I sat behind Dustin Ackley's entire extended family at the game tonight.  Most of them had awesome Ackley gear that I didn't even know was for sale yet (probably it was not, for the general public at least).

His parents were pretty nervous and quiet, but they took a lot of pictures of his first AB, including the scoreboard displaying his name.  They moved around a lot to get good pictures and good karma.

 

 

His grandparents were awesome.  My buddy and I talked to them for the last 6 innings or so, once we firmly established that they were indeed the Ackleys.  They had a ~200-person party in North Carolina to watch his first game last Friday.  Then about 50 members of the extended family drove up to DC yesterday and today to watch this three-game series.  His grandpa was rocking a retro-M's Ackley shirt, which I now want real bad.

 

 

His grandpa told us how scouts had been watching Ackley since his sophomore year of high school and that every UNC game they went to, there were at least 5 team scouts there - progressively more each year.  Apparently he has a very large family, as there were about 30 other grandchildren and such spread around the section we were sitting in - most right down behind the M's dugout.  It was a great atmosphere.

 

It was an awesome game to watch until the 9th inning, obviously, especially with Ackley hitting early and playing great defense later.  After the walkoff homer, we all sat in stunned silence for awhile.  Then I stood up, shook his grandpa's hand, and said that we'll get 'em the next two days, and he agreed emphatically.  Go M's!

 

ESPN

 

Free-agent shortstop Orlando Cabrera has agreed to a one-year, $4 million contract with the Oakland Athletics, sources told ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney.

Cabrera will replace Bobby Crosby as Oakland's starting shortstop.

Cabrera hit .281 with eight home runs and 57 RBIs for the AL Central champion Chicago White Sox last season.

He is a two-time Gold Glove winner at shortstop, earning the honor in both leagues (2001 with the Expos and 2007 with the Angels).

 

Looks like another great deal for the A's, as they close the gap (is there a gap?) on the Angels.

Five-Star Prospects

1. Jeff Clement, C

Four-Star Prospects

2. Chris Tillman, RHP
   
3. Carlos Triunfel, SS

Three-Star Prospects

4. Wladimir Balentien, OF
   
5. Juan Ramirez, RHP
   
6. Phillipe Aumont, RHP
   
7. Michael Saunders, OF

Two-Star Prospects

8. Tony Butler, LHP
   
9. Robert Rohrbaugh, LHP
   
10. Greg Halman, OF
    
11. Danny Carroll, OF

Just Missing: Matt Mangini, 3B; Edward Paredes, LHP; Matt Tuiasosopo, 3B

I'm kind of surprised Butler only gets two stars, but the rest looks good.  Goldstein also mentions that Morrow has been the talk of the VWL with improved command while maintaining his great stuff, and that the system has more high-ceiling talent than almost any other, even if there isn't a ton of depth. (link here)

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/baseball/mlb/specials/playoffs/2007/10/28/rodriguez.contract/i ndex.html

Please don't go to the Angels. Please don't go to the Angels. Please don't go to the Angels. Please don't go to the Angels. Please don't go to the Angels. Please don't go to the Angels. Please don't go to the Angels. Please don't go to the Angels.

From his Yahoo player card:

"Apr 18 ESPNews reports the Seattle Mariners have signed 2B Jose Lopez to a four-year extension through 2010 with a club option for 2011. Financial terms were not disclosed."

I like it.

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From Rotoworld:

"Mark Kotsay will have surgery to repair a herniated disk in his back and is expected to miss at least eight-to-12 weeks.
This is something Kotsay could have gotten done back in November had he been more aggressive about it, and considering that the A's are paying him $15 million over the next two years, they deserve better from the center fielder. Don't count on seeing Kotsay back before June, and it wouldn't come as much of a surprise to see him miss the entire first half. The A's will likely go with Milton Bradley in center field, Nick Swisher in right, Shannon Stewart in left and Dan Johnson at first base. Bobby Kielty will take over as the fourth outfielder once he's recovered from knee surgery. This would also seem to open the door for Rule 5 pick Ryan Goleski to make the team."

Bradley in CF and DJ at 1B fulltime is definitely good news for the M's.  Very strange decision on Kotsay's part to wait until now.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/baseball/rangers/stories/030207dnsporanglede.b2765f5 .html

Always nice to see a division rival waaay overpay for a player.

300 character fact of the day:
It is not true that the early Chinese used gunpowder only for fireworks. They had forms of guns (invented in 1288), bombs, grenades, rockets, land mines, and other arms.