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Archive for June, 2012
The Oakland Raiders belong in Los Angeles.I'm not saying their fanbase in Oakland isn't good, but there is something about the Raiders and Los Angeles that just seems right.The Raiders in the early 90s in LA helped define an entire culture.  Watch the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary Straight Outta LA and you'll know what I'm talking about.The Raiders moving back to Los Angeles, the city they called their home from 1982-1994, isn't just some pipe dream of mine either.  It is a legitimate possibility.Here are seven reasons why the Raiders should move back to Los Angeles.Begin Slideshow
I think many of us knew it was more a matter of when, not if Marcel Reece would re-sign with the Raiders.Being under an exclusive rights tender meant, ultimately, the ball was in the Raiders' court more than Reece. Therefore, he re-signed, participated in OTAs Monday, and that is one less bell to answer as we get closer to training camp.With that said, this signing is a big boost to the Raiders' offense. Reece, when utilized correctly, is a Swiss army knife offensively. He can catch short passes. He can catch intermediate passes. He can catch deep seam routes (see ...
After falling behind 5-0, the A's rallied but could not get a timely hit down the stretch and fell 6-3 to the Texas Rangers in game two of their four game series. Travis Blackley struggled and took the loss, which dropped the A's to 24-32 on the season. Blackley lasted only 4 2/3 innings, allowing five runs on seven hits with two walks and five strikeouts. The A's bullpen gave them a chance to get back into the game with 4 1/3 innings of scoreless relief. The offense broke through in the fifth when, after a Kurt Suzuki double, Collin Cowgill hit ...
Manny will soon be Manny again.Any day now. Maybe. Possibly.OK fine, nobody except Oakland A's general manager Billy Beane has any real clue when Manny Ramirez might be ready to join the big club, thus ending a lengthy absence from Major League Baseball made up of a sudden retirement in 2011 and a 50-game PED suspension this season. Beane will know when Manny is ready when his scouts say Manny is ready.Nobody should hold their breath. Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reported this on Monday:The A's do have one of the greatest right-handed hitters of all time at Triple-A ...
Sell, sell, sell!  The Oakland A's are  24-31 and have lost ten of their last 12 games and the club is tied for last place in the American League West.  The A's have no chance to make a season out of things, right?In the words of Lee Corso, "Not so fast, my friend."Selling off big contracts at the trade deadline shouldn't be the answer, even as the A's are mired in a terrible slump.Yes, they are in last place, but are only eight games out of first place—and the division leading Texas Rangers are showing signs that they are human ...
Jarrod Parker was faced with a tough assignment on Monday night. All the Oakland A's rookie had to do was go out and shut down the Texas Rangers, who have the most explosive offense in Major League Baseball.Challenge accepted.Parker did everything the A's could have possibly asked and then some. He didn't just beat the Rangers. He dominated them, and he very nearly made history in the process.Parker, who was making just the ninth start of his young career, didn't give up a hit through the first seven innings of the game, and not even the great Josh Hamilton posed ...
Position: RHP Height/Weight: 6’1”/205 lbs Bats/Throws: R/R DOB: 7/21/1991 College: Arkansas Year: SO   Sanburn asserted himself as a potential first-rounder with an excellent performance in the Northwoods League this past summer, where he garnered No. 1 prospect honors.  His plus fastball is easily his best pitch, as it sits at 92-96 mph and has been clocked as high as 98.  He’s aggressive with its placement, working both sides of the plate, and generates a mixture of swing-and-misses and weak contact.  His breaking ball is of the downer variety and he throws it with the same arm speed. However, he lacks an overall feel for ...
Selected 11th in the 2012 MLB draft by the Oakland Athletics, high school shortstop Addison Russell has the tools to be a future stud with the A's. That is, if he signs. Russell is already committed to Auburn, but with his talents he could easily spurn college for professional baseball. The 18-year-old won't make an impact overnight of course. In four or five years however, Russell could be the next big thing for the A's. With the current state the team is in, it doesn't take much to make an impact. Right fielder Josh Reddick is currently one of the ...
This is the third part in a 10-part series which breaks down in detail the top 10 running backs in NFL history. The eighth-best NFL RB of all time is Bo Jackson of the Los Angeles Raiders. Jackson was originally drafted first overall out of Auburn by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. However, he did not sign with them. The Los Angeles Raiders would draft him the following year in the seventh round. He would then play for both the Los Angeles Raiders of the NFL and the Kansas City Royals of MLB. Due to his obligations with the Royals, Jackson ...
Position: 3B Height/Weight: 6’1”/190 lbs Bats/Throws: R/R DOB: 3/22/1994 High School: Upland (Calif.) College Commitment: UCLA   Daniel Robertson isn’t a sexy draft pick like Richie Shaffer or Joey Gallo. However, given his absurdly good plate discipline as a high school senior, he certainly deserves consideration. A right-handed hitter, Robertson is a naturally projectable hitter whose abilities at the plate play up due to an approach that’s well beyond his years. He has a polished, short swing that allows him to lace the ball to all fields. Although he’s currently more of a doubles hitter, the UCLA commit has all the ingredients to ...