Manny Ramirez has been a member of the Oakland Athletics for just over a month now, and all seems to be going well. There have been no dubious reports surrounding Ramirez, he's taken on a mentor role with some of the younger players and his bat is finally starting to come around.Assuming things continue the way they are, Ramirez may actually end up being a force for good, which would be a first for him. If he stays true to his word, then there's no reason why Ramirez can't be a great addition to the A's organization.His impact can be ...
Oakland Athletics rookie Jarrod Parker was assigned to minor league camp on Monday afternoon after the right-hander surrendered two runs on one hit over 3.2 innings, while issuing seven (yes, seven) walks. The damage would have been far worse for the 23-year-old—he did somehow walk away with the win—had he not induced two double plays. His afternoon also included a wild pitch, and he failed to record a strikeout. Parker's biggest issue on Monday stemmed from an inability to locate his fastball, a pitch that he has thrown with consistency in the past but struggled with as of late. In ...
Dozens of memorable figures have donned the green and gold, but one stands above the rest as the most recognizable member of the Oakland Athletics organization. A storied franchise, the A's have seen their share of personalities from players to managers and even front-office management. Over time, the people on this list have become synonymous with, "The Oakland A's." No matter what happens, they will forever be tied to the team. These men embody the organization like no other. They're as much of a trademark to the brand as the A's logo itself. So who stands apart from the rest as ...
Last year, a player that emerged from obscurity in the Oakland Athletics farm system was third base prospect Stephen Parker. In 2010 he hit .296, with 21 home runs and 98 RBI, yet coming into 2011 he was still largely overshadowed by fellow prospects Grant Green and Michael Choice. Despite his breakout 2010 campaign, he solidified his position as the team's third baseman of the future with his consistent and solid play last season.Parker, like Green and Choice, was drafted out of college. That's usually been Billy Beane's draft philosophy, select players out of college who'll be more prepared for professional ...
Heading into the 2012 season in rebuilding mode, the A's knew they would have some holes to fill before the season started. They went out and acquired guys like Josh Reddick and Bartolo Colon to fill some of those spots, but for the most part the club will be full of young guys looking to break camp as part of the 25-man roster. Young players like Josh Donaldson and Eric Sogard are finally being given a shot at everyday jobs with the big club, and are looking to stick around come April.The team has been in action this spring for ...
Aaaah, the fresh aromas of spring: the scents of pine tar, eye black and manicured outfield grass. It’s that time of year again: yes, spring training. Pitchers are loosening up their arms, infielders are pickling basepaths and hitters are back in the swing of things. It’s a brand-new start to baseball. Spring is a period that symbolizes the blossoming of new growth—and baseball is no different. No team exudes the essence of springtime more than the Oakland Athletics, an organization that has almost completely re-harvested its roster this past winter. Out with last year’s crop: Trevor Cahill, Gio Gonzalez and ...
Well, if there was any doubt as to whether the Oakland Athletics got their money’s worth by signing free agent Cuban defector Yoenis Cespedes this past offseason, he proved right away that the answer is yes. On Saturday, in his spring training debut—his first game against MLB pitching—Cespedes smacked a solo home run in his third at-bat of the spring, propelling the A’s to a 6-3 win over the Cincinnati Reds. It wasn’t quite like the Atlanta Braves’ Jason Heyward fulfilling his hype by homering in his first major league at-bat in 2010, or the first major league start by ...
Jose Canseco, who has been busy on Twitter with his usual rants, has been suspended by the Mexican League for refusing to take a drug test. According to ESPN, Quintana Roo Tigers' Team President said, that doping-control doctors advised Canseco against taking the test because he was using a medicine to produce testosterone.Canseco has been pledging his innocence, claiming that he has a prescription for testosterone and “can’t live without it." With his time in the Independent Leagues finished and now banned from the Mexican League, his playing ...
You smell that?Ah, the fresh scent of pine tar and eye black. It’s that time of year again—yes, spring training.Pitchers are loosening up their arms and hitters are getting back into the swing of things. It’s a fresh new start to baseball. Spring is a period that symbolizes the blossoming of new growth—and baseball is no different. No team exudes the essence of springtime more than the Oakland Athletics, an organization that has almost completely re-harvested its roster over the winter.Out with last year’s crop: Trevor Cahill, Gio Gonzalez and Andrew Bailey are all shipped away.In with fresh seeds like ...
Jose Canseco has never had a problem speaking his mind and that should be apparently clear from the two books that he has written.He is a noted steroid user and Canseco has pointed fingers at a number of other players in the majors that have done steroids. His accusations have been right on more than one occasion.The media loves Canseco because he often provides a number of great quotes. He added a few more to the list after he allegedly took a banned substance which will prevent him from playing in the Mexican League.Here are just some of the gems ...