Oakland Athletics Baseball

Buck gets scratched; Stassi hurts knee ...more ?

Anderson solid in A's loss to Cubs ...more ?
Anderson solid in A's loss to Cubs

Looks can be deceiving with Sogard ...more ?
Looks can be deceiving with Sogard

A's agree to contracts with 29 players ...more ?
A's agree to deals with 29 players

Inbox: Where does Rosales fit in? ...more ?
Inbox: Where does Rosales fit in?

Braden upbeat in return to mound ...more ?
Braden upbeat in return to mound

A's use small ball against Angels ...more ?
A's use small ball against Angels

Tomko eyeing May return to mound ...more ?
Tomko eyeing May return to mound

Sheets not fazed by facing former team ...more ?
Sheets not fazed by facing former team

Buck, Recker power A's to comeback win ...more ?
Buck, Recker power A's to comeback win

Chavez makes debut at first base ...more ?

Fox hopes journey ends up in Oakland ...more ?
Fox hopes journey ends up in Oakland

Friend and foe: Sheets to face Brewers ...more ?
Friend and foe: Sheets to face Brewers

Rosales homers as A's drop spring opener ...more ?
Rosales homers as A's drop spring opener

A's prospect carries baseball bloodlines ...more ?
Baseball runs in family for A's prospect

Cahill opens fifth-starter fight for A's ...more ?
Cahill opens fifth-starter fight for A's

Harden has mixed outing as Rangers, A's tie (AP) ...more ?
Rich Harden breezed through the first two innings but never finished the third in his second outing with the Texas Rangers on Tuesday. Harden gave up four runs on two hits in 2 2-3 innings. He struck out four, walked three and threw a wild pitch in the Rangers' 8-8 tie with a split-squad of Oakland Athletics.

Royals rally to beat Athletics split squad 11-10 (AP) ...more ?
Rick Ankiel homered and drove in four runs as the Kansas City Royals rallied from a five-run deficit to defeat an Oakland Athletics split-squad 11-10 Tuesday. The Royals trailed 5-0 after two innings and 8-3 going into the sixth when Ankiel hit a three-run homer. Ankiel also singled home David DeJesus in the fourth.

Spring Training Capsules (AP) ...more ?
Top prospect Stephen Strasburg made his spring training debut on Tuesday, pitching two scoreless innings in the Washington Nationals' 9-4 loss to the Detroit Tigers. Strasburg threw 15 of his 27 pitches for strikes and allowed two hits, successive two-out singles by Don Kelly and Alex Avila in the second.

Athletics Team Report (Yahoo! Sports) ...more ?
Oakland has been among the league leaders in injuries three years in a row, so depth is a primary objective for the team.

That's why the A's signed right-handers Jason Jennings and Brett Tomko during the second week of camp. Both men agreed to minor league deals, and Jennings was close to appearing in a spring game for Oakland.

Jennings has a good shot at the A's bullpen if he has a decent spring; the team liked what the 2002 NL Rookie of the Year did in relief with Texas early in the 2009 season. Should the A's decide to send to Triple-A Sacramento the young starters who lose out on the fifth-starter competition (Trevor Cahill, Vin Mazzaro and Gio Gonzalez are in the mix for the last spot in the rotation), then Jennings could be the long man/middle reliever.

Cubs' Dempster pitches 2 perfect innings (AP) ...more ?
Ryan Dempster tossed two perfect innings in his spring debut and the Chicago Cubs beat the Oakland Athletics 10-3 on Monday. Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez each drove in a run for the Cubs. Ryan Theriot had two hits, walked once and scored twice. Brett Anderson pitched 1 2-3 scoreless innings and Kurt Suzuki homered for the A's.

Alderson hired as Dominican consultant to MLB (AP) ...more ?
Former Major League Baseball executive vice president Sandy Alderson has been hired by the commissioner's office as a consultant to help reform Dominican Republic operations. A former president and general manager of the Oakland Athletics and chief executive officer of the San Diego Padres, Alderson chaired a committee on Dominican operations last year.

Eric Chavez making smooth transition to 1B for A's (AP) ...more ?
There were moments in early spring games when A's manager Bob Geren could have been looking at a reflection in a mirror as Eric Chavez made plays at first base. The six-time Gold Glove third baseman has no problem with grounders, pop ups and feeding the pitcher. Footwork may be a different story, along with handling throws up the line.

Athletics-Angels rained out (AP) ...more ?

The Oakland Athletics at Los Angels Angels game has been rained out Sunday. About 50 Japanese media were in attendance to cover Hideki Matsui's debut with the Angels. Matsui signed a one-year, $6 million free-agent contract after being named World Series MVP with the New York Yankees last season. Angels manager Mike Scioscia told reporters earlier in camp that Matsui would be treated carefully...

Crisp gets two hits in A's win (AP) ...more ?

Coco Crisp's debut with Oakland gave manager Bob Geren an interesting dilemma at the top of the batting order. Crisp doubled and singled, Steve Tolleson drove in the go-ahead run and the Athletics beat the Los Angeles Angels 4-2 on Saturday. "That was a real nice first game," Geren said of Crisp.

Ben Sheets passes first test for Athletics (AP) ...more ?

Ben Sheets acknowledged being a little nervous but insisted it had nothing to do with facing his former team. It was more about facing hitters for the first time in 17 months. Sheets, who signed a $10 million, one-year contract with the Oakland Athletics in the offseason, started Friday's 8-7 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers and tossed 1 2-3 healthy innings.

Wells, Byrd lead Cubs past Athletics 9-3 (AP) ...more ?

With none of the distractions common in recent years -- no brooding outfielders, no major injuries, no contract dramas, no World Series predictions -- it's been a blissfully quiet spring training for the Chicago Cubs. Thursday, they finally got to make some noise. Marlon Byrd homered in his Cubs debut, one of five home runs in Chicago's 16-hit attack that opened the exhibition season with a...

Jennings set to pitch soon for A's (AP) ...more ?
Oakland right-hander Jason Jennings, who signed with the Athletics on Sunday, is scheduled to pitch in a game within a week. Jennings threw live batting practice for the first time on Wednesday and will throw one more time in game-like situations before the A's slot him into their pitching plans.

Marlins catchers see bumps ahead for prospect (Yahoo! Sports) ...more ?
Miami's Yasmani Grandal looked good in an exhibition, but Ronnie Paulino and John Baker provide a dose of reality.

Anderson looks to improve on rookie season (AP) ...more ?
Katelyn Anderson thinks it's pretty cool having an older brother pitching in the major leagues. For the rest of the Anderson clan, though, it's business as usual. Oakland left-hander Brett Anderson, who led all rookies with 150 strikeouts last year, has pitched in a Futures all-star game, the Olympics and in major league ballparks.

Glut of Cuban defectors seek MLB jobs (Yahoo! Sports) ...more ?
A throng of players has defected from Cuba, following Reds pitcher Aroldis Chapman in search of riches.

Whitney just keeps playing, waiting for his shot (AP) ...more ?
Matt Whitney was a big shot in high school, an All-American third baseman and a can't-miss prospect. These days the former first-round draft pick is with his third big-league organization and remains a prospect, though perhaps it's not such a sure thing. No matter. Whitney, who was assigned Barry Zito's number 75 this spring after signing a minor-league deal with the Oakland Athletics...

Crisp learns from idol Rickey Henderson (AP) ...more ?
Coco Crisp never saw Rickey Henderson play in the Oakland Coliseum, even though he spent parts of his summers visiting relatives in nearby Richmond. That didn't stop the young Crisp from wanting to play like him and from wanting to collect every baseball card ever produced of Henderson. These days Crisp is getting tips from the famed base stealer and leadoff hitter.

Henderson to lead base stealing seminar (AP) ...more ?
Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson arrived at the Oakland Athletics' spring training facilities Saturday and at least a two dozen A's were listening intently as he spoke on stealing bases, among other subjects. A's manager Bob Geren said Henderson's focus will be on the basepath, but he won't be limited.

Kouzmanoff not taking anything for granted (AP) ...more ?
The Oakland Athletics acquired Kevin Kouzmanoff to be their full-time third baseman. The oft-injured Eric Chavez, a six-time Gold Glove winner at third, still figures in the team's plans -- as a utility player. Kouzmanoff came into A's camp Thursday brimming with confidence and excited about the change of scenery.

Former Toronto GM Ricciardi becomes ESPN analyst (AP) ...more ?
Former Toronto Blue Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi has been hired by ESPN as an analyst for "Baseball Tonight." Ricciardi was fired by the Blue Jays on the final weekend of last season after eight years as GM. Before working for the Blue Jays, he spent 16 seasons with the Oakland Athletics.