http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/12/02/BADN14G35N.DTL

"Here's a possible game changer - the Oakland A's will sit down this week with BART officials to discuss moving the team's proposed Fremont ballpark to within walking distance of the planned Warm Springs BART station.

And from the sound of things, A's boss and chief developer Lew Wolff is willing to play ball

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3712578

"On other matters, Wolff said he's inclined to keep newly acquired outfielder Matt Holliday for the entire season, even if he becomes a free agent next November and leaves the A's.

"I'd rather take the two draft choices than lose him in the middle of the season," Wolff said.

Holliday, obtained from Colorado, is represented by Scott Boras, who advocates that clients not sign contracts before filing for free agency."

He also said something about a one-game playoff in the first round. Not cool given the A's history in the playoffs. That kind of looks bad.

Don't say that I can blame him, but personally I would rather the ace of the staff just suck it up and take the ball every five days.

http://www.insidebayarea.com/ci_9929305?source=most_viewed

"It's tough. I played with all three of those guys for a while," Duchscherer said before Friday's 7-1 A's loss to the New York Yankees. "Sometimes you wonder as a player what the organization is doing, giving up on the season or what? But I'm just going to go out there and do my best to help us win."

...and

"As a player, obviously we want to go out there and win. We're trying to win a World Series. I believe as an organization that's our goal also," Duchscherer said. "(But) when you start trading these three guys within 10 or 15 days, you start thinking, 'Are we trying to get guys in here that are going to help us get to there, or are we trying to rebuild because they don't think we're good enough this season?'"

Two A's farmhands will wear the red, white and blue this summer. Kind of weird, the US looks to be taking minor leaguers instead of college kids.

"The team's first game is against Korea on Aug. 13. Team USA, which won gold in Sydney in 2000, is back in the Olympics after missing out on a bid in 2004.

Eight major league organizations landed two players on the Olympic roster: Oakland pitchers Brett Anderson and Trevor Cahill; St. Louis outfielder Colby Rasmus and infielder Brian Barden; Angels infielder Matthew Brown and pitcher Kevin Jepsen; Philadelphia infielder Jason Donald and catcher Louis Marson; Colorado outfielder Dexter Fowler and pitcher Casey Weathers; Detroit infielder Mike Hessman and pitcher Blaine Neal; Dodgers pitcher Mike Koplove and infielder Terry Tiffee; and LaPorta and pitcher Jeff Stevens of the Indians.

The other six players are Baltimore pitcher Jake Arrieta, San Francisco pitcher Geno Espineli, Florida outfielder John Gall, Mets pitcher Brandon Knight, White Sox pitcher Clayton Richard and Texas catcher Taylor Teagarden."

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3481747

I for one think with Sexson and Cust, the A's would have the market cornered on strike outs. Anyway, here's the story:

"The Mariners would have loved to have been able to trade the .218-hitting Sexson, but his $14 million salary this season made that nearly impossible. So now Seattle is eating the rest of that money in what may be the first of multiple moves to rid the last-place team of underperforming veteran players."

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/s...

No matter what you thought of the guy while on the bump, I think we all felt a loss.

"Former major league pitcher Joe Kennedy, who passed away in November while at his in-laws' home near Tampa, was found to have died of natural causes, specifically hypertensive heart disease, according to the Hillsborough County (Fla.) medical examiner department."

http://www.ajc.com/blogs/content/sha...

Please oh please, let this rumor be true. Seems like John Schuerholz liked the Huddy deal and wants some more.
But, a rumor is a rumor.

"But as I’ve said, I still think the Braves might make a move or two before opening day, including the addition of another stopgap center fielder. And there is reason to believe that Oakland’s Mark Kotsay could be the guy.
I’m not saying a deal is imminent or even that the Braves have strong interest in the veteran Kotsay, but I’ve talked to people connected with both teams and have yet to have anyone tell me it’s not gonna happen. Maybe that’ll change soon, but so far nobody is shooting down the possibility, and that tells me something could be up."

http://oakland.athletics.mlb.com/new...

I guess someone has to pitch....

"The A's trimmed their list of arbitration-eligible players to three on Wednesday, signing righty Justin Duchscherer to a one-year deal for the 2008 season.
Per club policy, financial details of the contract were not disclosed. Duchscherer, 30, made a reported $1.19 million in 2007; a raise came with the new deal, but it did not move the former All-Star setup man (2005) over the $2-million mark."

Thanks to Bill Simmons for posting a similar link to the Boston Red Sox page: http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/links/071227

Doing a little digging on the Cot's page (clicking on the A's link), I found the same page about our boys. Pretty interesting stuff.
http://mlbcontracts.blogspot.com/2004/12/oakland-athletics.html

My favorites include:

Chavvy is on the hook for $11 mil plus a .5 million bonus this year. He also has veto rights to TOR MON TB NYM MIN MIL FL CLE

Ellis only got $1,000 signing bonus.

Harden has an escalator for innings pitched (smart move).

It actually says Casilla was formerly known as Jairo. Classic.

They have it linked over at www.firejoemorgan.com, but www.bustedcoverage.com has a 64-team tourney for best sports blog.

One round has FJM against a pretty popular site. Athleticsnation is heads up with Basketball Jones, and is in the lead. Here's their description:

"Visitors should read MoneyBall before visiting. You’ll be expected how to find undiscovered talent in the NY Penn League. Your typical team-specific site."

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/s...

"The Arizona Diamondbacks and outfielder Eric Byrnes have agreed on a three-year contract worth about $30 million, the East Valley Tribune reported, citing an unnamed source."

Wow, I guess, good for him, but good god man. $10 mil a year. My dad always said you are only worth what people will pay. Hopefully this will quell all the folks who said the A's should have kept him. No way Billy Boy forks out that coin.
But just for the record, both guys the A's got for him are no longer with the team. I'm just saying.

Class.
Way to go Angel fan. Like leading the division and having the best owner wasn't enough, now you all are looking for street cred?

Su Slu breaks it down in the Chron today:
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cg...

"Mike Piazza was steaming after Wednesday's game after being struck in the back of the head by a half-filled water bottle thrown by a fan at Angel Stadium.
"I'm pressing charges,'' Piazza said. "He's going to spend the night in jail. He hit me right in the helmet. ... It's just inexcusable at a baseball game to throw a bottle at someone. Just a joke.''

Looks like Milton is back, and batting clean-up.
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/boxscore...

Hope his wrists/hammy is okay, I guess it is if he's in the starting lineup and in CF. I wonder if him coming back has anything to do with Snelling and his oft-injured knee. Should be fun tonight with C.C.707 coming back to the Bay. I'm sure Vallejo will be in the house tonight.
Go A's.

Stewart LF
Swish RF
Chavez 3b
Milton CF
DJ 1B
Crosby SS
Cust DH
MaEl 2b
Kendall C

So a blogger out there has "evidence" that Sgt. Gogglepen K-Rod was using a Kenny Rogers-like substance. Check it out:

http://www.zumsteg.net/cheatersguide...

and Rob Neyer even ran with it (Insider):
"Today there are too many cameras, too many eyes, too many crazy bloggers with plenty of time on their hands. I'm not sure what MLB should do about Rodriguez. But I'm pretty sure a 10-day suspension isn't it."

and: http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?...

oh yah: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/s...

Yah, I got plenty of time.

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slu...

"Oakland Athletics first baseman Dan Johnson will begin the season on the disabled list after being diagnosed with torn cartilage in his left hip, manager Bob Geren said Thursday.
The A's gave no indication how long Johnson would be out, but the 27-year-old Johnson could be sidelined up to three months."

Well, I guess that fixes that log jam for a while. On a side note, I would like to commend Durazo on his performance in "Meet the Robinsons" coming out tomorrow.
http://imdb.com/gallery/ss/0396555/T...

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/spring...

"Manager Art Howe gave way to Ken Macha, and Macha gave way to Bob Geren, and the A's still lead the majors in Don King haircuts and juvenile pranks. Phoenix Municipal Stadium wasn't exactly brimming with tension Thursday, when Swisher's teammates drove his black Ford pickup onto the warning track and announced over the loudspeaker that the team would be raffling off the vehicle during the game against Texas."

Pretty good article, but more of the same. Stay healthy and the A's will be good.

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?...

It is pretty upsetting to think Zito would
a)Stand up for someone disgracing the game
b)Forget about the fun-loving guy he used to be
c)Think that he is so important that sports writers will take it easy on Bonds so they can get a quote from the $125 million man.

"I know all these beat writers. With me there, they won't be able to attack him as they would if they had Barry alone. They know they may have to answer to me, or might feel repercussions regarding interviews now. If he wanted me to blackball somebody, I'd probably do it." - Barry Zito

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2728327

So our boy Barry says he didn't go Sammy the Bull Gravano on his partner.
I for one believe him...he has such a stellar record of telling the truth. Cha!

"Barry Bonds said he did not get amphetamines from teammate Mark Sweeney, but did not deny a report Thursday saying he tested positive for the drugs last season."

First off, a trade between the Royals and Mets.
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2687857

"The Mets on Wednesday traded righthanded starter Brian Bannister to the Royals for reliever Ambiorix Burgos."

Then we had the Marlins saying goodbye to Borowski, and the Indians say helllloooooo.
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2688446

"The Cleveland Indians found a front-runner for their vacant closer's job, agreeing Wednesday to a one-year contract with free agent Joe Borowski that includes a club option for 2008."

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2682818

Really? 11 million for one year for a 41-year-old? I am blown away. What will Zito fetch?

"Glavine on Friday agreed to a one-year contract with the Mets. Financial terms were not disclosed, but the deal is believed to be worth about $11 million.
Glavine filed for free agency last month, but made it clear that he would either re-sign with the Mets or sign with the Atlanta Braves, his original team."

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2674398

MLB is starting to look like the NBA.

"A source told ESPN's Jayson Stark that the Houston Astros were set to announce Friday afternoon that they have signed the free-agent slugger to a six-year, $100 million deal. The only significant non-monetary clause in the contract is that Lee will have a complete no-trade clause for the first four years of the contract and a limited no-trade for the final two years."

I know the original article was mentioned in the Link dump, but burried in it is this info:

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/11/22/SPG32MI15N1.DTL

"A's contact Floyd: Beane has been in contact with free-agent outfielder Cliff Floyd and his agent. Floyd is coming off Achilles tendon surgery and, in order to prove he is healthy, he is looking for a deal much like the one the A's did with Thomas before last season.
Floyd, who is also talking to the Cubs, met with the Mets' team doctor Tuesday and told Newsday that he will be ready to play by spring training.
The A's also are expected to have interest in free agent Mike Piazza as they look to replace Thomas."

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2669903

Nine mil a year for this guy?

"Free agent center fielder Juan Pierre has agreed to a five-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, a source told ESPN.com on Monday. The deal is believed to be worth $44-45 million.
The deal will become complete when Pierre passes a physical exam, the source said."

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2669920

I really hoped the A's would sign him as a DH, but not for 7.5 mil.

"The New York Mets have signed free agent outfielder Moises Alou to a one-year, $7.5 million contract with a club option for 2008, the team announced Monday."

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2668955

"Nomar Garciaparra is staying with the Los Angeles Dodgers, agreeing to a two-year contract.

The deal with the All-Star first baseman will be formally announced Monday, Dodgers spokesman Joe Jareck said Sunday night.

Last season, he earned $8.5 million, including $2.5 million in incentives. He signed a 1-year deal with the Dodgers last winter."

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2668465

Good Lord.
Have fun with that Cubbies.

"The Chicago Cubs' ownership is showing new manager Lou Piniella that they are serious about winning.
Chicago radio station ESPN 1000 reported Sunday that the Cubs have signed outfielder Alfonso Soriano to an eight-year contract worth approximately $136 million."

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2660428

"The Red Sox bid $42 million for the right to negotiate with prized Japanese pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka, sources told ESPN's Peter Gammons. Boston's bid far exceeded any other team's offer.
Matsuzaka will learn Tuesday whether the Seibu Lions have accepted a bid for him by a major league team."

This is amazing for one reason: The 42 mil doesn't even count towards his contract. This is just to talk to him.

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/10/17/AS.TMP&type=as
Wow...I'm kind of speechless here. Baseball is usually a closed door policy, but it looks like some A's players decided to speak their minds.

Kotsay: "When I got injured, I felt disrespected,'' Kotsay said. "The 'puzzling' comment really threw me. My manager didn't have my back, and every manager's first business is to protect his players. That totally lost my trust in that relationship, between us as player and manager.''

Danny Haren: "And it was unfair to sit him two months against lefties and then all of a sudden throw him in there in the playoffs against tough lefties like (Johan) Santana and Kenny Rogers. I don't think Macha handled that correctly."

Kendall: "If there's a bang-bang play at first, even if you're out, if you're arguing you want someone there behind you. If you argue a pitch, even if you're wrong, you want someone joining in. And I'm not sure Macha did that.''

Zito: "I felt like he didn't protect me,'' Zito said. "I know a lot of managers do -- (White Sox first baseman) Paul Konerko told me that Ozzie Guillen would take a bullet for his players. I was upset but Macha was fighting his own battle and he probably couldn't process that kind of pressure, so, OK, I'll wear it.''

Chavvy: "The atmosphere wasn't positive, for some reason,'' Chavez said. "That was hard for us to deal with -- here we are, winning the division, we're banged up but we're still doing what we should be doing, and every time he spoke to us, he'd say how much appreciated the effort, but then you'd read things where he was always smashing people. ... This negative cloud was just eating at everybody.''

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/10/14/RATTO.TMP&type=as

"Exactly. Nothing. This is the series in which no change would have changed anything. True, anything can happen today in Game 4, but as the British like to say, it would be very much against the run of play. There may be more one-sided series in postseason history, but finding one isn't going to brighten any A's fan's mood, or any A's mood, for that matter."

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/playoffs2006/news/story?id=2610409

In a surprise, two "experts actually pick the pale shoes to win it all.

Thank you Buster Olney, who thinks the Padres are coming out of the NL (go figure).

And I guess a thank you to Steve Phillips, who I normally never agree with to going with our boys from the bay. He's got them over the Metropolitons with Swisher as the Most Valuable Pimp.

Sifted through the DLD, but couldn't find anything about this. KNBR reported it first, but I can't find it anywhere else.

I really don't know what the A's would want with a failed reliever/starter from the Giants and Cubs, especially one with a mental issue after his parents' illness and death.

I hope this isn't a rumor, but you guys seem to know where to dig stuff up.