Knuckle Curve » oakland athletics

Tim Wakefield Almost Throws a No-Hitter

Stephen Kersey — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 03:58:38 +0000

Tim Wakefield of the Boston Red Sox has been around forever. On Wednesday, the 42-year-old knuckleballer almost had his first career no-hitter. Wakefield had a no-hitter going until it was broken up in the eighth inning.

Tim Wakefield's Near No-Hitter (Image: Flickr)

With five outs remaining before becoming the second oldest player in baseball history to throw a no-hitter, Kurt Suzuki of the Oakland Athletics got a single with one out left in the eighth inning. The Red Sox still easily went on to win by a final score of 8-2.

Wakefield ended up pitching a complete game while giving up four hits and two earned runs. He struck out four while only walking to batters and lowered his ERA on the season to 3.00.

At the plate, the Red Sox got homers from Mike Lowell and J.D. Drew. Jacoby Ellsbury broke out of a slump with a two-run hit in the eighth inning.

With the win, Boston improved to 3-6 on the season. The loss sent the Athletics to 4-5.

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Orlando Cabrera Signs with Oakland A’s

Stephen Kersey — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 05:57:56 +0000

Orlando Cabrera, who was arguably the best free agent shortstop still available on the open market, has signed a deal with the Oakland A’s. The contract will pay him $4 million over the course of one season. The deal will become official once Cabrera passes a physical.

Last season, Cabrera played for the Chicago White Sox and hit .281 with eight homers and 57 RBI. The 34-year-old native of Colombia will step right into the starting shortstop spot for Oakland.

Cabrera gives Oakland a proven defensive player who has a history of being a decent-to-good hitter. His lifetime batting average is a respectable .274 in career that has seen him play for the Montreal Expos, Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Angels and the White Sox.

Once the offseason began, it was obvious that Chicago was going in a different direction. Oakland will hope that their loss is a substantial gain for the Athletics.

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Jason Giambi to the Oakland Athletics?

Stephen Kersey — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 05:47:29 +0000

Jason Giambi was once a feared hitter for the Oakland Athletics. If reports are true, he could very well end up heading back to Oakland via free agency.

The 37-year-old designated hitter spent the last seven seasons with the New York Yankees. Although he had some good moments, most Yankee fans consider his time in New York a disappointment. Part of the reason where the amazingly high expectation he had after signing with the Yankees as a free agent.

The last time Giambi was with the A’s, he was putting up fantastic stats. In 2001, Giambi finished his final year in Oakland with 38 homers, 120 RBIs, a batting average of .342 and an on-base percentage of .477. During his seven years in New York, he never matched that batting average or on-base percentage and only surpassed 120 RBIs once.

If Giambi heads back to Oakland, it will likely be for a one-year contract but he’ll get a chance to likely be the day in and day out designated hitter. He won’t reclaim his 2001 magic but he might have enough juice left to have a solid season.

Photo credit: Newscom

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Rafael Furcal News – Signs with Dodgers

Stephen Kersey — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 05:01:54 +0000

Yesterday, we pondered where Rafael Furcal would sign. Today he made his decision. Furcal has decided to re-sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

After flirting with the Oakland Athletics and the Atlanta Braves, Furcal decided to stay right where he was. The contract is believed to be worth $30 million over three years — the exact offer he received from the Atlanta Braves. There’s also an option for a fourth year that will occur if Furcal meets certain performance marks.

By keeping Furcal, the Dodgers retain a big part of their team. Although Furcal missed a lot of action last season, he was deadly at the top of the order when he was healthy. He has a steady glove and his game-changing speed on the base paths is a big bonus.

Now the Braves and Dodgers will have to move elsewhere in their search for a shortstop. As for the Dodgers, they can now figure out what exactly they want to do with Manny Ramirez.

Photo credit: Newscom

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Rafael Furcal – Where Will He Sign?

Stephen Kersey — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 05:45:05 +0000

While there has been a lot of action in the baseball offseason, no case is as interesting as that of Rafael Furcal. He’s been linked to a number of teams and has even been rumored to have agreed to terms with a number of teams. But as of yet, he’s still available on the free agent market. Where will Rafael Furcal sign? Here are the most likely destinations:

Atlanta Braves
This is the latest rumor. While Furcal’s agent has confirmed the reports that the Braves are in the lead in negotiations, he has stopped well short of saying that a deal is imminent. Furcal likes the idea of going back to the team in which his career started.

Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers, where Furcal played last season, desperately want him to return. When he was healthy, he gave the Dodgers a great piece at the top of their lineup and at shortstop. There are rumors going around that the Dodgers are willing to match any offer that Furcal receives.

Oakland Athletics
A few days ago, a lot of media outlets were reporting that Furcal was close to signing with the A’s. Reportedly, Furcal has been offered approximately $40 million over four years to play in Oakland. If they really want him, the A’s may be able to get back into the mix with an even larger offer.

Boston Red Sox
Although few rumors link Furcal to the Red Sox, it’s a move that could make sense for Boston — especially if they miss out on Mark Teixeira. Furcal could be the team’s everyday shortstop and give the team even more speed at the top of their lineup.

Post from: Knuckle Curve

Joe Blanton Traded to Philadelphia Phillies

Stephen Kersey — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 05:45:40 +0000

The Philadelphia Phillies had a major need for a starting pitcher. The Oakland A’s seem to be rebuilding once again. When those two opposing forces met, it resulted in the A’s trading starting pitcher Joe Blanton to the Phillies for three minor leaguers.

Blanton came into this season with big expectations but he has struggled. So far in 2008, Blanton has a 5-12 record with an ERA of 4.96. Despite his struggles, he should strengthen the Phillies’ starting rotation.

In return, the A’s received Adrian Cardenas, Josh Outman and Matthew Spencer. Earlier in the month, Oakland traded starting pitcher Rich Harden to the Chicago Cubs.

Here is a video with more information about the Joe Blanton trade:

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Rich Harden Traded To The Chicago Cubs

Stephen Kersey — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 05:41:18 +0000

The Chicago Cubs wanted C.C. Sabathia but Sabathia got traded to the Milwaukee Brewers. The Cubs consolation prize is a pretty darn good pitcher — Rich Harden, formerly of the Oakland Athletics.

In the trade, the Cubs got Harden and pitcher Chad Gaudin. In return, the Cubs sent Sean Gallagher, Matt Murton, Eric Patterson and Josh Donaldson to Oakland.

Harden has been a very good pitcher during his career. However, his major drawback is health. Harden being healthy has been a rare occurrence in recent years, having not started 20 games in a season since 2004.

This season, Harden has a 2.34 ERA and has 92 strikeouts in 77 innings. He went 5-1 for the A’s before the trade.

In Chicago, Harden will team with Carlos Zambrano to form a nice duo at the top of the rotation. Zambrano had an injury scare earlier in the season but he’s healthy once again.

Carlos Zambrano will get an ace sidekick in Rich Harden.

Photo: Newscom

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Michael Inoa to Athletics? Future A’s Star?

Stephen Kersey — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 04:44:58 +0000

Michael Inoa is a 16-year-old pitcher from the Dominican Republic who has scouts salivating. Inoa, who stands 6-foot-7 and weighs 210 pounds, is reportedly drawing interest from a number of teams including the New York Yankees, the San Diego Padres and the Oakland Athletics. However, it is the Athletics who are said to have the inside track.

Inoa reportedly has a 93 MPH fastball to go with a developing curve and change-up. Scouts believe that he has the ability to add between 2 and 4 MPH to his fastball. That amount of upside is enough for Oakland’s GM Billy Beane to offer him a reported $4M signing bonus.

Other Latino prospects who will sign with big league clubs soon include Yorman Rodriguez, Adis Portillo, Alvaro Aristy, Gustavo Pierre and Santo Franco.

Will Billy Beane be able to reel in Michael Inoa?

Photo: Newscom

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Kirk Gibson Homerun – Becoming a Fan

Stephen Kersey — Tue, 13 May 2008 06:12:09 +0000

The bloggers for the b5media sports channel were asked to write a blog entry about a childhood sports memory. For me, when I think of childhood sports memories, there’s really only one that stands out.

I really started following baseball in the 1988 season. Both of my parents are Los Angeles Dodgers fans after growing up in Los Angeles. They’d watch Dodgers games here and there and I’d join them on the coach. I really didn’t understand much at first but I asked a lot of questions, and by the end of the year I had a pretty good understanding of what was happening.

Fast forward to the first game of the World Series between the Dodgers and the Oakland Athletics. The big, strong and powerful A’s were supposed to destroy the pesky Dodgers, who most people said lucked out even making it to the World Series.

(As an interesting side-story, I remember asking my dad about why Jose Canseco always twitches when he’s on the plate. My dad told me it was because he was on steroids. If it was that obvious then, why’d it take so long to unravel that mystery? Then again, that’s probably a memory for a different day.)

With the Dodgers down by a run, I remember thinking it was over when Dennis Eckersley entered the game. They flashed his stats and I had advanced far enough in my baseball knowledge to know that chances were slim that the Dodgers could make a comeback.

With two outs and a runner of first base, I remember Kirk Gibson limping to the batter’s box. He worked the count full. Each swing he took seemed to take years off of his life. Then it happened. The homerun. The Kirk Gibson homerun.

I remember celebrating around the house. I couldn’t believe what I just saw. The Dodgers were the winners of the World Series!!! Or so I thought at the time. My parents then explained that was only the first game of the World Series. Only the first game?

Since that time, I’ve been hooked.

10 minutes of unedited Kirk Gibson homerun video:

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Best Baseball Teams in April 2008

Stephen Kersey — Thu, 01 May 2008 10:02:11 +0000

Arizona Diamondbacks
The Diamondbacks are young but amazingly talented. With great pitching, bashers at the plate and a solid manager, the Diamondbacks are for real. If Randy Johnson can return to 80% of his former self, he’d make Arizona the heavy favorite to represent the National League in the World Series.

Boston Red Sox
The reigning champs haven’t shown too many weaknesses so far this season. David Ortiz got off to a slow start but he’s playing well again. The pitching can only get better and the bats can only get hotter. You have to think the New York Yankees will make a run but the Red Sox could be too far ahead by the time they get healthy.

Los Angeles Angels
The Angels have a devastating lineup that never seems to end. They certainly have the potential to be the best hitting team in all of the major leagues. Their pitching needs step up but there’s enough talent on that staff to figure things out. The Oakland Athletics and the Seattle Mariners will keep the heat on in the AL West.

Chicago Cubs
Even though Alfonso Soriano has missed a chunk of the season to date, the Cubs have been able to get off to a hot start. Derrek Lee is smashing the ball again and Geovany Soto is as hot as any catcher in baseball. If the pitchers can become consistent, the Cubs have a chance to – eh nevermind, they’re still the Cubs.

Geovany Soto, Cubs catcher

Photo: Newscom

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