Tampa Bay Rays manager Joe Maddon has a new friend. Her name is Mindy, an umbrella cockatoo. Maddon has been pushing all of the right buttons with the Rays lately, as they’ve won four straight. Including in that winning streak is a three-game sweep of the Oakland Athletics, who came to Tropicana Field with a 12-4 record. Maddon brought the cockatoo and her trainer into into the clubhouse to keep the mood light and his team relaxed. Eccentric behavior is nothing new for Maddon, who brought a DJ into the Rays clubhouse on Saturday and a magician on Sunday. Today, he’s brought in a bird. I wonder what’s on tap for tomorrow. [Marc Topkin] [follow]
Tag Archive | "Oakland Athletics"
Joe Maddon Brought Cockatoo to Clubhouse
Posted on 23 April 2013.
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John Jaso’s Plate Discipline Improves the Athletics
Posted on 17 January 2013.
The Oakland Athletics won the American League West last season despite a virtual black hole on offense from the catching position. In 632 plate appearances by all of their catchers in 2012, the triple slash line from the position was: .204/.262/.325. That .587 OPS was abysmal and worked out to a 64 OPS+. And so it made sense for Billy Beane to use a couple of his pitching prospects for the on-base capabilities of John Jaso in a three-way trade with the the Mariners and Nationals first reported yesterday by Adam Kilgore. Jane Lee, MLB.com’s Athletics beat reporter, later tweeted that Beane had been trying to get Jaso for months.
Jaso will also improve a team that led the league in offensive strikeouts last season. He rarely swings and misses (4.6% for his career) and rarely swings at pitches out of the strike zone. According to PitchF/X, Jaso has only swung at 19.3 percent of pitches out of the strike zone in his career. That leads to the rare statistic that Jaso actually ha…
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Athletics Agree to Deal with Bartolo Colon
Posted on 04 November 2012.
The AL West champions will bring back Bartolo Colon. The 39-year-old right hander has agreed to a one year deal with the Oakland Athletics. The deal is worth a guaranteed $ 3 million while Colon can earn incentatives increasing the overall value.
Colon will miss the first five games of the season as he serves the remaining time on his 50 game suspension following a positive test for testosterone. Prior to the suspension Colon was 10-9 with a 3.43 ERA in 24 starts.
“We wanted to bring him back — everybody, Bob (manager Melvin), me, everybody,” general manager Billy Beane said. “We ended up with a very good rotation, a young and talented rotation. But we wanted to find a veteran guy. In Bartolo’s case, based on the production, he was cost effective and good. It’s pretty hard to find that type of pitcher at that cost on a short-term deal.”
Beane also said that the A’s had watched Colon throw at winter ball. Colon will be an option at the back end of the rotation as Dallas Braden elected…
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A’s Look to Continue Roll Against Hapless Tribe
Posted on 30 August 2012.
At this time of year, it’s important for playoff hopefuls to take advantage of games against non-contending clubs.
The Oakland Athletics have had no trouble adhering to this standard against the Cleveland Indians.
The surging Athletics look to beat the free-falling Indians for the seventh time in as many meetings over the last two weeks in Thursday’s season finale at Progressive Field.
With Wednesday’s 8-4 win over Cleveland, Oakland (72-57) took over sole possession of the AL’s top wild-card spot for the first time since Aug. 9.
The A’s, who are two wins away from matching last season’s total, have won 11 of 13, with six of those victories coming over Cleveland (55-75). They swept a three-game home set against the Indians from Aug. 17-19, and are in position to sweep their first series in Cleveland since taking all four Aug. 19-22, 2002.
Although the A’s are seeking their first playoff berth since 2006 and the Indians are a major league-worst 5-26 since July 27, Oakland is focused on not overlooking its woeful opponent.
“We got to go out there and play like we’re facing the No. 1 team,” third baseman Josh Donaldson said after hitting a three-run homer Wednesday.
Donaldson is one of the key contributors to Oakland’s surge, batting .362 with nine RBIs in his last 12 games to raise his average 59 points to .226.
Josh Reddick is also swinging a hot bat, going 9 for 18 in his last four games, while Yoenis Cespedes is batting .400 with five doubles and four RBIs in the last six against the Indians.
Oakland’s pitching, however, has had the most to do with its recent success. The club’s 2.41 ERA since Aug. 16 is the best in baseball, and it has limited Cleveland to 13 total runs in the last six meetings.
“They have a very good pitching staff,” Indians manager Manny Acta said. “We can see why they’re playing the way they are playing.”
Acta’s club has already been stymied by Jarrod Parker (8-7, 3.52 ERA), who allowed six hits and a walk in eight innings of a 7-0 victory Aug. 19. The rookie right-hander wasn’t quite as sharp five days later, yielding three runs and seven hits in six innings at Tampa Bay.
Parker will be facing a Cleveland team that is 0 for 24 with runners in scoring position in the series, and was in the midst of a 24-inning scoreless streak until Jason Donald’s third-inning homer Wednesday.
The Indians plated more than three runs for the first time in 10 games, though Asdrubal Cabrera had nothing to do with the relative outburst. The All-Star shortstop was ejected for arguing in the bottom of the first inning after striking out, leaving him 2 for 24 in his last seven games.
Cleveland’s starter for the finale, Justin Masterson (10-11, 4.60), opposed Parker last week and was on the hook for all seven runs in 5 2-3 innings. He was much more effective against the Yankees on Saturday, yielding a run and seven hits in 6 2-3 innings of a 3-1 win.
That inconsistency is nothing new. Masterson has allowed at least seven runs in three of his last seven outings while surrendering two or fewer in the other four.
He’s basically been terrible in all five career starts against the A’s, going 1-4 with a 9.12 ERA.
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Chicago White Sox: Jordan Danks’ Walk-off Magic
Posted on 11 August 2012.
To say that the Chicago White Sox depend on the long ball for victories is an understatement. This hit-or-miss strategy paid off Friday night as the White Sox hit four solo home runs to defeat the Oakland Athletics 4-3.
With Gavin Floyd on the mound, the Athletics jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the second inning. In recent Floyd fashion, he settled down after this early deficit and pitched a decent game. Eventually going six-plus innings, Floyd gave up no additional runs and only five hits total. After Floyd’s departure, the Sox bullpen, which has been absolutely stellar during the last few weeks, came in to close out the final nine outs. The newest bullpen addition Brett Myers came in during the ninth and ended up getting the win.
The Sox offensive effort consisted of four solo shots off of the bats of A.J. Pierzynski, Dayan Viciedo, Alexei Ramirez, and Jordan Danks. Pierzynski’s was his 22nd of the season and he continues to eclipse his previous season high in pretty much all …
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Lew Ford Returns to Majors with Orioles
Posted on 29 July 2012.
Lew Ford’s five-year wait to return to the major leagues is over.
Ford’s contract was purchased from Triple-A Norfolk on Sunday by the Baltimore Orioles. In his first game since 2007, Ford was slated to bat fifth and play left field against the Oakland Athletics.
The 35-year-old Ford batted .272 with 32 homers from 2003-07 with Minnesota. He played in Japan, Mexico and the independent Atlantic League before the Orioles signed him to a minor league contract in May.
Before arriving in the Baltimore clubhouse, Ford posted this on Twitter: ”The tougher the battle the sweeter the victory. This is crazy I’m back! Thank you everyone who supported and believed.”
The Orioles made room for the veteran outfielder by optioning pitcher Miguel Socolovich to Norfolk late Saturday night.
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Fuentes Ready to Boost Cardinals Bullpen
Posted on 28 July 2012.
CHICAGO — The Oakland Athletics felt enough of Brian Fuentes that they decided they’d rather pay him the remaining portion of his 5 million salary to pitch for someone else.
And the Cardinals hope to take full advantage of it.
Looking to repair a struggling bullpen, the Cardinals took a chance on the veteran left-hander and added him to the big league roster on Wednesday following three appearances in the minor leagues.
He made his Cardinals debut Friday afternoon at Wrigley Field. And on a day where the ball was seemingly flying out of the friendly confines, Fuentes recorded a quick 1-2-3 seventh inning that featured a pair of strikeouts and a pop up.
“It felt good,” Fuentes said. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been in a major league game so it was good to get back out there and get my feet wet.
“I’m happy when they don’t score. Really, at this point in my career, I understand that some days you have it and some days you don’t. I was happy I had no walks and that they didn’t score. That’s really about it.”
The 36-year-old Fuentes was released by the Oakland A’s on July 11 after posting a 6.84 ERA in 26 games. He had five saves, including his 200th career save on May 2, and three blown saves. The 12-year big leaguer has 204 career saves and a 3.58 ERA in 644 games.
Fuentes had a 2.84 ERA on May 29 but allowed 13 earned runs in six innings over his final seven games with Oakland. Left-handed batters hit .265 against him this year with four extra-base hits in 34 at-bats.
But much like they did when they signed veteran Arthur Rhodes in the middle of last season, the Cardinals hope to catch lightning in a bottle and help Fuentes rekindle his All-Star quality stuff.
“He’s had a great track record,” said manager Mike Matheny. “What he brings more than anything is deception. He hides the ball and he’s intentional about that. It’s part of his gig and he does a real good job of it, maybe as good as anybody.
“Plus, he hit 90 yesterday pretty consistently and had a good idea how to use his breaking ball, so it’s going to be all those things combined to where if you are watching a bullpen you can’t tell where his effectiveness is.”
The left-hander played seven seasons with the Colorado Rockies and made three straight All-Star teams from 2005-07. He signed with the Los Angeles Angels in 2008 and led the American Leagues with 48 saves in 2009, earning his fourth trip to the Midsummer Classic.
Fuentes had at least 20 saves in six-straight seasons from 2005-10. But he’s struggled since joining Oakland in 2011, going 2-8 with a 3.70 ERA last season before his recent struggles caused him to be released.
Why did he struggle? Matheny didn’t need to ask. Instead, he’s looking ahead.
“I didn’t really want to belabor the issue,” Matheny said. “He got a new life here, a new start. I think he’s going to fit in well. He did a nice job yesterday against the righties and I just think he’s going to bring a lot to this club.”
How the Cardinals use Fuentes remains to be seen. He has solid career numbers against both right and left-handed hitters but Matheny said they might look to use him against mostly left-handers early on.
Said Fuentes, “I’m not fully understanding of my role yet so I just told them when you want me ready, I’ll be ready.”
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D-backs Look to Stay Hot As a’s Come to Town
Posted on 08 June 2012.
Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson has benched the struggling Justin Upton for three of the last five games, and it may only be a coincidence his squad has won each contest Upton has sat out.
Whatever the reason, Arizona is hot.
The Diamondbacks seek their fifth win in their last six contests in Friday night’s opener of a three-game set with the visiting Oakland Athletics, who are coming off their first series victory in a month.
Gibson maintains the recent scratches are simply to help Upton, who has called at least one of the nights off “unproductive.”
Upton, 4 for 28 in his last seven games to drop his average to .243, went 0 for 4 in his most recent action in Monday’s 4-0 loss to Colorado. Arizona (27-30) beat the Rockies by a combined 16-1 Tuesday and Wednesday.
“He’s a very important part of our team, we all know that, and we’re going to try to get him back on track,” Gibson said.
It’s unclear if Upton will be in the lineup Friday, though it seems safe to say Paul Goldschmidt will be.
Goldschmidt extended his career-best hitting streak to 14 games Wednesday by going 3 for 4 with a homer, two doubles and three RBIs in a 6-1 win.
The first baseman is hitting .431 with five homers during his streak. He was batting .223 with two homers in 34 games before that.
“Obviously, it’s nice to get a little momentum, but we’ve got to continue to play well,” Goldschmidt said. “As a whole we haven’t been able to put it together for an extended amount of time.”
Arizona will send Daniel Hudson (2-1, 4.65 ERA) to the mound Friday as it looks to keep rolling.
Hudson is coming off his best start of the season, allowing two runs in eight innings of a 4-2 win at San Diego on Saturday. It was just his fifth start this year and his second since a stint on the disabled list with a right shoulder impingement.
“The Huddy of old,” Gibson said. “He threw great. I didn’t want to take the game away from him, so I stayed with him.”
The right-hander allowed five runs in five innings in his only career start against Oakland – a 6-4 loss while pitching for the Chicago White Sox on July 25, 2010.
The Athletics (26-32) likely won’t start slugger Yoenis Cespedes after he strained his hamstring in Thursday’s 7-1 win over Texas. Manager Bob Melvin said he hopes Cespedes will be available for pinch-hitting duty over the weekend.
Still, Oakland took three of four from the two-time defending AL champions – its first series win since taking two of three at Tampa Bay from May 4-6 – and has won four of six since dropping nine straight May 22-June 1.
“To be able to take three out of four, with the struggles that we’ve seen here recently is a big lift,” Melvin said. “We played all facets this series.”
Melvin hopes the A’s can provide a little more support for Tommy Milone (6-5, 3.53) this time around after he lost each of his last two starts 2-0. He allowed four runs over 13 2-3 innings against the New York Yankees and Kansas City.
The left-hander has received three runs of support in 27 2-3 innings while going 1-3 with a 2.93 ERA over his last four starts.
“You give up two runs, you keep your team in the game with a chance to win,” Melvin said. “You expect to score at least two runs every ballgame.”
This marks the first series between the clubs in Arizona since 2008.
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