Tag: Oakland Athletics

Oakland A’s podcast with Charlie O: Taking a look at how the A’s are faring so far; White Sox just the cure A’s looking for

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On the Oakland A’s podcast with Charlie O:

1) How are the A’s doing so far this season in your opinion?

2) You say starting pitching is a problem–what can the A’s do to chance the situation?

3) Should the A’s be considering making trades for starting pitchers?

4) What should be the A’s immediate goals?

5) Will solving the stadium problem help the A’s get back on track on the field?

Charlie O is your host for the Oakland A’s podcasts each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

MLB The Show podcast with Daniel Dullum: Tsunami wave of fans over Angels’ Ohtani in Japan; Free baseball at the A’s on Tuesday night; Giants’ Samardzija rocked in rehab

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photo by @EspnStatsInfo: Shohei Ohtani who leads Major League Baseball with an on base percentage of .800 and also has held hitters while pitching to a .180 batting average

MLB The Show podcast with Daniel Dullum

1 I’m a believer! Ohtani rocks! His hot start is making waves back in Japan.

2 A’s 50th anniversary game coming up on Tuesday – on the house.

3 Giants’ Jeff Samardzija lit up in rehab start.

4 Rare baserunning goof robs D-Back of first home run.

5 Derek Jeter skipping the upcoming Marlins-Yankees series in New York.

Daniel does the MLB podcast each Sunday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sports Headlines with Tony Renteria: The late Tyler Hilinski’s brother, Ryan, to play at South Carolina; Giants come back to rattle M’s 10-1; A’s attendance can only improve in time

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Photo credit: @ryan_hilinski

On the Sports Headlines podcast with Tony:

#1 Tyler Hilinski, the late Washington State quarterback who committed suicide last season in his dorm, has a brother named Ryan, who just committed to play at South Carolina’s football program. Knowing about Tyler’s suicide, should brother Ryan be concerned about CTE issues when playing at South Carolina?

#2 The San Francisco Giants, who lost 6-4 to the Seattle Mariners on opening day on Tuesday, and who were also expected to have pitching issues, showed up the next day Wednesday and got both hitting and pitching to take the second game of the two-game series from Seattle with a 10-1 win. The Giants got quality pitching from pitcher Johnny Cueto and lots of hitting in the laugher.

#3 The Oakland A’s, who drew only 7,000 on Monday night and then on 9,000 on Tuesday, night never have seen low attendance numbers like this in years. The numbers will improve as the week goes on, but Mondays and Tuesdays at the Coliseum will be brutal for the A’s on nights that fans tend to stay away from.

#4  The Sacramento Kings season comes to an end next week. If there was one memorable moment this season, it was the two games where Kings fans couldn’t get in because of the Black Lives Matter protest. The Kings made it clear that they support the protest, but they need to conduct business and had barricades around the arena that allowed only ticketed fans into the Golden 1 Center.

#5 The Golden State Warriors are slowly coming out of their hibernation after having shelved their big four players, who are all of them except for Stephen Curry, should be ready their next game

Tony Renteria does the Sports Headlines podcast each Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

Baseball is back as the A’s open the 2018 season against the Angels

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By Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND — On Thursday, March 29th, 2018, Major League Baseball returns after six long months of inactivity. The A’s last played at the Coliseum way back in September, and the fans have been drooling for the season to start, and that will happen Thursday afternoon at 1 pm.

Opening day is such a special day. The players are excited to get the season going, and the A’s are playing a day opener for the first time since 1994. The A’s management will have the bunting out to decorate the stadium, and the grass will never be so green as it is on opening day. There will be a presentation of the colors and then the singing of the National Anthem to be followed by a flyover by the Navy that the fans always love.

The A’s, under the leadership of President Dave Kaval, have made improvements to the stadium so that the baseball experience will be even better. The food trucks are back, and the A’s have made improvements to the food being served at the park.

The A’s have taken a section in left field and made it into an area to be known as the Treehouse. Fans can stay out there for the game and enjoy great food and beer while the game is going on.

The A’s have also created an area known as the Farm where fresh vegetables will be grown. The hates tarps will not be around this year, and if the team improves as many people think they can, the team will need the extra seating.

The A’s are committed to having ties with the past. On Wednesday, the A’s hosted a gala at their new office at 55 Harrison Street in Oakland. Many community leaders were present as were many of the great players that brought Oakland six Pennants and four World Championships. Rickey Henderson, perhaps the greatest Oakland Athletic of all-time, was there. Carney Lansford and Terry Steinbach were there. Reggie Jackson and Rollie Fingers were there, and all these former players will be in attendance Friday night for the night opener.

The A’s, under manager Bob Melvin, are looking to escape from the cellar of the American League West, where they have resided for the past three years. The A’s brought up some of the best prospects near the tail end of the season last year. The A’s traded Yonder Alonso to the Seattle Mariners to make room for Matt Olson at first base. Jed Lowrie had a terrific bounce-back year at second base, and his 49 doubles were second-best in the AL in that department. Marcus Semien missed about half the season, but he is healthy now and hopes to be a force in the lineup. Matt Chapman will be at third base, and he showed he belonged with great fielding. He also has a lot of power.

The outfield will consist of Matt Joyce and Chad Pinder platooning in left field. Joyce hit 25 homers after a slow start and Pinder also showed that he can hit with power and he can play several positions. Boog Powell will start in center but Dustin Fowler, who was sent down to Triple-A to get more playing time, will be back. Right field will be patrolled by Steve Piscotty who came to Oakland in a trade with the St. Louis Cardinals.

Khris Davis, who hit 43 dingers last year, will be the DH. The catching chores will be done by former All-Star Jonathan Lucroy. Lucroy could be the best bargain of the year. Bruce Maxwell will be the backup catcher.

The big problem for the A’s could be the starting rotation. The A’s are hoping for big things from Kendall Graveman and Sean Manaea. Graveman was hurt last year and recorded just six wins. Manaea led the team with 12 victories. These two pitchers could be the keys to the A’s success if they can be more consistent. Lucroy’s vast experience handling pitchers should be beneficial. Daniel Mengden, who was up and down last year, came on strong in September after he made an adjustment in his pitching motion and he seems to be on the right track. Filling out the rotation will be Andrew Triggs and Daniel Gossett. The A’s lost Jharel Cotton for the season as he underwent Tommy John surgery last week. Plack Blackburn, who pitched well before being hurt last year, has some arm problems, and the A’s first-round draft pick of 2016 A.J. Puk appears to be heading for Tommy Joh surgery, too. The A’s signed Trevor Cahill to a contract, and he is at Nashville getting to be called up when needed.

The A’s bullpen added Emilio Pagan from Seattle to go with Chris Hatcher, Liam Hendriks, Santiago Casilla, Yusmeiro Petit, and Blake Treinen. Danny Coulombe and Paul Buchter are the lefty relievers. Ryan Dull will start the season on the DL.

The A’s start the season against their division rival, the Los Angeles Angels. Everyone in the division will be gunning for the World Champion Houston Astros. The A’s, without question, are trying to emulate the Astros. Everybody is trying to do what the Astros did. It wasn’t that long ago that the Astros were known as the Lastros. They developed young talent and did it pay off. The Astros won their first World Championship in their 55th season of operation. That, too, could happen to Oakland, If that were to happen and if the A’s were to get the new stadium built, they would have no trouble putting people into the seats at the old ballpark.

It’s opening day where all the teams are in first place. It’s time for the fans to come out early and remember that boys in Green and Gold will be doing their best to get off to a good start. It’s opening day, and that means hot dogs and beer. It’s opening day and its a time for optimism. It’s opening day, and it’s time to say Play Ball!

Giants to start 2018 season with patchwork rotation

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Photo credit: @Starting9

By Jeremy Harness

SAN FRANCISCO – The Giants spent a great deal of time–and money–upgrading their lineup in the field. Meanwhile, the once-vaunted rotation has begun to fall apart.

The most glaring absence is that of Madison Bumgarner, who suffered a fracture in his left hand after getting hit by a line drive Friday and is expected to miss 6-8 weeks as a result.

Enter Derek Holland, who started Monday’s game for the Giants and had his longest and overall best outing of the spring but was marred by a pair of solo home runs in a 9-2 loss to the A’s at AT&T Park.

Holland gave up only two runs on four hits over five innings and cruised through the first two innings without much issue. However, he made a huge location mistake in the third, and Matt Chapman made him pay for it immediately. He left a fastball over the plate waist-high, and Chapman drove it into the left-field seats to tie the game at 1-1.

Two innings later, he made the same mistake to Mark Canha, and the result was just as damaging. Holland could only watch as the ball disappeared into the seats in center field as the Giants fell behind, 2-1.

All in all, it has been a productive spring for Holland, who was a non-roster invitee to spring training who has been penciled in as part of the Giants’ starting rotation when the season starts. The former Ranger, who spent last season with the White Sox, had a 4.20 ERA entering Monday but showed very good command of the strike zone, which is what the Giants are looking for.

To make room for Holland on the roster, the Giants released outfielder Jarrett Parker.

He will take the mound for the Giants for Saturday’s game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, assuming the spot originally saved for Jeff Samardjiza, who has a strained pectoral muscle and will be out for the next 10 days, thus missing his first scheduled start of the year.

As the Giants head into Opening Day, the rotation is expected to look like this: right-hander Johnny Cueto, lefty Ty Blach, Holland and righty Chris Stratton.

After trailing by a run after seven innings, the Giants rallied in their half of the eighth and tied the game when Gorkys Hernandez sprinted home on a wild pitch.

The game eventually went into extra innings, but Oakland dropped a seven-spot in the 10th to even up this annual Bay Bridge series.

San Francisco Giants podcast with Morris Phillips: A’s in the City to close out spring schedule; Cueto has good outing against Oakland; plus more

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On the San Francisco Giants podcast with Morris Phillips:

#1 Giants and A’s kicked off the 2018 Bay Bridge series at the Coliseum on Sunday, which could only mean the beginning of the regular season is just round the corner.

#2 It was an satisfying outing for Giants starter Johnny Cueto, who pitched the first Bay Bridge series game, going 5.1 innings, five hits, one run, one walk, six strikeouts in a 5-1 win over the A’s Sunday.

#3 Giants pitcher Ty Blach gets the start for opening day on Thursday in Los Angeles. In 2017, Blach had a 4.78 ERA and was 8-12.

#4 The Giants offense do present some pop in the line up for 2018 with hitters such as Buster Posey, Evan Longoria, and Andrew McCutchen.

#5 On an A’s note: The A’s played it safe and purchased land from the city of Oakland in order to secure the Oakland Coliseum area so no future developers might buy the land in the event the Howard Terminal idea falls through.

Morris Phillips is the San Francisco Giants beat writer at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

A’s Jharel Cotton undergoes successful Tommy John surgery; A’s lose fourth game in a row

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Photo credit: @rockies_fanly

By Daniel Dullum
Sports Radio Service
Thursday, March 22, 2018

MESA, Ariz. – Following through on a previously reported diagnosis, Oakland Athletics’ right-hander Jharel Cotton underwent successful ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction (Tommy John) surgery at a hospital in Arlington, Tex.

The A’s said Cotton will remain in Arlington until Saturday, then return to Oakland on Sunday to begin the rehabilitation process.

Cotton was projected to be in the A’s rotation in 2018. He was 0-1 with a 3.75 ERA in four Cactus League games, while holding opponents to a .195 batting average.

Cotton was 9-10 in 24 starts over two stints with the A’s last season.

Elsewhere, the A’s optioned catcher Dustin Garneau to Triple-A Nashville. This leaves the Athletics with 35 active players in camp, including 32 on the 40-man roster and three non-roster invitees.

THE GAME
Colorado led early and hung on to beat Oakland 4-2 in the Athletics’ next-to-last Cactus League game before a crowd of 7,356 at Hohokam Stadium. It was the A’s fourth Cactus League loss in a row.

Charlie Blackmon liked what he saw in the game’s first at-bat, belting a home run off A’s starter Andrew Triggs. In the second inning, Ian Desmond’s RBI single made it 2-0. Desmond drove in Trevor Story, who reached on an error and stole second.

Chris Iannetta hit a solo home run in the top of the fifth off Triggs, extending the Rockies’ lead to 3-0. Oakland’s Marcus Siemen hit a two-run shot off Chad Bettis, pulling the Athletics to within 3-2.

Iannetta’s RBI double in the seventh – after Gerardo Parra – put the Rox up 4-2.

Triggs surrendered six hits and two earned runs – both on home runs – while striking out three in 5 1/3 innings. Emilio Pagan, Frankie Montas and Trevor Cahill – the free agent who was recently signed to a one-year contract – threw in relief for Oakland.

Bettis was the winning pitcher (2-0), logging four strikeouts, two walks and two earned runs. Austin House worked a 1-2-3 ninth to pick up his second CL save.

Siemen wound up 2-for-4. Jed Lowrie, Stephen Piscotty, Matt Chapman and Bruce Maxwell had the other Oakland hits.

The Athletics host Milwaukee on Saturday before heading back to Oakland on March 25 for the opening game of the annual Bay Bridge Series.

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Oakland A’s podcast with Jerry Feitelberg: Pagan will be an effective reliever; Mengden will be in A’s rotation; plus more A’s news

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Photo credit: @Athletics

On the A’s podcast with Jerry:

#1 Emillio Pagan, who came to the A’s in the Ryon Healy deal from the Seattle Mariners, has been effective in the Cactus League and A’s pitching coach Scott Emerson said that Pagan has the passion. Emerson also likes his work ethic and says Pagan is not afraid to try new things and it’s proving to work out.

#2 Pagan’s numbers were impressive with 50 strikeouts in 56 1/3 innings last season. He’s the A’s best kept secret and they gave up a lot, trading Healy to Seattle to get Pagan.

#3 Daniel Mengden passed the audition during spring training, allowing five hits, a walk, two runs in 6 1/3 innings of work and struck out three. Also, Mengden threw 85 pitches this spring.

#4 Section 332 will be the A’s charity section every Wednesday starting April 4th, where fans can pay from $1 and up. All proceeds go to an A’s charity.

#5 The A’s signed right-handed pitcher Trevor Cahill. Brett Anderson is signed to a minor league deal. Anderson formerly pitched for the A’s.

Jerry Feitelberg does the A’s podcasts each Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

That’s Amaury’s Podcast, News, and Commentary: Can A’s pitching hold up?; With Cotton out, AJ Puk being sent down won’t fill Puk’s roster spot

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On That’s Amaury’s podcast:

#1 A lot of stuff was expected for A’s pitcher AJ Puk. He started spring without giving up a run in 10 innings, but on Wednesday gave up four runs and was reassigned to their minor league camp and will not likely replace A’s pitcher, Jharel Cotton, who is being placed on the DL for the rest of the season for Tommy John surgery.

#2 Puk, at one time, was being considered as the opening day starter but will be relegated to try and work his way back to the big club at the A’s Triple-A affiliate Nashville Sounds.

#3  Cotton, who tore his UCL Monday, will be preparing for surgery and his absence from the rotation will be felt by the pitching staff.

#4 A’s pitcher Sean Manaea is looking to having a great 2018. That’s all it takes is for someone to get going and maybe the others can follow.

#5 The A’s are looking at former Athletic pitchers Brett Anderson and Trevor Cahill to make the club and help with some badly-needed pitching.

Amaury Pi-Gonzalez is the Spanish play-by-play voice for Oakland A’s radio and does News and Commentary each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

 

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: Oakland Coliseum Is Still in the Game

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By: Amaury Pi-Gonzalez

OAKLAND, Calif. — Discussions are starting this month by the City of Oakland in order to buy the Coliseum and the adjacent Oracle Arena.

This is what Karen Boyd spokeswoman for the City Oakland said: “The city of Oakland and Alameda County are aligned in the view that development of the Coliseum property would be simplified and streamlined with a single owner that controls all aspects of the future development process,” City Administrator Sabrina Landreth said in a statement to The SF Chronicle. “To that end, the city and county are engaging in discussions on the terms of an agreement that will be mutually beneficial. We will publicly discuss the outcome of these negotiations at the appropriate time.”

This is very significant because if the Athletics cannot build their new park at Howard Terminal, the current location of the Oakland Coliseum will be the one waiting on deck.

The Oakland Raiders are moving to Las Vegas in 2020. Their stadium is under construction.

The Golden State Warriors are moving in 2019 to Chase Center. Their stadium is also under construction in San Francisco. It’s within walking distance from the San Francisco Giants’ AT&T Park.

In September 2017, the Athletics officially announced that the Laney College location was their preferred location, but then in December, the A’s swung and missed strike one when the Peralta Community District Board of Trustees said no and added that they didn’t even want to start negotiating. Right now, the A’s management have their sights at the Howard Terminal, which BART doesn’t approve. but if they swing and miss strike two, they will have a count of 0-2 with one pitch remaining and that would be the place where they have been playing for over 60 years, the Oakland Alameda County Coliseum.

Would the A’s even consider the rebuilding of the Coliseum to a much more baseball only, fan-friendly ballpark with a capacity of around 45.000? This will not be a face lift, but they will demolish the Coliseum, and rebuild a brand-new ballpark. If that materializes, the A’s will have to play their games in another park for the time being, while they build a new one at the current location. But that would be another show.

The saga of the new ballpark for the Oakland Athletics continues, which makes things look more like a Telemundo novela as the days go by.