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″

A's finish with the best record in the Cactus League

Athletics:  8  Giants: 1

They must have heard my cries for offense because the A’s hit the ball today, in fact they hit it several times (12 to be exact).  They even scored more runs than the Giants which lead to them winning their final game of the spring.

Lines of the Day:

• Josh Donaldson: 5 AB, 4 H, 3 R, 5 RBI.  It was a huge day for Donaldson, who not only went 4-5 but also had two home runs in the game.
• Kila Ka’aihue: 3 AB, 2 H, 3 R, 2 BB.  Ka’aihue reached base 4 times in the game, he also had a double.

• Tom Milone pitched 2 innings today, he allowed 2 hits, 1 run and had 3 strikeouts.  Tom Milone finishes this spring having only walked 1 batter through 14.2 innings (25.2 if you include his starts in Japan and against the River Cats).
• The A’s optioned  Tyson Ross down to Triple-A this morning finalizing the 25-man roster.   The A’s will not need a fifth starter until the middle of the month, but Ross is excepted to fill the role when needed.  This move also finalizes the fourth spot, which will go to Graham Godfrey.
• The A’s traded outfielder Cedric Hunter, who was claimed off waivers from the San Diego Padres in October, to the Cardinals for cash considerations.
• The A’s finished the Spring going 15-7, which also happens to be the best record in the Cactus League…CHAMPIONS!

It’s an off day for the A’s tomorrow, but on Friday we have REAL BASEBALL again!   The kind of baseball we don’t have to stay up until 5 AM in the morning to watch!  The A’s will face the Seattle Mariners (again) and the probable pitchers are (RHP) Brandon McCarthy and (LHP) Jason Vargas, game time is 7:05 (PST).

Dallas Braden not only fights for his mound, but his fans too.

By now, most of you have either read, or heard about the article that was published in Thursday’s edition of USA Today about the A’s.  I don’t really like getting into the “small market” team nonsense, however there are some things that really stood out to me in the article that I should address.

Personally, I am tired of hearing about the A’s attendance records.  I was tired of it three, four, five years ago, and I don’t need the constant reminder from every fan of every team that the A’s don’t draw well or another article pointing it out. WE KNOW!  Those of us who actually attend games are well aware of the fact that the stadium is 3/4 empty most of the time.  Ever heard of the term “beating a dead horse”?  We’re way past that now.

Most teams that consider themselves to be “small-market” carry a significantly higher turnover rate than other teams in the league.  Some of you know I follow the Padres as well as the A’s, and their clubhouse is just as much as a revolving door as the A’s.  It never gets easier watching your favorite player being traded away or signing with another team when they hit free agency.  My point being, it happens in other cities outside of Oakland.

So when does it stop?  When we get a new ballpark is what we have been told.  So about that new ballpark…

» Continue reading “Oakland A’s: The Never Ending Waiting Game”

Along with the news on Yoenis Cespedes, there has been some other bits coming out of Oakland these past couple of days:

Susan Slusser believes the A’s are likely to sign Manny Ramirez and the signing should come right before Spring Training, or shortly after.  So expect Manny to be an Athletic within the next week.

In the same article we learned that Coco Crisp is excited for the signing of Cespedes, but believes he is the best fit for center field:

“I’m going to make all the plays,” Crisp said. “If someone feels there’s someone better than me, it’s hard for me to believe. Unless he’s a demigod come down from the heavens, no one is going to outshine me in center field.”

We also learned on Monday that, per Buster Olney, the A’s are still in talks with the Rangers about Koji Uehara and have also spoken with reliever Mike Gonzalez.

On a non-A’s related note, I want to wish Tony Gwynn, who yesterday had a malignant tumor removed from his mouth, my best wishes and hope for a quick and easy recovery.