This season I was lucky enough to represent Aerys Sports at A’s Blog Day.  Myself and 10 (or so) other A’s bloggers got to sit down with with Bob Melvin, Farhan Zaidi, A.J. Griffin and Brett Anderson in a “blogger” press conference.

The interviews began around 4:00 when Bob Melvin entered the room for the first interview of the day. Bob Melvin was my favorite of the three, he was very professional and treated each question as if we were the media.  I, unfortunately, did not get in my question for him, but there were plenty of other great questions for Melvin.  (I actually didn’t get any questions in that day). Ultimately, I found the question answered regarding Jemile Weeks to be the most interesting from Melvin:

“As far as Jemile, you know I think it’s not unlike, you talk about Sophmore slumps and so forth and you know he’s a tough kid who can be hard on himself, but I think he just got into a little bit of a slump where he couldn’t quite get out of it.  You know you look up there and you have some pride and you look at your average after hitting .300 for basically a full season and then not being able to repeat that, you try a little bit too hard some times as opposed to trying a little easier and letting your ability take over and I think it was just a little bit of change of scenery he went down there and instantly hit and I don’t think this is going to affect where his career is going forward.”

And regarding any adjustments Weeks needs to make:

“I think maybe just keep the ball out of the air a little bit.  I mean this year he probably… I think he hit a couple of home runs early on and he will tell you that that has nothing to do with, you know, swinging a little bigger.  I think he just felt more comfortable with his swing and that he can drive some balls and last year he just wasn’t trying to do too much, he was just putting it in play, putting it in play on the ground and so it’s a matter of finding a happy medium for him and he will do that.”

The question I had for Melvin was regarding the difference between working with veterans and rookies and Frank from The Bay Area Sports Report asked him a similar question in which Melvin had this to say:

“Well I think, you know,  based where we are in the season we try to keep the distractions to a minimum and just, I know it’s very cliche, but keep it to all our efforts and focus on a particular day.  I think we are playing some match ups in the second half, you know whether it’s a Moss/Carter type of thing. And I think keeping them aware of when they’re playing is important so they know and can visualize and do some homework on some potential pitchers that they’re going to face.  You know, whether it’s Kottaras and Norris and we’ve run a little platoon Pennington/Rosales at second, so I think they benefit by knowing which and what days they’re playing.  And then I think with younger players you try to be consistent in giving them good feedback. Because you know one thing about being a younger player coming to the big league level that you always have to get over is that ‘awe factor’ and ‘do I belong here in the big leagues?’.  And we’ve not only as an organization put a lot of stock in our younger players and getting them to the big leagues, we put them in prominent roles and I think we have done that across the board this year, whether it’s the pitching end of it, whether it’s position player end of it and we’ve been rewarded with good performances.”

» Continue reading “Oakland A’s 2012 Blog Day: Part 1″

Orioles:  9  Athletics:  5

I want to be happy that the A’s took two out of three against the Orioles, but it’s hard to feel optimistic when today’s game was absolutely ugly.

I felt good about the A’s in the first, Dan Straily had an easy inning getting the first two batters to pop up and then striking out the final to end the inning.  Collin Cowgill lead off the bottom half of the inning with a double and two batters later Josh Reddick hit his 29th home run of the season putting the A’s up 2-0. Yoenis Cespedes then doubled, Chris Carter then walked, but both were stranded after Josh Donaldson hit into a double play.

The A’s lead was then cut in half after Straily allowed a solo home run to Matt Wieters in the second.  The Orioles then tied it in the third inning off of an RBI single from JJ Hardy.  The Orioles then took the lead in the fourth inning when Matt Wieters hit his second home run of the game to lead off the inning.  The A’s would never see the lead again after that.

Dan Straily was not good today, only lasting 4.2 innings while allowing 5 hits, 4 runs, 2 home runs and walking 5.  Home runs have been one of his biggest issues in the majors, having allowed 8 over 28.1 innings since his call up.  His next scheduled start is in Yankee Stadium, so it will be interesting to see if his start is skipped or if he gets another shot in the home run friendly stadium.

Six pitchers came out of the bullpen today, Travis Blackley pitched 2/3 of an inning and allowed 1 hit, 1 walk and no runs.  Evan Scribner replaced Blackley in the fifth, faced one batter, allowed a hit and then was replaced by Pedro Figueroa.  Figueroa threw one pitch, getting Chris Davis to pop up, before being replaced by Tyson Ross.  Ross struck the last batter out to end the inning.

Tyson Ross came out in the seventh and walked the first two batters before he coughed up an RBI double to Manny Machado and a two run single to Endy Chavez. Jim Miller then came in to replace Ross, allowed a single to Robert Andino, but then struck out the next three batters.  Miller then pitched a clean 8th inning, walking 1 and striking out 1.

The A’s scored two more runs in the eighth off of a 2-run home run by Stephen Drew, their first runs scored since the first inning.  Jesse Chavez came in to replace Jim Miller in the ninth and allowed back-to-back doubles and a run to start of the inning. He then recorded two outs, but allowed an RBI single to Chris Davis.

The A’s tried to make a come back in the ninth, but fell short.  With one out Brandon Moss walked and Seth Smith struck out swinging.  Josh Reddick singled and Brandon Moss scored.  Yoenis Cespedes then kept the rally going by also hitting a single.  Jim Johnson then came in and got Chris Carter to ground out to end the game.

The pitching was not great today, having combined for 13 hits, 9 earned runs and 9 walks.  Those 9 walks were the worst to me, there is no way you can win a game by allowing 9 walks.  The offense was just as poor as the pitching, although the combined for 11 hits and 5 runs, they also struck out 12 times and were 2-10 with runners in scoring position and left 9 on.

Thanks for everything, Inge!

Athletics:  7  Red Sox:  1

The A’s began September exactly the same way the ended August; with a win.

It was a bitter sweet night for A’s fans, we began by celebrating the Bernie and ended by saying good-bye to the man who brought the Bernie to the Oakland Coliseum.

To begin with the good news, the A’s looked good again tonight at the plate.  They combined for 11 hits, 7 runs, 3 doubles, 2 home runs and 5 walks.  Coco Crisp had a huge night for the team, going 3-4 with a walk, a double and a home run (his 10th of the season).  Chris Carter, who went 1-4 tonight, hit his 13th home run of the season and Derek Norris went 2-4 tonight with 2 RBI.

The pitching was just as impressive as the offense, A.J. Griffin, who made his first start for Oakland since August 4, lasted 7 innings tonight and only allowed 3 hits, 1 run, walked none and struck out 5.  Pat Neshek pitched a clean eighth and the ninth and allowed only one hit while striking out 2.

Unfortunately, Brandon Inge, who returned from the DL today, had to leave the game in the fourth inning after he re-injured his shoulder.  Inge is expected to have surgery next week to repair his shoulder and is expected to miss the rest of the season.  Before leaving the game today Inge went 1-2 with a 2 run double in the third.  It’s sad to see Brandon Inge’s time end in Oakland, he played a big part in this run and he will definitely be missed by the A’s players and the fans.

A’s Extras:

• The A’s recalled OF Collin Cowgill and INF Brandon Hicks from Sacramento today.  Hicks was in the lineup tonight and played at shortstop, he was 0-3 with a walk and 2 strikeouts.
• Cliff Pennington replaced Brandon Inge tonight in the lineup and went 2-2 with a run.

The Trevor Cahill trade was the first move that Billy Beane made in the offseason, it sent (RHP) Trevor Cahill and  (LHP) Craig Breslow to Arizona and in return Oakland received (RHP) Jarrod Parker, (OF) Collin Cowgill and (RHP) Ryan Cook.  I originally graded this trade as a B+, citing a slight concern in Jarrod Parker’s control issues.

Jarrod Parker has been the pitcher the A’s had hoped he would, he has started in 11 games for Oakland and of those 11 games he has only surrendered 3 runs or more twice.  Parker currently holds a 3-3 record with a 2.70 ERA over 66.2 innings.  Although he only has 3 wins on the season, it does not reflect how well he has done so far.

Parker has a 1.9 WAR, which ranks 13th among AL starting pitchers.  He has a .255 BABIP and a 3.50 FIP, although his xFIP of 4.41 is pretty poor.  Control continues to be a slight issue for the young right-hander, he has a 4.32 BB/9 rate and 1.53 SO/BB ratio.

Collin Cowgill, who was just placed on the DL yesterday with a sprained ankle, has played in 32 games for Oakland.  In 108 PA he has a .271/.343/.313 slash line with a .655 OPS and .286 wOBA.   He has 1 HR and 9 RBI with 3 SB.

One of his biggest issues is his plate disciple, having only a .46 BB/SO ratio.  It’s not really clear whether or not Cowgill will ever be an every day outfielder for Oakland, but he is definitely good enough to be a 4th outfielder for the A’s.

» Continue reading “Update On A’s Offseason Moves: Trevor Cahill Trade”

Get Well Soon, Bartolo!

The A’s clubhouse was exceptionally busy this AM.  Several moves were made, some surprises and some expected.  There is also some good news coming from the DL.

• The A’s have placed (RHP) Bartolo Colon on the DL with a right oblique strain retroactive June 18th.  The earliest he will return is after the All-Star break.  Over 15 games this season Colon has a 6-7 record with a 4.22 ERA and a 3.44 SO/BB ratio.
• As expect the A’s have recalled (RHP) Tyson Ross from Sacramento to replace Colon in the rotation.  Tyson Ross has started 10 games for Oakland this season, he has a 2-6 record with a 6.11 ERA and a very poor 11.4 H/9 and 4.2 BB/9 rate.  He also has a 4.99 xFIP and .339 BABIP.
• After rolling his ankle yesterday in the 9th, (OF) Collin Cowgill has been placed on the 15-day DL with a left ankle sprain.  Over 108 PA this season Cowgill has a .271/.343/.313 slash line with 1 HR and 3 SB.
• (INF) Brandon Hicks has been recalled from Sacramento to replace Cowgill on the roster.  With his time in Sacramento, Hicks had a .272/.374/.548 slash line with a .922 OPS.  He also had 13 HR and 48 RBI over 65 games.  Hicks is in the starting lineup tonight and Melvin has stated he plans on using him against left-handed pitchers and mainly will be used at short.
• (LHP) Brett Anderson threw 20 pitches off the mound today and Bob Melvin described it as “Quick, efficent, command was there.” Brett Anderson had Tommy John surgery back in July of last season and, according to the team, ahead of schedule and due to return to the team in August.

The A’s took 2 out of 3 from the San Diego Padres this weekend.  Before losing today they had a season high 5-game winning streak and are now 31-36 on the season.

Game 1:  Athletics:  10  Padres:  2

The A’s scored 5 runs in the 1st inning which alone was enough to win the entire game.  Every single player reached base either via hit or walk, except Seth Smith who went 0-4 with 1 strike out.

Travis Blackley was the story of the night, he wasn’t dominant by any means, lasting 6 innings and allowing 2 runs on 5 hits and 2 walks, but he it was enough for him to collect his first major league win in almost 8 years.

Star of the game:  Cliff Pennington, who was celebrating his 28th birthday that day, was perfect at the plate going 3-3 with 2 RBI, a 2B and 1 walk.

» Continue reading “A’s Take Series From Padres, Streak Ends At 5″

Former 1st base prospect Sean Doolittle was the story of the night (photo: phxwebguy/flickr)

Rangers:  6  Athletics:  3

Tonight is what I would like to call a productive loss.  I use the word productive because they A’s weren’t shut out.  Baby steps right?  The A’s 3 runs all came off of home runs, Collin Cowgill hit his first home run of the season, a 2-run shot off of Derek Holland and Yoenis Cespedes hit his 6th home run of the season, also off of Holland.

Travis Blackley was hardly as successful as he was in his previous outing against the Twins, having allowed 5 earned runs over 4.2 innings on 7 hits and 2 walks.

Sean Doolittle’s debut was the story of the night, he pitched 1.1 innings while striking out 3 of the 4 batters he faced.

A’s Extras:

• Andrew Carignan left the game after facing 3 batters due to an elbow injury and per Jane Lee he will be evaluated tomorrow.

For more on the Texas Rangers, visit Big Game Claws.

Royals:  2  Athletics:  0

Just like that and the A’s offense is back to it’s old ways again.  They had the chances, they just didn’t take advantage of them.  They were 0-8 today with runners in scoring position and left 9 players on base.

Lines of the Day:

• Collin Cowgill:  4 AB, 2 H.  Jemile Weeks sat out today because of his hip injury, Collin Cowgill replaced him as the lead off hitter.
• Josh Reddick:  3 AB, 2 H, 1 BB.  Cowgill and Reddick were the only 2 players to have a multi-hit game.

Ugly Lines of the Day:

• Cliff Pennington:  3 AB, 0 H.  Pennington has not recorded a hit in his last 29 at bats.

A’s Extras:

• Tom Milone pitched 7 innings today for the A’s, he allowed 8 hits, 2 runs, walked 1 and struck out 6.  The A’s have scored a total of 3 runs for Milone over his last 4 starts.

For more on the Kansas City Royals, visit Drinking the Royals Blue-Aid.

Athletics:  9  Royals:  3

It felt like the A’s might never score a run again, let alone win another game.  The A’s finally found a way to do both.  Oakland immediately broke their scoreless streak in the first inning, Jemile Weeks lead the game off with a triple and was brought home by Collin Cowgill on an RBI ground out.  The A’s would continue to score runs, 8 more times to be exact.  The bullpen managed to hold the lead and Brandon McCarthy won his first game back from the DL.

Lines of the Day:

• Jemile Weeks:  2 AB, 2 H, 2 R, 2 BB.  Weeks reached base in all 4 plate appearances.  His bat seems to be heating up after a slow start, in his last 10 games he has 13 hits in 39 ABs (.333 AVG) and has lifted his OBP from .290 to .315.  Weeks did have to leave the game in the 7th with what has been described as a hip injury, for now the injury is not considered serious and he is listed as day-to-day.
• Yoenis Cespedes:  5 AB, 3 H, 2 R, 1 RBI.  After going O’fer yesterday, Cespedes was able to record 3 hits including a double.

Ugly Lines of the Day:

• Brandon Inge:  5 AB, 0 H.  Inge was the only player to not reach base today.  Since returning from the DL he has only recorded 1 hit in 14 ABs, but has taken 2 walks.

A’s Extras:

• Brandon McCarthy pitched 6 innings today, he allowed 8 hits, 2 runs, 2 walks and struck out 2.  He threw 71 pitches and 54 were for strikes.

 For more on the Royals, visit Drinking the Royals Blue-Aid.

Athletics:  11  Tigers:  4

It was an offensive explosion for the A’s tonight, who scored a season high 11 runs on a season high 13 hits.  Almost everyone in the lineup contributed to the win, but Josh Reddick and Brandon Inge were responsible for 9 of the 11 runs scored.

Lines of the Day:

• Tom Milone:  7 IP, 5 H, 2 R (1 Earned), 1 BB, 6 SO.  Milone had a nice bounce back after his 2 previous poor starts.  He started off the game by allowing a double to Austin Jackson who eventually scored on a double-play ball, but found his groove and eventually would retire the last 11 batters he faced.
• Josh Reddick: 4 AB, 4 H, 4 R, 5 RBI, 1 BB, 2 HR.  When you’re hot, you’re hot and Reddick is right now.  He had a career high 5 RBI, it was the first time he hit 2 home runs in 1 game and he now has a career high 8 home runs.
• Brandon Inge:  5 AB, 2 H, 1 R, 4 RBI.  Brandon Inge now has 4 home runs and 16 RBI in his last 5 games.  Oh and there’s this too:

• Seth Smith:  4 AB, 3 H, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB.  Lost in all the home runs and 4 RBI games is Seth Smith who has been quietly having a productive year for the A’s.  After tonight’s game he now has a .402 OBP in 30 games and hitting .385 in his last 10.

Ugly Lines of the Day:

• Andrew Carignan: 1 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 2 BB.  Carignan was called up today to replace Jim Miller who threw 3 innings in lasts game, his ugly line didn’t hurt the A’s today, but he proved exactly why he was pitching mop-up duty.
• Daric Barton:  5 AB, 0 H, 2 SO.  Barton was the only player in the lineup who did not reach base tonight.  His first base counter part, Kila Ka’aihue, went 2-5 with 2 runs and 1 RBI and both hits were doubles.

A’s Extras:

• Along with the Andrew Carignan call up, Collin Cowgill was also called up while Michael Taylor was optioned to Triple-A Sacramento.  Cowgill played center tonight for the A’s and went 1-5.
• According to Jane Lee, every thing went well today for Yoenis Cespedes during batting practice and if everything goes well tomorrow he should be back in the lineup tomorrow night.

For more on the Detroit Tigers please visit Motown Lowdown.