Bad breaks, thin pocketbook and recent sloppy play aside, the Oakland Athletics are still the best team in the American League West. If a couple key players perform well in September, the Athletics should repeat as division champions.
Mid-August finds the A's 1.5 games behind the Texas Rangers, with the Seattle Mariners, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and Houston Astros trailing off in the distance.
The revised wild-card format means second place is no longer good enough, as the Rangers found last season. A winning season can go down the drain with one playoff loss.
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Eric Sogard is counting his blessings.
The Oakland Athletics shortstop had a big scare Thursday when half of Houston Astro Chris Carter's bat came flying at him on a broken-bat grounder.
Thankfully, Sogard came out with only a minor scratch:
Broken bats are common. I find it puzzling that more incidents like this haven't happened. Bats go flying, but most of the time they miss everyone around.
Some people will call for more safety measures placed in baseball, but many would add it's just a part of the game.
Sure, the sport is dangerous when you're dealing with a baseball traveling 90 mph or more. But ...
For a brief period on Wednesday, many Oakland Raiders fans resigned themselves to the fact that their star offensive tackle Jared Veldheer would likely miss the entire season with a torn triceps. The official Raiders Twitter account broke the news.
Later, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that Veldheer sustained a partial triceps tear rather than a complete one.
How much does the difference between a partial and complete tear matter?
In short: A whole heck of a lot. As Schefter tweeted, it might even save a good portion of Veldheer's season.
Why is that the case?
Let's take a closer look, using San Francisco 49ers defensive ...
The Oakland Raiders aren’t a team flush with great players, so when one goes down with a significant injury it’s a big deal. On Wednesday, the Raiders announced left tackle Jared Veldheer has a torn triceps and would have surgery.
Head coach Dennis Allen said Veldheer would be a candidate to go on injured reserve with the “eligible to return” designation. If that’s the case, Veldheer could return in Week 9 if he’s ready.
Since it’s only a partially torn triceps, there is a very real chance Veldheer can make it back this season if the surgery and rehab go as planned. ...
If Oakland Raiders running back Darren McFadden is healthy and playing in a man-blocking scheme, he’s a dynamic player. The Raiders lack dynamic players, so keeping McFadden healthy and productive is presumably one of the keys to their season.
Oakland’s offensive coordinator and his zone-blocking scheme were jettisoned this offseason because McFadden proved to be a poor fit. The running game was actually productive when McFadden was out, but the Raiders still made wholesale changes so they could get him on track.
Obviously, the Raiders think McFadden is an important part of their offense, and if he’s productive they will win more ...
Many have banked their fantasy lives on Darren McFadden turning his vast potential into production. After five mostly underwhelming seasons, many have given up and removed the enigmatic Oakland Raiders running back from their draft board all together.
Coming off his worst season and entering a contract year, there is no better time than now to reach for McFadden in your fantasy football draft.
Rather because of injury, poor performance or demotion, everyone at some point has had that fantasy bust that tanks their season. For past McFadden owners, the Raiders running back takes the cake for all three reasons
It’s well documented that ...
When it comes to the MLB waiver trade deadline, the Oakland Athletics' approach could be aptly titled "All Quiet on the Western Front." Then again, general manager Billy Beane has never been one to show his cards, so this shouldn't come as a surprise.
At this point, the A's have talent on both sides of the ball. It's just a matter of the two clicking simultaneously.
Four-fifths of the starting rotation could end up with a dozen wins. The offense is well-rounded with speed from Coco Crisp and Eric Sogard, consistency from the left side of the infield and power from Brandon ...
There is some debate as to who are the Oakland A's biggest prospects and what merits a place on such a list. And while there is nothing I will say to settle the debate, I do have some feelings about the five players who are most valued by the organization in August 2013.
That said, even as the big club continues to try to defend its American League West title, an eye can still be cast toward a talented crop of players who can not only potentially help this year, but more importantly, for years to come. Let's look at the ...
The improvements quarterback Terrelle Pryor has made since the end of last year have people wondering if he should be given a legitimate shot to start for the Oakland Raiders over Matt Flynn.
Outside of an interception in the red zone, Pryor seemed to have a strong preseason performance against the Dallas Cowboys completing six passes for 88 yards on 10 attempts and adding 31 yards on the ground.
While Pryor has no doubt improved his knowledge of the offense and opposing defenses, he’s still struggling with his footwork and decision-making. It’s these struggles that will limit Pryor and keep him from ...
The Oakland Raiders are fresh off their first preseason action of the year with a 19-17 win over the Dallas Cowboys on Friday night.
Although wins mean very little in the preseason, there were plenty of positives to take from what was an encouraging performance overall.
For many, this game was also the first live look at some of the Raiders’ key position battles ongoing throughout training camp.
Taking note of some impressive individual performances, as well as who it was that took the field in starting roles, allows for some insight into how those very competitions are shaping up thus far.
Here is ...