When the Oakland Athletics signed Coco Crisp to a two-year contract (one year guaranteed with a team option for a second season) beginning last season, they did not anticipate that they would only have their new center fielder on the diamond for only 75 games in his first season in green and gold. Crisp was so productive with his time on the field that even though he missed more than half the season, he still earned the $5.75 million option for 2011 to be exercised by the Athletics. Last season Crisp put together a hitting line of .272/.349/.438 over only ...
As the 2011 NFL Draft nears, rumors that the Oakland Raiders may take a quarterback are really starting to heat up.
Although the Raiders do not own a first round selection and don't pick until the middle of round two (selection #48), many believe they're in line to make a deal and trade up to take a quarterback.
The quarterback play was quite inconsistent this past season. Jason Campbell played very well at times, but also was inconsistent and injured. Attribute this to the terrible offensive line.
The journeyman and Tom Cable favorite, Bruce Gradkowski, is not expected to be returning to Oakland ...
Entering the 2011 season, the Oakland Athletics bullpen was projected to be one of the deepest and most solid relief cores in baseball. After the first two games of the season, the bullpen looks anything but what was projected.
Saturday night the Mariners roughed up the Oakland bullpen for the second night in a row to give the A's an 0-2 start for only the second time in their past 12 seasons.
Despite a solid performance by Brett Anderson (six innings, one run on five hits with one walk and five strikeouts), the Athletics could not come through to give Anderson the ...
How do you keep yourself busy during the NFL lockout? Do you research the great players? Do you study the young college guys and free agents who might be good additions to the team?
What about taking time to learn more about the great ones, the players who have been enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio?
So far, the Oakland Raiders have 19 enshrined members of the Hall of Fame. It seems to me that 19 is a small number compared to the many years the Oakland Raiders dominated the NFL with outstanding players.
Nineteen is also an ...
The offseason buildup and hype surrounding the 2011 Athletics mostly centered on the improved offense that would support the teams solid pitching and defense.
Thankfully, the baseball season consists of 162 games, because after the Opening Day loss to the Seattle Mariners, that offseason assessment of this team took a major hit.
Newly-acquired Josh Willingham got the Athletics on the board first with his two-run home run in the bottom of the first inning with two outs. Coco Crisp, who singled to open the inning, scored on Willingham's two-out blast. Unfortunately for the A's, that would be the final positive for their ...
The NFL Draft is creeping up on us, and with it comes a sense of optimism among fans in Raider Nation.Many believe the 2011 Raiders will be a much improved team from the 8-8 squad we saw in 2010, and a expected playoff campaign is on the horizon.No doubt, Oakland is a young, up-and-coming team, but the Raiders are not without flaws. If they want to make the playoffs next season, many players must vastly improve.Offensive line and quarterback are just a couple positions that need to show progression in 2011.Here are 14 players who need to get better if ...
OAKLAND RAIDER 2011 PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP:
#1 WR: Darrius Heyward-Bey If Chaz is healthy, it’s Chaz’s position to win. Considering his history, though, I wouldn't bet on it.
LT: Jared Veldheer Look for Veldheer to make great bounds in his sophomore campaign. And don’t be surprised to see this guy in the Pro-Bowl by year four.
LG: Marcus Cannon (Rookie) With Veldheer beside him, the Raiders left side will boast the meanest ...