Promotions

Taking a moment to look back, look ahead, and fire off some random observations as I turn the page on the calendar to February.  I’ll keep this month’s installment shorter than usual since I’m sick as a dog and the magic of DayQuil is wearing off fast. I’m probably a few dozen keystrokes away from passing out in front of my computer. LOOKING BACK • The rebuild/youth movement made an abrupt shift toward veterans when general manager Billy Beane added Coco Crisp, Bartolo Colon, Seth Smith and Jonny Gomes to the roster which left me scratching my head. If the [...]

The A’s are in negotiations to move their Spring Training back to Mesa, Arizona.  I say the word “back” because during the 60′s and 70′s, Mesa was their Spring Training locale, at a place called, Rendezvous Park.  The move is scheduled to be in 2015,when the contract at their current home will expire after the 2014 season. The news of the possible move is apparently a” hotbed” issue due to the fact that the Chicago Cubs are currently using the park as their training facility and the residents of Mesa voted for an approval of a new stadium for the Cubs last [...]

Never in my life has a player being shelved with a torn anything in their body come as good news. It was learned today that Daric Barton—who was demoted last month after an atrocious start when he batted .212 with no home runs in 67 games—has a “little” tear in his right shoulder labrum. Susan Slusser said on Wednesday Barton will see Dr. Lewis Yocum and will certainly require surgery that will keep him out typically 6-8 months, still making it possible that he will be ready by spring training in 2012. Cliff Pennington had the same surgery last year. [...]

It’s anyone’s guess if the A’s decide to ask first baseman, Daric Barton to move down to the minor league River Cats.   However, for now it may not be looking good for him to stay.  Barton has struggled during the first half of this season after the A’s hyped him up as one of a top-notch player during Spring Training. Bleacherreport.com is reporting that, “The result has been a season-long slump that has him batting close to the Mendoza line at .211, without a single home run, and with just 12 extra base hits (all doubles).  He set the [...]

Okay, it’s time. FanSided’s quest in naming baseball’s best all-divison roster is coming down to the wire. AL West fans, I’m sorry to announce that our division’s best were not named to the World Series. The AL East was named the AL’s best roster, and will face the NL East. It’s East vs. East! So, please show your support by voting for your World Series champion! You can vote by clicking here. Here’s a look at each roster below:

Last year, RedLeaf Water was generous enough to award two lucky readers of this site some really cool prizes, and this year, you (the reader) have a chance to win two-tickets to an upcoming A’s Spring Training Game! Mizuno and RedLeaf Water have teamed up and are sponsoring a Strike Out Thirst Sweepstakes that will award one Grand Prize winner and 31 finalists, who will pick from 16 total A’s spring training games. Here’s the official word about the sweepstakes: Grand Prize Includes: Two (2) tickets to an Angels spring baseball game on March 24, 2011, in Tempe, AZ A [...]

The A’s, who currently sit 9.0 games back of the first-place Texas Rangers in the AL West, have called up Chris Carter, Josh Donaldson and Vin Mazzaro to help them end the season on a high-note. The A’s are currently sitting at 72-72, and while the team feels it still has an outside chance to catch the Rangers, the team’s top priority is to just finish the season with a winning record. The A’s have not had a winning record since 2006, when they won the division and made an appearance in the ALCS. With the way their young pitchers [...]

The Oakland A’s, who have been without regular 3B Kevin Kouzmanoff for quite some time, have announced that they’ve signed veteran IF Akinori Iwamura to a contract. The 31-year-old, who was released by Pittsburgh, has had some experience at third, and at second-base. The A’s addition of Iwamura is a good one, defensively, but offensively, not so much. Iwamura hit just .182 with the Pirates in 52 games before being optioned to Triple-A. Iwamura will be with the A’s on Monday in Kansas City, as the A’s begin their six-game road trip. Kevin Kouzmanoff, meanwhile, is still improving, but his [...]

The Oakland A’s made some unexpected news today when they decided to demote starting pitcher Vin Mazzaro. The move is unexpected seeing that the A’s simply could’ve decided to skip Mazzaro’s next start rather than demote him. With Oakland now 7.0 games back of the slumping Texas Rangers for first-place, the team’s decision to option Mazzaro could be an indication that the team feels they can still catch Texas. In order to do so, however, they’ll need all the help they can get.

The A’s are on quite a roll. The A’s, who just finished a sweep against the sluggish Royals, will look to extend their season-high winning streak to six games against the banged up Red Sox. Ben Sheets, who has been mentioned in trade talks, will look to build upon his last start, where he pitched six-shutout innings against the Angels. The A’s pitching staff has been exceptional for the past week or so, and have one of the top team ERAs in the AL. The A’s offense, however, has also found success recently. The A’s 3B Kevin Kouzmanoff recorded seven [...]