SB Nation User Blog: theblackpearl

DLD 9/9/08 Good bye Mike Sweeney

theblackpearl — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 20:58:14 -0000

According to Susan Slusser, the A's have released Mike Sweeney. This must mean they needed the 40 man spot for someone. I wonder if Jeff Baisley will be making his major league debut in Detroit.

Mike Sweeney came to Oakland last spring to be a right-handed DH and possibly a key part of the A's puzzle. But bad knees did him in and the A's puzzle never came together. Now Sweeney is being released.

A's assistant general manager David Forst confirmed the transaction to The Chronicle's Susan Slusser today.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/sfgate/indexn?blogid=21

DLD 8/27/08 So you think AN has been weird?

theblackpearl — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 18:01:33 -0000

Some have recently commented, that AN has been a little weird lately. Well let's see if we are more or less weird than the rest of the world. Let's see what the weirdest piece we can come up with today. The weirdness of the world will bring out the best and brightest of AN, and bring the fun back, that we have been missing.

STOCKHOLM (AFP) - An elderly woman misunderstood instructions while checking in at Sweden's main airport and was whisked down a baggage shoot after she placed herself instead of her luggage on the belt, media reported Wednesday

Mid Life Crisis?

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Police in Wisconsin say a woman celebrated her birthday by helping her teenage son rob two gas stations. Officers in the Milwaukee suburb of Greenfield say the 37-year-old woman acted as the getaway driver while her 17-year-old son robbed the stations at gunpoint.

And from the Baseball world, the weird in the sense, that only Scott Boras could do this.

Pirates' deal with Pedro Alvarez in jeopardy

The Pirates' deal with first-round draft pick Pedro Alvarez appeared to be in jeopardy today, with the Pirates issuing a statement saying that Alvarez's agent, Scott Boras, has said Alvarez will not sign the contract agreed to on Aug. 15.

Of course we can put other links, and A's related links, but they are quite boring right now.

Raider DB, on ESPN Chat

theblackpearl — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 17:23:47 -0000

Raider DB, on ESPN Chat

John Bowie will be chatting on ESPN today at 1PM

DLD 8/4/08 Chavez to have season ending surgery

theblackpearl — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 20:20:01 -0000

I was just going to post the Chavy news, but since we don't have a DLD, HERE YA GO.

OAKLAND — The A's announced today that six-time Gold Glove-winning third baseman Eric Chavez will undergo season-ending surgery on his right shoulder next week. Chavez had been placed on the 15-day disabled list on July 2 with right shoulder inflammation. His shoulder did not respond to light rehab workouts.

http://www.insidebayarea.com/sports/ci_10094600

Shockey finally wore out his welcome

theblackpearl — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 18:53:10 -0000

The NY Giants have agreed to trade Jeremy Shockey to the Saints for a 2nd and 5th rounder.

Sean Payton's persistence finally won out. The New Orleans Saints acquired Jeremy Shockey for a second- and a fifth-round draft pick in 2009, a source confirmed Monday. The Saints had been trying since February to acquire the disgruntled New York Giants tight end. First, they offered a second-round pick. Before the draft, they increased the offer to a second- and a fifth-round draft choice, but the Giants felt he was too valuable to lose until a few days before the start of their training camp.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3498795

Right off the bat

theblackpearl — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 20:02:34 -0000

While all the bay area media is wondering what Beane is doing, and why would fans remain interested in the A's team, there is one man in the Bay Area media who gets it. Although Marty Lurie, does the show preceeding the A's pregame show, I am not sure if he is actually a paid Athletic employee. If he is, then he is towing the company line, but either way, he has the most level headed opinion, in his article in the Oakland Tribune, today.

The front office has a plan. An entirely new team is being crafted in Oakland. The plan is an all-out youth movement. There is little reason to believe more seasoned players will be sought until the young players establish exactly who they are. Why trade for a center fielder if Gonzalez will be a star middle outfielder in three years? Why bring in a new catcher if Kurt Suzuki will make the grade in the next two years. Why trade for more starting pitching if Eveland, Smith and Gallagher will be the new big three?

When will this new team achieve the consistency necessary to become a winning ballclub?

Good question.

If and when this core group becomes legitimate major leaguers, the A's must be ready to add the veteran players to lead the way. These young players will take the fans on a roller coaster ride each day until they gain the necessary experience it takes to be a winning team.

Get ready! Oakland's all-out youth movement brings great hope for the future, but it will also bring many sleepless nights for all those who follow the fortunes of this club, unless some impact veteran players are brought in simultaneously to ease the transition to a roster dominated by first- and second-year players.

http://www.insidebayarea.com/sports/ci_9935191

DLD 7/16/08 Just for the Hell of it.

theblackpearl — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 19:07:31 -0000

Anderson and Cahill make the US Olympic team

addition to LaPorta, Strasburg, Rasmus, and Stevens, the Olympic Team also features five other USA Baseball alumni: Oakland Athletics left-handed pitcher Brett Anderson (Midland, Tex.; 2005 18U, 2004 16U), Baltimore Orioles right-handed pitcher Jake Arietta (Farmington, Mo.; 2006 National), Florida Marlins outfielder John Gall (Stanford, Calif.; 1998-99 National), Texas Rangers catcher Taylor Teagarden (Dallas, Tex.; 2004 National), and Colorado Rockies right-handed pitcher Casey Weathers (Elk Grove, Calif.; 2006 National).

LaPorta, Anderson, Arietta, Teagarden and Weathers were also members of the 2008 XM Future Stars USA Team during Major League Baseball's All-Star weekend. The game, which saw the U.S. fall to the World Team 3-0, acted as an Olympic Trials event for Johnson and his staff. Trevor Cahill (Oceanside, Calif.), Jason Donald (Fresno, Calif.), Dexter Fowler (Atlanta, Ga.) and Clayton Richard (Lafayette, Ind.) were also members of the Futures Team who are on the Olympic roster.

http://web.usabaseball.com/teams/index.jsp?team=940

DLD 7/8/08 Tuesday

theblackpearl — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 16:30:14 -0000

Jemile Weeks is close to signing, and Inoa has made more than Duke.

Weeks likely to sign today: The A's are close to coming to terms with their top pick (12th overall) in the June draft, University of Miami second baseman Jemile Weeks, and they could announce that he has signed as soon as today, according to several sources.

Weeks, who is the younger brother of Milwaukee's Rickie Weeks, will get a signing bonus in the $2 million range.

Duchscherer, 30, has been playing professional baseball since he was 18 and he has not had a contract of more than one year. He noted that 16-year-old Dominican right-hander Michael Inoa, who got a $4.25 million bonus from Oakland last week, "has already made more than I have in my whole career. I'm not complaining, obviously, but the security (of a multiyear deal) would be nice."

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/07/08/SPCA11L39C.DTL

DLD 6/26/08 Is choking your GM, the new undervalued market commodity?

theblackpearl — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 16:39:04 -0000

Shawn Chacon was suspended by the Astros for assaulting the GM.

Astros pitcher Shawn Chacon was suspended indefinitely by the team Wednesday for insubordination after reportedly grabbing general manager Ed Wade by the neck and throwing him to the ground.

Chacon, upset after getting demoted to the bullpen over the weekend, told the Houston Chronicle this problem began when Wade saw him in the dining room before the game against Texas. Wade wanted to meet with Chacon in manager Cecil Cooper's office, the pitcher said.

Chacon

"I sat down to eat and Ed Wade came to me and very sternly said, 'You need to come with me to the office,'" Chacon said. "I said, 'For what?' I said, 'I don't want to go to the office with you and Cooper.' And I said, 'You can tell me whatever you got to tell me right here.' He's like, 'Oh, you want me to tell you right here?' And I said, 'Yeah.' I'm not yelling. I'm calm."

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3461058

Fresno State shocked the world!!!!

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) -- Fresno State went from underdogs to "wonderdogs" on its way to a most unlikely national championship.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/baseball/recap?gameId=2817700611

I know this isn't baseball related, but as a Raider fan, I hope Javon Walker gets help to deal with his problems. It is the professional athlete ego thing, to not seek, or accept help

Friends offer counsel, support -- if Walker decides he wants it

In the HBO interview, Walker said there was a melee at a Denver nightclub before the shooting death of Williams that escalated when fellow Broncos receiver Brandon Marshall and his cousin were spraying champagne. Walker, who was known to go to Vegas often on the team's off days in 2006, went to Las Vegas and was seen frequenting nightclubs during the weekend of Williams' funeral. Nearly every other member of the Broncos' organization attended the heart-breaking service in Williams' hometown of Fort Worth, Texas.

Walker was roundly criticized for the action, but many in the Denver organization supported him, saying he needed to handle the situation his way.

Rosalind Williams, who lost her only child in the limousine, said she wasn't upset with Walker for not going to the service. Williams, who has built a relationship with Walker since the tragedy, cringes at the thought that Walker went to Las Vegas this month. Still, she said it all makes sense.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story?columnist=williamson_bill&id=3455402

DLD 6/16/08 SWEEP, IRON, and KIDNAP

theblackpearl — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 16:54:20 -0000

SWEEP

Once Again, A's Sweep Giants

The cross-bay rivalry between the A's and Giants is turning ever more mismatched.

Oakland finished a three-game sweep at AT&T Park by collecting a 5-3 victory Sunday. That gives the A's six consecutive wins - and two straight series sweeps at AT&T - over the Giants. The A's allowed the Giants four runs in the three games, and Oakland has taken 14 of the past 18 in the regular-season series.

Overall, Oakland leads the series 37-28, and that doesn't include the sweep of the Giants in the 1989 World Series.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/06/16/SP66119ORE.DTL

IRON AND KIDNAP

An Italian man was arrested on suspicion of kidnapping his ex-girlfriend from a pub, taking her home and forcing her to iron his clothes and wash the dishes, police said on Monday.
http://www.mg.co.za/articlepage.aspx?area=/breaking_news/other_news/&articleid=342106&referrer=RSS