The Oakland Athletics haven’t been much a factor in the AL West the past few seasons, but are coming off a 81-81 finish where they ended the year second in the division behind the Rangers.
It was the first time in four years the A’s didn’t finish below .500. Oakland’s pitching staff finished with an MLB-best 3.47 ERA, but the offense failed to deliver, and kept this team from the making the playoffs. The A’s are hoping some nice offseason additions will help the offense bounce back and have the A’s contending for the top spot in the West.
Here is a ...
Oakland Raiders fans are the fourth worst fans in American Sports according to GQ Magazine. The article paints Raider fans as, "Hell-raisers, gangbangers, and inveterate knife-lickers all of whom firmly believe that skipping town for an away game is well worth the parole violation." Raider fans have an image problem and it could be hurting their ticket sales. Just like Raider fans have fans spread across the nation, so do other NFL teams. You'll find a lot of members of the Raider Nation when the Raiders play away games. Because of the image problem Raider fans have, it may be causing some ...
For the last eight years, Raider Nation has had a no fly zone in place for top free agents and coaches. Since being hired as the Raiders' head coach, Hue Jackson has lifted the no fly zone for free agents and coaches alike. The Raiders had talent for a time with guys like Randy Moss, but the talent was entrusted to a bed 'n breakfast owner (Al Davis). Then Davis handed the keys to a kid (Lane Kiffin), and later an offensive line coach (Tom Cable) that had never even been a coordinator. The talent might have been there at that but it amounted to nothing as ...
As Spring Training winds to a close, with only about 10 games remaining on the Cactus League schedule, the Oakland Athletics have already begun trimming their roster down to the required 25-men they plan to open the season with. A few roster battles still remain, leaving a few roster spots in question. Likewise, a few injuries have popped up, which will provide opportunities to a few players who otherwise may have seen them ticketed for Minor League Spring Training and a trip to the minors. Oakland pitchers who have secured a job on the 25-man roster: Brett Anderson, Trevor Cahill, ...
The Oakland A’s are being called the San Francisco Giants of 2011 The comparisons stem from the fact that the A’s have a solid pitching staff. Like the Giants, the A’s have added some key veterans to make a push towards the playoffs. The last time the A’s made the playoffs was 2006 when they lost to the Detroit Tigers in the ALCS. The A’s have added a list of veterans to help them get over the .500 mark for the first time in four years.Following is a list of key additions that could help the A’s get over the ...
I saw an article on NFL.com that inspired me to write one of my own. Mine is the top 10 Raider draft busts of all time. We've had some good draft picks and we've had some bad ones, but I came up with a list of the top 10 worst draft picks by the Raiders. I've also included who we could've had with those picks instead. You may disagree with my order, but they were put in order of what disgusted me the most. Begin Slideshow
Josh Outman has been optioned by the Oakland Athletics to Triple-A Sacramento following a frustrating spring where he was unable to find consistency from the mound.
Outman put together a very promising rookie season in 2009, going 4-1 with a 3.48 ERA and earning some All-Star consideration before his season was cut short by elbow troubles that led to Tommy John surgery in mid-June.
Outman missed the remainder of 2009 and all of 2010 as he rehabilitated and rebuilt arm strength. Outman had hoped to return to the Athletics rotation in late 2010, but setbacks with his rehab pushed that opportunity to ...
I am thinking positive thoughts about the Oakland Raiders. So, I went to Home Depot to purchase supplies for my patio and deck to get ready for my tailgate parties in my own backyard. While shopping for a new barbecue pit and ceiling fan, a lady named Becky helped me. She didn't know that she was helping an Oakland Raiders fan move forward in preparation for the 2011 season. When I finished my search for equipment it seemed like she followed me outside to the parking lot. She asked, "Have you looked at the moon. It is closer to the ...
Well, the time is drawing near and there will be more young millionaires who are Oakland Raiders after the 2011 draft. With that dramatic jump from poverty to—in many cases—millionaires, some problems will definitely emerge for some of these guys.
This article revisits one written by former NFL player Martin Chase, who wrote an article outlining some of the problems of moving from the pit of poverty to the plushness of palaces as instant young NFL millionaires. Already problems have emerged in some of the lives of some current or recently-released Oakland Raiders.
The Article
In his article, Chase listed some causes ...
Subtitle: Never forget what was and always hope for what can be--Victory in the last few seconds
The Last Eight Seconds
This article discusses the statistics and a powerful episode of two teammates (Warren Wells and George Blanda) who had overlapping careers during a five-year period which is the focus of the analysis.
Research shows that George Blanda is recognized for last-minute victories. A quote: “George Blanda played pro football for 26 seasons—longer than any other person. However, he’ll probably be remembered best for his 1970 season with the Oakland Raiders.
That year, in a five-game period, George provided Oakland with four wins and one tie with last-second touchdown passes or ...