The Oakland Athletics have had an incredible winter, shipping off key veterans like they were a bunch of old iPhone 3s from last Christmas—outdated. The Oakland A’s have probably broken the record for most trades in one offseason. And amazingly, they’re surely not done yet. It has been reported by CSN BayArea that on Monday, Oakland acquired outfielder Seth Smith from the Colorado Rockies for two starting pitchers—right-hander Guillermo Moscoso and lefty Josh Outman. This is somewhat of a surprise, considering the A’s had already traded two of its starting pitchers earlier this offseason—but then again, nothing should be startling ...
The Oakland Raiders are doing something right now that the organization is used to doing, and that's searching for a new head coach.The difference this time around is that Al Davis is not calling the shots. Mr. Davis passed away in October, and Hue Jackson was let go by new general manager Reggie McKenzie shortly after the 2011 season ended.Nevertheless, McKenzie's search for a head coach is starting to look a lot like a search that Mr. Davis would have conducted. So far, McKenzie is focusing most of his attention on offensive-minded candidates.On Wednesday, The Denver Post reports that McKenzie is ...
Can someone please tell me what all this rebuilding talk is all about?The Oakland Raiders just narrowly missed the playoffs and have plenty of talent on the team. The team is built and all GM Reggie McKenzie needs is a couple of pieces to complete the Raiders for whoever his coach will be.The Raiders can still have a good draft in 2012 just like they did in 2011 without a first-round pick. As it stands right now, they only have picks in Rounds 5 and 6, but the compensatory picks are on the way.We have no idea what they'll be, so I put ...
The Raiders search for Hue Jackson's replacement is continuing, as Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer is set to interview with the Raiders for their head coaching vacancy. Mornhinweg has been the Eagles' offensive coordinator since 2006, and was the head coach of the Lions in 2001 and 2002. What it means? On the one hand, you can say that this is just the Raiders keeping their options open and exploring all candidates. That's fine, but the Raiders need someone with a defensive mindset running the show.Any way you slice it, the Raiders had one of the worst defenses in the NFL in 2011. They were 27th ...
"Moneyball," the story of how a small-market ball club manages to compete with its larger-market adversaries, was released to DVD and Blu-ray recently, and I, being a baseball fan, bought my copy. Watching it with my friends led me to think about all the baseball movies that have been made. Some have been great, like the aforementioned; some have been terrible, like "The Benchwarmers." Needless to say, with "Moneyball" coming off four Golden Globe nominations and a chance to shine at the Oscars, I've decided to put together a list of the five greatest baseball movies of all time.(Note: Instead of ...
All of the talk about the Oakland Raiders getting a general manager points us to a new day with renewed hope for 2012.Reggie McKenzie was an Oakland Raider during the days of Marcus Allen and Jim Plunkett. McKenzie was coached by Tom Flores.His experience with the Green Bay Packers equips him to manage a team like the Oakland Raiders. The Raiders desire a "quick turnaround" to head toward securing playoffs and a Super Bowl.After I listened to his press conference more than five times, I heard a message of inclusion and unity.It occurred to me that one thing makes McKenzie's ...
The Oakland Raiders are looking ahead to what they intend to be a bigger and brighter organization under the watchful eye of newly-hired general manager Reggie McKenzie, hoping to create a brand-new administration after over 40 years under the dictatorship of Al Davis, who passed away last October. In order to determine the team’s future potential, we must first take a gander over our shoulders at the past—specifically the 2011 season, simultaneously looking into the rearview mirror and the road ahead. That said, in an effort to help evaluate the needs of the Raiders going forward as they embark on ...
At the introductory press conference for the hiring of general manager Reggie McKenzie, when asked why he fired head coach Hue Jackson, McKenzie said, "I wanted to bring in my own guy."Well, be it that McKenzie hasn't hired anyone yet, you can draw the conclusion that McKenzie's guy is on the Green Bay Packers staff.Having come from Green Bay and all the success they've in recent years, McKenzie made no secret of his desire to follow their model. And now that the Packers' season is over, due to the 37-20 thumping they took from the New York Giants yesterday, McKenzie's search for a head coach will soon come ...
In an unorthodox move that goes against their offseason trend, the Oakland Athletics added a veteran free agent to their roster. Can the A’s actually do that? The San Francisco Chronicle reports that Oakland has agreed to terms with free agent right-hander Bartolo Colon. Hooray! No formal announcement has been made, though, as Colon must first pass his physical with the team. Tentatively, the contract will be a one-year deal, but the financial figures have not been made public. Bringing in Colon, however, is a bit uncharacteristic for the Athletics, who have had a very busy and lengthy winter sale ...
The Oakland Athletics are reportedly negotiating with journeyman pitcher Bartolo Colon, but the 38-year-old right-hander won't change Oakland's fate in 2012.Colon resurrected his career in 2011 with the Yankees, pitching better than his 8-10 record suggests. Prior to last season, he hadn't thrown a pitch in the majors since July 2009. Striking out 135 and posting a 1.29 WHIP in 26 starts however, he had a solid year for New York.Colon was reliable for the Yankees, and with Gio Gonzalez and Trevor Cahill leaving in recent trades, the A's need to bring in someone.Oakland's rotation has weakened and they have ...