Good, not-so-good moments for A’s
Offseason imports don’t pan out, but rookie hurlers emerge
The idea behind bringing Matt Holliday, Jason Giambi, Orlando Cabrera and Nomar Garciaparra aboard was to give the previously anemic offensive enough juice to make the kids on the mound relax a little.
Things didn’t quite work out that way.
Holliday never got on track offensively and was traded in July, as was Cabrera. Giambi was even worse, his once-prolific bat making less noise than his creaking 38-year-old body. Only Garciaparra finished the season with the team, but his chronic calf condition limited him all year, turning him into a high-profile pinch-hitter.
A’s general manager Billy Beane doesn’t regret his attempt to expedite his rebuilding of the team by adding the aforementioned foursome, though. He still said the notion was sound, and so does Garciaparra.
“In my experience,” says the veteran infielder, who will again consider retirement this offseason, “when a pitcher feels like he has some room to make a few mistakes, he doesn’t make as many.”
Rookie left-hander Brett Anderson, one of the pitchers Beane was trying to protect, doesn’t quite buy that line of logic, insisting that all pitchers should take the mound in every inning trying to put up a zero and worry not about whatever the offense it up to.
Click here to read the full article – By Mychael Urban of MLB.com
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Calm Mortensen pitching for his 2010 fate
SEATTLE — The past few months have been a head-spinning experience for A’s right-hander Clayton Mortensen, but you’d never know it from observing his clubhouse interactions.
A 24-year-old rookie, he is to hyper what former A’s outfielder Eric Byrnes is to calm. There’s an economy of movement about Mortensen, who was acquired in the four-player trade that sent Matt Holliday to St. Louis in July.
“Pretty mellow dude,” A’s catcher Kurt Suzuki said of Mortensen, who’ll make his final start of the season Wednesday in the middle game of a three-game series against the host Mariners at Safeco Field. “All of our young guys are pretty mellow.”
Maybe not all. Lefty Gio Gonzalez is the first to admit there’s a little spaz in him. But Mortensen, who was recalled from Triple-A Sacramento on Sept. 4 for his second stint with the A’s, fits right in with fellow even-keel rookies Trevor Cahill and Brett Anderson.
Whether he’ll fit in among them in the 2010 starting rotation is an issue that won’t be resolved until next spring at the earliest, but he’s been solid since the most recent recall, going 2-2 with a 3.97 ERA.
“Like a number of young guys this year, he’s getting a nice opportunity to show what he can do at this level,” Oakland manager Bob Geren said. “We’ve seen him pitch very well, we’ve seen him struggle a little bit, and that’s what you typically see with rookie pitchers. What’s important is that the talent is there. That’s obvious. The fact that we traded for him tells you what we think of him.
“What’s going to happen next year? Who knows? But every time you take the mound in a Major League game is a chance to put yourself into the picture.”
Click here to read the full article – By Mychael Urban of Mlb.com
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Suzuki receives Catfish Hunter Award
During his time as an ace right-hander for the A’s, Jim “Catfish” Hunter was known as someone who carried more than his share of the load.
Current A’s catcher Kurt Suzuki can certainly identify with that, and so Wednesday’s announcement that Suzuki was selected by his teammates and coaches as the recipient of the 2009 Jim “Catfish” Hunter Award seemed fitting.
Suzuki, who likely will lead American League catchers in games started for the second consecutive season, and Hunter, who twice threw more than 300 innings and eclipsed the 250-frame mark in six other seasons, would have made quite the battery.
Click here to read the full article – By Mychael Urban of MLB.com
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A’s bullpen promises bright future
The A’s will have plenty of question marks heading into Spring Training 2010, but there won’t be much uncertainty surrounding the constitution of their bullpen.
Heading into this week’s series against the Rangers — the second of three games is scheduled for Tuesday — Oakland’s relievers were sporting an American League-best 3.57 ERA, and every key member of the unit is expected back next season.
Even better for the cost-conscious club: They’ll return on the cheap.
All-Star closer Andrew Bailey, right-hander Brad Ziegler and left-hander Craig Breslow aren’t yet eligible for arbitration, and top setup man Michael Wuertz is a year from free agency.
Click here to read the full article – By Mychael Urban of MLB.com
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After day off, Suzuki to continue grinding
A’s manager Bob Geren gave starting catcher Kurt Suzuki the day off on Sunday in order to keep him fresh for the upcoming series against the White Sox in Chicago.
Suzuki has played in 124 games this season, and caught in 115 of those. With reserve catcher Landon Powell showing some power at the plate, Geren has had the flexibility to give Suzuki an occasional day off.
According to Geren, Suzuki will be back behind the plate on Tuesday. Suzuki, who caught 141 games last season after only catching 68 in 2007, said the grind of catching over 130 games can catch up with player.
Click here to read the full article – By Jayson Addcox of MLB.com
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Report: Tejada suspected of tipping pitches with A’s in 2001
The New York Times reported over the weekend that former A’s shortstop Miguel Tejada was suspected of tipping pitches to opponents, supposedly infuriating his Oakland teammates during the 2001 season.
If true, that adds some spice to a playoff season in which the A’s won 102 games and the AL wild card. But no solid evidence has been presented, and Tejada has denied everything.
The story also included speculation that Tejada purposely botched plays on balls hit by Toronto’s Tony Batista and the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Adrian Beltre, both players with whom Tejada supposedly was close.
Things got so tense over the season, according to the story, that manager Art Howe called a team meeting to clear the air.
Click here to read the full article – By Joe Stiglich of http://www.marinij.com
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Davis back in lineup with fractured thumb
A day after learning that the pain in the tip of his right thumb is a small fracture, A’s outfielder Rajai Davis accomplished his primary goal for the day.
Davis, who didn’t start Monday for the first time in 24 games, convinced the team’s athletic trainers and coaches that not only did he not need to be placed on the disabled list, but that he was ready to get right back into the starting lineup.
He did it by showing up early, as usual, hopping on the 2 p.m. PT bus to Safeco Field. By 2:30, he was on the field, throwing. By batting practice at 5:15, his name was on the lineup card, starting in center field and batting second.
Click here to read the full article – By Mychael Urban of MLB.com
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Hot-hitting Ellis up to No. 3 in A’s lineup
The way Mark Ellis had been swinging, manager Bob Geren had no choice but to move him up in the order.
So Geren slid Ellis, the reigning American League Player of the Week, up from eighth to the No. 6 spot on Monday. That lasted all of two games. Ellis is moving again. He was in the lineup batting third for Wednesday’s rubber match against the Yankees.
“He’s been swinging the bat as good as anybody,” Geren said.
Ellis has 20 RBIs in August through Tuesday’s game, tied with Minnesota’s Joe Mauer for the Major League lead. His 12 doubles since the All-Star break rank fifth in the AL.
Click here to read the full article – By Adam Loberstein of MLB.com
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