Last Thursday, the Oakland Athletics marched into Chicago as the hottest team in the American League. The red-hot A’s had won 16 of their previous 19 games entering a four-game set against the White Sox, a team that was swept by the Athletics in Oakland the week prior. But somehow, Chicago’s famous cold wind knocked the Athletics on their keisters, as the two teams split the series, with the host winning the final two contests over the weekend. The two-game losing streak does not dismay the confident Athletics. More, it speaks to how underrated—and underachieving—the White Sox are as a ...
Terrelle Pryor offers versatility that still gives him the chance to contribute in a modern NFL increasingly open to dual-threat quarterbacks. But the player who has only 155 pro passing yards to his credit still faces an uphill battle to start.The Oakland Raiders opted against seeing if Pryor could blossom this offseason, instead trading for Matt Flynn and drafting Tyler Wilson.Head coach Dennis Allen has been clear that Pryor is not yet ready to start, according to Steve Corkran of the Bay Area News Group. In the same article, Allen noted the central issue concerning Pryor:There's been no lack of ...
Player: A.J. VanegasDrafted by: Oakland Athletics (No. 581 overall) Position: RHP DOB: 8/16/1992 (Age: 20) Height/Weight: 6'3"/215 lbs Bats/Throws: R/R School: Stanford Previously Drafted: 2010: seventh-round pick by San Diego Padres Background While obviously not as hyped as that other Stanford pitcher this year, A.J. Vanegas is going to carve out a good career for himself as a two-pitch reliever. He garnered a lot of attention three years ago as a very raw, very talented high school pitcher and has lived up to some of the hype. Being limited to the bullpen does limit his ultimate ceiling, though it pushed him down a lot of draft boards, ...
There's a whole new crop of Oakland Athletics prospects, but are any of them the next Addison Russell, who skipped to the top of the list as soon as he arrived?Here's the long and short of it: No. At least, not yet.After the first few rounds, the A's have 14 (as of this writing) young men joining the organization, each with hopes of one day suiting up in the green and gold. Some will get the chance to live that dream, others will get a small glimpse and the rest will regrettably never play in the Coliseum as a professional ...
Player: Dustin DriverDrafted by: Oakland Athletics (No. 221 overall) Position: RHP DOB: 10/11/1994 (Age: 18) Height/Weight: 6'2"/210 lbs Bats/Throws: R/R School: Wenatchee HS (Washington) College Commitment: UCLA Background Driver has the frame and present stuff to be one of the best high school pitchers in this class. He is aggressive and unafraid to challenge hitters, which is something that most young pitchers have to learn. After shining on the summer showcase circuit last year, Driver is still learning to pitch and harness his secondary stuff. But he has shown more than enough stuff throughout the last 12 months to warrant a selection in the first five ...
Player: Bobby WahlDrafted by: Oakland Athletics (No. 161 overall)Position: RHPDOB: 3/21/1992 (Age: 21)Height/Weight: 6'3"/210 lbsBats/Throws: R/RSchool: MississippiPreviously Drafted: 2010, 39th round by Indians
Background Wahl has come a long way since being selected in the 39th round three years ago. Spurned an offer from Cleveland and another from his hometown Virginia Cavaliers in order to attend Ole Miss. Named the top player in the state as a high school senior. Like most heralded freshman, Wahl began his journey in the bullpen before moving to the rotation as a sophomore. Won seven games and established himself as the Rebels' most reliable ...
Player: Dylan CoveyDrafted by: Oakland Athletics (No. 131 overall) Position: RHP DOB: 8/14/1991 (Age: 21) Height/Weight: 6'2"/205 lbs Bats/Throws: R/R School: San Diego Previously Drafted: 2010: 1st Round Pick (14th overall) by Milwaukee Brewers Pre-Draft Background Covey is a name familiar to a lot of casual draft fans, as the Brewers took him in the first round three years ago before he decided to pass on their offer and attend the University of San Diego. He had also just been diagnosed with diabetes and wanted to focus on managing it before starting his pro career. While you can't necessarily argue with Covey's choice from a personal standpoint, ...
After some solid additions in both the initial free-agency period and the 2013 NFL draft, this offseason can be considered quite productive for the Oakland Raiders. Although we are now well into minicamps, and training camps are just around the corner as well, it does not mean that further additions cannot be made. In fact, the veteran free-agent signings made between now and the beginning of the regular season, given the low costs they come at, have the potential to carry the most value. Taking a look at the Raiders’ roster, there are still several positions that could stand to ...
Player: Chad PinderDrafted by: Oakland Athletics (No. 71 Overall) Position: 3B DOB: 3/29/1992 (Age: 21) Height/Weight: 6'2"/192 lbs Bats/Throws: R/R School: Virginia Tech Previously Drafted: Never drafted (eligible for 2010 draft) Background Chad Pinder is a prospect who has made himself into not only a legitimate draft candidate, but someone who will likely be taken early in the second round. He doesn't have one great tool—if he did, he would be in the first-round mix. Instead, Pinder succeeds by being solid in almost every area. His offensive game is the one area of concern, not that he won't hit, but that his power doesn't profile well for ...
Player: Dillon OvertonDrafted by: Oakland Athletics (No. 63 Overall)Position: LHPDOB: 8/17/1991 (Age: 21) Height/Weight: 6’2”/175 lbs.Bats/Throws: L/LSchool: OklahomaPreviously Drafted: 26th round by Red Sox in 2010 BackgroundBelieve it or not, it was Overton and not Jonathan Gray who entered the season as the top draft prospect on Oklahoma's roster. Despite his diminutive stature, Overton has had no problem matching Gray pitch for pitch during his time at OU.He's won 22 games during his time with the Sooners, improving his stock and guaranteeing he'll go higher than his previous selection back in 2010.After starting the 2013 season as OU's Friday night starter, Overton has taken a backseat ...