With the Midsummer Classic looming, it's time to chalk up the Oakland Athletics' winners and losers at the halfway mark of 2013.Since the A's are already fighting the Texas Rangers for tops in the AL West, unlike last year at this point when Oakland trailed Texas by 13 games, it's easy to list the A's' winners. I'll limit those to the top two guys, even though players like Jed Lowrie and Bartolo Colon easily could be included as well.As for the bottom-feeders, both mentioned in the following slides have had little impact on Oakland's performance—which is exactly why they're on ...
Entering the second half of the 2013 season, the Oakland A's sit at a very respectable 47-34, good for second place in the American League West. The A's are on pace to match 2012's 94-win total in spite of some very key components either being injured (Brett Anderson) or flat out underwhelming (Josh Reddick). And while the performances of players such as Jed Lowrie, Grant Balfour and especially Josh Donaldson have been fantastic, the room for improvement is what should give A's fans cautious optimism for the remainder of 2013.So here's how I see the Oakland A's performing in the second ...
During the offseason, the Oakland A's were adding veterans like Chris Young and Jed Lowrie to bolster the batting lineup and improve the team's weakest area: hitting.However, with the pitching staff, the A's were thought to be getting younger after they lost Brandon McCarthy in free agency and had solid production from rookies Jarrod Parker, Dan Straily, A.J. Griffin and Tommy Milone. With Brett Anderson as the top guy, the rotation was set to defend the division title.Then, as the season approached, the A's decided to bring back Bartolo Colon—the 40-year-old veteran who had been suspended in 2012—on a cheap, ...
Starting Friday, the Oakland Athletics will host a three-game interleague set against the most dynamic, well-rounded team in the National League. The St. Louis Cardinals head to the East Bay carrying the best record in all of baseball (tied with the Pittsburgh Pirates). The A’s will have their hands full trying to keep up with a Cardinals team that has carried over its regular-season success from last season when they earned the second-best record in the NL. But how are the Cardinals doing so well in 2013? How are they baseball’s best team? That’s easy. Everything. You name it, St. ...
The Oakland Athletics aren't often buyers at the trade deadline, but if they want to end the back-and-forth battle with the Texas Rangers for first place in the AL West, they should make a move or two. Specifically, starting pitching and some depth could put this team over the top.At this point, an addition would be a bonus. It's not a necessity.And in all likelihood, general manager Billy Beane will not sacrifice top prospects for a three-month rental in hopes of going deep into playoffs. Clearly, that's not his style. Instead, he makes subtle moves (see Stephen Drew) that get ...
A great white whale of modern athletics, the nacho ball is a myth that has been perpetrated by uncles and fathers across these great United States for decades “Let me tell you something, son. Everyone remembers Jeffrey Maier’s catch in ’96, but it was your old man who caught Bernie Williams’ walkoff with a tray of Xochitl in one hand.” Few—if any—people have ever actually caught a nacho ball, but I can confidently say now that the myth is real. I can confidently say that no one has ever caught a nacho ball with the panache an Oakland A’s fan ...
Former Arkansas quarterback Tyler Wilson had a tough year—from his head coach being fired for a scandal before the season, to losing the opportunity to play for the BCS National Championship in Week 2, to losing his status as a first-round draft pick. Things might have started to turn around for Wilson when he was eventually picked by the quarterback-needy Oakland Raiders in the fourth round of the 2013 NFL draft. Only quarterbacks Matt Flynn and Terrelle Pryor—and their combined three NFL starts—now stand in Wilson’s way of becoming an NFL starter. It could be a good situation for Wilson ...
In addition to a strong 2013 NFL draft, some key trades and free-agent signings have made for a very productive offseason for GM Reggie McKenzie and his rebuilding Oakland Raiders team. While they may not be ready for playoff contention just yet, several key moves have the Raiders headed in the right direction. The Raiders have been able to add some very underrated players at positions of significant need, all the while doing so at more than affordable prices. It remains to be seen how each of these moves will work out, but as Reggie McKenzie and Dennis Allen have ...
The Oakland Raiders were one of the worst teams in the NFL last season—winning only four games makes that an irrefutable fact. Although it's an opinion, it’s totally reasonable to say that the Raiders still have one of the worst rosters in the league. Do the Raiders have the worst roster? Perhaps they do, but that doesn’t mean their record will reflect it. Even bad teams can win seven or eight games.Every team in the NFL makes offseason changes to try to get better—some will get better and others will get worse. Some analysts believe the Raiders got worse and ...
This video is part of B/R's series "The Rookies," where we take the helmets off the players and bring you closer to their lives and personalities.Raider Nation. The Black Hole. Pick whatever phrase you want, there's no denying that Raiders fans are among the most passionate, rowdy and sometimes delirious fanbases in the NFL.One trip to Oakland, and you can feel and see the Silver and Black all over the city. The Raiders truly represent the mindset and culture of the the city.Imagine being drafted by the Raiders, and all of a sudden you go from a college atmosphere like UConn ...