After guiding the Oakland Athletics to a startling American League West Division Championship and pushing the eventual A.L. Champion Detroit Tigers to the deciding game of the division series, Bob Melvin was given a two-year extension by the team, according to The San Jose Mercury News.Melvin was named interim manager on June 9, 2011 after the Athletics let Bob Geren go after five and a half disappointing seasons. The team was gutted of many of their established major league pitchers between the 2011 and 2012 seasons and had a losing record through much of the first half of 2012.On June 10th, ...
The newest member of the Oakland Athletics is engaging, quick with a smile and has charmed the East Bay. Yes, Hiroyuki Nakajima brings a personality that already has the fans won over and appears to be the type of player that will fit right in with Oakland's fun and free-spirited clubhouse.However, there is also an enigmatic nature to the man known as "Hiro." Who is he? What are his credentials? Nakajima won't be the key to the A's duplicating the success of 2012, but he's definitely an important factor. The following is what I hope will be a bridge to ...
Though the Los Angeles Angels now have one of scariest offenses in the game, the race for the AL West may come down to pitching, which is exactly how the Oakland Athletics won the division in 2012. With a team batting average of .238, the A's relied heavily on pitching all season. The Angels finished just four games behind Oakland for the division title. Separate arguments can be made that it was either the slow start by the offense or an inconsistent pitching staff that ultimately clipped the Angels' wings. This offseason, the Athletics made few moves to better themselves, ...
Given the ages of many of the Oakland Athletics players, it would be all too easy (and optimistic) to say that all of them will be better in 2013. However, it's wise to remain realistic and separate those who stand with the best chance of continued development from the rest of the squad. The fact of the matter is, not all of the A's players will best their 2012 production, but you can guarantee that at least a handful of them will, without question. Yoenis Cespedes is in his prime at 27 years old, while 25-year-olds Josh Reddick and Tommy ...
Last year, the Oakland A's went on a run for the ages, and they almost snuck into the ALCS.The A's won their last six regular season games to stunningly capture the AL West, before rallying from down 2-0 to force Game 5 of the ALDS. They lost Game 5, but it let Oakland experience a run for the ages.However, the A's haven't done much in the offseason. They signed Hiroyuki Nakajima from Japan, but only to replace Stephen Drew. They re-signed Bartolo Colon and traded for Chris Young, but that's really been it.Oakland isn't expected to do as well in ...
Though the Oakland Athletics answered their biggest offseason questions—who plays shortstop and which free agents will be re-signed—there are a few that remain unanswered. While some are minor, others are so important they could have major implications on whether the A's repeat as AL West champions. In 2012, Oakland stole the division from the Texas Rangers in the 162nd game of the season. The Los Angeles Angels weren't far behind. And while the Rangers haven't done anything to put themselves in place to compete in 2013, the Angels added Josh Hamilton to their already staunch offense which includes Albert Pujols ...
If you were Oakland A's general manager Billy Beane, what would you put on your Christmas wish list? The 50-year-old with three children will likely get a slew of ties, dress shirts, socks and tools. I mean, after all, what else do you buy the man who already runs a baseball organization? But if Santa Claus were to bring Beane anything and everything he wishes for, there's a couple of things the A's GM might write down immediately. Of course, these have to be things he can receive on Christmas day, so 100 wins or another AL West pennant aren't ...
The Oakland Athletics have a tricky dilemma regarding how to fit five outfielders into the everyday lineup. Luckily, the most obvious way to do it isn't half bad of an idea, and a few other alternatives could work equally as well, too. Let's recap: The A's entered the offseason already with Yoenis Cespedes, Coco Crisp and Josh Reddick aligning the outfield (not to mention Seth Smith, an outfielder turned DH). On Oct. 20, Oakland acquired Chris Young. Further complicating things, GM Billy Beane has stated his desire to keep the lineup intact as is. Five outfielders. Four spots in the ...
The Oakland Athletics finally addressed their shortstop situation on Tuesday, agreeing to a two-year, $6.5 million contract with 30-year-old Hiroyuki Nakajima, as first reported by Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. Nakajima was first posted by the Seibu Lions last year and had his negotiating rights sold to the Yankees for $2 million, though the two sides ultimately failed to reach an agreement. Instead, the shortstop returned to Japan for the 2012 season and batted .311/.382/.451 with 13 home runs. At face value, the signing makes sense. In the wake of the Red Sox’s signing of Stephen Drew on Monday, players such ...
Is there ever a season where the Oakland Athletics’ farm system isn’t absolutely loaded? Headed into the 2012 season, power-hitting outfielder Michael Choice ranked as the team’s top prospect and was beginning to heat up when a hit-by-pitch resulted in a broken hand after the All-Star break. The A’s system was also highlighted by the meteoric rise of right-hander Dan Straily from organizational arm to legitimate pitching prospect. The 23-year-old led all minor league pitchers in strikeouts (190 in 151 innings) at the time of his call-up, and he logged nearly 40 innings over the final two months of the ...