As disheartening as this season has been for the Oakland Athletics, there have been some bright spots, including the performances of starting pitchers Brandon McCarthy and Guillermo Moscoso, along with the standout season by potential Rookie of the Year candidate, second baseman Jemile Weeks.But with 18 players who will be free agents this winter—10 of whom are eligible for arbitration—there are going to be quite a few decisions for Oakland management to make to determine next season’s roster. While several players have produced admirably during a very trying season, there are others who did not do enough to ensure they ...
While it's been no secret in recent seasons that the A's have directly blamed their stadium situation with their ability to attract top-level free agents, it appears they are not ready to base their offseason approach towards the 2012 season and beyond solely on MLB's decision regarding their desired move to San Jose.In an article published Sunday in The San Francisco Chronicle, staff writer Susan Slusser made the point, citing a team source, that:"Were San Jose approved, the club would go into all-out rebuilding mode to put together a potential up-and-coming contender. If the A's do not get the all-clear ...
The Oakland Raiders beat the New York Jets, 34-24, to get their biggest win in years! The Jets, who had been to the AFC Championship Game the last two years, didn't seem ready for what they got from this Raider team.But the Jets, just like the rest of us, just learned a great deal about the team.Turn the page to see just what that is.Begin Slideshow
Darren McFadden is a legitimate NFL MVP candidate. The Oakland Raider's star running back is an underrated player, often lumped into the negativity surrounding the Raiders. However, he has unbelievable talent and racking up a ton of yardage.He is the focal point of the Raiders offense, contributing in both the running and passing game. McFadden is a homerun threat, capable of scoring from anywhere on the field. Hue Jackson has done a great job finding different ways to use his talented running back.McFadden's production means a little more, based on the fact that teams know he is getting the football. ...
When it was first announced that a film version of Michael Lewis’ book Moneyball was being adapted into a film, the most common question that people had was how Hollywood was going to tackle a story that doesn’t end with in World Series triumph. Based on the reviews from critics and fans, the idea was not to try and “Hollywood” the story up by having the team win something that it didn’t win. Rather, it was about tackling the essence of Billy Beane, GM of the Oakland A’s. In the book, the drama comes from this “new” way of thinking ...
The Raiders are an enigma.The black and white. The skull and crossbones. Al Davis! Come to our house and fear us. Championship banners and Super Bowl rings.Oh! The Jets have a stray Super Bowl, not because of Broadway Joe, but because of a defense that played out of their minds one vaunted Sunday long ago.Now the Jets are hot. Good defense—actually a great defense that can stop teams from throwing deep on occasion. But stop the run? This remains to be seen as the competition so far has been spotty at best.The Raider defense will shut Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez ...
The Moneyball movie is mainly about the Oakland A's general manager, Billy Beane. And rightly so. For it was Beane that first imposed "sabermetrics," or baseball science, on a major league club. But if his was the vision, DePodesta was the execution. The title of this article gives "Peter Brand," his rightful identity.Most baseball clubs follow sabermetrics to some degree nowadays, but with the possible exception of the Boston Red Sox and the Toronto Blue Jays, probably no club is as religious about it. (We'll soon see what the New York Mets do, now that Beane's former boss and former ...
For the Oakland Athletics, the 2011 baseball campaign is creeping to a halt.Having had a tumultuous and exciting six months of baseball that included benchings and a firing, injuries and trades and, oh yeah, a movie release based on the team’s general manager (which opens nationwide today), the A’s are ready to put the season behind them as quickly as possible. Yes, like most teams, the A’s have encountered some peaks through the course of the year; but the valleys have been absolutely abysmal—the nadir being a 10-game losing streak that they never fully recovered from. Much of the blame ...
Well first off, it has been a while since I have actually wrote on here so bear with me. It's Week 3 and already we have learned so much about the NFL. I learned that Fitzpatrick can throw the ball, the Lions are for real without having their first-round pick in yet, and the Raiders still find a way to be the Raiders. Without further ado, let's begin.The Oakland Raiders are a 1-1 team this season and are a few inches away from 2-0. They have been asked to win games in the fourth quarter and have done pretty well ...
Moneyball star actor Brad Pitt does a fantastic job representing Oakland Athletics Billy Beane in both the personal and professional aspects of his life.Beane is a man obsessed with living up to his predictions, and using statistics and mathematical formulas to determine which players can be successes in Major League Baseball.Pitt plays this role perfectly, and really gives us a sense of how difficult Beane's life was as he rose to prominence among the ranks of baseball's great minds.Beane's struggles as a general manager, father, and husband are well played throughout, and the film is as much about losing and ...