The Oakland A's seemed to foray into rebuilding mode when they traded Trevor Cahill to the Arizona Diamondbacks in early December 2011, and they all but made it official when they traded Gio Gonzalez to the Washington Nationals just two weeks later.Gonzalez was Oakland's best pitcher in 2011. He won a career-high 16 games with a career-low 3.12 ERA, and he made the All-Star team for the first time. Even for a cold-blooded GM like Billy Beane, waving goodbye to Gonzalez couldn't have been easy.Here we are many months later, and it's safe to say things have worked out just ...
June 24, 2012. That was the day that Oakland A's rookie pitcher A.J. Griffin's dream of pitching in the big leagues came true. From his debut all the way up to the gem he tossed last night (Wednesday) against the Angels, Griffin has been tormenting major league hitters every start. The 24-year-old has made 11 career starts since that first outing and has yet to receive a loss, going 6-0 in that span. Those six straight wins to begin his career make him only the third pitcher in Oakland A's history to accomplish that feat. Though Griffin himself has only earned six decisions, the ...
It seemed settled forever on June 23 of this season that the San Francisco Giants were the Bay Area's best team.The Giants beat the A's 9-8 that day to clinch the season series and improve to 40-32 for the season. While the A's were playing better than most prognosticators expected, they were only 34-38 at the time—ten games back in the division.While Billy Beane was still competent enough to build mediocre teams on shoestring budgets, his candle appeared to have flickered out in the heavy winds of his post Moneyball fame. Brad Pitt's A's had made the playoffs on the ...
In the home stretch of one of the most surprising seasons in franchise history, perhaps I may be accused of throwing a wet blanket on Oakland A's fans by speaking ill about 2013.But this piece is not meant to slight anything that has happened in this remarkable year, which still has a chance to be historic in the East Bay. No, this is more about seeing things in the bigger picture. While the A's have over shot even the most optimistic expectations already in 2012, there are more than a few signs that what we are seeing is an illusion instead ...
Monday, Fox Sports MLB writer Ken Rosenthal wrote a piece that described the Oakland Athletics as a “revolving door of misfits.” He also used a couple other not so inviting words to describe A's general manager Billy Beane’s highly-performing team. From Rosenthal: If the “Moneyball” A’s were, in the words of author Michael Lewis, baseball’s answer to the island of misfit toys, what the heck is this bunch? An archipelago of All-American rejects, plus one Cuban defector? Misfit toys? Rejects? Cuban Defector? Come on!Way to take an inspiring team that has defied expectations and rip it to shreds. This was ...
Minor league strikeout leader Dan Straily (190 strikeouts in 152 innings) will return to the majors on Tuesday night, starting in place of the recently injured Brandon McCarthy. In his start against the Angels on Sept. 5, McCarthy was struck in the head by a line drive off the bat of Erick Aybar. He was taken to the hospital for tests and underwent surgery later that night to remove an epidural hematoma near his brain. The right-hander continues to make progress just days after the operation, as he was able to walk down the hallway and climb four steps at ...
The Oakland Athletics entered the 2012 season with little hope of playing in October, yet one month away from playoffs, they find themselves as legitimate contenders for postseason baseball. If you think the A's are a fluke, you're oh so wrong. There may indeed be disbelievers out there still. These folks deny the talent in Oakland and have already shrugged the A's off as pretenders—a team who is destined for an epic collapse or a quick oust in the first round. OK, so they aren't a powerhouse. Still, the A's have a shot at not only making the playoffs, but advancing. ...
Oakland Athletics owner Lew Wolff has made his intentions clear. He wants out of Oakland. After many losing seasons in the Oakland Coliseum, you can't really blame him. But this year is seemingly different, isn't it?For the first time since 2006, the Athletics are producing the firepower and excitement that past years have lacked—and I don't mean the fireworks nights. Bob Melvin's 2012 lineup consists of eight different Athletics to have homered in double-digit figures this season. The 2006 playoff-contending Athletics only had six.Needless to say, the 2012 Athletics are belting souvenirs into the bleachers early and often with few hands to ...
Well, the Oakland Athletics are against the ropes in their postseason hunt.The horrific injury that Brandon McCarthy endured from the comebacker line drive overshadowed the three-game sweep from the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. "Situations like this definitely put everything in perspective," Brett Anderson tweeted. Oakland's upcoming stretch of 20 games only reaches the O.co Coliseum three times against the scorching Baltimore Orioles mid-month. The A's traveled to Seattle without McCarthy, yet had his well-being in mind. "Thoughts and prayers out to BMac and Amanda. We go on this road trip ready to kick some ass for ya buddy!" Josh Reddick tweeted. The three-game series at Safeco ...
Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Brandon McCarthy underwent surgery on Wednesday night after being struck in the head by a line drive against the Los Angeles Angeles.Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com tweeted on Thursday:
McCarthy's surgery, according to A's, involved "evacuation of an epidural hemorrhage and stabilization of the skull fracture."— DKnobler (@DKnobler) September 6, 2012
Knobler also tweeted:
A's say McCarthy remains in "critical care," but is alert, awake and showing signs of improvement.— DKnobler (@DKnobler) September 6, 2012
UPDATE: Monday, September 10 at 2:20 p.m. ET by Adam WellsProgress is being made slowly but surely for McCarthy. According to Amanda McCarthy, aka ...