Much of the Oakland Athletics' success this season has stemmed from manager Bob Melvin's implementation of platoons in the field. Quality players like catchers John Jaso and Derek Norris split time based on the opposing pitcher's throwing arm.
Jaso would hit against righties, Norris would hit against lefties, and everyone's knees stayed well-rested. That worked until Stephen Vogt was called up from Triple-A Sacramento and proceeded to mash the stitches off the ball, forcing Melvin to keep him in the lineup, though often away from his natural position.
An overflow of talent is certainly not a bad thing, especially considering the physical ...
Driving to work is the worst.
Spending hours of your life shoving a vehicle through traffic is tantamount to torture, but not knowing exactly how to get to your destination makes it that much worse.
This is Jon Lester’s daily grind, and he's using technology to help make his adjustment to life with the Oakland A’s easier.
Lester told The Dan Patrick Show, via NBC on Yahoo Sports (h/t For The Win’s Nate Scott), Thursday that he’s still using the GPS on his smartphone to make his 40-minute commute to O.co Coliseum: "Every day, I do the GPS on my phone, so I don’t get lost."
Lester also confirmed ...
Acquiring Jon Lester—a veteran hurler forged in the postseason crucible—was a decidedly good thing for the Oakland A's as they prepare to make a run at their first World Series in the Billy Beane era. The guy they gave up to get Lester, though, was pretty good, too.
Just as Lester has had an immediate positive impact on the A's, Yoenis Cespedes has made his presence felt with the Boston Red Sox.
Since arriving in Beantown, Cespedes has smacked a pair of game-winning home runs and collected eight RBI in just 11 games. And he's grabbed the attention of his new teammates, ...
Serious question: Would the Oakland A's have the best record in baseball—the first and only team with over 70 wins so far—without manager Bob Melvin?
Perhaps. But having the 2012 Manager of the Year at the helm certainly hasn't hurt the team.
One could make the argument that there is no manager in baseball today that could run a Billy Beane roster more effectively. Between his mastering of platoons, clear communication, player's manager persona and faith in his guys, Melvin may very well be on his way to a second Manager of the Year award.
Just consider these five moves he's made in ...
The Oakland A’s put an end to the Kansas City Royals’ eight-game winning streak on Tuesday night, as they exploded for 11 runs on 20 hits to back another strong outing from left-hander Jon Lester.
But the A’s star of the game was third baseman Josh Donaldson, who went 3-for-4 with a pair of late-inning home runs and four RBI—one of his finest performances of the season.
Donaldson’s second homer, which came in the eighth inning off left-hander Bruce Chen, was his 25th of the season, a new career high for the 28-year-old All-Star after hitting 24 during his breakout 2013 campaign.
And with ...
Clearly it's a cliche the Oakland A's understand: You can never have too much pitching. That's why, even after acquiring Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel from the Chicago Cubs, the A's went big at the deadline and dealt for Jon Lester.
The trade cost Oakland dearly. To acquire the playoff-tested southpaw from the Boston Red Sox and shore up a starting rotation that was already a strength, the A's sacrificed Yoenis Cespedes, one of the most promising sluggers in baseball.
Oakland will undoubtedly miss his bat, though as John Shea of SFGate.com notes, "Oakland's offense hadn't been in sync since before Yoenis Cespedes ...
Jesse Chavez began the year as a legitimate part of the Oakland Athletics' one-two-three punch behind Sonny Gray and Scott Kazmir but was rocked by offenses in July. Now Chavez has been moved to the bullpen, completing a roller-coaster ride from long reliever to starting pitcher to ace back to long reliever.
All hope seemed to be lost for the Oakland Athletics' starting rotation when Jarrod Parker and A.J. Griffin both underwent Tommy John surgery before the season began. Chavez took over a rotation spot with just two career starts to his name and helped the A's not miss a beat in ...
The July 31 trade deadline may have passed, but the Oakland Athletics can still add to the roster to bolster their playoff chances.
Before July's deadline, Oakland acquired pitchers Jeff Samardzija, Jason Hammel and Jon Lester. It also added outfielders Jonny Gomes and Sam Fuld. Arguably only the Detroit Tigers' pitching staff rivals the caliber the A's possess. And with a returning Coco Crisp, the outfield contains plenty of depth (more once Craig Gentry returns from injury).
The three-headed monster that is Derek Norris, Stephen Vogt and John Jaso has been one of the most consistent units for most of the 2014 ...
The Oakland Athletics are in the midst of an historic season.
Not only do the A's have the best record in the majors at 67-43 and an eye-popping plus-164 run differential, but they also are the talk of the baseball community with the two boldest blockbuster acquisitions in recent history. Simply put, having a conversation about anything other than the accomplishments and improvements of the big league club may be doing the organization a disservice.
But let us step back from the mega-deals that general manager Billy Beane has orchestrated over the past weeks and take a closer look at the foundations ...
The Oakland Athletics have had the American League's best record for virtually the entire season, but any A's fan knows in-season success doesn't guarantee playoff wins. Winning in October takes a deep roster, a couple of top-level players and a whole lot of luck.
After consecutive Game 5 losses to the Detroit Tigers in the American League Division Series, the A's have gone all-in to win this year, trading for starting pitchers Jeff Samardzija, Jon Lester and Jason Hammel.
Building a starting rotation of four aces didn't come cheap, as general manager Billy Beane dealt top prospect Addison Russell and left fielder Yoenis ...