's have five pitchers competing for the last two spots in the rotation. It'll be a challenge to get RHPs Joe Blanton, Keiichi Yabu, Seth Etherton and Kirk Saarloos and LHP Dan Meyer enough spring innings. One or more of that group may pitch in minor league games on occasion. Saarloos pitched well as a fill-in for injured RHP Tim Hudson last season but is recovering himself from bone spurs in his elbow.

Hot Prospect

2005-02-16T16:44:00.000-08:00

from Foxsports.com

Shortstop Omar Quintanilla, a former teammate of Street's at the University of Texas, was one of the top hitters in the 2004 Arizona Fall League. The A's have reigning A.L. Rookie of the Year Bobby Crosby at short, though, so they'll move Quintanilla over to second base this spring. He'll work extensively with infield coach Ron Washington before sending him back to minor league camp shortly after Cactus League games begin. A sandwich pick in 2003 who was selected 33rd overall, Quintanilla, 23, batted .314 in 108 games with Class A Modesto and batted .351 with 20 RBIs in 20 games at Class AA Midland.

Juiced

2005-02-07T10:19:00.000-08:00

Jose Canseco has a book coming out entitled “Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant 'Roids, Smash Hits, and How Baseball Got Big”.

Sorry to Canseco fans anywhere, but that is a big slap in the face to Major League Baseball. I do not condone his book at all, and is not because I feel his statements are false, it is cause they’re more likely the truth.

In the book Canseco starts pointing figners at Mark McGwire, Jason Giambi, Rafael Palmeiro, Ivan Rodriguez and Juan Gonzalez.

Canseco says he intrudced these players to steroids, and at times he seems as if he is condoneing steroid usuage in big league sports.

The only interesting thing is when Canseco talks about President Bush, and how he knew about the steroid useage on the Rangers back in 1992 when Bush was a general managing partner.

New Blood

2005-01-27T14:54:00.000-08:00

Now that the Oakland has relievers such as Juan Cruz and Kiko Calero, there is good possibility that Jairo Garcia could get sent back to the minors.

Garcia came over from single - A ball to MLB last year, and needs to learn several things such as control and the running game. It is important for the younger players not to get so let down when sent back down to the minors. They are lucky enough to still be playing, remember guys practice makes perfect.

Go A's!!!!!

A's acquire Haren, two other Cardinals

2004-12-20T10:04:00.000-08:00

ESPN.com news services

The Oakland Athletics traded their second top starter in three days, sending left-hander Mark Mulder to the National League champion St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday for a package of prospects.

The deal, first reported by ESPN's Peter Gammons, could provide the Cardinals the ace starter they sorely lacked when they got swept by the Boston Red Sox in the World Series.

Mulder follows Tim Hudson out of town, leaving Barry Zito as the only remaining member of Oakland's vaunted "Big Three" pitchers. Hudson was dealt to Atlanta on Thursday for three mostly unproven players.

In return for Mulder, the A's acquired pitchers Danny Haren and Kiko Calero and minor league catcher Daric Barton.

"We're extremely excited to have obtained a pitcher of Mark's caliber," Cardinals general manager Walt Jocketty said. "He is the top of the rotation-type pitcher we've been working hard to obtain this offseason. It was difficult to part with the three players we traded but to acquire someone like Mulder we felt that this deal worked for us in several ways."

Mulder replaces Woody Williams, who was not offered salary arbitration by the Cardinals and signed a free-agent deal earlier this month with San Diego. Mulder will join Chris Carpenter, Jason Marquis, Jeff Suppan and Matt Morris in a rotation where all five pitchers won at least 15 games last season. Morris might not be available until May after going undergoing offseason shoulder surgery.

Mulder might have some health questions of his own, especially after his perplexing finish to last season.

The 6-foot-6 lefty, the AL starter in the All-Star game, seemed destined for Cy Young award consideration midway through the season, but went winless in his last seven starts -- 0-4 with a 7.27 ERA.

On Aug. 24, he became the first 17-game winner in the majors, then didn't win again. There was speculation he was hurt and not telling anyone.

Mulder missed the end of the 2003 season with a stress fracture in his right leg near the hip, then pitched a team-high 225 2-3 innings in 2004.

Mark Mulder started the All-Star game for the AL last season, but pitched poorly down the stretch.

He repeatedly claimed to be healthy despite a drop in his velocity late in the year. Manager Ken Macha said the day after the season Mulder probably did become worn down by his heavy work load.

Mulder (17-8) pitched so poorly during the playoff push, the A's briefly considered skipping his turn and using September callup Joe Blanton during the final weekend against Anaheim. Mulder did get the call, but was knocked out after two innings, his shortest outing of the season -- and the A's wound up missing the playoffs for the first time in five years.

He was drafted second overall by the A's in 1998 and was signed through the 2005 season with a club option to return in 2006.

After Hudson was swapped to the Braves, the news of Mulder's departure was even more shocking. At least in Hudson's case, there had been rumors swirling.

"What, you've got to be kidding me," outfielder Eric Byrnes said of Mulder being traded. "Wow. I don't know what to tell you."

Oakland GM Billy Beane still believes the A's will be competitive in the challenging AL West, though he knows plenty of people will be skeptical about the team's chances. He watched Sandy Alderson trade Mark McGwire to St. Louis in 1997, "and at that time supposedly the franchise was going to collapse," Beane said.

Oakland competed in 1999 and started its string of four straight trips to the playoffs in 2000.

"Certainly there's a lot of the future involved in this," Beane said. "I think with certain areas, we've improved. I'm not discounting 2005 either. We have to be very patient with three positions, that being the three starting pitchers."

Haren, a 24-year-old right-hander, was 3-3 with a 4.50 ERA in 14 games, including five starts, in three stints with the Cardinals last season.

Calero went 3-1 with two saves and a 2.78 ERA in 41 relief appearances for St. Louis in 2004, allowing a .176 opponent batting average.

Barton was the Cardinals' first-round pick (28th overall) in 2003. He spent last season at Single-A Peoria, where he batted .313 with 13 home runs and 77 RBIss.

This was the first major league trade between the clubs since the A's dealt Mark McGwire to St. Louis on July 31, 1997, for T.J. Mathews and minor league pitchers Blake Stein and Eric Ludwick.

For Kendall, Playoffs the Payoff

2004-12-01T13:43:00.000-08:00

By Tony Kuttner / Special to MLB.com

For the second time in his life, Jason Kendall owns an Oakland A's baseball hat."My third grade hat was an Oakland A's hat," said Kendall, who was in town Tuesday for his introduction to the Bay Area after the trade over the weekend that sent him from Pittsburgh in exchange for pitchers Mark Redman and Arthur Rhodes, plus cash considerations.

Kendall, who wasn't particularly an A's fan while growing up in Southern California, said, "It was just the one I put on. The dog ate it, and it was all ripped up.

"Now the one I have is real nice."

What makes his latest green-and-gold lid -- and the No. 18 jersey that goes along with it -- so appealing is not so much the pristine condition, as it is what the uniform symbolizes.

"I want to play after Oct. 4," said the three-time All-Star, who in nine seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates never played on a team with a winning record and only once finished closer than 13 games out of first place. "It's not fun making your vacation arrangements in September every year. It's not fun to be playing the spoiler role."

Instead, Kendall will be playing a pivotal role for the A's, who will be trying to get back to the playoffs after falling short of that goal in 2004 for the first time in since 1999.

"I couldn't be happier to be an Oakland A," Kendall said. "I want to win, and I want to help bring the world championship back to Oakland."

That's exactly what general manager Billy Beane had in mind when he pulled the trigger on the trade over Thanksgiving weekend. In fact, Beane opened the proceedings Tuesday by squelching any rumors about Oakland turning around and swapping Kendall in another deal, saying he looks forward to watching his new catcher for at least the remaining three years on Kendall's contract.

"I think you could make the argument that he has the chance to be the best catcher this franchise has seen since it moved to Oakland," Beane said, after first paying tribute to former Oakland backstops Terry Steinbach and Ramon Hernandez. "I'm not ready to give him Mickey Cochrane's mantel in Philadelphia, but we're excited to have him."

Still, from the sound of things Tuesday, no one could be more excited than Kendall himself.

"I'm much happier when I wake up in the morning," Kendall said. "I know I'm going to be in the pennant race in September, and that's the best Christmas present I could have."

Beane suggested there will be more presents under the A's tree, what with the Winter Meetings coming up between now and the holiday.

But even if nothing else gets done, Kendall likes where he is now a whole lot better than where he was before.

Kendall, who had spent his entire career with the Pirates in the National League, has little more than a professional acquaintance with most of his new teammates. He did get a chance to see the A's in action a few times during Interleague Play, including three times last year.

"You can tell that by stepping on the field and playing against them, you can tell they've got a good bunch of guys out here," he said. "But the thing I like about them is they're hard-nosed ballplayers, they're not going to be scared to take out a second baseman, they're not going to be scared to go out and get in a fight."

Kendall and the Pirates were swept by the A's in three games at the Coliseum in 2004, and the catcher hit just .182 (2-for-11) against the A's staff.

Now Kendall will have a much more advantageous relationship with Oakland's Big Three -- starters Mark Mulder, Tim Hudson and Barry Zito -- and he's relishing that opportunity.

"Obviously that's all you hear: Big Three, Big Three, Big Three," he said. "I'm excited, and it's going to be neat to work with guys of that caliber."

But the best thing about it from Kendall's perspective is what teaming up with those guys could do for his October plans.

"I want to be the team that goes out and beats the Yankees, that goes out and beats the Red Sox," he said. "The guys that we have here have the ability and the chemistry to go do that."

Johnson, Garcia Nab Top Honors

2004-10-17T11:43:00.000-07:00

By Mychael Urban / MLB.com

OAKLAND -- First baseman Dan Johnson's monster year at the plate and right-hander Jairo Garcia's tantalizing season on the mound have earned them the highest honors that a player in the A's minor league system can receive.

Oakland announced on Wednesday that Johnson has been named the A's Organizational Player of the Year, and Garcia has been named Pitcher of the Year.

The A's seventh-round pick in the 2001 draft, Johnson was named the Pacific Coast League's MVP after batting .299 with 29 home runs and 111 RBIs for Triple-A Sacramento. His RBI total was tops among all players in the A's minor league system and was second among PCL players.

Johnson got even hotter in the playoffs, batting .458 (11-for-24) with two home runs and six RBIs as the River Cats captured their second straight PCL title. After going 4-for-5 in the title-clinching game on Sept. 17, he was named the PCL's postseason MVP.

Johnson was called up to Oakland on Sept. 18, but he didn't get into any of the A's last 15 games of the season due to a case of vertigo.

Garcia zoomed through the A's system this season, starting at Single-A Kane County before being promoted to Double-A Midland on June 24. He was promoted again, to Sacramento, on July 30 and went a combined 4-2 with 19 saves and a 1.46 ERA in 49 minor league appearances this season, striking out 102 batters in 61 2/3 innings.

Garcia was called up to Oakland on Aug. 9 and made his big league debut that day in Minnesota, tossing two scoreless innings against the Twins. However, he gave up three earned runs in each of his next two outings and was sent back down. He was recalled from Sacramento for a second time on Sept. 14 and appeared in one game for the A's.

Say Hello to Mark Kotsay

2004-09-23T13:00:00.000-07:00

Mark Kotsay has with out a doubt, has proven his worth in centerfield and in the leadoff spot. Last Novemeber general manager Billy Beane traded All-Star catcher Ramon Hernandez and a unhappy outfielder in Terrence Long to San Diego for Kotsay.

Why?

Because, his catch-and-throw technique is so polished you can't tell when the ball goes in the glove and leaves his hand talent was of coursed gain through his life time of baseball fundamentals growing playing in highschool and college, and it was during his college year of 1995 at Cal State Fullerton, where he was chosen as the national player of the year, leading his team to the College World Series title.
for the A's.

Go A's!

Zito Continues to Impress

2004-09-13T08:28:00.000-07:00

It wasn't that Jake Westbrook pitched a bad game. In fact Westbrook(12-8) pitched eight innings allowing 5 hits, 1 walk, and 1 run. Though that one run was all it took for the A's to beat the tribe.

As for the A's, they found a pitcher in Barry Zito(11-10).
From MLB.com

"We couldn't ask for anything more," said Zito, who improved to 7-3 since the All-Star break, scattering four hits and two walks while striking out a season-high 10 over seven shutout innings. "This is what it's all about. That's what you look forward to from the first day of Spring Training, that chance to be right there down the stretch."

Down the Stretch

2004-09-07T14:00:00.000-07:00

We play Boston a total of 9 times this season. So far we have dropped 6 of 7 in the season series agaisnt the Red Sox. With two games left between these two teams in the regular, it is imperative to win them both. And there are two Main reasons why.

1) Next time we see the Red Sox it would be in the playoffs, cant let them get an edge thinking they own the A's this year.

2) Going Down this last stretch of games in September is going to be a hackle as we play the Angles and the Rangers, who are trying to sneak up on the us in the AL West. So every win is one step closer to the playoff and ever loss in one step back.

Oakland 4; White Sox 2

2004-09-02T14:52:00.000-07:00

Mark Redman pitched seven strong innings for his 10th win and Billy McMillon homered to lead the Oakland Athletics past the Chicago White Sox 4-2 on Thursday.

Redman (10-10) became the fourth Oakland pitcher to reach double digits in wins, allowing four hits and two runs. He retired his final 13 batters, and the AL West-leading A's won for the 14th time in 16 games.

The left-hander's solid outing came on the heels of his shortest of the season -- he was roughed up for nine hits and six runs in just two innings last Friday against Tampa Bay.

Jim Mecir got two outs in the eighth and Octavio Dotel finished for his 17th AL save in 22 chances as Oakland bounced right back after its eight-game winning streak was snapped Wednesday night.

McMillon hit a two-run homer off Jose Contreras (12-7) in the third -- his third of the season -- and the A's tacked on another run when Marco Scutaro scooted all the way home from second on a wild pitch.

Scutaro singled and moved to second when Contreras hit Eric Byrnes with a two-out pitch. When catcher Ben Davis couldn't find the ball after the wild pitch, Scutaro kept running and scored easily with a slide.

A's on their 8th win a row!!

2004-09-01T16:32:00.000-07:00

Barry Zito can't guarantee that he'll continue his second-half turnaround, but he does know that he'll never go to the mound hungry again.
The left-hander will try to win for the fourth time in five starts when the streaking Oakland Athletics continue their three-game series with the Chicago White Sox. Zito, who is 6-2 since a disappointing 4-7 start, took the hill against visiting Baltimore with an empty stomach on Thursday. The 2002 AL Cy Young Award winner struggled through 5 1-3 innings, surrendering four runs and four hits in a 9-4 win. Zito said he ate a bagel before the game but just a protein shake for dinner Wednesday night. He munched on an energy bar in the middle innings. He called it

``irresponsible'' and said he'll make sure to eat better before his next day start.

``It was weird. I was airy, a little bit manic,'' Zito said. ``I didn't eat right. ... I was just crazy. I couldn't really focus on anything. Once I became aware I was wacked out, I tried to slow things down, like I was sleepwalking.''

The A's have won eight straight games, including a 7-2 victory in Tuesday's series opener. Adam Melhuse went 3-for-4 with a home run and Mark Kotsay also had three hits for the A's, who matched their longest winning streak of the season and won for the 13th time in their last 14 overall. Oakland also extended its lead in the AL West to three games after Boston defeated Anaheim 10-7.

Yahoosports.com

A's home for 7

2004-08-23T15:08:00.000-07:00

From MLB.com:

Oakland welcomes back one of its own, as Miguel Tejada leads the Orioles into Network Associates Coliseum for a four-game series. The A's faced Tejada in Baltimore last week, when Oakland swept three games from the O's on the way to a 5-1 road trip.
The emotions should be higher, though, when Tejada returns to the Bay Area for the first time as an opponent.

"He was a great player who represented the A's tremendously while he was here," said manager Ken Macha. "The fans love him, and he loves the fans. He very much wanted to remain part of the fabric, but that's how baseball works today."

Prior to signing with Baltimore in the offseason, Tejada had spent his entire career with the A's. He is now leading the Orioles in home runs (24) and RBIs (113), and is batting .318.

But the A's haven't missed a beat without him, leading Texas and Anaheim by a half-game as they shoot for their third straight AL West pennant. Rookie Bobby Crosby has 17 homers in Tejada's place, including two in three games against Tampa Bay. In fact, the whole lineup has turned up the power, slugging 15 home runs in the past five games.

Redman takes on Tigers

2004-08-11T13:41:00.000-07:00

Redman is pitching against the Tigers as I write this, and after 3 innings we're down one at 3-2, with 4 hits each and one error for Detroit. It's still anybody's game, but after two scoreless innings against his old teammates, Redman will have to heat up in the next couple innings. Since I started writing this the Tigers have posted 2 more runs. Unfortunately I mostly blog at work, so I am stuck just watching the box scores. You can bet I'll be following closely, at least by the numbers, and hopefully you are too.

GO A's!!!

Extending the Winning Streak To Five

2004-07-29T10:09:00.000-07:00

Mark Mulder was part pitcher, part hockey goalie Wednesday.

The left-hander gloved sizzling liners up the middle as well as choppers around the mound, making six assists while going the distance in a 3-2 victory over Seattle at Network Associates Coliseum. In completing a series sweep of the Mariners, the A's extended their winning streak to five to match their second-longest run of the season.

The A's win, coupled with first-place Texas' 2-0 loss to Anaheim, moved Oakland to within a half-game of the A.L. West lead.

The Mariners peppered the infield with one shot after another in a bid to end their 15-game slide on the road.

Mulder (14-3) stopped two grounders in the fourth. He got out of a two-out, two-on jam in the fifth by getting Bucky Jacobsen, who had homered in the second, to ground out to the mound.

In the eighth, after Bret Boone had a leadoff double and took third on center fielder Eric Byrnes' throwing error, Mulder stopped a smash by Raul Ibañez and threw to third baseman Eric Chavez to get Boone in a rundown.

It was fitting that the final out of the Seattle ninth came on Randy Winn's comebacker to Mulder.

But it was Byrnes who helped put Mulder in position to win with a solo homer in the eighth inning to make it 2-2.

The win punctuated a 5-1 homestand and provided a solid send-off for the A's 11-game trip, which begins tonight at Texas. The A's finish up the trip against two more division leaders, the New York Yankees and Minnesota Twins.

"We need to go into Texas and turn up the intensity," Kotsay said. "Every series is important and obviously when you're playing the division leader, you want to take advantage of it. You've got an opportunity to gain some ground."

Oakland's on a Winning Streak!!!!!!

2004-07-28T15:07:00.000-07:00

Mon. July 26
Oakland 14
Seattle 5

Tues. July 27
Oakland 5
Seattle 3

Todays game will be really close, so lets give Oakland some support!!!!!
Go Oakland Athletics!

Take that, Texas

2004-07-26T12:46:00.000-07:00

The A's were able to tame Texas, going up 2-1 in the series at Home. Now theres a 3 game series in Seattle before going out to Texas to finish what we started. We're still 2.5 games behind 1st, but if we keep playing well that gap could close pretty quickly.

Also this week (from Yahoo):

Tim Hudson is scheduled to pitch a three-inning simulated game today, during which he will face two other sidelined teammates: Esteban German (strained left oblique, same as Hudson) and Billy McMillon (back).

The A's probably will have to restrict Hudson's workload when he is activated from the disabled list -- which, Manager Ken Macha said, "might be building our case for 12 pitchers." Macha also observed that "a lot of teams are going with 12 pitchers" -- two more hints that Oakland will demote backup infielder Ramon Castro instead of a pitcher when left-hander Chris Hammond (shoulder) returns from the disabled list, possibly Tuesday.

In what's expected to be the final outing of his injury rehabilitation assignment with Triple-A Sacramento, Hammond started Sunday and pitched two shutout innings, yielding three hits, walking one and striking out one.

I'll be wathing tonight's game from the comfort of my couch...

Oakland and Seattle

2004-07-22T13:20:00.000-07:00

Last nights game seemed very intense..Oakland had their chances to score and to prevent scoring but things were just not adding up right for them last night.

With Seattle leading 5-3, Scott revived the A's by delivering a two-run, pinch homer with one out in the eighth off reliever J.J. Putz. It was Hatteberg's fifth career home run off the bench and his first since his fabled Sept. 4, 2002 drive against Kansas City that ended a 12-11 victory and extended Oakland's winning streak to 20 games.

In the top half of the 10th, the A's put runners on second and third with one out. But Bobby Madritsch (1-0), making his major league debut, got Bobby Kielty to hit a sharp liner to third baseman Justin Leone, who tagged the base for a double play.

``Just another in a long list of last at-bat losses,'' A's manager Ken Macha said. ``We had guys in scoring position and hit the ball real hard and didn't get it done. Then, in the blink of an eye, the game is over.

Todays game can go either way, so lets give Oakmad some support!! GO OAKLAND!!!!!!!!

A's hosting Blue Jays

2004-07-20T12:55:00.000-07:00

The A's are looking to take the second of 2 games tonight against Toronto. Rich Harden will start for the A's against Blue Jay rookie Dave Bush.

Anyone else enjoy that 3-1 series against the White Sox? I didn't get a chance to go to any of the games, maybe next weekend.

Keep your heads up, A's!

2004-07-12T17:06:00.000-07:00

Sure, the loss to the Indians was unfortunate, but the A's typically progress as the schedule proceeds, so there is still a good chance of winning big this season. Heck, we're only 2 games behind Texas in the American League West and Chavez has been out for the past 6 weeks! With a little much-needed rest, bull pen beef-up, and improved road-game performance, we'll definitely rock the second half of the season!

OFF TO CLEVELAND

2004-07-09T10:26:00.000-07:00

No doubt, the Red Sox are a great team this season, they beat us 3-0 this series. The good news is, if numbers mean anything, we progressively rose to the challenge in the last 2 games. If we're going to make a good playoff run, we're going to have to continue to rise to these challenges and learn to turn them into wins.

More good news - we're going to Cleveland determined, if the scores from our Boston series mean anything. And, Boston's a better team than the Indians. We'll still have to play strong, of course. Despite a loss yesterday, though, our hitting was pretty strong and we made no errors. If we can deliver a similar performance in Cleveland, it may be enough for a win.

GOOD LUCK ATHLETICS!!!

Thanks for visiting my new A's page!

2004-07-09T10:20:00.000-07:00

Another Oakland fan here, spitting out my thoughts and drivel on the A's and all things baseball. So far it's been a solid season, if not spectacular. 46-37 for the season isn't bad, we'll just have to carry that momentum after the All-Star break. More posts soon. Thanks for visiting, and come back soon!!!

GO A'S!!!!