2009 Oakland Athletics Season Thread:Rickey Henderson in Cooperstown...No. 24 Jersey Retired 8/1

[GreenNGold89]

A's, Sisco Agree To Minor League Deal

By Drew Silva [March 7, 2009 at 9:58am CST]

According to the Denver Post's Troy Renck, the A's have agreed to terms with left-handed reliever Andrew Sisco on a minor league contract.

The deal is worth $550K. Sisco, 26, last pitched in the majors in 2007. He has a 5.18 career ERA in over 147 major league innings. The A's had their sights set on Dennys Reyes, before he signed with the Cardinals, and Joe Beimel, who remains a free agent. Sisco was obviously the cheaper option in the end.

I wold have much rather have gotten Beimel. I don'treally understand this signing, at least it was only a minor league deal.

 

[johnson1]

Sweeney CF

Cabrera SS

Holliday LF

Giambi 1B

Cust DH

Chavez 3B

Suzuki C

Ellis 2B

Buck RF


solid lineup with Nomar, Bobby, Raj Davis holding down the bench


I hope Duke only misses a few starts

this is the first time in years where our offense looks better than the pitching

 

[GreenNGold89]

Originally Posted by JapanAir21

I haven't really kept track of our Pitching staff since we had Zito/Mulder/Hudson, how are our starters?

Well, this is BY FAR our worst starting pitching we have had in a long time. Duke is our best pitcher and our ace, but is injury prone and mayhave to start the season on the DL. Then you have guys like Eveland and Gallagher who are pretty much guaranteed spots in the rotation. Eveland has been realsolid this spring. I'm not a big fan of Gallagher but we'll see how he can do. Then you have Gio Gonzalez, Jerome Williams, and the Oakland MACs(Mazzaro, Anderson, and Cahill)

fighting for the last couple of rotation spots. Gio Gonzalez got someexperience last year, so it seems as if he'll get the nod over some of the other younger guys. Anderson seems the most ready out of the next "big3" but he hasn't had a great spring. Mazzaro and Cahill have been pretty solid this spring, so it'll be a fun battle to watch.

 

[GreenNGold89]

Originally Posted by Johnson1

Sweeney CF

Cabrera SS

Holliday LF

Giambi 1B

Cust DH

Chavez 3B

Suzuki C

Ellis 2B

Buck RF


solid lineup with Nomar, Bobby, Raj Davis holding down the bench


I hope Duke only misses a few starts

this is the first time in years where our offense looks better than the pitching

I agree with most of it, but if Davis keeps hitting the ball like he is, he needs to start over Buck. Also, Cunningham has been solid this spring, so he'sstill in this battle.

 

[eagle 0n]

Yah the starting rotation is a big question mark, especially with the possiblity of Duke missing extend time (and maybe surgery).
Our bullpen should be solid though with Devine and Zeigler holding up the back-end.

...
New A's

 

[eagle 0n]

Anderson showing his value to A's
Sunday, March 8, 2009 | Feedback | Print Entry
Oakland's trade of Dan Haren looked at the time like a bid for quantity over quality, but the rapid progression of left-hander Brett Anderson has changed that.

Anderson, the 20th-best prospect in baseball and the third-best left-handed prospect, showed great command of a four-pitch mix on Sunday along with excellent feel for pitching. Anderson was 91-93 mph with good life on the pitch, and mixed in a sharp two-plane curve from 76-81 mph, an above-average changeup with great arm speed from 82-84 mph and a short cutter/slider in the same range as the changeup. He threw everything for strikes and showed uncanny feel for a pitcher his age, setting hitters up, changing speeds, and changing eye levels.

He's a quick worker with an aggressive approach and a clean delivery that he repeats well. Anderson only has six starts above A-ball, but he's never been challenged in pro ball, and both his stuff and polish are big-league ready.

• Right-hander Brett Hunter was the mystery man of the 2008 Rule 4 Draft. He was reportedly clocked at 98 mph in fall ball in late 2007, but hurt his arm and threw just 18 innings his junior year, never showing the same velocity. The A's took him in the seventh round and ended up paying him more than $1 million, or first-round money.

On Sunday, Hunter threw an inning of relief, topping out at 93 mph and ranging between that and 89, popping the only curveball he threw. The fastball lacked life and he didn't command it well. He actually snaps his wrist at its furthest point back in his delivery -- creating a momentary hook -- and seems to pronate his elbow at the last possible moment, increasing the stress that pitching puts on his elbow. He also has a slight head-whack after release. It's a high-effort delivery that is hard to repeat, so he's going to have to have plus stuff to have a major-league role, and he didn't show that Sunday.

• Oakland's second-round pick from 2008, Tyson Ross, was 89-93 with a wildly inconsistent slider. His delivery has always been rough -- he lands on a front leg so stiff it could double as a post hole digger, and he slings the ball from a low, three-quarter angle that's just above sidearm. Harsh delivery plus low slot usually adds up to "reliever." Fellow right-hander Andrew Bailey was more impressive, touching 92 with his fastball and 88 with a sharp slider-like cutter and throwing strikes with both pitches.

 

[GreenNGold89]

Chavez rehab slowed again

PHOENIX (AP)-Eric Chavez's surgically repaired right shoulder bothered him when he was hitting during Oakland's exhibition game Sunday, forcing the Athletics to push back his spring debut in the field.

Chavez was scheduled to play third base against the Los Angeles Angels on Monday but was scratched, and manager Bob Geren said there was no timetable for his return.

"He experienced some pain in his shoulder yesterday, so we're going to give him a few days off even from DHing," Geren said.

Chavez underwent surgery on his right shoulder in August. Although he said before spring training that he felt like he could do everything, the A's were cautious about putting him into a game at third. The club initially hoped he'd play last week, but that was pushed back to Monday.

With Chavez out, the A's put Bobby Crosby in the lineup for his debut at third base. Crosby, who said he had never played a game at any level at a position other than shortstop, lost his job when the A's signed free agent Orlando Cabrera. Crosby had only worked out at other positions for two days, and even then mostly at second.

Geren said he felt Crosby was ready for third.

"We feel like he can do it," Geren said. "I talked to (infield coach) Mike Gallego and we all feel like second base will take a little longer to learn, with people breaking up double plays and coming across the bag. Third is similar to shortstop, the same side of the field."

The A's also made their first cuts of the spring, sending down 11 players. Right-hander Jeff Gray, who appeared in five games in the majors in September, was optioned to Triple-A Sacramento. The A's reassigned right-handers Brett Hunter, Jared Lansford, Arnold Leon and Tyson Ross; catcher Josh Donaldson; and infielders Tagg Bozied, Adrian Cardenas, Chris Carter, Yung-Chi Chen and Jemile Weeks to minor league camp.
I'm basically out of all hope for Chavy. I didn't have much to start with, but I was hoping he could at least last half the season

. Ireally think he is done. We'll see how Crosby handles 3rd.

 

[Johnny_Cakes]

There was someone on another message board who summed up my feelings on Chavez quite well:

An injured player who occasionally gets healthy.

 

[GreenNGold89]

A's prospect impressive at just 17

(03-10) 04:00 PDT Phoenix --

Dominican phenom Michael Ynoa said he believes he can be pitching in the major leagues in two years if he works hard.

"I believe that, too," said A's minor-league coach Ariel Prieto, who went straight from Cuba and Puerto Rico to the Oakland rotation in 1995. "He's good."

The A's paid Ynoa $4.25 million last summer, when he was 16, because that timeline might not be too far-fetched.

"It wouldn't surprise me," Double-A catcher Anthony Recker said. "He has great stuff. I could tell he was working at 75 percent and the ball was still jumping out of his hand. Great movement. He's well ahead of most 17-year-olds."

During a 25-pitch session Monday at the team's minor-league complex, Ynoa showed a lively fastball and a changeup with some movement.

The A's plan to have Ynoa return in April for extended spring (along with another high-profile Dominican signee, outfielder Robin Rosario), and if he does well there, he will then go to short-season A-ball in the Northwest League, with the idea he will throw 75 innings combined this year.

Ynoa has played in only 15 games in his life. He also throws a plus-curveball and a splitter, but Monday was instructed just to throw fastballs and changeups.

At 6-foot-7, Ynoa is on the gangly side, but his delivery is smooth.

"You see how effortless his mechanics are for a big guy," A's director of player development Keith Lieppman said. "Guys who are 6-6, 6-7, usually look clumsy or their delivery is herky-jerky. There's none of that."

PITCHER PROGRESS: Justin Duchscherer made 24 throws from 120 feet with no problem. Duchscherer hasn't pitched in a Cactus League game because of elbow pain. Pitching coach Curt Young said Duchscherer's schedule from this point will be dictated by how he feels.

BRIEFLY: Daric Barton (quad strain) said he hopes to play Friday. ... The A's optioned pitcher Jeff Gray to Triple-A Sacramento and reassigned pitchers Brett Hunter, Jared Lansford, Arnold Leon and Tyson Ross, catcher Josh Donaldson and infielders Tagg Bozied, Adrian Cardenas, Chris Carter, Yung-Chi Chen and Jemile Weeks to minor-league camp.

 

[eagle 0n]

Ariel Prieto is a coach for us?

Hope he does well, but damn he was *%@%**% bum when he was pitching for us.

 

[Johnny_Cakes]

[h1]Odds & Ends: Crosby, Vizcaino, Andruw[/h1]
By Tim Dierkes [March 10 at 11:12am CST]

Links for Tuesday...

• Chat today, 2pm CST.
• RotoAuthority sums up the stats you should target in each category for your fantasy league.
• The Braves released pitcher Anthony Lerew, according to Carroll Rogers of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
• A's manager Bob Geren "chuckled and said no" when asked if Bobby Crosby is being showcased at third base for the Yankees, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. Crosby is learning third in part because Eric Chavez is injured again.
• Speaking of Crosby, Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune wonders if the Cubs could work out a deal involving reliever Luis Vizcaino. Despite the $4MM owed to Vizcaino, he's not a lock for the Cubs' bullpen. We learned last week that the Cubs do not appear interested in Crosby.
• Slusser also has an article about young A's pitcher Michael Ynoa, who believes he can be in the Majors in two years at age 19. (Article posted earlier by bblplaya)
• Andruw Jones apologized to Dodgers fans in this Bill Plaschke article.
• Talking to Paul Hagen of the Philadelphia Daily News, Phillies manager Charlie Manuel sees Jayson Werth missing no more than 15-20 games this year. Geoff Jenkins, with $8MM left on his contract, looks like the odd man out.

I find it hilarious that there's the thought out there that Crosby is auditioning at third for the Yankees. I'd be stunned if they, or any teamfor that matter, would be interested in Crosby at a position he's admitted to having no relevant experience at, when he's already sub-par at his homeposition.

 

[Johnny_Cakes]

Offseason In Review: Oakland A's
By Tim Dierkes [March 10 at 1:06pm CST]

Next up in our Offseason In Review series, the A's. Here's what we wrote about theteam on September 16th. Changes for 2009:

Additions: Matt Holliday, Jason Giambi, Orlando Cabrera, Russ Springer, Mike Wuertz, Nomar Garciaparra, Edgar Gonzalez, Jerome Williams,Corey Wimberly, Chris Schroder, Ben Copeland, Kevin Cameron. Midseason: Eric Patterson, Sean Gallagher, Adrian Cardenas, Josh Outman

Subtractions: Greg Smith, Emil Brown, Alan Embree, Carlos Gonzalez, Huston Street, Frank Thomas, Mike Sweeney, Donnie Murphy, Keith Foulke,Dan Meyer, Kirk Saarloos. Midseason: Joe Blanton, Rich Harden, Chad Gaudin.

The A's had the worst offense in baseball in 2008, so GM Billy Beane added sluggers Holliday and Giambi. They also upgraded at shortstop with Cabrera. Last year the A's gave over 2,100 at-bats to Bobby Crosby, Daric Barton, Jack Hannahan, EmilBrown, and Carlos Gonzalez. Brown's .682 OPS led the group, so subtracting or reducing the playing time of these guys will makea huge difference.

Last year the A's scored just 4.01 runs per game, worst in the league. I plugged CHONEprojections into David Pinto's lineup analysis tool, and their 2009 estimate is about 5.04 runs per game. Such production would've ranked fifth in the AL in2008.

Last year Oakland's starters posted a 4.29 ERA, 7th in the AL. From that they subtracted 204 innings of 3.97 ball provided by JoeBlanton and Rich Harden (Blanton was actually at 4.96 though). Oakland starters have typically fared better; here's how theirERA ranked in the AL in years past: 5th, 4th, 3rd, 2nd, 1st, 2nd, 1st, 3rd. So this was actually the A's worst rotation this decade and it was stillmiddle of the pack. Even though the '09 rotation lacks household names, Brett Anderson and Trevor Cahill may emerge andBeane may again find a way to get by.

The bullpen should be solid, with Joey Devine and Brad Ziegler flanked by new additions Springer and Wuertz. Theteam's defense was very strong overall last year, and that should be the case again in '09.

Bottom line: The remade Oakland team now has at least an average offense, and if the pitching and defense hold steady this team should winmore than 90 games.
http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/


Incredible, I never would have guessed 90 wins could be possible by the A's with average SP.

Off hand question: Does it bother anyone when people (sportscasters, players, game officials) refer to an A's player as an "A" instead of an"Athletic"? It just seems off to me, but then again the Finley era probably has a lot to do with it.

 

[GreenNGold89]

Some young arms could crack A's rotation
Wednesday, March 11, 2009 | Feedback | Print Entry

When spring training began, the odds of Brett Anderson and/or Trevor Cahill and/or Vin Mazzaro being part of the Oakland Athletics' rotation on April 6 were roughly equal to that of Bernie Madoff getting the call to be Treasury secretary.

But as the days go by, and Anderson, Cahill and Mazzaro keep demonstrating superlative talent and getting hitters out, the chances of at least a couple of them opening the season in the Oakland rotation are getting better. "We are open-minded to the possibility," said Athletics general manager Billy Beane. "We haven't decided which way to go.

"No. 1, they are very talented kids. And No. 2, this might be the best way to go."

Usually, the Athletics would take a conservative route with their best young prospects, because as a small-market franchise, exploiting the financial advantages of fielding young, talented players is a crucial function. The Athletics and other clubs in their economic class will usually wait until players pass through benchmark days related to arbitration and free agency in order to maximize the value of the player.

But the Athletics are at an interesting juncture in their history. They should have a greatly improved lineup this year, with the addition of Matt Holliday, Jason Giambi and Orlando Cabrera. They appear to have a good bullpen. And at a time when the Athletics are trying to create traction in their effort to garner support for a new ballpark, they seem to drawing closer to the Angels, who lost out on free agent Mark Teixeira in the offseason and who will be without Ervin Santana for at least the outset of the season.

The Athletics could contend for the AL West title, if their rotation can be effective. Justin Duchscherer had a strong start to his 2008 season, but he's had some arm trouble this spring. Sean Gallagher is talented, but needs to be more consistent. Dana Eveland had a nice season in 2008, but has to show he can back it up. The 23-year-old Gio Gonzalez worked in 10 games for Oakland last season.

The most talented guys on the staff, however, might be Cahill and Anderson -- both 21 years old -- or the 22-year-old Mazzaro; all three have thrown well this spring. Anderson has allowed a couple of runs in 5 2/3 innings; Mazzaro has thrown five innings with seven strikeouts and no walks; and Cahill has allowed just three hits and a couple of runs in eight innings. Here's a link to the Athletics' spring stats.

A couple of days ago, Cahill chatted on the phone about his spring. "I'll probably be a long shot to make the team," he said. "But I try not to worry much about stuff like that."
Still, the fact that the roster is being shaped hit him over the head a couple of days ago, when some players were cut and he was not among them.

Anderson and Cahill have become good friends. Cahill tries to shield himself from all outside information in his effort to narrow his focus. And on the other hand, Anderson tends to know exactly what's going on with his statistics and with organization moves, and is unbothered by the knowledge. "I just think he just likes putting that kind of pressure on himself, and that motivates him," Cahill said. "I'm already fired up inside."

Cahill is aware that he needs to show the Athletics that he has the poise to pitch in the big leagues and that he can handle adversity. "It'd be a dream come true" to be on the Opening Day roster, Cahill said, "and earlier than expected. … I just want to get myself ready and do my best to make it a tough decision for them. Whatever happens, happens."
And what might happen is that the Athletics will take a chance on some prospects earlier than anyone expected.

Mazzaro hasn't given up a run this spring, writes Susan Slusser.

Eric Chavez is still thinking he'll be ready Opening Day.
WOW.

What do you guys think of that? I doubt they all makeit to the S.P. at the start of the year, but they truly have a chance. Gallagher is mad inconsistent and Duke is hurt. Eveland is really the only guy I see asa lock at this point. Gio seems less ready than these 3, even with the experience he got last year. I still think Braden has a chance tho. I would be nervousto see all of them in there, but it'd definetly be fun. I can see it now, THE OAKLAND MACS.

 

[GreenNGold89]

San Jose officials call for poll on A's stadium

9 minutes ago

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP)-San Jose city council members want city officials to commission a poll to determine whether local residents would support a new ballpark for the Oakland Athletics.

The proposal is part of a measure by Councilwomen Nora Campos, Nancy Pyle and Rose Herrera that was approved by a council committee Wednesday.

The councilwomen say it would be the first step in a dialogue with the A's and Major League Baseball about moving the team to San Jose. The A's currently are barred from moving to San Jose because the Giants have territorial rights to the area.

The measure is expected to be taken up by the full council next month.

The A's recently scrapped plans for a stadium in Fremont.
PLEASE...

 

[eagle 0n]

nice info bballplaya23

I was gonna post those ESPN articles but yuku is wack

 

[GreenNGold89]

Originally Posted by EAGLE 0N

nice info bballplaya23

I was gonna post those ESPN articles but yuku is wack

Man you ain't kidding about Yuku. This @$#$ is ridiculous.

I go on, click on S&T and next thing you know I get a blank page. They seriously need tofix this @$#$ because it's mad annoying.

 

[Johnny_Cakes]

[h2]Thursday morning in Phoenix[/h2]By cpashelka
Thursday, March 12th, 2009 at 10:32 am in Spring Training

Just got finished watching a few of the commercials that the A's will begin to air over the next few weeks. While a couple of them emphasise howeconomical it can be to attend an A's game this year, they certainly lack the humor that was mainstay of previous ad campaigns. Oh well. Maybe a morestraight-ahead approach will work this year.

In actual baseball news, pitchers Justin Duchscherer and Joey Devine are continuing their respective throwing programs today, A's manager Bob Gerensaid. Devine might begin to throw off of a mound this weekend.

SS Orlando Cabrera will likely DH in Saturday's home game against the Giants as he makes his spring training debut in an A's uniform. He will alsoplay in the field on Sunday against the Angels, Geren said. Infielder Nomar Garciaparra is a few days behind Cabrera but isn't trying to rush things as hetries to get into game shape.

Eric Chavez won't resume baseball-related activities for at least a few more days, according to Geren, as he tries to get his right shoulder to calmdown. Mark Ellis is slated to be the DH today and is looking at getting back to playing second base in a game near the end of the month.

OF Chris Denorfia is back in the A's clubhouse today after returning from the WBC, where he played for Italy. He went for 4-for-4 in a 6-2 win overCanada on Monday in Toronto. Denorfia was welcomed back with some good-natured ribbing from Jack Cust, who put on a entertaining display as he mimickedDenorfia as he was going through a workout in the A's weight room.

- Curtis Pashelka

Nice tidbits about the weekend, generally non news until season starts.

 

[Johnny_Cakes]

[h2]Oakland pols forming stadium committee[/h2]
OAKLAND, Calif. -- Oakland city officials are asking for baseball commissioner Bud Selig's help in developing a plan to build a new stadium for theAthletics.

Mayor Ron Dellums and City Council President Jane Brunner asked Selig in a letter Thursday to appoint a pointperson to a new committee working on building a ballpark in the city.

The city leaders say the team boosts Oakland's economy and enjoys strong local support. They say they areready to do everything "reasonably possible" to keep the A's.

The A's, tired of sharing a rundown space with the NFL's Oakland Raiders, have been looking for a new stadium. Their efforts to find a site inOakland have been unsuccessful, and they recently scrapped plans to move to Fremont.
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3975304

WOW

Why do I feel like San Jose politicians just got a bit more anxious?

 

[dr 715]

Bottom line: The remade Oakland team now has at least an average offense, and if the pitching and defense hold steady this team should win more than 90 games.

That whole "article" wasridiculous.

 

[paul is on tilt]

Originally Posted by EAGLE 0N

Ariel Prieto is a coach for us?

Hope he does well, but damn he was *%@%**% bum when he was pitching for us.

Ariel Prieto? I haven't heard that name in sooooo long

.

 

[eagle 0n]

Lew Wolff just released a statement ruling out any future possibility of the A's staying in Oakland.

So, I guess its San Jose/Sac or bust. Those are the only viable cities in Northern CA.

 

[eagle 0n]

Vid of Michael Ynoa (was Inoa) pitching.

 

[Johnny_Cakes]

INTERVIEW WITH JASON GIAMBI:

http://www.athleticsnatio...-interviews-jason-giambi

INTERVIEW WITH DALLAS BRADEN:

http://www.athleticsnatio...-sits-down-with-dallas-b

Very, very interesting stuff regarding Giambi's near stay with Oakland, and his belief that the A's were on the verge of a championship before he left(the truth!)

Next week Billy Beane will be doing an interview for the website.

 

[eagle 0n]

WHO WILL SURPRISE? WHO WILL DISAPPOINT?
By Tim Kurkjian, ESPN

I think the Oakland A's will be a fascinating team to keep an eye on this season. They have made some upgrades and should be way better than they were last season. They could still turn out to be too old and too injured to get what they want, but they are significantly better offensively with Matt Holliday, Jason Giambi, Orlando Cabrera and Nomar Garciaparra. Just as important to their chance is getting back a healthy Mark Ellis and Eric Chavez, even if Chavez isn't quite as healthy as they would like.

Nonetheless, they have a real chance to score 100-150 runs more than they did a year ago, when they had a pathetic offensive season. If they do score that many more runs -- given that the Angels have taken a step backward with the loss of Mark Teixeira and Francisco Rodriguez -- the A's could be a surprise contender in the American League West.

It will all come down to their young pitching. They have three of the best young pitchers in the game in Brett Anderson, Trevor Cahill and Vin Mazzaro. It's unlikely that all three of those guys will make the Opening Day roster, but there's a chance that one or maybe two of them will be there, depending on how the rest of the spring goes. It's always tricky to count on young pitching to turn you into a dark-horse team, but these guys are pretty good. It will be a really interesting team to watch. If the A's aren't good enough, they'll have to trade Holliday at the end of July. If they are good enough, I could see them holding on to him the whole season and trying to win with him the way they did years ago with Giambi and Miguel Tejada.

 

[Johnny_Cakes]

INTERVIEW WITH BILLY BEANE

http://www.athleticsnatio...n-interviews-oakland-a-s