Category: Oakland Athletics

A’s game wrap: Olson takes Halos deep in extras for 7-3 tenth inning grand slam

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(nbcsports.com photo) The Oakland A’s Matt Olson (28) lays some good wood off of Los Angeles Angels pitcher Hoby Milner in the 10th inning for a walk off grand slam four run win to open the four game series at the Oakland Coliseum on Fri Jul 24, 2020

Opening Day At the Coliseum Oakland A’s vs Los Angeles Angels

By Barbara Mason

It’s been a long time coming. The hoops that MLB had to jump through were unprecedented. We haven’t seen the likes of a virus that we are now seeing in most of our lifetimes. Despite all of that MLB and the Players Association plowed through all the red tape and we have come out of the other end of a very long tunnel. The prize is the start of the 2020 baseball season and it’s good, it’s very good for the entire nation. We need sports, not just the fans but the entire nation for not only our entertainment but for our sanity.

Tonight’s game is not your run of the mill opening day of baseball that we have seen for years, it’s much more than that. So with that being said let’s escape for just a few hours and PLAY BALL!

The A’s come into this opening game after losing a pair to the San Francisco Giants in a vastly shortened pre-season. They now take on Mike Trout and the Angels for four games at the Oakland Coliseum to open their season. A very tough start for the A’s but this is a young talented team that is looking forward to the challenge.

The powerful Frankie Montas started the game for Oakland hoping for good control along with the speed that he always pitches with. Montas got out of a sticky situation in the first inning striking Albert Pujols out with the bases loaded and the A’s dodged the early bullet. The first inning was a tough one for Montas throwing 27 pitches. Through 3 innings Montas had thrown 55 pitches and had settled in nicely. The game remained scoreless going into the 4th inning.

The Angels would break through in the 4th inning taking a 1-0 lead off a single by Brian Goodwin driving in Pujols. The A’s would tie up the game when Ramon Laureano homered to right for the 1-1 score going into the 5th inning. Montas would come out of the game with 81 pitches and it would be Yusmeiro Petit on the mound. The A’s would load the bases in the 5th inning with Marcus Simien at the plate but would come away empty. Both teams had had excellent scoring opportunities that came up empty.

TJ McFarland would pitch to start the 6th inning. Soria would take over in the 7th. A sacrifice fly by the Angel’s David Fletcher brought in Simmons to break the tie and give the Angel’s a 2-1 lead going into the bottom of the 7th inning. The play that would haunt the A’s was an error by Matt Chapman throwing to Matt Olson that missed it’s mark.

The 8th inning would see Jake Diekman come into the game as the A’s were running out of time. It would be a quick inning for the Oakland defense going into the bottom of the 8th. Ramon Laureano would come up with another big hit, down the right field line allowing Marcus Semien to score and tie up the game 2-2. More than making up for his error Matt Chapman hit a deep triple center field as Laureano scored giving the A’s their first lead of the night 3-2. Chapman would get picked off third trying for home in a tough outing for Chapman.

Liem Hendriks would come in to close for the A’s in the top of the 9th inning. He would face Pujols, Jason Castro and Goodwin. The Angels would tie up the game on a homer by Castro 3-3. The A’s would now be looking for a walk-off. While Mark Canha was able to get on base that was all the A’s could muster. The game would go into extra innings.

In extra innings a runner would start on second base. The A’s Burch Smith would pitch to start the 10th inning for the A’s. The Angels were unable to do much of anything in the 10th and so the A’s Marcus Semien would start on second base in the bottom of the 10th. With the bases loaded and 1 out Matt Olson had the opportunity to close out this game which was right about the 4 hour mark. The hero of the A’s opener was Matt Olson with a grand slam winning the game off the first pitch 7-3. The win included a gatorade bath for Olson as Oakland takes the extra inning win.

A’s opening night preview: A’s face a very multi talented Angels pitcher/DH Ohtani in four game series

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(AP file photo) Los Angeles Angels pitcher/DH Shohei Ohtani will be the starter on Sundays for Angels games and will get a chance to hit and pitch against the Oakland A’s in the four game series in Oakland starting Friday night

By Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND–The Oakland A’s open up the 2020 season on Friday night and will face a very multi talented Los Angeles Angel pitcher/DH Shohei Ohtani. Ohtani who is coming off post season surgery and is scheduled to pitch for the Halos every Sunday and swing a bat for the rest of the week.

Ohtani pitched last Sunday in intersquad play allowing one run, five innings, with six strike outs and four walks. Ohtani said he’s ready to pitch Sunday against the A’s making his first game appearance since his last game he pitched Sept 2, 2018.

Ohtani was the designated hitter for the Angels in 106 games last season and he said that pitching Sundays gives him something to look forward to, “It looks like going on Sundays is the best option,” Ohtani said. “We have the most off-days on Monday. I’m not going to hit the following day, so it gives me a chance to rest up.”

The Angels will be without Anthony Rendon who finished 11th in the American League with a batting average of .247 and was tenth in homers. The Angels paid Rendon $245 million for a seven year deal but Rendon will not be in the opener on Friday night because of oblique soreness.

A’s starter Frankie Montas: Frankie Montas gets the starting nod for opening night   tonight at the Oakland Coliseum to start the four game series against the Angels. Montas pitching record in 2019, 9-2 ERA 2.63, 96 innings pitched, 103 strike outs.

Montas was on his way with the 9-2 record and even selected to make the 2019 American League All Star team until he tested positive for PEDs and was suspended for a majority of the season before returning in September.

Montas brings a 90 MPH heater and a great splitter into Friday night’s opener. His slider was part of his bread and butter last season that kept hitters off balance and  helped him achieve a winning record.

A’s manager Bob Melvin is really looking forward to what Montas will bring this season after having 12 out of 16 quality starts. Montas says he amped up to start the season. Montas last May hit the radar gun at 100 MPH. At 27 years old Montas says he’s hoping to have a type of season he had last year. Montas may not be a 20 game winner in a abbreviated 60 game season but if he can pitch anywhere like he did last season he could pick up ten wins.

The A’s starting rotation for 2020: Motas (RHP), Sean Manaea (LHP), Mike Fiers (RHP), and Chris Bassitt (RHP) and Daniel Mengden (RHP). A’s pitcher AJ Puk is out for at least two weeks with a sore shoulder. Puk received an injection this week for his throwing shoulder that has hampered him.

Starters for tonight’s opener at the Oakland Coliseum for the Los Angles Angels Andrew Heaney (0-0) for the Oakland A’s Frankie Montas (0-0) a 6:40 pm first pitch.

 

 

 

 

 

Oakland A’s podcast with Jerry Feitelberg: Puk to return to A’s in two weeks; Trump says Giants made him get over the game; Kapler says kneeling was the right thing to do

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Oakland A’s left hander AJ Puk will sit out the next two weeks due to left shoulder pain. Puk took an injection in the left shoulder to ease the pain (athleticsnation.com file photo)

Oakland A’s podcast with Jerry F:

#1 A’s left handed pitcher AJ Puk received a injection on Monday for his left shoulder that was giving him pain he’s expected to be out for two weeks. What will it be like for Puk to recover from an injury like that.

#2 Jerry, talk about Ramon Laurenano he was in the A’s line up against the Giants on Tuesday night after sitting out the night before on Monday night with a calf injury how did he look on Tuesday and how the calf feeling?

#3 Trump criticized San Francisco Giants manager Gabe Kapler and the club for taking a knee during the national anthem on Monday night saying “the game is over for me” or the other hand Kapler said nobody should stop us from doing the right thing.

#4 Former A’s catcher Bruce Maxwell was asked what he thought of Kapler and the Giants taking a knee ironically where Maxwell became the first MLB player to do it at the Oakland Coliseum Maxwell said he “felt joy”

#5 The Giants Mike Yastrzemski went deep in the first inning at Oracle Park Tuesday night nearly putting the ball into the Cove but landed in the left field stands.

#6 On Monday night the A’s outfielder Stephen Piscotty went deep with his swing and where the ball landed it looks as he hasn’t missed a step.

Jerry is a beat writer for the Oakland A’s and does A’s podcasts each Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

A’s start 2020 season at Coliseum against Angels Friday

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Oakland A’s manager Bob Melvin pulls Mike Fiers in the fourth inning of Tuesday night’s game against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park the final pre season game for 2020 (mercurynews.com photo) 

By Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND–The Oakland A’s are looking forward to the four-game series against the Los Angeles Angels starting Friday night at the Oakland Coliseum. It has been a very long wait to start the season. The season has been delayed due to pandemic caused by the coronavirus. Many changes have been made in order to get things going.

The teams will have 30 players on the roster for the first two weeks of the season. The roster will be reduced to 28 players for the next two weeks and then down to 26 for the rest of the year. The Designated Hitter will be universal. It will be the first time the DH will be used in the National League’s home parks.

The teams will play 60 games. Forty of the games will be played against the A’s Western Division rivals. The other 20 games will be played against the National League Western Division teams. In order to speed up the games, MLB has a new rule for extra-inning contests. The league has mandate that a runner will placed at second base to start the 10th inning. The rule will not be in effect for the playoffs.

The A’s feel that they have an excellent chance to go all the way to the World Series this year. A’s manager, Bob Melvin, in his 10th year at the helm, knows he has the talent to get there. The A’s won 97 games in 2018 and 2019.

They have a good solid nucleus of All-Star caliber players. The team has a lineup that can strike fear into opposing pitchers. There are no easy outs in the lineup. The infield is good defensively, too. Big Matt Olson will be back at first, Matt Chapman at third, Marcus Semien at shortstop.

Semien came in third in in last year’s vote for Most Valuable Player. The only question mark will be at second base. The A’s traded last year’s second baseman Jurickson Profar to the San Diego Padres for catcher Austin Allen. Franklin Barreto, who is out of options, will be in a fight with Tony Kemp and Chad Pinder for the job.

The A’s outfield is also solid. All three outfielders are good defensively and they are all capable of sending the baseball flying out of the park. Mark Canha, who played so well last year in centerfield, will start the season in left. Ramon Laureano will be back in center, and Stephen Piscotty, who missed playing time last year due to injury, will patrol right field. The A’s will use Sean Murphy as the everyday catcher. Austin Allen or Jonah Hiem will be the backups.

The A’s lost three pitchers from last years rotation. Homer Bailey, Brett Anderson, and Tanner Roark all have found new homes. The A’s rotation will feature Frankie Montas, Mike Fiers, Sean Manaea, Chris Bassitt, and Daniel Mengden to start the season. Montas will start against the Angels Friday night.

Montas was on his way to being the ace of the staff last year until he was suspended for 80 games for use of an illegal substance.The A’s were hoping to use lefties Jesus Luzardo and A.J.Puk as starters. Luzardo is recovering from a bout with Covid-19. Puk, who had Tommy John surgery last year, is experiencing some shoulder pain and is on the Injured List. He is visiting an orthopedic surgeon in Los Angeles for a consultation.

The A’s bullpen is also very good. Liam Hendriks is the A’s closer. Hendriks was an All-Star last season. The setup men will be Yusmeiro Petit, Joakim Soria, Lou Trivino, Jake Diekman, T,J,McFarland and J.B. Wendelken.

The A’s will use Robbie Grossman and Chad Pinder as backups. Grossman is a switch-hitter and can fill in for Canha. Pinder can play both in the infield and outfield. Another play the ‘s will be keeping is Rule-5 selection Vimael Machin. He is an infielder and the A’s may use him if Barreto or Kemp don’t wor out at second base.

The A’s main challenger for the top spot in the West will be the Houston Astros. Even though the Astros lost Geritt Cole to the Yankees and Will Harris to the Nationals, they still are powerful club. They made it to the World Series twice in the last three year. They won it in 2017 and lost to the Nationals last year.

The club has been in turmoil since they were caught stealing signs. The Astros replaced their manager A.J.Hinch with Dusty Baker. Baker, known as a players’ manager, has the tools to make sure the Astros are competitive.

The A’s know they have to get off to a good start. They know that a slow start can doom their chances of winning the division. They made the playoffs in 2018 and 2019 as a wildcard. They lost each time in the one-game playoff format. If they win the division, they will escape the win or go home syndrome. The time has come to play games that count. Let’s play ball.

Jerry Feitelberg is a beat writer for the Oakland A’s on http://www.sportsradioservice.com

A’s game wrap: Giants beat A’s 4-2 to sweep two-game Bay Bridge Series

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Matt Chapman of the Oakland A’s gets ready to take his hacks against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Tuesday night (@Athletics)

By Jerry Feitelberg

San Francisco- The A’s met the Giants at a deserted Oracle Park Tuesday night. The Giants beat the A’s 4-2 to sweep the two-game series.

The setting was totally surreal. The stands were empty, crowd noise was being piped in to make the players get the sense that fans were in the park. There were no fans and no cutouts in the seats. The Giants said the cutouts will be available on next Tuesday when the Giants return home after playing four games in Los Angeles with the Dodgers. The A’s are off until Friday. They open the 60-game season at home against the Los Angeles Angels.

The A’s manager, Bob Melvin, sent Mike Fiers to the mound to face the Giants. The Giants’ skipper, Gabe Kapler, in his first year as the manager, used nine pitchers. Each pitcher worked just one inning.

The Giants drew first blood in the bottom of the first when Mike Yastrzemski led off with a blast to center field. The A’s tallied their two runs in the top of the second. With the Giants using a four-man outfield and the shift, A’s first baseman laid down a bunt down the third base line.

A’s DH Khris Davis was hit by a pitch and the A’s had two men on with no out. Giants’ pitcher Conner Menez retired Mark Canha and Stephen Piscotty. Chad Pinder, playing second base, Hit a ball that appeared to go into the stands in right centerfield. Two runs scored. The umpires ruled the ball was in play and Pinder stopped at second with a double. Bob Melvin challenged the call.

The replays clearly showed the ball hitting the seats and bouncing back into the field. The review umpire in New York did not overturn the call. The A’s led 2-1. They would not score again.

The Giants tied the game in the bottom of the second on Alex Dickerson’s off-field home run. They added a run in the fourth and one in the sixth. The Giants win 4-2.

The A’s line score was two runs, two hits, and no errors. The Giants’ line was 4 runs, 8 hits, and no errors.

Baseball starts for real for the A’s Friday night. The A’s will be gunning for the AL West title. There will be a preview of the team and predictions on my report on Thursday.

Giants game wrap: Summer training ends with a Giants win 4-2

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The San Francisco Giants Mike Yastrzemski belted a homer that landed in the right center field stands on the Levi Plaza level the first volley that put the Giants on top of the visiting Oakland A’s at Oracle Park in San Francisco (sports.yahoo.com photo)

By Jeremy Kahn

It what was the first game at Oracle Park in the Gabe Kapler era ended on a good note for the home team.

Mike Yastrzemski and Alex Dickerson each hit solo home runs and nine pitchers went one inning each, as the San Francisco Giants defeated the Oakland As 4-2 to sweep the Bay Bridge Series.

Tyler Rogers, Conor Menez, Dany Jimenez, Wandy Peralta, Andrew Suarez, Sam Coonrod, Andrew Triggs, Sam Selman and Sam Wolff each pitched an inning for the victorious Giants over their East Bay rival.

The nine pitchers gave up only two hits to the As, as Menez gave up both hits in his only inning of work.

Yastrzemski got the Giants on the board in a hurry, as he tattooed Mike Fiers onto the arcade over the right-center field wall.

Unfortunately, the one-run lead would not last long, as Chad Pinder hit a long triple off of Menez that looked like a three-run home run, as Bob Melvin challenged the call; however, the play stood and the As took a 2-1 lead.

Matt Olson got the As first hit of the game, as he beat out an infield bunt to the third base side of the diamond with the Giants playing three infielders and four outfielders. Menez then hit Khris Davis, but regrouped to get Mark Canha to fly out to Dickerson and Stephen Piscotty, who homered on Monday night at the Coliseum struck out for the second out of the inning.

Pinder then launched a long fly ball to right-center that was ruled a triple, despite the fact that Melvin challenged the call.

Dickerson then tied up the game, as he launched a solo home run halfway up the left-center field bleachers.

Donovan Solano gave the Giants the lead for good in the bottom of the fourth inning, as he hit a sacrifice fly to center field that allowed Pablo Sandoval beat the Ramon Laureano throw to the plate.

Tyler Heineman added a second sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh inning, as Dickerson scored from third base.

Yastrzemski went 2-for-2 on the night, while Dickerson went three-for-four on the evening, as the Giants picked up eight hits on the game against three As pitchers.

Peralta, who pitched a perfect fourth inning to pick up the win for the Giants and Wolff closed it out for his first save of the season, despite giving up a walk to Skye Bolt, who was quickly retired on a double play ball that Wolff got Davis to ground into and then Seth Brown flew out to Jaylin Davis to end the game.

NOTES: Once multiple players, coaches and Kapler knelt during the National Anthem prior to the game that gained national news when they did it on Monday Night, including a tweet from President Donald Trump.

Looking forward to live sports, but any time I witness a player kneeling during the National Anthem, a sign of great disrespect for our Country and our Flag, the game is over for me!, Trump tweeted.

UP NEXT: Johnny Cueto will start the opener for the Giants on Thursday night, when they open the season against Clayton Kershaw and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium.

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast: A’s and Giants conclude two game exhibition tonight at Oracle in SF

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The Oakland A’s Sean Manaea who is slated to start Saturday in Anaheim against the Los Angeles Angels at the Big A in the second of a four game series (Napa Valley Register file photo)

On That’s Amaury’s pod:

#1 Amaury the A’s hosted the Giants last night for the first of two pre season games. A’s pitcher Sean Manaea who had his plans rearranged for him last season in a tough loss in a one game Wild Card game against the Tampa Bay Rays is really looking to make amends this season.

#2 Manaea said that he looked forward to facing his teammates in training camp inter squad show downs.

#3 Manaea said he didn’t want to talk too much about some of the A’s split squad hitters he faced who grooved some of his pitches saying “a couple of guys that tagged me pretty hard, so I don’t want to talk about that.”

#4 The A’s are starting Frankie Montas for opening night on Friday in Anaheim. Montas was suspended last season for 80 games when tested positive for using a banned substance on June 21, 2019. Montas says that’s all behind him and is looking forward to the start on opening night against the Los Angeles Angels.

#5 The Oakland A’s are bringing up reliever Jordan Weems who actually was drafted as a catcher in 2011 by the Boston Red Sox. He showed up for spring 0.1 and impressed manager Bob Melvin and pitching coach Scott Emerson so much with his 98 MPH pitches and they said he had great control that he will make the opening night roster for this Friday night.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the Oakland A’s Spanish radio play by play lead announcer on 1010 KIQI San Francisco and does News and Commentary each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

A’s game wrap: Giants take four run win over A’s to open short two game home at home exhibition

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San Francisco Giants players take a knee during the national anthem before their exhibition contest against the Oakland A’s on Monday night at the Oakland Coliseum (photo from CNN News)

By Lewis Rubman

July 20, 2019

San Francisco 6 -7 -2 Oakland 2 -4- 0

OAKLAND–Freud defines the uncanny as the unsettling feeling we get from something that is both strange and familiar at the same time. That’s a pretty good word to describe the experience of going to tonight’s exhibition game between the A’s and the Giants at Camp Coliseum.

You go through security, just like last year, only this time the inspectors first take your temperature. You find your assigned seat and sit alone, no one within six feet of you until the twenty-seventh out. You try to figure out a way to keep your glasses from steaming up over your mask.

The last Athletics game to have zero paid attendance took place on April 17, 2018, but there were something like 55,000 people in stands that night in the ball yard on the banks of the River Nimitz. Tonight’s crowd, if that’s the word, was closer to 155. It made a weekday game at Cal’s Evans Diamond feel like rush hour in the Tokyo subway.

There were announcements made on the public address system, but Dick Callahan, recovering from a recent medical emergency, wasn’t there to make them, having wisely chosen not to take unnecessary chances with his health. The ubiquitous Kara and Stomper were nowhere to be found, and vendors were as rare as Lysol spray on the shelves of your local supermarket.

The backs of the cutouts bearing images of absent fans that had been placed in the seats in front of the press section looked like rows of tombstones in a military cemetery. During the seventh inning, the A’s announced the attendance figure of 510 cutouts. Perhaps that was a tribute to the area code.

Some of the returning players, too, were both the same and different from last year. Marcus Semien no longer needs to prove his worth. His double play partner of ’19, Jurickson Profar now with the Padres, could be replaced as the A’s by Tony Kemp, who started the game at second, batting ninth, Chad Pinder, Franklin Barreto, Vimael Machín, or a combination of some or all of the four. A healthy Khris Davis is poised to show the power he exhibited before his injury of last May 5. Not yet the reliable threat he had been before then but not the disappointment he had become by the end of last season, KD is, at the age of 32, a promise. Tonight he performed without pain or glory but managed to drive in a run on a sacrifice fly in the fourth.The team’s regular starting catcher is, as a write this, an open question; Sean Murphy began tonight behind the plate, one spot up from Kemp in the batting order

The scoreboards were bright and legible, but their new, uncluttered look didn’t leave room for a bit of useful information that they used to convey, pitch counts.. It took a while, but eventually the lights took full effect.

Shortly before game time, A.J. Puk,for whom the A’s had placed high hopes, was placed on the injured list with a strained shoulder on his pitching arm. A case, Yogi Berra might have said, of déjà vu all over again. Of course, the Yog wouldn’t have used diacritical marks if he were to write his observation, which he’s told us you can do a lot of if you just look.

In spring training, you expect to have a messy score card. Pinch hitters, pinch runners, and defensive substitutions abound; four or five pitchers a game for each side isn’t at all rare. As the the regular season approaches, the lineups shrink and stabilize. But what would tonight’s score cards look like? It’s mid to late July, and the real season’s yet to start. I made sure to carry plenty of erasers and freshly sharpened pencils. (But I forgot to pack them). Both teams substituted heavily in the last third of the game, but the Giants clearly outscored the A’s, not just in runs, but in pitchers used. Manager Gabe Kapler sent nine hurlers to the mound, each of whom pitched exactly one inning. Kevin Gausman, Tyler Anderson, Drew Smyly, Caleb Baragar, Rico García, Tony Watson, Shaun Anderson,Trevor Gott, and Carlos Navas held the home team to two runs on four hits. Anderson and Baragar gave up the runs. Each Anderson, as well as Baragar and García allowed a hit a piece.

When Sean Manaea, who had experienced his share of medical misery last season, took the mound to face the Giants’ lead-off batter, Austin Slater, it felt as exciting as opening day, but you also had the feeling that any of the baseball action that followed would be a footnote to the big story: the first non intra-squad baseball game played at the Coliseum since the ill-starred wild card game of last October 2. Maneaa was the A’s starter on that occasion as well. The paid attendance that evening was 54,005.

Manaea surrendered three early runs, hitting Pablo Sandoval with a pitch to open the second and then allowing infield isingles to Jaylin Davis and Chadwick Tromp on hard hit ground balls. Austin Slater’s double to left brought all the baserunners home.The Throwin’ Samoan recovered to pitch scoreless baseball in the third, fourth, and fifth frames, but the only other tally his teammates could muster besides the one KD drove in came on Stephen Piscotty’s solo homer in the second. Of the five relievers who followed Manaea four were effective. They were Yusmeiro Petit, Jordan Weems, J.B. Wendelken, and Liam Hendricks. The exception was Jake Diekman, who allowed three runs on two hits and a walk in his 2/3 of an inning pitched.

The two teams will face each other tomorrow evening in a semi-deserted Oracle Park. Mike Fiers will start for Oakland, and submariner Tyler Rogers will take the mound for the Giants.

Oakland A’s podcast with Charlie O: A’s Mengden working on his new delivery; A’s PA announcer Callahan will sit season out

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Oakland A’s mascot Stomper and A’s PA announcer Dick Callahan stop for a photo behind home plate at the Oakland Coliseum in this file photo. Callahan will not work the PA this season due to a undisclosed health issue. (University of Waterloo file photo)

On Headline Sports with Charlie O:

#1 Oakland A’s right hander Daniel Mengden is noted for his delivery by throwing a double pump side step but altered his deliver during Covid-19 shut down by shortening up his arm stroke according A’s manager Bob Melvin.

#2 Melvin said Mengden’s delivery is also quicker and that he also has great rhythm. Will that be an improvement for Mengden to keep hitters off balance?

#3 Mengden said he tried to shorten up but said he was plagued by elbow discomfort but since he went elbow surgery for a bone spur last February he feels really good.

#4 The Oakland A’s have announced that they will be involved in refurbishing the field at McClymond’s High School in Oakland that will be used for softball and baseball and that the field will be named after former A’s pitcher Dave Stewart.

#5 The Oakland A’s announced on Wednesday that they PA Announcer Dick Callahan 79, will sit out the 2020 season due to a unnamed health issue unrelated to Covid-19. Callahan said he will stay on the side of caution and social distance away from the Oakland Coliseum for this season and says he’s recovering at home.

Join Charlie O for all the latest every other Saturday for the Oakland A’s podcasts at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Youth Movement: A’s hope trio of top prospects make an immediate impact

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By Morris Phillips

OAKLAND–The Dodgers traded for Mookie Betts, the Yankees signed free agent Gerrit Cole, who is anything but free, and the Twins struck late, adding Josh Donaldson to their collection of sluggers.

The A’s didn’t sign any big names, or little ones for that matter. But that doesn’t mean they stood put. A.J. Puk, Jesus Luzardo and Sean Murphy–each among the Top 60 prospects in all of baseball–are being counted on to be big league contributors starting on Opening Night July 24.

Luzardo, the A’s No. 1 prospect, has been cleared to resume workouts after testing positive for COVID-19, the timing of which threatened his availability for the opener. But while preparing to be cleared, Luzardo lobbied the coaching staff, and did whatever he could physically to gain preparedness.

“I figured out ways to get little lifts in my room while listening to my body,” Luzardo said. “If I was feeling good that day, I’d get after it. If I was a little tired, I took it lighter. I definitely tried to stay in shape.”

Originally tabbed as a starter, Luzardo could start the season in the bullpen, where he would remain ideally until he regains a starter’s stamina. Puk seems set as the fourth starter with Murphy assuming the starting catcher’s role after a successful, 20-game audition in 2019.

Puk, Luzardo and Murphy all saw time at the big league level last season, and given their performances, expectations are high that all three can excel and kiss the minor leagues farewell.

Murphy was a third round selection in the 2016 Draft and he’s moved quickly through the organization’s minor league structure,  compiling 90 extra-base hits in 235 games over four seasons. The 24-year old impressed manager Bob Melvin with his attention to detail in handling the pitching staff, so much so he was picked to start the AL Wild Card Game against the Rays. Murphy’s had issues with knee injuries so the shortened 60-game schedule may prove ideal for his adjustment to the majors.

Puk, the 6’7” flamethrower chosen sixth overall in the 2016 Draft, made ten appearances, all in relief, for Oakland in 2019. He was 2-0 with 3.18 ERA, striking out 13 batters in 11 plus innings of work. Despite missing all of 2018 due to Tommy John surgery,  Puk compiled 262 strikeouts in 183 innings at the various minor league levels.

The 24-year old hasn’t experienced any setbacks in either spring or summer training, giving him jump on veterans Daniel Mengden and Chris Bassitt for a spot in the starting rotation. No official announcements have been made but Puk appears on track to get a start against the Angels opening weekend.

Luzardo was acquired in the 2017 trade that sent Sean Doolittle and Ryan Madson to Washington. His profile as a polished performer has the A’s brass excited to see more after the 22-year old made just six appearances at the big league level in 2019 while battling injuries. In 43 minor league starts, Luzardo won 14 times compiling a 2.53 ERA. He also appeared in the 2019 Wild Card Game, throwing three innings, allowing just one hit, all while the A’s failed to rally from a five-run deficit.