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A’s go on the road with a needed change of luck
If the Oakland Athletics are to salvage anything from this season, they are going to have to start producing runs and get consistent pitching. Winning is the main goal that the team has, but a positive finish to a very topsy-turvy season would go a long ways into solidifying a fighting chance to make waves next season.... If the Oakland Athletics are to salvage anything from this season, they are going to have to start producing runs and get consistent p... more
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Athletics welcome back Swisher
Alright, don’t lie. You have to admit that trading Nick Swisher bummed you almost as much as losing Eric Byrnes a couple of years ago. The two are starting in new locations, but it’s Swisher that makes his Oakland debut today…as a White Sox player. No, the A’s haven’t found a way to get the fan-favorite Swisher back in green and gold, but the White Sox come into town for the 7:05pm PST start of their three game series and hopefully, the start of some winning for the Athletics... Alright, don’t lie. You have to admit that trading Nick Swisher bummed you almost as much as losing Eric Byrnes a couple of years ago... more
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Oakland A’s: Athletics’ future is now and later
The Oakland Athletics have been wheeling and dealing since the end of the 2007 season. Some of the moves have been met with praise by A’s fanatics, while others have caused plenty of rumbling amongst the faithful fans in green and gold. Tonight, A’s fans will get to see first hand how some of that trading has affected the club today, while Wednesday night will give fans an opportunity to see how it might have affected the team for seasons to come.... The Oakland Athletics have been wheeling and dealing since the end of the 2007 season. Some of the moves have been met with praise by... more
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White Sox Manager Ozzie: "I've hit people before on purpose."
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Ozzie Guillen earned himself an almost certain suspension Sunday afternoon. He told a dirty little secret.
“I’ve hit people before on purpose,” said Guillen, the Chicago White Sox manager, after a game Sunday in which umpires levied a suspect ejection in the fifth inning of a blowout when Chicago reliever D.J. Carrasco hit Kansas City’s Miguel Olivo with the bases loaded and incited a bench-emptying square dance.
“Yes I have,” Guillen continued. “Because that’s my job. Protect my players.”
Managers know better than to admit publicly one of baseball’s most unsavory truths, that a select number of hit-by-pitches registered each year come laced with intent. The purpose pitch – or the purpose hit, in these instances – is simply a part of baseball, and whether it’s to keep a batter from getting too comfortable or avenge some kind of perceived misdeed, it will never go away, no matter how much Major League Baseball tries to police its game.
Baseball sees this as the type of thing reserved for hockey, or Ron Artest, which is why it likely will drop the hammer on Guillen sometime this week. And yet as he continued his rant following the White Sox’s 14-3 loss that dropped them out of first place in the American League Central for the first time since May 16, a kernel of truth revealed itself. This wasn’t a typical Ozzie blowup, full of misguided fire and silly brimstone, a mouth shooting out Silly String. He made mountains of sense, and his point is something that baseball ought to consider instead of condemn.
“Sometimes people have to have a little bit of common sense,” Guillen said. “I’m talking about the umpires, I’m not talking about Olivo.”
Well, Olivo needs it, too. He charged the mound after getting hit in the hand with the bases loaded in a blowout game by a pitcher whose fastball doesn’t touch 90 mph on a fast gun.
All of which relates back to Sunday’s home-plate umpire Tim Timmons and crew chief Gary Cederstrom. Dusting a batter is not black and white. However basic and brute the act, it takes a fair amount of consideration.
Who do you hit? Where do you hit him? Why do you hit him? When do you hit him?
“You think I’m going to bring somebody in to hit somebody and they’re going to throw a fastball 82 (mph) at the hands?” Guillen said. “I’m going to bring in my best guy and make sure he gets it done. That’s Major League Baseball. That’s baseball. That’s the baseball I grew up with. Not the (expletive) they play right now.”
By his best guy, Guillen said he meant Octavio Dotel or Matt Thornton, both of whom throw 95 mph. Carrasco is a sinkerball pitcher, and with one out and a slow-running free swinger at the plate, he threw three consecutive pitches inside trying to induce a double-play ball. Even Ozzie isn’t twisted enough to call for a retaliation pitch with the bases loaded just so he can cloak it with a good excuse.
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If you want to read more on the article, follow the link:
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=jp-ozziesecret080... KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Ozzie Guillen earned himself an almost certain suspension Sunday afternoon. He told a dirty little secret. ... more -
Holy Crap! Ken Griffey Jr. has been traded too.... to the White Sox...
right before that much anticipated time known as baseball's trading deadline...
two future hall of famers have been trade...
this time, Griffey being moved to the contending White Sox...
Wow...
Didn't see that one coming.
The Reds really didn't get much...
Nick Massett and Danny Richar???
Not quite what the Reds gave up when they traded for him oh so many years ago... right before that much anticipated time known as baseball's trading deadline... two future hall of famers have been trade... ... more -
Visa issues keep Cuban defect White Sox player Alexei Ramirez from playing against...
Ramirez holds a work visa that prevents him from re-entering the United States if he leaves the country. It was an issue the White Sox had been working on since Spring Training, but were not able to resolve in time for Chicago's series in Toronto.
"We could have used him," said White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen. "But immigration is tough everywhere. The immigration situation is not just tough here, but everywhere you go, you're going to go through a lot of difficulty."
Ramirez will spend the weekend in Chicago, where he will work out and take batting practice. He will then rejoin the team on Tuesday for a home series against Minnesota.
The Cuban defect off of the National Team that finished 2nd in the WBC was one of the White Sox prized prospects. Ramirez holds a work visa that prevents him from re-entering the United States if he leaves the country. It was an issue the White Sox... more -
Jeff Liefer makes triumphant return attempt to return to White Sox with Spring Tra...
Liefer is probably most known for being stuck in the bathroom during a minor league game. Liefer said he went to the bathroom during the game and when he wanted to come out the handle was stuck.
It delayed the game 20 minutes. This produced the semi-famous quote, "I don't want to be remembered as the guy who got stuck in the bathroom".
We have yet to see him in a White Sox uniform since 2002...
Sure, the info says, he was playing in Japan for the last two years to see the Seibu Lions crumble without Matsuzaka...
White Sox fans all and alike are sure he was locked in the bathroom for 5 years.
Good to see him get the spring training invite.
Decent shot to make the show, now that the Sox depleted their minor league stars onto the A's. Liefer is probably most known for being stuck in the bathroom during a minor league game. Liefer said he went to the bathroom during t... more -
After years of waiting, Goose Gossage finally gets into the Hall (of Fame)
Look at that 'stache, you can't say you don't want him in the Hall...
Plus he's the only reason the Yankees were ever good during the Reggie Jackson years.
He pitched before the steroids era, so it's ok for you all to like the guy and applaud his long wait to break into the hall...
He must wear a Mariner's cap when he goes into the Hall though...
He was the guy who made Griffey, Randy Johnson, and A-Rod great, just for being their mustache touting teammate in 1994.
He joins his former Padre manager Dick Williams in the 2008 Hall of Fame class.
Can someone explain how the great Chuck Knoblauch only got one vote?
Knobby and Justice musta been screwed by that Mitchell Report outing... Look at that 'stache, you can't say you don't want him in the Hall... ... more
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