Oakland Athletics Gamble News and Roster

Athletics 5, Twins 2

2006-10-05T13:23:00.000-07:00

Right after two of his Minnesota teammates hit back-to-back home runs, Torii Hunter tried to be the hero.

Instead, the Gold Glove center fielder made an ill-advised dive for a sinking line drive. Sprawled on the turf, he could only watch as Mark Kotsay circled the bases for an inside-the-park home run that lifted the Oakland Athletics over Minnesota 5-2 Wednesday for a 2-0 lead in their AL playoff series.

"It was the worst feeling in the world. You can't do anything about it," said Hunter, who blamed himself for this devastating defeat.

A's starter Esteban Loaiza slipped in the sixth inning, surrendering consecutive solo homers to Michael Cuddyer and Justin Morneau that evened the game at 2.

But with Jason Kendall on first base, two outs in the seventh and reliever Dennys Reyes pitching, Kotsay hit what should have been a single. Hunter, bothered by a sore left foot this season, charged forward.

"There's only one person in this league that can make that catch, and it's Torii," said Cuddyer, who watched from right field. "Although it's as close as you come, he's not Superman."

The five-time Gold Glover missed -- by a lot -- and the ball rolled to the wall. Kotsay raced all the way around to give Oakland a 4-2 lead.

"Once you commit, you're kind of in no-man's land, and it's best to go," said Kotsay, also a center fielder. "He went, and for his sake, unfortunately, the ball took off."

Said Twins manager Ron Gardenhire: "When he goes after a ball, I don't second-guess him. Ever."

The A's handled the Boof -- Bonser, that is -- and here's the truth: These perennial playoff underperformers have arrived at yet another elimination game. They're 0-9 in those since 2000, losing four straight first-round series.

"This team knows what to do," said Eric Chavez, a regular on all four of those clubs. "We're hard-nosed baseball players that like to play the game. I don't think anybody here, regardless if they've been in this position, is going to take Game 3 lightly."

The series shifts west Friday, with Twins right-hander Brad Radke taking his broken shoulder socket to the mound for possibly the final time of his 12-year career. Dan Haren, in his first postseason start, will pitch for Oakland.

Bonser, a rookie, struck out three in six innings, giving up two runs and seven hits. Sidearmer Pat Neshek, who took the loss, started the seventh before yielding to Reyes.

The A's -- who got an RBI double from Marco Scutaro for the second day in a row -- tacked one more on in the ninth when Nick Swisher doubled against Juan Rincon and scored on Joe Nathan's wild pitch.

Huston Street worked the ninth for his second save in as many days after blowing 11 chances during the regular season. He gave up a single to Jason Bartlett and a walk to Luis Castillo, but retired Nick Punto on a popup on a 3-2 pitch with AL batting champion Joe Mauer on deck.

Minnesota won championships in 1987 and 1991 without winning a single road game in either of those World Series, and the Metrodome -- with the deteriorating, dust-colored ceiling and the din of a sellout crowd -- is a difficult place for opponents.

But the advantage for the Twins seems outdated now. They've lost seven straight at home in the postseason, with their last win coming in Game 1 of the 2002 AL championship series against the Angels.

Bonser, who arrived from the Giants with Nathan and All-Star Francisco Liriano in the lopsided trade for catcher A.J. Pierzynski, settled in as a reliable member of the rotation when his third stint in the majors began in mid-August. The Twins were impressed by his aggressiveness, and his anger when prospect Matt Garza was promoted ahead of him following the first revelation of Liriano's injury.

Bonser attacked the strike zone like he was supposed to, being careful with Frank Thomas on a second-inning walk for his only four-ball count of the afternoon. A ground-rule double by Thomas, 4-for-7 in the series, didn't lead to anything in the fourth, and it wasn't until the fifth that Bonser had trouble.

Swisher started with a double, and Scutaro drove him in with a two-base hit to the exact same spot -- in the right-field corner. Kendall's one-out RBI single gave the A's a 2-0 lead, just like the one Barry Zito had by the second inning in Game 1 to beat Johan Santana.

Loaiza, who had an up-and-down year marked by a trip to the disabled list in May, a drunken-driving arrest in June and an outstanding August, scattered six singles over the first five innings and had flawless infield defense behind him from Swisher at first base, Scutaro at shortstop and Chavez at third. He was looking strong until he left a 3-2 pitch over the plate for Cuddyer to crush into the seats.

Morneau came next, sending a 1-2 delivery soaring into the upper deck. Suddenly, the game was tied and Loaiza was leaving the mound, replaced by Kiko Calero -- who got three outs and the win.

Peek at the Week: Interleague intrigue

2006-06-13T13:01:00.000-07:00

Are you ready for some more Interleague Play action?
The 10th season of National League vs. American League teams during the regular season continues on Friday when 28 of the 30 MLB teams resume Interleague Play.
Everyone except the Cardinals and Rockies go out of their league in an attempt to make inroads within their own division pennant races, and don't we have some dandy division races going on?
Eight teams are within three games of first place in their respective divisions, and the top four teams in the five-team NL West went into Sunday's games within two games of each other, adding further significance to the Giants' three-game series against the struggling Diamondbacks that starts Tuesday night in Phoenix.
As we take our regular Peek at the Week, the return of Interleague Play brings back some World Series memories.
For starters:
* The Los Angeles Dodgers visit the Oakland Athletics for a three-game series starting Friday night and Kirk Gibson will not throw out the ceremonial first pitch. You probably remember that "I don't believe what I just saw" home run Gibson delivered in the 1988 Fall Classic, a lightning bolt that ignited the Dodgers' unexpected Series championship in five games.
But A's fans have fonder memories of the 1974 World Series when the "Mustache Gang" completed their three-peat with a classic Series performance against the Dodgers. Rollie, Catfish, Vida and Captain Sal led the way.
* A few hours before the Dodgers and Athletics play their series opener on Friday, the Mets and Orioles begin a three-game weekend series at Shea Stadium, where the 1969 Miracle Mets stunned the baseball world by upsetting the heavily-favored Orioles to capture the organization's first World Series title.
* For some really seasoned baseball fans, the three-game series between the Tigers and Cubs at Wrigley Field beginning on Friday jogs the memory bank. It was only 61 years ago that these teams met in the Fall Classic. The AL champ Tigers won the best-of-seven series four games to three. Ten years earlier, in '35, the Tigers also beat the Cubbies, four games to two.
Going back even further -- most of you probably don't remember -- the Cubs and Tigers played in back-to-back Fall Classics in 1907 and '08. The Cubs won eight of the nine games and, well, have been in a little World Series drought ever since.
Now, peeking a little further ahead during the upcoming 17-day Interleague Play period, former Series foes Astros-White Sox (2005), Marlins-Yankees (2003), Angels-Giants (2002), Braves-Yankees (1999), Blue Jays-Braves (1992), Cardinals-Tigers (1968) and Red Sox-Phillies (1915) play each other.
Thanks to some thorough research by MLB.com colleague T.R. Sullivan (a former paperboy for the San Jose Mercury-News in the Fort Ord, Calif. area), we can inform you that right-hander Omar Olivares, who retired at the end of the 2001 season, is the all-time batting leader for pitchers in Interleague Play. He went 6-for-13 (.462) in stints with the Mariners, Angels, Athletics and Tigers.
Athletics left-hander Joe Kennedy is 4-for-11, making him the leader among active pitchers.
When it comes to striking out, Angels right-hander Bartolo Colon gets a taste of his own medicine. He has struck out 26 times in 79 at-bats during his career as a "hitter," 11 more whiffs than Kevin Appier, who recently was released from his Triple-A contract with the Tacoma Rainiers.
The mythical "Rickey Henderson Award," which goes to the pitcher with the most stolen bases, currently is shared by Kenny Rogers, Ismael Valdes and Kip Wells. They have one stolen base apiece.
Also, the Cardinals' designated hitters have the best batting average (.318) among NL teams playing in AL parks. The Twins pitchers, with a .180 mark, have the best batting average among AL teams playing in NL parks.
As of today, the Athletics own the lowest batting average (.083), going 14-for-168 with no home runs and five RBIs.

Oakland A’s vs. Cleveland Indians

2006-06-09T07:37:00.000-07:00

Thursday, June 8th 2006 12:00 PM ET
Jacobs Field

By Jacob Mitchell
http://www.wagerweb.com
Contributing Writer

A’s catcher Jason Kendall hit his first home run in almost two years against Kansas City on Wednesday night in the 7-0 shutout. "Two more and I've got 70," Kendall joked after hitting his 68th career homer.

Blanton on the other hand pitched the complete game allowing only five hits with no errors and no runs in a great night for the A’s pitcher who’s 5-5 so far this season.

The Oakland A’s are now six games under .500 the worst record for them in the season. This week they get to travel to Cleveland to try and improve their record against the Indians that are playing really good; they’ve got the confidence to win at least one game on the road trip.

Lineup
1. Mark Kotsay, CF. 2. Nick Swisher, LF. 3. Eric Chavez, 3rd B. 4. Frank Thomas, DH. 5. Bobby Crosby, SS. 6. Jay Payton, RF. 7. Dan Johnson, 1st B. 8. Jason Kendall, C. 9. Marco Scutaro, 2nd B.

Westbrook pitched seven scoreless innings and Cleveland's bullpen finished up the Indians' third shutout in seven games, a 5-0 victory over the White Sox, who were blanked for the first time this season.

This is a very positive victory for the Indians who are struggling in third place in the AL Central behind Detroit and the White Sox. They’re .500 now and playing better everyday.

Cleveland has a very good lineup and the pitching department is one of the best in the league. They have the depth and the power to match against any team in the Majors. They might have a chance to go to the post season if they continue to play like they did against the White Sox.

They’ll match-up next week against the A’s another team that’s in urgent need of victories. That is why this series will be so exciting and many sports betting fans will want a piece of the action.

Lineup
1. Grady Sizemore, CF. 2. Jason Michaels, LF. 3. Jhonny Peralta, SS. 4. Travis Hafner, DH. 5. Victor Martinez, C. 6. Ben Broussard, 1st B. 7. Casey Blake, RF. 8. Aaron Boone, 3B. 9. Lou Merloni, 2B.

Oakland A’s vs. Cleveland Indians

2006-06-05T07:13:00.000-07:00

Thursday, June 8th 2006 12:00 PM ET
Jacobs Field

By Jacob Mitchell
http://www.wagerweb.com
Contributing Writer

A’s catcher Jason Kendall hit his first home run in almost two years against Kansas City on Wednesday night in the 7-0 shutout. "Two more and I've got 70," Kendall joked after hitting his 68th career homer.

Blanton on the other hand pitched the complete game allowing only five hits with no errors and no runs in a great night for the A’s pitcher who’s 5-5 so far this season.

The Oakland A’s are now six games under .500 the worst record for them in the season. This week they get to travel to Cleveland to try and improve their record against the Indians that are playing really good; they’ve got the confidence to win at least one game on the road trip.

Lineup
1. Mark Kotsay, CF. 2. Nick Swisher, LF. 3. Eric Chavez, 3rd B. 4. Frank Thomas, DH. 5. Bobby Crosby, SS. 6. Jay Payton, RF. 7. Dan Johnson, 1st B. 8. Jason Kendall, C. 9. Marco Scutaro, 2nd B.

Westbrook pitched seven scoreless innings and Cleveland's bullpen finished up the Indians' third shutout in seven games, a 5-0 victory over the White Sox, who were blanked for the first time this season.

This is a very positive victory for the Indians who are struggling in third place in the AL Central behind Detroit and the White Sox. They’re .500 now and playing better everyday.

Cleveland has a very good lineup and the pitching department is one of the best in the league. They have the depth and the power to match against any team in the Majors. They might have a chance to go to the post season if they continue to play like they did against the White Sox.

They’ll match-up next week against the A’s another team that’s in urgent need of victories. That is why this series will be so exciting and many sports betting fans will want a piece of the action.

Lineup
1. Grady Sizemore, CF. 2. Jason Michaels, LF. 3. Jhonny Peralta, SS. 4. Travis Hafner, DH. 5. Victor Martinez, C. 6. Ben Broussard, 1st B. 7. Casey Blake, RF.8. Aaron Boone, 3B. 9. Lou Merloni, 2B.

Things getting ugly in Oakland

2006-05-30T08:38:00.000-07:00

By most accounts, this season was supposed to be one filled with plenty of promise for the young Oakland Athletics.
After all, Oakland turned 2005 into one of the quickest rebuilding projects ever seen. And with a young nucleus largely intact, along with the arrival of veterans such as Esteban Loaiza and Frank Thomas, the 2006 A's were looking pretty solid on paper. That is, until the injuries started mounting and the offense went into a trance.
The misery came to a head this past week for the A's, who have lost eight of their last nine, including seven in a row until Saturday's 6-3 victory over Texas.
To describe the A's offense (.246 combined batting average) as anything less than dreadful would be an injustice. The lineup has not been able to string together hits, and the hitters who do manage to reach base usually end up getting stranded. Until recently, the A's have been able to get by with solid pitching and strong defense. But now the problems - and the losses - are beginning to pile up for the A's.
Oakland has dipped to 23-27 on the season. For those who like to look at the glass half full, the A's are still only three games back of the division- leading Rangers in what has been an anemic American League West Division so far in 2006.
If Oakland is going to stay in contention, the club is going to have to find a way to win the close games. Though they went 1-6 on their recent road trip, the A's lost four games by one run. In fact, last Tuesday's 9-3 loss to the defending champion Chicago White Sox was the only game in which Oakland lost by more than two runs on the swing.
Manager Ken Macha is not giving up hope on his club.
"We played the World Series champs and the division leader, and I think we played nose to nose with them, even all busted up," Macha told the Oakland Tribune. "As I look at us after 50 games, there's nobody we can't play with, regardless of how many we're under .500. It doesn't matter."

Quarterly Report on Major League Divisional Races (NL WEST)

2006-05-24T15:33:00.000-07:00

By Jonathan Wachs
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

Now that most teams have played around forty games, let’s look on in the Divisional Races:

NL WEST

Here’s a division where all the teams are in the hunt for the title. Not much has been determined in the first quarter of the season except that the division is not nearly as bad as many thought it would be. All four teams currently have winning records and they are only separated by 2.5 games.

Arizona has been led by Brandon Webb (7-0), who is probably the early leader in the NL CY Young race. Unfortunately, the rest of their pitching staff has about a 6.00 ERA. Jose Valverde (13 saves), Luis Vizcaino (3.38 ERA) and Brandon Lyon have led a bullpen that is improved over last year’s version. After a miserable start, Shawn Green has been on a torrid pace and Chad Tracy was recently rewarded with a $13 million plus contract extension for his fine work. The offense has been a moneyball fan’s dream: Craig Counsell (.387 OBP), Conor Jackson (.372) and Luis Gonzalez (.387) have certainly managed to get on base. Most analysts of the minor leagues rank Arizona near the top of the list and they are going to need to dip into their system to get some rotation help if they are to win the division or compete for the wildcard.

Colorado has been one of this year’s early surprises. One of the best bets in recent years was against the Rockies on the road, but they have dramatically improved this year. The skepticism usually associated with their gaudy numbers are not valid this year as guys like Brad Hawpe who is hitting .340 overall is hitting .383 on the road. Matt Holliday has added 11 dingers and Garrett Atkins has filled out what has been a very productive, albeit no name, middle of the order. In Jeff Francis and Aaron Cook, the Rockies have developed two nice young starters. Brian Fuentes (10 saves, 1.45 ERA) is having his second straight good year. The Rockies appear to finally have a sound plan in place. In a division that will beat up on each other, you can’t count the Rockies out.

The Dodgers have gone the high risk/high reward strategy the last couple of years. Nomar Garciaparra is the perfect example. He has hit .369, but injuries have limited him. J.D. Drew has 8 homers and 33 RBI so far, but don’t you wish wagerweb.com let you bet on whether or not he would make it through the season? Kenny Lofton (.350 OBP) keeps chugging along, but the Dodgers are waiting for Furcal (.244) to get going. Brad Penny has been pitching well (4-1, 2.53), but also has a dicey injury history. Will Eric Gagne be healthy and effective for the second half of the year? Like Arizona, the Dodgers have a strong farm system. Unlike Arizona, they may be willing to trade a few to fill holes.

Most of the attention surrounding the Giants has been around Barry Bonds. The fact that Bonds is hitting close to .250 and still has an OBP close to .500 speaks volumes about the Giants offense, especially without Moises Alou. The starting rotation led by a resurgent Jason Schmidt (3.07 ERA), the recently returned to action Noah Lowry (3.38 ERA) and Jamey Wright (3.38 ERA) have pitched well enough to keep them in contention, but it would seem another bat is needed for them to stay in the race.

The San Diego Padres recently won 15 out of 18, but still appear to be the weakest team in the division. Mike Piazza has hit 6 homers and has hit better of late, but 15 RBI for a cleanup hitter is just not going to cut it. The challenges of Petco aside, this team has a definite power outage. Only Khali Green has joined Piazza in hitting over 5 homeruns to this point. As usual, Brian Giles continues to get on base with an OBP over .400 and Trevor Hoffman (7 saves, 1.20 ERA) and Scott Linebrink (3.27 ERA) lead a strong bullpen.

So it will come down to Arizona’s farm system, Colorado’s youngsters, The Dodger’s health, The Giants pitching and San Diego’s ability to keep doing it with mirrors. Stay tuned.

Quarterly Report on Divisional Races --- NL CENTRAL

2006-05-24T15:32:00.000-07:00

By Jonathan Wachs
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

After a few weeks and with some surprises, the NL Central has begun to look a lot more as expected, particularly at the very top.

With a lineup containing the best player on the planet, the Cardinals have recently started to pull away and
seem well on their way to their third straight division title. Pujols’ numbers are mind-boggling (22 homers and 54 RBI). Barring an injury or a stunning slump, he’s practically locked up the MVP Award in May. Underrated David Eckstein has an OBP of .390 and provides the kind of spark few leadoff hitters can match. While injuries and age have slowed Jim Edmonds and Scott Rolen to some degree, they are both still dangerous hitters. Juan Encarcion and Yadier Molina have been disappointments, but the rest of the lineup has picked them up so far. Chris Carpenter has continued to pitch like an ace and starters Mark Mulder, Jeff Suppan, and Jason Marquis form a solid rotation that always keeps the Cardinals in the game. After a slow start, closer Jason Isringhausen has rounded into form. Only injuries will keep the Cards from playing in October.

Losers of 10 of their last 15, the “Big Red Mirage” are starting to play like their talent level indicates they should. Bronson Arroyo has been an outstanding acquisition and is obviously thrilled not to have to face those tough NL lineups, but you simply can’t send out such a mediocre starting rotation and expect to stay in the race. I told you a few weeks back to bet against them and those who listened are a bit richer today.

The Astros got off to a hot start before their starting pitching went through a horrid stretch. Roy Oswalt remains one of the league’s top pitchers and Wayne Rodriguez has been a nice surprise, but Andy Pettitte has struggled, Brandon Backe is out for the year, and the rest of the rotation has been inconsistent. Brad Lidge has struggled (mostly with his control), but expect him to turn things around. Morgan Ensberg hit home runs in six straight games early in the year and Lance Berkman would be an MVP candidate in a league without Pujols. Also, very quietly, Brad Ausmus has put together a very good year (.418 OBP). The Astros could stay in the wildcard race and may soon get the kind of help that could rocket them to the finish line.

The Brewers are fun to watch. They lead the majors in home runs, and youngsters Prince Fielder, Rickie Weeks, and Bill Hall mix nicely with veterans Geoff Jenkins, Carlos Lee, and Corey Koskie. The only thing is they may be too dependent on getting home runs and they strike out too much. A bit of small ball might help them at times. Getting Ben Sheets healthy would help a rotation that has one underrated star (Chris Capuano) and mostly back-of-the-rotation types. Derrick Turnbow is showing he’s no fluke, but the bullpen lacks depth. This year’s trendy sleeper pick will stay around a while, but ultimately doesn’t have enough for the playoffs.

First the Red Sox, then the White Sox, now the Cu … stop right there. Derrek Lee’s injury has revealed just how impotent the rest of the Cubs lineup is. Juan Pierre has an OBP of .271. Aramis Ramirez is hitting only .231. It’s ugly on the North Side. Greg Maddux’s May has been very different than his April and still no sign of Mark Prior. Dusty Baker must be on edge. No playoffs here, folks.

The Pirates were expected to be an improved team this year, but their starting pitching has failed them. Zach Duke has hit a bit of a tougher time facing teams the second time around, and whatever happened to Oliver Perez, who was thought to be a fast rising star? Not much hope in the Steel City either.

So early on, it looks like it’s the Cards division to lose and the Astros waiting for Roger Clemens to make them serious wildcard contenders.

2006-05-23T08:28:00.000-07:00

By Kevin Rreavey
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

It’s been a good, bad and ugly kind of week for me.

I hit the trifecta at Pimlico--that’s good.

My Little League kids went 0-3 with Coach Reavy in attendance--that’s bad.

And Wednesday night, upon hearing of the reality demise of my “dawg,” Elliot Yamin, I was both sad to hear the news and disappointed in the realization that I had just watched 12 straight episodes of American Idol, spanning two months--that’s...well, you get the point.

Fortunately for me, however, the sports world is never without its good, bad and ugly moments also.

Here are the high (and low)lights of the week that’s passed.

The Good:

Barry Bonds’ 714th homerun ball--for Tyler Snyder, the guy who caught it. Surely the eBay--er, Bay Area-- faithful are proud of their slugger, and might even open up their checkbooks to make a bid for the historic blast. But, to me, nothing tells the story more beautifully than these four words uttered by Tyler, the soon-to-be rich Athletics fan (thanks to Bonds), after the game: “I hate that guy.”

The NBA playoffs. While the highlight of my basketball season is admittedly the NBA draft, I can’t help but marvel at the fantastic series that have been played up to this point. It really has made me forget that the NHL is on strike. (Editor’s note: Kevin doesn’t receive the OLN channel.)

After dropping five straight, the Phillies finally won.

The Bad:

After dropping five straight, the Phillies finally won.

Cubs catcher, Michael Barrett, punched AJ Pierzynski after a collision at home plate. This is a bad thing only because I think Barrett may have hurt his hand when delivering the blow.

NBC started airing episodes of the “National Heads-Up Poker Championship.” This might be a good thing had ESPN not decided to air roughly 300 episodes of World Series of Poker tournaments on a constant loop on ESPN channels 1thru 6. This would be cool if the World Poker Tour and Celebrity Poker Who Gives a Crap weren’t already force-feeding its addictive felt-and-clay-chip abundant allure down my throat. Instead, it’s overkill. Not because I hate watching poker shows on TV, but because I watch all of them. And I need my life back.

The Ugly:

Just one thing...
Kobe’s attire on "Inside the NBA" last Wednesday. Because nothing says street cred like a powder-blue sweater vest.

--
That will do it for this week’s edition of The Sports Column. If I can avoid the TiVo-limit hold ‘em barrage this week, I’ll try to keep an eye out for the top stories for next time.
Until then, enjoy the news as it happens.

Athletics’ Thomas ready for his return to Chicago

2006-05-22T16:37:00.000-07:00

Frank Thomas received his World Series ring weeks ago, and now he will do his best to treat his initial return to Chicago like any other road trip.
Yet, he knows that will be hard after spending his first 16 seasons with the White Sox.
The Big Hurt left the city’s South Side with hurt feelings — not to mention frustration, disappointment and even a tad bit of anger. Now, Thomas and the Oakland Athletics will open a three-game series against the reigning World Series champions tonight.
"It’s always good to go home. That’s been my adopted home for the last 16 years," Thomas said. "It’ll be good to get back. My kids are there and I haven’t seen them for a while, a month and a half. I’m sure it’s going to be heartfelt.
"I spent my whole career there for 16 years. So, yeah, it’s going to touch me to be back."
Thomas heads "home" looking to find his stroke, too. He wasn’t in the starting lineup as designated hitter for the A’s on Sunday in their interleague series finale against the San Francisco Giants.
Thomas, who turns 38 on Saturday, is batting .178 with seven home runs and 20 RBIs and is hitless in his last seven at-bats. Six of his seven homers have been solo shots, and he sits at 455 home runs and would like to get to 500 before calling it a career. Though that’s beginning to seem like a long shot.
"He’s not swinging it like we had hoped," A’s manager Ken Macha said. "Hopefully we can get him there."
Thomas is yet to show that powerful right-handed bat the A’s had been so desperately seeking for the middle of their lineup. Perhaps, he said, being back in Chicago could help matters.
"I still have to do my job and come out and play," Thomas said. "Hopefully it will get me going. That’s what I need."
Thomas’ parting with the only team he’d ever known turned bitter last winter, though everybody involved anticipated him being greeted with a warm ovation.
"I hope the fans in Chicago are smart enough to treat him the way he should be treated," White Sox skipper Ozzie Guillen said. "I expect the fans to appreciate what Frank Thomas did for Chicago. They should appreciate the way he played the game. I want Chicago fans to show the Oakland A’s how good they are, how loyal they are, how appreciative they are."
Thomas claimed he never received a courtesy call from team officials to tell him he was no longer in their plans after 16 years. No end-of-the-season physical to evaluate his health, either.
Thomas began last season on the disabled list following ankle surgery, played for the first time on May 31, then went back on the DL on July 21 with another left ankle fracture. He did not play again and could only watch as the White Sox swept Houston to win the World Series for the first time since 1917.
Still, he batted .219 with 12 homers and 26 RBIs in 34 games in 2005.
The White Sox declined to offer Thomas salary arbitration in December, then Thomas signed an incentive-laden $500,000 US, one-year contract with the A’s in January.
In spring training a month later, White Sox general manager Kenny Williams called Thomas "an idiot" and "selfish" after reading about how the slugger was disgusted with how the organization handled his departure.
Both sides appear eager to move forward, though all of this will undoubtedly come up again in the coming days.
"It’s going to be good for the fans. They treated me right forever," Thomas said. "I’ve got no problem with the fans. What happened to me with the GM at the end of spring training, that was very unfortunate all the stuff that came out.
"That’s gone. I just don’t think our relationship will ever be repaired. That’s just the way it is. It’s really unfortunate because I didn’t feel that way until all that happened."

“Ain’t no sucker like Jim Duquette”

2006-05-15T12:08:00.000-07:00

By Jonathan Wachs
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

A baseball trade is basically a wager by two general managers that the player each acquires will be better than the one he gives up. It may or may not work out well. That’s gambling.

Now that Scott Kazmir is off to a great start at 5-2 with a 2.94 ERA and Victor Zambrano has just undergone season-ending surgery, it might be a good time to review how Jim Duquette, the Mets GM at the time, broke every single rule of gambling.

NEVER BET MORE THAN YOU CAN AFFORD When the Mets traded Scott Kazmir, their farm system was almost completely bare. The only true blue-chip pitching prospects at the time were Phil Humber, who has since undergone Tommy John surgery, and Alay Soler, a Cuban defector who just made it to the U.S. this season and is currently pitching at AA. This year the Mets are throwing out such retreads as Jose Lima and Jeremi Gonzalez as they wait for Mike Pelfrey and the next wave of prospects to be ready. Do you think they would rather have sent out Jose Lima – or Scott Kazmir, to try and sweep their arch-rival Braves last week?

NEVER BET WHILE INTOXICATED Right around the time of the trade in 2004, the Mets had just swept their cross-town rivals, the New York Yankees, in an exciting three-game series. The Mets, who had been dead in this town since 2000, finally had some juice. They were close to first place and back on the back page. Of course, they still had a .500 record and not much talent. But Duquette, drunk on the city’s enthusiasm, wanted to “win now” no matter what the future cost.

DO YOUR HOMEWORK You wouldn’t bet on a Falcons game without checking if Michael Vick was hurt, would you? Yet Mr. Duquette failed to adequately check into Victor Zambrano’s injury before the trade. Zambrano admitted he has been hurt the entire time he has been a member of the New York Mets. The week the trade was made, Zambrano skipped a start because of arm stiffness. Shouldn’t some alarms have gone off? Duquette blamed Tampa doctors for downplaying the injury, but you don’t need to be able to read medical charts to know something might be amiss.

LOOK FOR VALUE Barbaro, who was such a good bet on Derby Day, might not be such a great bet for the Preakness. You won’t get enough in return. A lefty who throws 97 MPH has more value than a barely over .500 pitcher with control problems. Had Mr. Duquette waited until the off-season, he might have received Tim Hudson or Mark Mulder in return.

KNOW WHEN TO WALK AWAY This is the one Mr. Duquette clearly missed. Tampa officials were said to be laughing to themselves when they realized what they were getting. Mr. Duquette should clearly have just walked away. Next time you’re in Baltimore and you’re looking for someone to round out your poker game, look up Mr. Jim Duquette because there ain’t no sucker like the one who doesn’t know the rules.

“It’s Not Rocket Science”

2006-05-11T11:35:00.000-07:00

By Jonathan Wachs
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

Wagerweb.com has posted odds offering bettors the chance to predict which Major League Baseball team Roger Clemens will return to.

Clemens is clearly enjoying the attention he is garnering from his four suitors. Let’s take a look at how Clemens has played this situation thus far, and how it will play out at the end.

THE EASY MARK:
Roger Clemens enjoyed opening day in Arlington Stadium, sitting next to owner Tom Hicks. When Clemens was introduced and shown on the scoreboard, the fans went crazy. Do the Rangers, who have gone all these years searching for pitching, really have a shot at Roger Clemens? Well, the Rangers are an improved team, with Kevin Millwood leading some young up-and-coming pitchers. And it would do wonders for Clemens’ legend to ride into Arlington on his horse and lead them to their first World Series Championship. Is it going to happen? No. Why would Clemens pitch in a hitter’s park for a team which, despite their improvements, is not a serious World Series contender? More likely, Roger was paying attention when Tom Hicks bid against himself to sign Alex Rodriguez to his franchise-crippling $250 million dollar contract. This is exactly the type of guy you want to draw into the bidding. Wagerweb.com has the odds on Clemens going to the Rangers at 6-1. Trust me, it’s far longer than that.

AN OFFER HE CAN’T REFUSE:
Roger Clemens still keeps in touch with buddies Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada, and there were reports that Jeter had his ear during the World Baseball Classic. And if Clemens is looking for a sure bet to get to the playoffs, it’s been a while since the Yanks sat out October. Can Clemens return to the Yankees? Probably not. Roger Clemens already got a Hummer as a retirement gift, and you have to figure, after feasting on weaker National League number eight hitters, and pitchers’ feeble attempts to catch up to his fastball, he might not be dying to face more formidable American League lineups. If Randy Johnson keeps looking his age, can George Steinbrenner make Roger Clemens an offer he can’t refuse? Could happen, but George will never let Clemens skip road trips in fear that all of his stable of superstars will demand the same special treatment. At 1:2, this is not a good bet.

FINISH WHERE HE STARTED
Imagine the nostalgic feeling of coming back where you began your career, and leading that team to a World Series. What a perfect symmetry to a career. Almost like a movie script. Only the impact of leading the Red Sox to a World Series is not nearly what it was two years ago. The Red Sox already have had a hero who started in their organization come back and lead them to the Promised Land. And that hero wore a bloody Red Sock. How can Clemens possibly top that? Besides, if the Red Sox really get close, Mr. Steinbrenner may very well make him an offer he can’t refuse. At 1:1, I just can’t see this as a good bet.

FINISH WHAT HE STARTED
The first year, Clemens led the Astros to the playoffs. His second year, he helped them to their first World Series. Why not finish what he started? The Astros are off to a great start. Besides, the Mets, Cardinals and, possibly the Phillies, who can you remotely predict can stop them from at least getting there? His best friend Andy Pettitte has mentioned the possibility of retirement after this year (Don’t bet on that, though). Houston offers him a chance to stay close to home and it lets him skip those pesky road trips. They have already made him a generous contract offer. The odds are 2:1. After all that analysis, it must come down to this: If you could work closer to home, travel less, and not have to work as hard, for similar money, what would you do? Come on, this may be Roger Clemens, but it is not rocket science. Bet the 2:1 on him returning to the Astros. It may be the best bet available on the entire website.

Mailbag: What role will Ellis play now?

2006-05-09T12:18:00.000-07:00

As A's fans wait for the day that every member of the planned 25-man roster is healthy and available, let's take a look into the mailbag. Here are this week's selected questions:
What do you think of manager Ken Macha's announcement that he was going to start playing Marco Scutaro more at second base? I know he said it led to a good year for Scutaro and Mark Ellis last year, but it seems to me that Ellis has earned the right to play his way through this early rough patch.--- Petey Y., Los Angeles
Although I do think it's smart to get Scutaro at least one start a week, either at second or short (or maybe even one at each position), I'm with you, Petey. Ellis seemed to take the news as something as a slap in the face, and that in itself makes what Macha said a bad idea. Ellis might be the nicest, hardest-working guy I've ever seen, so if he's upset, it's usually for good reason. And after what he did for the A's last year, I do think he deserves to try to play his way through whatever he's going through.
If it were June 15 and he were batting .188, I might feel a little differently. But in my opinion, Ellis is an everyday player. Scutaro is what he's been for the past couple of years: a supersub. The A's should keep it that way.

Oakland A’s vs. Toronto Blue Jays

2006-05-05T11:28:00.000-07:00

Thursday, May 11th 2006 12:37 PM ET
Rogers Centre

The Oakland A’s suffered a big loss against the Indians 14-3, after having a three game winning streak that came to an end when they faced the Indians. Dan Haren pitched 5.2 innings allowing 11 hits and 5 runs.

"Games like this happen every once in a while," Haren said. "It happened on opening day and we bounced back. I fell behind in the count a few too many times and I paid the price. ... Top to bottom that's one of the best lineups in the American League Championship. They don't strike out too much and they work the count. I got into too many hitters’ counts."

The Oakland A’s need to bounce back from that loss and keep the rhythm they had before the Indians loss; Oakland has great starter and an impressive lineup that can be up for great things this year.

This week they start an important series against Toronto that can be the perfect opportunity to get back on track. The sports betting industry will put the A’s as slight favorites to win; so do your homework and try to beat the industry in this series.

Lineup
1. Mark Kotsay, CF. 2. Nick Swisher, LF. 3. Eric Chavez, 3rd B. 4. Frank Thomas, DH. 5. Bobby Crosby, SS. 6. Dan Johnson, 1st B. 7. Bobby Kielty, RF. 8. Jason Kendall, C. 9. Mark Ellis, 2nd B.

The Blue Jays beat Boston Red Sox on the road in a very important victory that helped the Blue Jays to improve the record and cut some road in the American League approaching to Boston and NY Yankees.

Toronto led 4-3, trailed 5-4 and then took a 6-5 lead in the seventh before Boston tied it again in the eighth. But with Papelbon pitching in the ninth, Lyle Overbay led off with his fourth hit of the night. Gregg Zaun singled one out later and Adams doubled down the right-field line to stop a 0-for-14 slump.

"When you're down a run or two, we know we can come back," said designated hitter Shea Hillenbrand, who homered for Toronto. "Tonight, it was Russ. He hadn't been swinging the bat well, and he came through."

Toronto can be a headache to any team in the American League; they prove it against Boston and they will go with everything against Oakland. This is a series you can miss as two of the best in the American League match up.

Lineup
1. Alexis Rios, RF. 2. Frank Catalanotto, LF. 3. Vernon Wells CF. 4. Troy Glaus 3rd, B. 5. Lyle Overbay, 1st B. 6. Shea Hillenbrand, DH. 7. Gregg Zaun, C. 8. Russ Adams, SS. 9. Aaron Hill, 2nd B.

Baseball’s First-Month Awards

2006-05-05T10:32:00.000-07:00

By Jonathan Wachs
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

The calendar has turned on the first month of the 2006 baseball season. While there is plenty of season left, it’s a good time to evaluate who has the early lead on baseball’s top awards.

American League MVP:
1) Jim Thome – While he has slowed somewhat since his sizzling start, Jim Thome has been the best acquisition any American League team has made. Many questioned what he had left, but he put any doubts to rest immediately by homering in his first 2 games and 6 times in his first 10 games. His 10 homeruns and 24 RBIs are tops on the American League’s most talented team.
2) Jason Giambi – His .542 OBP is fantastic as Giambi continues to expand on last year’s comeback- player-of-the-year performance. While he leads the AL in walks with 27, Giambi is not just being passive, as he also leads the AL in RBIs with 27. Only his statuesque defense and stubbornness about embracing the DH role make him second choice.
3) Vernon Wells – The Blue Jays went on baseball’s biggest shopping spree, this off-season, but one of their incumbent players has turned in his best effort so far. With 9 homers, 25 RBIs and a .374 batting average, Wells is carrying a heavy load as Toronto tries to prove that they can keep pace with the Red Sox and The Yankees.

National League MVP:
1) Albert Pujols – Provided he stays healthy, it appears as though this award will be his to lose for many years to come. His record-breaking 14 homeruns in April and 32 RBIs have led the Cardinals to another great start.
2) Lance Berkman – The reason for the Astros’ slow start, last April, was likely because they missed Berkman’s bat. Berkman has had a fast start, this year (10 homeruns, 31 RBIs and .240 BA), and so have the Astros.
3) Carlos Delgado – The best acquisition any National League team made, this off-season, Delgado has really carried the load (10 homeruns and 21 RBIs) while Beltran was injured and Cliff Floyd slumped.

American League Cy Young:
1) Jose Contreras – His 4-0 record and league-leading 1.45 ERA still leads a pitching staff that makes the White Sox the best bet to win the AL Pennant at the sports book.
2) Curt Schilling – Baseball’s biggest loudmouth is once again able to “walk the walk.” His 4-1 record, 2.88 ERA and durability (40.2 IP) have led the Red Sox to an early tenuous hold on first place in the AL East.
3) Kenny Rogers – The ace on a staff of promising young guns, veteran Rogers has done everything you can ask for the Tigers (4-2, 2.59 ERA and a great 0.98 WHIP).

National League Cy Young:
1) Greg Maddux – Talk about giving a club a lift. Once again frustrated by injuries to Mark Prior and Kerry Wood, the cursed Cubbies are thrilled by Maddux’s early renaissance (5-0, 1.35 ERA).
2) Pedro Martinez – The daily updates by a panicked New York press corps on Pedro’s toe during spring training are long forgotten as Pedro has been fantastic (5-0, 0.89 WHIP). He already has beaten the hated Braves twice.
3) Bronson Arroyo – Wow, after the AL East, this is sure easy. Arroyo (5-0, 2.06 ERA) has led the way for baseball’s biggest early season surprise.

Rookies of the Year:

American League:

Jonathan Papelbon – Thrown into the Boston pressure-cooker, Papelbon leads the AL in saves (10) and has yet to allow a run in over 15 innings.

National League:

Prince Fielder – Unlike his father, Cecil, Prince didn’t need to serve some time in the Japanese League to find his stroke. Fielder’s .343 average leads all rookies.

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Athletics win; Twins down Mariners

2006-05-04T08:36:00.000-07:00

Eric Chavez and Bobby Crosby belted three-run homers at either end of a fractious contest to lead the Oakland Athletics to a 10-3 road victory over the Anaheim Angels yesterday.
The American League West teams’ long-standing animosity for each other came to a head in the sixth inning, when Oakland’s Jason Kendall expressed his unhappiness with a John Lackey curveball that just missed his elbow by charging the mound.
As the 6ft-6in catcher bore down on Lackey, both benches and bullpens cleared to storm into the middle of the field before order was finally restored with the main protagonists ejected from the game.
The melee and tit-for-tat retaliation took the shine off a solid victory for the Athletics, who extended their winning streak to five games.
Making his first start of the season, Brad Halsey (1-0) provided Oakland with 5 1/3 effective innings of work, allowing three runs on five hits with three strikeouts and three walks.
Chavez gave Halsey an early cushion to work with a first inning three-run homer.
With the Athletics in front 4-1, Vladimir Guerrero crunched a two-run homer in the bottom of the sixth to get the Angels to within one.
However, Oakland put the contest out of reach with six-run burst in the ninth, highlighted by Crosby’s three-run blast.
In Minneapolis, Johan Santana provided seven sharp innings and the Twins exploded for four runs in the second inning to ease past the Seattle Mariners 5-1.
In Baltimore, Jay Gibbons, Miguel Tejada and Ramon Hernandez all stroked two-run homers to power the Orioles past the Toronto Blue Jays 9-2 to snap a three-game losing streak.

Bonds’ alleged cheating scandal hurting baseball history

2006-05-03T11:03:00.000-07:00

By Bill KugelbergWagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

Having just finished reading Game of Shadows – the alleged tell-all book in which the authors claim to have records detailing Barry Bonds’, as well as other athletes’, use of performance-enhancing drugs – it has become crystal clear that Bonds cheated, continues to cheat, and could not care less about it.

Bonds just about says this when he claims in his grand jury testimony that he hasn’t played in a baseball game since college when he attended Arizona State University. Basically, what he’s saying, and what he continues to say, is that he is an entertainer and not a competitor. He conveniently forgets how his alleged cheating has impacted the other players in the game, both past and present.

And how, every night, in every stadium he plays in, he is the only person who is in on this little secret.When I go to a game, I’m not there to be entertained. I’m there to see the team I support try to win. And when I make a wager on a team, I’m not doing it for the entertainment; I’m doing it to win. If I go to Vegas and play blackjack or craps, I consider that to be entertainment. While I would like to win, and I don’t believe the outcome has been predetermined, I still understand the odds are against me coming away a winner.But Bonds apparently doesn’t see playing baseball as a competition.

It sounds as though he views it as our opportunity to watch an “entertainer” stand up there and be walked two or three times a game and, maybe, just maybe, see him grace our presence with a home run. Get over yourself, Barry. Not only are you coming off like a pompous ass, you are also making an impact on the game that the record books will reflect forever.For example, since 1999, when his steroid use is alleged to have begun, the San Francisco Giants have won or finished second in the NL West every year, except for last year when he spent just about all of the season on the disabled list, and they finished third.

Take away Bonds’ production, or fill in the production that most players would contribute, and the Giants find themselves in a different position. Also, as he approached 40 years old, his numbers would naturally decline, not go up. With that factored in, the Giants truly would be hurting for production from Bonds.Just ask Albert Pujols, who has finished second to Bonds in National League MVP voting twice, how Bonds’ steroid use has impacted his post-season award possibilities.

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Unfortunately, the players who have truly been impacted by Bonds’ steroid use are the players who finished playing the game years ago. Bonds, along with Mark McGwire, has succeeded at setting the bar so high that no one will be able to approach their records. In doing so, they have made the average fan believe that 40 home runs a season is nice, but not Hall of Fame-worthy. One player who has been affected by this is Andrew Dawson. Dawson hit 438 home runs and drove in 1,591 RBIs. He also played baseball for 21 years and has 2,774 hits with 8 Gold Gloves and 314 stolen bases. With close to 10 knee surgeries, Dawson should have been the one allowed to take performance-enhancing drugs, not Bonds.

One thing I love about Bonds is that he refuses to even admit that Game of Shadows exists. The book has been out for about three months now and I have yet to hear of a lawsuit filed on Bonds’ behalf that contests the contents of the book. And yet everyone just casually goes about their sports day, without a care that Bonds continues to cheat because, as an entertainer, he feels he can.As the book explains, Bonds has never had to stand before anyone and explain his actions – not even when he was a kid. He was always the best player on the team, received the benefits that comes with that title, and he continues to expect that to be the case. Regardless of how it impacts his body, the other players in the game, the kids growing up who are learning the game, or the record books – Bonds is concerned with one thing – reaping the financial advantages that being an “entertainer” in baseball provides.

And regardless of who has to pay to make that happen, Bonds is only too happy to stand there and take the paychecks and accolades that come with it. I’ve often wondered how he sleeps at night, knowing that he has an advantage that many other players don’t have – that he has cheated to get to where he is. And the only answer I can come up with is that when you are on the stage and being an entertainer, it’s just acting. It’s not who you really are – so you can get away with more. The question I have for Bonds is, when the show is over and you walk off the stage – who are you then?

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The Next World Series Champion

2006-05-02T14:31:00.000-07:00

By Brad Halfond
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

Just like clockwork, every spring brings the same hopes to major league baseball teams all over the country. Some fans of teams like the Pittsburgh Pirates, Kansas City Royals and the Detroit Tigers are just hoping to stay in the pennant race after the first few weeks of the season, while other fans have higher aspirations.Take the rabid fans of Boston Red Sox nation or the equally intense fanatics who root for the New York Yankees. Not only do these fans demand that their teams be in the playoffs or World Series every season, they also demand that the two clubs beat each other.Boston and New York are separated by about four hours in a car, but their baseball fans and ideas are separated by much more space than almost anyone can imagine.The best word, although not too politically correct, is “hate.” It is not a stretch of any imagination to say that the fans of these clubs hate each other. Every year, fights break out in the stands or in sports bars across America, and they are all involving Yankee or Red Sox fans. Ever seen or heard about a Cardinals and Braves fan fight?Both Boston and New York have fans who are living in various cities away from their hometown, and this has spread the rivalry across many time zones. Trust me from first-hand experience, you can find New Englanders and New Yorkers almost anywhere in the USA.The rivalry and bad blood runs fairly deep for me, and I would not be able to write with such certainty on the topic had I not been so directly involved through many years.Being born and raised in New York, you have a choice between teams. Once you select the Yankees (in my case, passed down by dear ol’ Dad), the next step is to immediately work up a hatred for Red Sox fans, Red Sox management, New England Clam Chowder and even anybody foolish enough to be wearing actual red socks.

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If you’re a Yankees fan, that is your first given in life – hate thy Red Sox fan. With their annoying accents, general lack of knowledge toward the game, their laughable track record of winning over the years and barrelful of excuses for losing, it is fairly easy to work up a good lather against them.Another year is upon us, and 2006 will see these two teams meeting 19 times. The first pair of these games takes place on May 1-2 in Beantown. If you’re a baseball fan and you’re not watching these games, you either better be getting married or mourning a death in the family. If you’re a Yankee or Red Sox fan, there is no excuse not to be watching—just keep the volume low on your mini TV and nobody at the funeral should get too upset.But emotions and people getting upset are actually the hallmark of this rivalry. It’s easy to go back and cite all the times on the field that these two teams have mixed it up, which in turn usually carries over to the stands or the bars.More recently, we had Alex Rodriquez taking on Jason Veritek, and Don Zimmer battling it out with Pedro Martinez. Granted, the names and faces change, but the intensity between the two teams and their fans is legendary.I can personally attest to one infamous episode during Game 7 of the 2003 American League Championship series. It was the game where New York recovered from a 5-3 deficit to defeat Boston with a home-run from Aaron Boone that sent the Yankees to the World Series.Drinking a beer amidst hoards of Red Sox fans at the Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas, I was resigned to watching the Sox advance to the World Series. Soon, the Yankees mounted their comeback, and my bravado had started taking the best of me. Although very conservative in my early remarks, I saved the best for last: When Boone’s shot landed in upper reaches of Yankee Stadium, my outburst lasted for several minutes—which most likely felt like hours for Red Sox fans.Now this incident took place before Boston finally won a World Series title, so Red Sox fans were more surly than usual.With my yelling ringing in their ears and their sorrow turning to desperation, two New England tourists started hurling insults my way, and we exchanged profane remarks for several minutes before your classic dimwitted Red Sox fan charged at me, telling me to keep quiet.Now, telling a Yankee fan to keep quiet is like telling Pam Anderson not to show any cleavage, so it quickly turned ugly. In the end, Red Sox fan lost the fight but had some red blood to show for it on his nose, and his wife was also the recipient of some collateral damage.If you’re curious, all charges were dropped.I would expect nothing else from the loyal, overzealous fans of either team. In the end, being a Yankee or Red Sox fan is like defending your country. If attacked and provoked—or just not a fan of a particular nation—let them know you’re serious and that they best not challenge you again.Winning a World Series title hasn’t made Red Sox fans any smarter or relevant, it just gave them a one-year sense that everything was fine—but pinstripes will always be the real color of choice.

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Next week on TV (5-1/5-7)

2006-05-02T09:12:00.000-07:00

By Daniel Kline
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

Both the NBA and the NHL close out the first round of their playoffs. In baseball, you’ve got the Orioles and the Blue Jays, matching up in what has to be one of the biggest questions of the baseball season. One of these teams might hang on to challenge the Yankees and Red Sox, but probably not both, making this early season tilt a little more interesting.

*All times Eastern.

Monday, May 1
NFL Europe, Berlin at Rhein (3 p.m., NFL Network)
Stop arguing about who your team drafted and check in on the sport’s minor league with this mid-afternoon match-up. Though NFL Europe might not get the attention of its big brother, the league offers a good chance to figure out which back-up players might break through come the fall.

Tuesday, May 2
Yankees at Red Sox (7:05 p.m., DirecTV, regional)
Every Yankees versus Red Sox match-up gets covered like a playoff game in Boston and New York, so expect tempers to flare in this tilt. The Sox have had the early season advantage, but that’s nothing new, as the Sox always have a division lead in the Summer – the question is whether they can hold it in the Fall.

Wednesday, May 3
Boxing (9 p.m. ESPN2)
Sharmba Mitchell takes on Jose Luis Cruz in a 10-round welterweight tilt. Cruz plays the role of the fighter on the way up, taking on former two-time champion Mitchell, who wants one more shot at the gold. Mitchell was knocked out in the sixth round in his last fight, but that was against Floyd Mayweather – one of the best in the division – so he’s aiming to prove that was a fluke and knock Cruz off the ladder of contention.

Thursday, May 4
Wachovia Open (4 p.m., USA)
A Tiger-less field should leave this one pretty wide open. Vijay Singh attempts to repeat as champion, a title he took last year in a three-way playoff with Sergio Garcia and Jim Furyk.

Friday, May 5
College Volleyball (Midnight, ESPN2)
Catch the men’s semifinal of the NCAA men’s volleyball tournament. This might be your last chance to see some of your favorite players before they turn pro and head out on the lucrative men’s volleyball tour.

Saturday, May 6
Kentucky Derby (6 p.m., NBC)
Horse racing only matters three times a year to the average fan, but the Kentucky captures the best of the sport. Because it’s the first Triple Crown race, every Derby winner stands the chance of being the first horse to bring home racing’s most elusive prize since Affirmed in 1978.

Sunday, May 7
Premier League Soccer (5 p.m., FOXESP)
Two of the big powers in the Premiership face off as Newcastle battles Chelsea in an attempt to cut into Chelsea’s overall lead in the standings. Chelsea did just fall in the FA Cup semifinal, but their big lead in the regular season standings makes clinching the title almost inevitable.

Daniel Kline’s book “50 Things Every Guy Should Know How To Do” is available in bookstores nationwide. He can be reached at dan@notastep.com.

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Fantasy Baseball Breakdown

2006-04-27T08:30:00.000-07:00

By Mike Brody
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer
The Six-Month Grind
We’re three weeks into the 2006 baseball season, and if your fantasy team looks anything like mine, you’re ready to unload half of your roster. I know it’s hard, but be patient. The worse thing you could do right now is panic and make a bad trade or drop a good player.
Baseball, more than any other sport, is driven by statistics. It’s a long season with a lot of ups and downs for most players. In the end, the numbers usually even out. If you stick with your guys long enough, they should come around and start producing like you expected them to.
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Off to a Hot Start
While it’s very difficult to watch your team stumble out of the gate (as I’m writing this, my offense is a collective 0-15 today and I’m about ready to have a fire sale), there was a reason why you drafted these guys. If you were lucky enough – or smart enough, depending on how you look at it – to draft Chris Shelton, Jonny Gomes or Nick Swisher, you’re probably at the top of your league, right now. But are these guys really going to lead the league in home runs?
Manny Ramirez hit his first two home runs of the season, last weekend. Mark Teixeira and Richie Sexson have three and two homers, respectively, through the first three weeks. These guys are all perennial 40-home-run-hitters, and barring injury, you can be sure that they will get their numbers by the season’s end.

Waiting for the Right Time
Everyone’s heard the cliché “buy low, sell high.” It’s sound advice. Knowing the right time to deal that guy who’s off to a hot start is the key to making this happen. There’s no way Shelton, Gomes and Swisher are going to keep up the pace they’ve set so far – Shelton’s already started to slow down – but how can you not ride their hot streaks a little longer? Just don’t wait too long if you’re planning on dealing them.
Knowing players’ trends is another key in making the right deal at the right time. Some players are traditionally slow starters, like Ramirez and Jim Edmonds, and trading for them at the end of their slow start could mean big stats for you the rest of the way. A lot of hitters heat up when the weather does too, so they could be busting out of these slumps any day now.
On the Rise
Targeting players who are showing signs of breaking out is another key to making the right roster adjustments. Here are a few players who might be available and could definitely help some teams:
Josh Barfield – The rookie second baseman has excelled since being moved to the No. 2 spot in the Padres lineup. He’s got his average over .300 and has 2 HRs and 6 steals. Grab him if he’s still available.
Ty Wigginton – Playing for his third team in four years, the journeyman third baseman seems to have found a home in Tampa Bay. He’s taken advantage of Aubrey Huff’s knee injury and already has 8 home runs and 20 RBI. Playing in hitter-friendly Tropicana Field should help, too. Ride him while he’s hot. Brad Hawpe – The Colorado Rockies outfielder has established himself as the everyday right fielder and is firmly entrenched in the heart of the Rockies lineup. He’s batting over .340 and already has slugged 5 HRs. The 2000 College World Series MVP is well on his way to a .300-30-100 season. You never can go wrong having a Rockie in your lineup.
The Pitching Hole
While there is plenty of time to make up ground on offense, falling behind in the pitching categories – especially ERA and WHIP – can be a killer. Avoiding those complete disasters in the early season is a key to remaining competitive on the mound.
With pitchers, it’s all about the matchups. Don’t be afraid to bench one of your better pitchers for a riskier play if the matchup is right. Throwing a marginal starter against Kansas City or Pittsburgh is always better than having just about any starter face the Yankees or pitch at Colorado.
Whether you find yourself at the top of your league or at the bottom of the pack after these first three weeks, don’t stop looking to make your team better. Stocking your bench with productive players who could be used as trade bait is always a good idea. The inevitable injuries will come, and having players to step in during those times will help you avoid having to make a desperate deal. Bet MLB Baseball Player and Game Propositions @ WagerWeb.com Sportsbook Michael Brody
Writer/EditorWagerWeb.com Contributing Writer
Mike has been writing and reporting on sports for 14 years.
He started his career as a sports writer and radio broadcaster at Cal State Northridge. Mike has written for the Los Angeles Daily News and has been a writer/editor for KNBC in Los Angeles, where he worked on the nightly sportscast with Fred Roggin. He also wrote and edited material for NBC network specials and has more than 10 years of online journalism experience. Although he lives in Southern California, Mike was born and raised in the Boston area and is a diehard fan of all the Boston professional teams.

Oakland A’s vs. Kansas City Royals

2006-04-25T07:48:00.000-07:00

Friday, April 28th 2006 8:00 PM ET
Kauffman Stadium

The Oakland A’s started the season with a winning record but now they are 7-9. Last week on Thursday against the Tigers they loss 4-3 in a close game in which anyone could’ve won. Barry Zito allow only one run in the seven innings he pitched but the closing pitchers allow 3 runs in the last inning that made them loss the game.

"I felt like I was in control," Duchscherer said. "I made some pitches and he kept getting a little piece of them. I tried to battle and they just beat me today", after he allowed three runs.

Unfortunately for the A’s Nick Swisher went 0-for-2 with two walks Thursday, ending his 10-game hitting streak. Swisher had 10 runs, four doubles, five homers and 12 RBIs in the streak; also in the same game Kiko Calero retired the only two batters he faced and hasn't allowed a run this April, or last April with the A's, a stretch of 14 outings and 14 innings.

If the A’s continue to play like this letting go the wins in the lasts innings of a game they will have problems because the teams in their division are very good and won’t forgive any mistakes by the A’s , something that can affect them in further in the season.

Lineup
1. Mark Ellis, 2nd B. 2. Mark Kotsay, CF. 3. Bobby Crosby, SS. 4. Eric Chavez, 3rd B. 5. Frank Thomas, DH. 6. Milton Bradley, RF. 7. Nick Swisher, LF. 8. Jason Kendall, C. 9. Dan Johnson, 1st B

The KC Royals suffered their 10th straight loss last week against the defending champions the White Sox, there’s not much the Royals could do against a powerful team like Chicago that practically didn’t gave any chance to KC to score.

Kansas City currently have one of the worst records in the league with 2-12 they’re heading for debacle this season if they don’t correct their pitching and improve their offense, which has had a very poor production so far this season. "It's frustrating," Royals right-hander Scott Elarton said. "It's not about individuals right now. It's just collectively, as a group, we're not very good. We've got to figure things out or it's going to be a long, miserable summer."

This series could be very profitable for the people who like sports betting if they know how to pick a winner out of these games, it may seem as sure victories for the A’s, but beware the Royals might have a much needed comeback after losing so many games on the road.

Lineup
1. Shane Costa RF. 2. Tony Graffanino, 2nd B. 3. Doug Mientkiewicz, 1st B. 4. Matt Stairs, DH. 5. Emil Brown, LF. 6. Mark Teahen, 3rd B. 7. Angel Berroa, SS. 8. Esteban German, CF. 9. Paul Bako, C

Oakland A’s at Texas Rangers

2006-04-21T11:44:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, April 25th, 2006 8:00 PM ET

Oakland A’s
RHP Esteban Loaiza made his third start of the baseball season Tuesday against the Tigers. Loaiza didn’t make it through five innings on his first two starts, allowing 24 base runners in 8 2/3 innings. He sports an 11.42 ERA.
The A's were favorites in every single game in all Sportsbook odds last year and swept the Tigers at the Coliseum. They haven't lost a home series to Detroit since 1997.
OF Jay Payton was ejected by home plate umpire Ed Rapuano in the ninth inning Sunday. Payton disagreed with a third-strike call.
C Kurt Suzuki, the A's top catching prospect at Double-A Midland, is second in all of the minor leagues with a .556 on-base percentage and leads Texas League catchers with a .407 average.
LHP Barry Zito knows his name will be mentioned frequently in trade rumors this season. The latest came from New York Newsday, which said the A's are "discreetly" investigating the trade possibilities. The A's reportedly would like to receive three younger, less costly players for Zito.
Texas Rangers
OF Gary Matthews Jr. is getting another try as the leadoff hitter. From 2003 through last year, Matthews hit .239 for 66 games as the No. 1 hitter. Among the 66 major-leaguers to have at least 300 plate appearances, Matthews' in the leadoff role at that time, was ranked 65th. Also, he ranked 57th in on-base percentage (.312). Manager Buck Showalter said Sunday he intends to leave Matthews in the leadoff spot for the time being to see how he fares.
If the Texas Rangers were looking for positive signs from their starting rotation, they received them on the first week of the team's nine-game West Coast road trip. Texas starters had 3.72 ERA in six games against Los Angeles Angels and Oakland. Angels and A's starters combined for a 4.58 ERA. If there were one area the Rangers are supposed to be less equipped than the other AL West contenders, it's in starting pitching.
The Rangers have won 25 of the last 38 meetings with Seattle Mariners. Seattle halted the Rangers' six-game head-to-head winning streak last Sept. 29 in the final meeting of the season. RHP Josh Rupe, who was the leading candidate to win the fifth spot in the rotation back when spring training began, is expected to start throwing off the mound this week in Arizona. He is rehabilitating from biceps tendonitis. The Rangers have lost all three of the one-run games they've played this year and five straight dating back to last season. Texas was just 24-29 in one-run decisions in 2005.

Waiting for Take-Off

2006-04-21T11:20:00.000-07:00

By J.D. Jackson
Wagerweb.com Contributing Writer

You would not know it by their 10-4 record through the first two-and-a-half weeks of play, but the Houston Astros need Roger Clemens pitching for them.

It’s not too often that you read about a team needing a 43-year-old pitcher to have a legitimate shot at the playoffs, but Clemens is not a pitcher who comes along that often. At 42, he put together one of his more stunning seasons in his illustrious 22-year career by going 13-8 with a 1.87 ERA, striking out 185 batters and walking just 62 in 211.3 innings. While Chris Carpenter won the Cy Young for the National League, last season (Clemens finished third behind Carpenter and Dontrelle Willis), his 2005 was one of his three or four best seasons over the course of his career (better than his 2004, in which he did win the Cy Young Award). His 1.008 WHIP was the second-best in his career (bested only in 1986), his 1.87 ERA was the best in his career, and his 44 earned runs allowed was also the best in his career with a minimum of 100 innings pitched. And he was 42.

Clemens tired down the stretch. He labored his way through the playoffs, going 4-3 while helping guide the Astros to the World Series. It was clear that Clemens had worn down, and an injured Clemens posted a 13.50 ERA in his lone outing as the Astros were swept by the Chicago White Sox. Had Clemens not been injured and tired, the history books might remember the 2005 season a little differently.
Without Clemens, this season, Houston is winning games by mashing the ball, which is not something that the ’Stros are accustomed to. They are second in the National League in team average, fourth in home runs, tied for second in runs scored, and second in OPS. This is largely the same team that finished near the bottom in all of those categories in 2005. Though Roy Oswalt continues to prove that he is an ace pitcher, and Brandon Backe has surprised early on, Andy Pettitte has struggled to a 1-2, 6.35 ERA start. Wandy Rodriguez has started off well, but he is a guy who would come out of the bullpen, ideally. Ezequiel Astacio, the Astros’ emergency starter in the 2005 playoffs, has been downright pathetic in his two appearances, this season. The presence of Clemens allows everyone to shift down a spot in the rotation: Oswalt becomes the #2, Pettitte becomes the #3, Backe becomes a #4, and then the Astros can choose between Rodriguez, Astacio, or Taylor Buchholz for the fifth spot. The rotation goes from being second-best in its own division (behind the Cardinals’ deep rotation) to becoming the best rotation in the game, simply by adding Clemens. Assuming that the Cardinals turn it on like they are able to do, assuming the Mets continue to play spectacular baseball while the Braves play their normal brand of solid ball…the Astros without Clemens will have a hard time winning even the Wild Card. The offense just is not good enough, and the pitching just is not deep enough.

The possibility still exists, of course, that Clemens will rejoin the Astros in May. That period exists because the Astros did not offer Clemens arbitration. There are other teams, though less realistic, in the mix. The Red Sox have spoken to Clemens, but here’s to doubting that you will ever see Clemens back in a Red Sox uniform. It is awfully hard to cross a river when you have burned just about every single bridge that leads back to the other side. The Texas Rangers are also interested and seem more than willing to pay any amount of money required to get Clemens to pitch in Arlington. It is just not evident that Clemens reciprocates those feelings, though pitching for the Rangers would satisfy his requirement of staying close to home. The Yankees have called, as well, but Clemens left the Yankees to return home; it is unlikely that Clemens would leave home to return to the Yankees.
Besides that, Clemens’ leaving the Astros for any of those teams would leave a bad taste in a lot of people’s mouths. Clemens went to Houston to pitch specifically for the Astros. He wanted to be close to his home, close to his family, and able to spend more time away from the game while still competing. In other words, while he was getting paid the highest salary of his career ($18 million in 2005), Clemens was not doing it for the money. The man has made $121 million over the course of his career in salary alone. If he became the latest Yankee hired gun, it would be a disgusting act to many, many people.
No, the only place where Clemens truly fits is in Houston. And though there was some tension about the Astros’ not waiting on Clemens’ decision about retirement and not offering him arbitration, it is apparent that Clemens would return to Houston in May after taking the first month of the season off. It would allow Clemens to continue resting, the entire month of April, essentially adding a month onto his stamina and effectiveness in 2006, assuming that he is healed completely (and after a 1-1, 2.08 ERA, 0.81 WHIP in two starts during March’s World Baseball Classic, it is safe to assume that he is the same old Rocket). For Houston, the equation is simple: Clemens equals another trip deep into the playoffs, while no Clemens might mean no playoffs at all for 2005’s National League Champions.
Even at 43, Clemens still makes all the difference in the world.

MLB Early Season Observations

2006-04-21T09:32:00.000-07:00

By Brad Halfond

Wagerweb.com Contributing Writer

Is there a more dominant threat to opposing pitchers in the National League than Albert Pujols? The monster slugger has lit up scoreboards early in the season and sent several managers home wondering why they ever challenged the 26-year-old future Hall of Famer. Pujols’ nine dingers lead the league and this guy must be now considered, along with Alex Rodriquez, one of the best players in baseball. Pujols clearly leads the list of standout individual performances as the 2006 baseball season gets underway.

Other players making an early impact in the senior circuit include David Wright, the steady third baseman on the resurgent New York Mets, and Ryan Langerhans of the Atlanta Braves. Both of those teams should stay in the hunt for the NL East title as the Mets will try to break the stranglehold on the division that Bobby Cox and Atlanta have maintained for more than eleven years.

But back to Pujols. We kind of had a hint that this would be his year from the way he ended the 2005 season with that massive blast that gave the Redbirds a victory over Houston in game five of last year’s NLCS. Now Pujols has a new stadium to play in, fans who love and adore him, and the serious potential to reach 60 home runs this season. The only thing that Pujols needs is for his Cardinals to reach the heights that the White Sox did last year and win their first World Series title since 1982.

A few hundred miles to the north is the sleeping giant known as the Milwaukee Brewers. This is a team that has already surprised some with its ability to come back; if they can get their bats heated up with the weather, they could challenge for a wild card berth. Overall, the early theme of the 2006 season might be parity. The Cardinals lost pitching and won’t be as dominant this year, while the NL West should continue to be mired in mediocrity. Unless the New York Mets can keep up their hot start and add an arm or two in mid-season, this league is definitely up for grabs. It’s still too early to tell what will happen in the American League, but the usual contenders are starting to emerge.

The Red Sox have their energetic new pitcher, Josh Beckett, and Curt Schilling appears to be at full strength, while the Yankees are going to rely on the older arms of Mussina and Johnson. Boston has more speed in 2006, while New York’s bullpen is practically brand new. If you’re looking for early season surprises in the American League, that honor goes to Chris Shelton of the Detroit Tigers. This kid might revitalize the entire city of Detroit and bring baseball back to a somewhat competitive level. It is very uncommon for an unknown player like Shelton to be hitting with such power. Shelton had hit only 19 home runs in his previous 434 at-bats and now he is leading the league in long balls. Shelton is doing all this from the sixth position, but expect him to move up to the cleanup spot eventually.

The team to watch in the AL is Oakland, with its fearsome trio of Chavez, Thomas, and Bradley. If those guys stay hot and the young arms produce, Oakland will have a great chance to top Anaheim and win the West. The White Sox also have a good chance of repeating, but for the sake of our sanity, I would rather listen to Metallica than Ozzie Guillen any day.

What would the early season be without a mention of Barry Bonds? The Giants slugger has been getting more publicity off the field lately and maybe that is why his hitting and home runs (none yet) are starting to suffer. The other explanation is that Barry is just getting old and all of his various injuries have added up to Bonds becoming not quite the player he used to be. In the end, I’m going to say Barry hits about 25–30 home runs and retires after the season but before he has a chance to pass Hank Aaron for the all-time lead. Would that make Commissioner Selig happy?

Here are some of my observations on the opening weeks of the season around baseball.

New Busch Stadium – I can see the Arch more clearly, but did they even try to make it look different than old Busch stadium?

Giants’ outfield – Pass the Geritol. If these guys last the entire season then McCovey Cove will freeze over.

Pedro – The guy has nerves of steel and will continue to be successful unless a manager steps up and throws a ball near his head. He takes way too many liberties with players, with fewer consequences than any other pitcher I've ever seen.

Soriano – Shhhh …. They don’t want you to play 2B because they have an all-star there already and somebody in management must have watched a film of you bobbling balls in the Bronx for two seasons.

Marlins – and this hasn’t moved yet because….

Upcoming Devil Rays’ name change suggestion – Flounders

Beckett – Okay, we get it, you’re excited and happy that you struck somebody out. Bring that act to the Bronx and see what kind of reaction you will get.

Jeter – How come this guy doesn’t have a bubble gum endorsement contract yet? Hubba Bubba, are you listening?

Thomas' big hurt not big enough

2006-04-17T11:10:00.000-07:00

OAKLAND -- A's fans saw two different Barry Zitos in his first and second starts of the baseball season. On Opening Night he struggled through the shortest outing of his career in a blowout loss to the Yankees, and five days later he handcuffed the Mariners on one hit over six shutout innings.
Both Zitos made an appearance in his third start of the year Friday against the visiting Rangers, but unfortunately for A's fans, the dominant one didn't show up until the ineffective one had dug a hole that proved too deep.
Staked to a big early lead, righty Kevin Millwood, who won the American League ERA title last year while with the Indians, helped Texas cruise to a 6-3 victory in the opener of a three-game series at McAfee Coliseum.
"It feels good to be able to [finish strong]," Zito said. "But I need to do that the whole game. ... It's kind of a hollow feeling to throw the ball well after giving it up like I did early."
The setback extended the A's losing streak to four games and dropped them below .500, at 5-6, for the first time since that inauspicious opener.
"We're just a little cold right now," said designated hitter Frank Thomas, who provided one of the few hometown highlights with a laser beam of a homer to left in the fifth inning. "But baseball's contagious, and hitting's contagious. We'll get hot here at some point, and when we do, we'll get back on a roll."
Zito, whose fastball command was almost nonexistent when he gave up seven runs in 1 1/3 innings against New York, was perfect over his final three innings of work Friday. But he gave up five runs on six hits over the first four frames and fell to 1-2 on the year while losing for the third time in 25 career starts against Texas.
The second inning was particularly ugly. Zito hit the first batter and walked the second, got two strikeouts, then gave up a two-run single -- the only ball put in play in the frame -- to No. 9 hitter D'Angelo Jimenez.
"That was the key at-bat of the game," Zito said. "You always have a tendency to get up for the big-name guys in the middle of the lineup, and I might have let up a little bit there. That's unacceptable. ... You have to attack everyone like it's Babe Ruth up there."
As he did on Opening Night, Thomas did a passable Ruth impression by launching a no-doubter into the bleachers, but also as on Opening Night, it came with his club staring at a big deficit. Thomas' blast in the fifth inning was the 450th homer of his career, but it simply broke up Millwood's shutout.
"He was getting ahead of everybody, and I figured with a 5-0 lead, that's what he'd be trying to do with me," Thomas said. "And he did. First pitch, he gave me something to hit, and I hit it."
The game hasn't been quite so easy for Dan Johnson, who made it 5-2 later in the inning with a broken-bat, bloop single to center that snapped a season-opening 0-for-27 slide that was one short of setting a dubious Oakland record.
"I just weighed myself, and I'm 1,000 pounds lighter," Johnson cracked. "I'll take it. It didn't matter what it was, as long as it hit the ground."
The A's only other threat against Millwood came when they put two on with one out in the seventh, and he got out of that by getting Jason Kendall to bounce into a double play.
Millwood gave up seven hits without a walk while striking out seven to pick up his first win for the Rangers, who signed him to a five-year, $60 million free-agent contract in the offseason.
"It means a lot to a team when you can match up against any upper-echelon pitcher and win," said Millwood.
"Their guy pitched a good game," A's manager Ken Macha said. "He didn't walk anyone, he moves his fastball around, he can sink it, he can cut it, and he doesn't leave it up in the zone. Through it all we had some chances to score some runs, but they got that big double play, and that was it."
Actually, the A's had one more good chance to make a game of it, putting runners at the corners with two out in the eighth for cleanup hitter Eric Chavez. Rangers reliever Akinori Otsuka got Chavez, who represented the tying run at the time, on a slow roller to shortstop.
Texas padded its lead on Gary Matthews Jr.'s RBI double off Huston Street in the top of the ninth, and Milton Bradley closed the scoring with his first homer with the A's, a solo shot to right off Antonio Alfonseca with one out in the bottom half.
"There were some positives to draw out of that game, too," Macha said, noting the homers by Thomas and Bradley and two more hits from red-hot Nick Swisher, who is 8-for-16 with four doubles and two homers during the losing streak. "We've lost some games in a row here, but this is a good team, and these guys don't quit. We'll be fine."

A's share memories of Puckett

2006-04-12T14:04:00.000-07:00

MINNEAPOLIS -- Third base coach Ron Washington, who was roommates with Kirby Puckett with the Twins, called the Hall of Famer's death "tragic," and Jay Payton said it was a "real sad day in baseball."
On Tuesday, every player, fan and coach in attendance at the Metrodome had an opportunity to share in a tribute to the Minnesota legend. The pregame ceremony included highlight videos, teammate testimonials and two first pitches thrown out by Puckett's children, Catherine and Kirby Jr.
"My first few years coaching with the Angels, I saw a lot of him," manager Ken Macha said. "He was a leader of the team, and he ran every ball out and had a smile on his face."
"He made the manager's job easier," he added. "If someone's not hustling, you would point him to Kirby and say, 'Check out the leader of their team and see what he's doing.'"
Twins fans remember Puckett hustling all over center field at the Metrodome, which now has a red, commemorative No. 34 painted on the field. Athletics center fielder Mark Kotsay said he would try to practice his own tribute to Puckett during the game.
"I'll try not to step on it," Kotsay said.
"I didn't have the pleasure to be around Kirby, but I was with someone that worked like him, in Tony Gwynn, and could get a sense of what Kirby was like," he added. "Kirby was an icon and you could tell he loved the game."
Payton recalled his first few weeks in the Majors, when he was compared to Puckett.
"People called me a mini-Kirby," Payton said. "I liked it because he was one of those guys that, growing up and playing baseball, you looked up to. It's good to see him honored today."
"I always said that it was a shame Interleague Play wasn't earlier so fans of National League teams could have seen him play," Macha said.

A's honor, remember broadcaster King

2006-04-04T11:37:00.000-07:00

OAKLAND -- Athletics fans honored Monday night a voice that has been a part of the Bay Area for more five decades.
His voice could be recognized as easily as McAfee Coliseum. His voice was never known nationally, but to the Bay Area he was the voice of sports.
Bill King, the play-by-play man who reminds many fans of his famous words, "Holy Toledo," was remembered as the broadcast booth was named in his honor.
"It's surreal not having him here," said A's general manager Billy Beane. "I miss the person as much as the voice."
King was the play-by-play broadcaster of the A's from 1981 to 2005, for the San Francisco/Golden State Warriors from 1962 to 1983 and for the Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders from 1966 to 1992.
King died on Oct. 18, 2005, at the age of 78 from a pulmonary embolism which occured after he underwent surgery to repair his artificial hip but developed a blood clot.
He was best known for announcing the infamous "Heidi" game for the Raiders and the unforgettable "Holy Roller" play against the San Diego Chargers in 1978.
King could always be seen with his full beard, walking around the broadcast booth in his bare feet. In the booth, he was known for yelling at officials and staying skinny while eating junk food.
King was also known for his intelligence.
"He was extremely educated," said manager Ken Macha. "I wish I had half of his vocabulary."
A's broadcaster Ken Korach grew up listening to King and had his dream fulfilled when he was able to work with his idol for the past 10 years.
"Losing him is like losing a family member," Korach said. "I don't think anybody loved being on the air more than Bill. He was thorough and prepared every game.

"He liked working for his local team. He didn't want to be know nationally. He lived his life on his own terms. He was perfect for the Bay Area."
Ray Ratto of the San Francisco Chronicle wrote that King "was a master of the art, one of the very few of his or any time who not only could keep up with the play, but see what was going on away from the ball and describe it so well that you were better off in your living room than at the arena."
King never wanted to stop broadcasting, and continued until his health forced him to stop at age 78.
Korach said that not hearing King's voice over the radio will be different for many A's fans. John Canestro of Castro Valley, Calif., agrees.
"He was the best announcer ever," Canestro said. "[He will leave] some big shoes to fill. His pass was sudden, and the Bay Area will miss him."
Canestro has been a season ticket holder for more 25 years. He said that when he watched the A's on the road, he would turn the television sound down and listen to King instead.
"When listening to [King] you could picture in your mind how the game was going," Canestro said. "He would give you a sense and a feeling of the game. No other announcer did that."
A video tribute to King was shown and a moment of silence was taken before the game.
A patch reading "Holy Toledo" could be seen on the shoulder of the A's players and on a sign above the A's broadcast booth.

Notes: Blanton bouncing back

2006-03-29T06:28:00.000-08:00

PHOENIX -- After watching righty Joe Blanton get knocked out in the third inning of his March 18 start against the Royals, the A's temporarily removed him from their rotation so he could pitch in a simulated game at their Minor League complex.
Tucked away at Papago Park and removed from the more competitive environment of the Cactus League, Blanton basically got his groove back.
Over six strong innings on Tuesday against the visiting Rangers at Phoenix Municipal Stadium, Blanton looked, for the first time this spring, like the pitcher upon whom the A's are counting to help anchor their rotation for years to come. Going into the game, he was 0-3 with a 9.58 ERA in four starts this spring.
"It's real nice, especially coming this late in the spring," said Blanton, who gave up two runs on four hits without a walk while striking out five. "You always want to have that one good outing right before you leave Spring Training, and this is my last start down here, so it was a good time for it."
Blanton, who went 12-12 with a 3.53 ERA as a rookie last season, said his time at Papago Park was exactly what he needed at the time.
"I think it helped a lot," he said. "It was nice to just kind of work on my mechanics and not worry about giving up a double or a home run or something like that. ... It's just a chance to work on stuff, and I felt like a gained a lot of confidence from it."
He also gained better command of his two-seam fastball during his 82-pitch outing. He gave up a solo homer in the first inning and a triple and sacrifice fly in the sixth before heading for the bullpen to get his pitch count for the day up to 100.
"I still think he can be sharper," bet A's manager Ken Macha. "He hung a couple breaking balls, but overall, it was a very positive outing."
More rules: Macha arranged a morning meeting with a handful of his veterans, including Mark Kotsay, Jason Kendall, Eric Chavez and newcomers Esteban Loaiza and Frank Thomas, and he emerged with what he felt was a newsworthy item.
"They wanted more rules," Macha said. "I showed them my list of rules from last year, and they wanted to add to it. You don't hear about that happening very often, do you? ... Did you ever go to one of your teachers and ask for more rules?"
Macha wouldn't get into any detail about the rules, but he did say there was a general theme to his players' desires.
"They want everybody to act like a professional," he said.
That same message was the thrust of a well-documented speech that Chavez delivered on a team bus in Washington, D.C., last summer. The A's almost immediately turned their season around after Chavez's uncharacteristic outburst.

King plans: The A's on Tuesday announced their plans to honor the memory of legendary broadcaster Bill King, who passed away in October after serving as the play-by-play voice of the A's for 25 seasons.
The plan includes a video and audio tribute as part of the Opening Night ceremonies, during which an in-stadium tribute to King will be unveiled prior to the first pitch. The signage will be displayed just below the A's radio booth, which is being renamed "The Bill King Broadcast Booth."
A moment of silence in King's honor also is planned, and A's players and coaches will wear a specially designed "Holy Toledo" patch on the sleeve of their white home uniforms during the 2006 season. In addition, the A's announced that radio broadcasts on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays this season will feature one of King's many memorable calls, and the team has established a Bill King Scholarship Fund of $2,500, which will be awarded annually to a Bay Area college student majoring in broadcasting.
"Bill King touched generations of Bay Area sports fans," said Ken Pries, A's vice president of broadcasting and communications. "He is as much a part of the fabric of the history of Bay Area sports as the teams and players he covered. The A's organization is proud to honor Bill's memory all season long with these tributes."
Opening Night is already a sellout, but a limited number of standing-room-only tickets for the game will go on sale Thursday beginning at 10 a.m. PT through all usual ticket outlets. The tickets are priced at $8 and are for areas located on the plaza level in both left and right field, along with the West Side Club.
Dribblers: Thomas, who went 0-for-1 with two sacrifice flies on Tuesday in his second game of the spring, is expected to play Wednesday, too. ... Righty reliever Justin Duchscherer will be sent up the street on Wednesday to get his work in during a game at the A's Minor League complex. ... Infield coach Ron Washington underwent surgery on Tuesday to repair a tendon in one of the fingers on his right hand; it had been bothering him when he'd throw batting practice for nearly a year. Bullpen coach Brad Fischer coached third base in Washington's absence.

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