Surprising A’s

Many so-called analysts debated over the offseason whether the Oakland Athletics would lose 100 or more games this year? Only a month of baseball has been played thus far but these analysts are not looking good out of the gate.

With a team full of youth and unknowns, the A’s have began the season with an 11-12 record through their first 23 games. By no means are the A’s a powerhouse but they are far more respectable than what people gave them credit for prior to the opening of the season.

Many questions and eyebrows were raised when Oakland dealt away three young all-star pitchers over the winter in starters Trevor Cahill and Gio Gonzales, along with closer Andrew Bailey. Yet, Oakland seems to have filled these holes with quite ease.

Veteran Bartolo Colon, signed by the Athletics over the offseason, is leading the charge on the pitching side of things for the A’s. Through six starts the 38-year old is 3-2 with a 2.53 earned run average. On April 18 against the Los Angeles Angels Colon at one point through 38 straight strikes during his eight shutout innings pitched.

Along with Colon, Brandon McCarthy has again been impressive for the A’s. The right-hander is just 1-3 but has posted a 3.23 ERA thus far as he tries to build on a breakout campaign with the Athletics last year. A couple young starting pitchers Tommy Millone and Jarrod Parker have been impressive as well for Oakland.

Parker, a highly touted prospect made his Athletics debut last Wednesday against the White Sox, pitching six and a third innings while allowing just one run.

Millone, who had made just five big league starts before joining the Athletics, possesses an ERA of two--on the dot. Further, he has pitched two eight-inning shutouts against both the Kansas City Royals and Chicago White Sox. 

Left-hander Tommy Millone has been impressive for the
A's this season.

Then there is the bullpen, which had been pretty lights out until today. Oakland has six pitchers with an earned run average currently under 3.50. Ryan Cook leads the pack having allowed just one hit and no runs through ten innings pitched.

The question marks for the Athletics mainly come from an offensive standpoint, as the potential progression of the offense will ultimately determine just how competitive the A’s will be this season.

Just one player on the team carries a batting average higher than .270, that being first baseman Kila Ka’aihue who barely made the club. On the bright side of things, there’s been a power sighting in Oakland with Cuban sensation Yoenis Cespedes having smacked five home runs and Petaluma native Jonny Gomes hitting four.

It’s hard to predict how things will finish for the A’s five months down the road but here’s what we do know: This team is scrappy and will fight, a lot of talent has been found in the pitching staff and the offense can’t be much worse than what it has been thus far (last in the American League in runs scored with 65).

The A’s schedule has been fairly soft out of the gate and will toughen up in a hurry. The team’s next nine series will be against the Red Sox, Rays, Blue Jays, Tigers, Angels (twice), Rangers, Giants, and Yankees.

On paper there appear to be a lot of upcoming mismatches but seeing what the A’s have done so far, if they can continue to scrap, pitch, and find some timely hitting they should stay competitive.

49ers add speed, depth in draft

With no pressing needs at starting positions, the 49ers used the NFL Draft to strengthen areas already stocked with talent while adding depth to others. 

First round draft pick wide receiver A.J. Jenkins with coach
Jim Harbaugh (left) and general manager Trent Baalke (right).  

At the center of attention are the 49ers first two draft picks, wide receiver A.J. Jenkins (30th pick overall) and running back LaMichael James (61st overall).

Jenkins, out of University of Illinois, brings San Francisco another potential deep play threat to go along with free agent pickup Mario Manningham. His speed and route running abilities made him an intriguing target for the 49ers, who believe he can develop into a future star. 

James, a former Oregon Duck, and of whom 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh coached against while at Stanford, is an explosive player. Known for the ability to burst for a 60-yard play from the line of scrimmage at any time, James gives the 49ers an instant scoring threat. 

Both Jenkins and James join crowded positions and will create fierce competition with teammates for playing time in training camp and preseason. 

The 49ers now have six wide receivers in Jenkins, Manningham, Randy Moss, Michael Crabtree, Kyle Williams, and Ted Ginn Jr. At running back lies James, Frank Gore, Kendall Hunter, Brandon Jacobs, Anthony Dixon, and Rock Cartwright, plus fullback Bruce Miller. 

If players want to be on this team, let alone receiving considerable playing time they better impress the coaching staff in training camp. 

The 49ers finished up the rest of the draft adding depth and competition on both the offensive and defensive lines, as well as at linebacker and in the defensive backfield.

Running back LaMichael James was drafted
in the 2nd round by the 49ers.

The team also added three picks through trade to the 2013 draft. San Francisco now has 11 draft picks in the 2013 NFL Draft. 

2012 49ers draft picks:

Round 1 (30th overall): A.J. Jenkins (WR, Illinois)

Round 2 (61st overall): LaMichael James (RB, Oregon) 

Round 4 (117th overall): Joe Looney (OG, Wake Forest)

Round 5 (165th overall): Darius Fleming (OLB, Notre Dame) 

Round 6 (180th overall): Trent Robinson (Safety, Michigan State)

Round 6 (199th overall): Jason Slowey (OC, Western Oregon)

Round 7 (237th overall): Cam Johnson (DE, Virginia) 

With Huff down, time for Belt to shine is now

Giants first baseman Aubrey Huff was placed on the 15-day disabled list yesterday with an anxiety disorder. While everyone wishes the best for Huff and hopefully a return to the team at some point, now is the time for teammate Brandon Belt to step in and step up. 

The young first baseman Belt needs to show he can play up to the high potential that he’s been praised with over the past couple of years.

Belt has all the tools to have success at the Major League level, he has a smooth swing made for both average and power, he’s athletic, and plays flawless defense at first base, something the Giants haven’t seen since J.T. Snow held down the position. 

First baseman Brandon Belt hopes to gather playing time
with teammate Aubrey Huff sidelined.

Further, Belt is mature even at 24 and seems to have the mental toughness it takes to persist and overcome any challenges that lie in his way at the highest level of baseball. 

In spring training, Belt along with Huff and Brett Pill battled for the starting first base position. While Belt won the competition, he was benched after a rough opening weekend series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. It wasn’t until a week later that the young player saw his name back on the lineup card. 

Now, with Huff’s absence and the unknown of how long he will be away from the team, it is an opportunity for Belt to play everyday and show manager Bruce Bochy that he can be the guy the team counts on now and in the future.  

If Belt plays the way he’s capable of and has proven he can year after year in the minor leagues, the Giants will be adding a key ingredient to both their offense and defense.

Belt is one of the x-factors this year (especially with Huff out) that can take this team from being a good team to once again a championship caliber squad. As a team that could use another impact, middle of the order bat, Belt now has a chance to solidify the lineup and stabilize himself at first base. 

49ers prepare for NFL Draft

The NFL Draft is fast approaching and in just over 48 hours the 49ers will be adding what they hope are more core players to their roster with the 30th overall picks in each round.

With such a deep and talented roster already at hand and having shored up many of the team’s needs through free agency, what will the 49ers be looking to add to their roster this weekend?

A couple positions come to mind, for instance the right guard position has lost two players this offseason with veteran Adam Snyder departing for Arizona and Chilo Rachal heading to Chicago. This leaves the 49ers with a couple young options including Daniel Kilgore, whom the team drafted in the fifth round last year.

Right guard is the only position on paper with a starting position up for grabs making it likely the 49ers will want to add another player to this position with high upside in the first couple of rounds.

Tight end Coby Fleener played for 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh
at Stanford; now the two could reunite in San Francisco.

However, there are other ways to improve the team, take for example added speed in the defensive secondary? How about a tight end such as Coby Fleener from Stanford (who Jim Harbaugh coached in college)?

Fleener at 6’6,” 247 pounds follows perfectly a successful trend happening recently in the NFL with young, tall, and athletic tight ends being dominant forces on the field. 


Take New England Patriots tight ends Bruce Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez, along with New Orleans Saints tight end Jimmy Graham as just a few examples in the past year of dominant offensive players at the position due to their size and athleticism. Fleener would fit this mold nicely for the 49ers.

If San Francisco picks Fleener it will give what some would call a log jam at tight end with Vernon Davis and Delanie Walker already on the team. However, the 49ers could use different formations to create playing time for all three. For instance, one could line up at wide receiver or Walker could play fullback in certain play sets. There are plenty of creative ways to keep all on the field and Harbaugh along with offensive coordinator Greg Roman are the masters of this.

Whether it is a right guard, Fleener, or others selected in the early rounds of the draft beginning Thursday night, the 49ers are sure to land themselves some good players to add to an already impressive roster full of talent. If the 49ers can find the perfect fits to their needs they will be taking another key step towards a run at a Super Bowl trophy come winter time.  

Cain, Lee combine for pitching duel for the ages

Matt Cain was nearly flawless last night, Cliff Lee was even better yet finished on the losing side of a classic pitching contest with the Giants prevailing 1-0 in eleven innings. 

Giants pitcher Matt Cain and the Phillies Cliff Lee were
both brilliant last night in the Giants 1-0 extra innings win.

This game on paper featured two of the best pitchers in the National League, or in all of Major League Baseball for that matter. However, it is rare that two pitchers find the dominant groove on the same night as was the case last night. 

In a game that reminded old-time fans of a 1960s Giants-Dodgers, arch-rivals duel between Giants right-hander Juan Marichal and Dodgers lefty Sandy Koufax; it was Cain, the right-hander and the Phillies left-hander Lee who combined to form an instant classic. To further intrigue in last night’s match-up San Francisco and Philadelphia have become significant rivals since their heated date in the 2010 National League Championship Series.

Cain tossed nine scoreless innings while Lee smoothly worked ten (becoming the first pitcher to do so since Mark Mulder for the St. Louis Cardinals in 2005).

Cain, coming off a one-hit complete game shutout of the Pittsburgh Pirates last Friday, gave up just two hits and a walk, while striking out four Phillies. Lee allowed seven hits, no walks, and struck out seven Giants. Both pitchers displayed masterful command of their pitches; the first nine innings of the game were completed in just an hour and fifty minutes. 

It wasn’t until Melky Cabrera’s RBI single that just gazed over Phillies second baseman Freddy Galvis’ glove in the eleventh inning that a run was scored in the game and it came off of Philadelphia’s relief pitcher Antonio Bastardo. 

This match-up did not just give all Giants, Phillies, and baseball fans something to marvel at but it elevated this rivalry between the two teams to an even greater height. 

With playoff and championship aspirations on both teams minds, there will be much intrigue surrounding the two teams when they square off in the middle of July in Philadelphia and perhaps even more should they meet down the road again in October. 

By the next time the teams meet they hope to have healthier rosters on their side. Giants all star second baseman Freddy Sanchez is sidelined with a shoulder injury and Phillies all stars second baseman Chase Utley (knee) and first baseman Ryan Howard (ankle) are currently on the disabled list. Should these players return to their playing capabilities it will raise the level of competition to an even higher level. 

With star-studded pitching rotations on both sides of the war there’s a good possibility that the Giants and Phillies will be seeing one another on a few more occasions this season as Cain and Lee may have just written the first chapter to the Giants and Phillies rivalry in 2012.

Why the Giants can withstand Brian Wilson’s injury

The back end of the Giants bullpen suffered a major hit on Saturday with the announcement of Brian Wilson’s likely season-ending right elbow injury.

The elbow which has troubled the hard throwing right-hander since the 2010 world championship season will likely force him to have Tommy John surgery for the second time in his career.

Make no mistake the loss of Wilson leaves a significant void in the Giants closer role, however the team appears to have the necessary assets to fill the void. 

Giants closer Brian Wilson will miss the remainder of the
season with a right elbow injury.

Last night the team took a key first step in doing so as Santiago Casilla pitched a scoreless ninth inning for his first save of the season. Casilla, the hardest thrower among San Francisco’s pitching staff will likely receive the first full-time crack at the closer’s role though manager Bruce Bochy has said the team will use a closer by committee plan for the time being.    

Fellow black-beard Sergio Romo is also likely to receive save opportunities along with left-handers Jeremy Affeldt and Javier Lopez, all of whom help make up one of baseball’s most dominant relief corps over the past few seasons. 

The wild card in the situation is minor league reliever Heath Hembree, currently pitching in Fresno for the team’s AAA affiliate. Hembree has been groomed as a closer since being drafted by the Giants in the fifth round of 2010. With a lightning fast fastball along with other hard moving pitches and the proper closer’s mentality, Hembree’s potential is high.  

While he may not bring the marketability that arguably the team’s most popular player Wilson has, Hembree possesses all the tools for success at the big league level. If he continues to progress in the minors over the next couple months it is likely the Giants will call him up to the big leagues and offer him the opportunity to solidify an already solid bullpen.

Sure there is reason to be upset about Wilson’s injury, after all he was a key component of the 2010 world championship run. However, with Wilson in the dugout encouraging players and boosting their confidence and the team’s overall morale along with the amount of talent remaining in the Giants bullpen, this issue just like Wilson said of his injury is just a minor speed bump in the road.  

Giants ready to come home

Regardless of the outcome of today’s game which the Giants currently lead the Colorado Rockies 4-1 in the eight inning of, the Giants will return home tomorrow following a disappointing road trip. 

Having dropped four of their first five games to open the season including being swept in three games by the Arizona Diamondbacks this past weekend, the team is ready for some home cooking. 

Tomorrow will be exciting for the players, fans, media (I’ll be there with a press pass), and everyone involved as Buster Posey will play a regular season home game for the first time since last May. Outfielders Melky Cabrera and Angel Pagan acquired over the offseason will play their first games that count in the Giants home creams. And after tossing his first complete game shutout in nine years, Barry Zito should receive quite an ovation.  

Giants ace Tim Lincecum and his teammates did not fare
too well on the team's opening road trip.

More than anything coming home will hopefully propel the pitching staff back to its old, dominant ways. Through the first six games the Giants pitching staff has been discouraging. The front three of San Francisco’s starting rotation Tim Lincecum, Madison Bumgarner, and Matt Cain all struggled on this road trip until Bumgarner dealt a gem today. Yes, Arizona and Colorado’s ballparks both favor hitting but giving up the kind of runs the Giants staff (other than Zito) did is unacceptable. 

Cain will take the ball in the home opener for the Giants tomorrow and how fitting it is as he was just rewarded a five-year, $112.5 million contract. Now he needs to show the fans tomorrow why he deserves the big bucks. 

Opening day is always a fun day as it is the only time that the entire rosters are announced, the Blue Angels fly over the stadium, and everyone looks at the upcoming game to be played with such intrigue and curiosity--other than of course the All Star game and playoffs. 

The Giants seem to have assembled a very capable roster this season having scored four runs or more in their first six games. As they head home to the pitcher’s park that AT&T Park has proven to be, it is important that the team pitches the way their known to and continues to hit the way they’ve proven capable of. 

Giants, A’s off to slow starts

Six games have been played this season between the two bay area baseball teams and a grand total of one win shows in the standings thanks to the 1-3 Oakland Athletics.

For the Giants it’s been an odd story in their first two games both resulting in 5-4 defeats. The Giants last season went 55-9 in games when they scored four or more runs; this year 0-2 so far.

Believe it or not it is the pitching that has been the downfall in San Francisco’s first two games. Starting pitchers Tim Lincecum and Madison Bumgarner have both been rattled by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the first inning of each contest.

Yes the Giants offense looks improved however room for improvement remains. New-come outfielder Melky Cabrera looks good with three hits in his first nine at-bats including a double and a home run. Unfortunately the same cannot be said for fellow new-come outfielder Angel Pagan. Pagan after a miserable spring training showing has just one hit in his first nine plate appearances.

Third baseman Pablo Sandoval looks good as he belted a deep home run in yesterday’s defeat and catcher Buster Posey returning to play in regular season games at last collected a couple of hits on Friday.

The two Brandon’s, Belt and Crawford are young players who need time to develop themselves offensively. Hopefully for everyone’s sakes they start showing signs sooner rather than later.

No need to panic if you are a Giants fan it is just two games and when the pitching settles down the wins should go up.

Meanwhile, the A’s are off to a 1-3 start after last night’s completion of the odd-four games series with the Seattle Mariners that started a week and a half ago in Japan. Not that the A’s have high expectations to live up to this year but if they planned on surprising any one this year, they are off to a lousy start.

Oakland was battered in its home opener Friday night losing 7-3 to the Mariners, a team who isn’t exactly a powerhouse offense at least according to the experts. The A’s followed up Friday’s defeat with an 8-7 loss last night.

Good news is that the A’s rallied back last night after trailing 7-0 in the early innings. Bad news is that A’s starter Bartolo Colon whose expected to be a productive pitcher for Oakland was shelled for seven earned runs in four and a third innings pitched. This came just a night after A’s ace Brandon McCarthy failed to make it past the fifth inning.

It’s been a cold start in the bay area but many games remain to be played, remember baseball is a marathon not a sprint. However, the sooner these teams start showing a little more life the better. 

Saints were instructed to injure 49ers in playoff game

In January the San Francisco 49ers and New Orleans Saints played arguably the best game of the NFL season given the high stakes of the game and the 49ers last second victory in the hard fought contest.

However, shortly after the playoffs the NFL learned of the Saints violation of NFL rules in which they had been using a bounty system. The team’s defensive players for the past three seasons had been receiving compensation for injuring players on the opposing teams. 

Today, if you live in the Bay Area, the story hit home. 

Last night audio of Saints ex-defensive coordinator Gregg Williams telling his defensive players to injure specific players on the 49ers prior to the playoff game, leaked across the Internet. The recording which shortly became a National headline is violent to say the least as Williams delivered the speech the night prior to the game. 

49ers players singled out in the recording included Frank Gore, Alex Smith, Vernon Davis, Michael Crabtree, Kyle Williams and Kendall Hunter. 

Specifically the coach told his players to injure Gore’s head, to continuously hit Smith in the head while down, take Davis’ ankle out when in a pile, see how Williams is feeling after a concussion he recently had, and to take out Crabtree’s ACL. 

49ers running back Frank Gore was one of the players
targeted in the New Orleans Saints illegal bounty system.

Unethical? I think so. The Saints clearly crossed the line and this is likely just one of many violent, unnecessary pre-game speeches Williams made over the past three years. 

“We don't (profanity) apologize for how we're going to play. You're here for a reason. You're here because we saw in you -- and we hope we picked the right person -- that won't apologize for competing the way we have to compete," Williams told his players.

“Kill the head and the body will die. Kill the head and the body will die,” he continues in his speech.

Here is a look at some other quotes from Williams with the intent to hurt specific players.

On 49ers quarterback Alex Smith: “Go lay that (profanity) out. We're gonna dominate the line of scrimmage and we're gonna kill the (profanity) head. Every single one of you, before you get off the pile, affect the head. Early, affect the head. Continue, touch and hit the head.”

On running back Frank Gore: “We've got to do everything in the world to make sure we kill Frank Gore's head. We want him running sideways. We want his head sideways.” 

Not just does this make the 49ers win over the Saints more impressive but it should give San Francisco more fuel when taking on New Orleans this fall.

Below is the audio of Williams instructions to his players. Beware, there is profanity usage. 

Giants: Why the Matt Cain signing is the perfect move

From left to right, Giants manager Bruce Bochy, general
manager Brian Sabean, pitcher Matt Cain, and team president
Larry Baer discuss Cain's long-term contract extension
with the Giants.

The Giants made the move on Monday they absolutely had to make signing pitcher Matt Cain to a five-year extension worth $112 million ensuring that the longest tenured Giant will remain in black and orange at least through 2017. 

While the signing does make the 27-year old the richest paid right-handed pitcher in MLB history, it is a move that will help keep the team in contention for many years to come. With Cain signed it guarantees at least two more seasons of potentially the best trio of starters in baseball with Cain, Tim Lincecum, and Madison Bumgarner. Further, it tells players both on the Giants and throughout the league that the Giants are committed to winning at all costs; pun intended. The Cain signing could also potentially raise Lincecum’s want and willingness to sign long-term with the Giants as well for the team’s chances of winning with these pitchers in place are high. The signing tells the fans who have poured so much money into the organization that the club is serious about winning and willing to spend for them in an effort to do so.  

Yes, it is a ton of money but it is still less than left-handed pitchers CC Sabathia (31), Johan Santana (33), and Cliff Lee (33) earn, all of whom are quite a bit older than Cain. Cain’s contract will likely only take him until the age 33, maybe 34 if his final year option is picked up. For a pitcher that continues to improve his stats every year this contract while risky (as all long-term contracts are) is well worth it. Cain, a natural leader from a young age will continue to be a pillar at the front of the rotation for the only organization that he’s called home since being drafted out of high school in 2002. With the right supporting cast around him look for Cain to be an integral part in bringing more championship trophies to San Francisco. 

Why the Giants must resign Matt Cain

In five days the Giants will begin their regular season schedule in Arizona against the Diamondbacks. This coming Friday however is not just the beginning of the games that count but could be the end of a more important issue the team still needs to address.

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Matt Cain is a free agent at season’s end and has made it known publicly that he does not want to negotiate a contract during the season. Throughout spring training the team has failed to sign the right-hander to a long-term contract to keep one of its key components in place for many years to come. Should Cain become a free agent next offseason he will command even more dollars on the open market due to the 29 other potential suitors for his services. The Giants need to prevent this. 

Cain, the longest tenured Giant dating back to the 2005 season when he rose from the minor leagues as a baby-faced 20-year old rookie has been an all-star caliber pitcher for several years. He has been pivotal to the Giants success throughout his career posting a 3.35 earned run average, a 1.20 walks and hits over innings pitched, and allowing only a .227 batting average to opposing hitters. Over the past three seasons he has been even more impressive racking up earned run averages of 2.89, 3.14, and 2.88 solidifying himself as one of the top pitchers in the game. Further, during the Giants surprising World Series run in 2010 Cain did not allow an earned run in his three playoff starts. 

Giants pitcher Matt Cain has been an integral part of the
team's rotation since 2005; he now seeks a long-term contract.

It doesn’t take rocket science to realize that Cain, especially on a team that is built around its pitching staff is pivotal to the Giants success. Standing at 27 years of age, he is entering his prime and improving year by year. To compliment being an elite pitcher, Cain is a leader on the team as well due to the maturity he’s shown throughout his career even at young ages. 

If left unsigned he is sure to secure himself a mega-contract next winter whether it be with the Giants or another team and it could get ugly. Longtime rivals the Los Angeles Dodgers were just purchased by an ownership group headed by Magic Johnson for over two-billion dollars. Johnson has already stated that he wants his team to be like the New York Yankees both with success and payroll. Thus in other words, if the Giants can’t get Cain signed expect the Dodgers as well as other teams to offer him more money than he potentially deserves just because they have the money to spend. And their would be nothing more sickening for the Giants and their fans than to see Cain wearing Dodger blue in 2013. 

This is not a situation the Giants want to get themselves into. Losing Cain and possibly losing him to the arch-rivals would alienate a fan-base that has bought unprecedented amounts of merchandise and sold-out every home game since the team won the World Series in 2010. If Cain is not resigned, not just are the Giants infuriating their fans but they are seriously weakening their team. The Giants offense has been sub-par for quite some time now (though they hope to be average this season) but have relied heavily on dominant pitching from Tim Lincecum, Madison Bumgarner, and Cain to compete. Replace one of these pitchers with a pitcher of lesser caliber to make those 33 to 34 starts in a season and this team drops its win total immensely. 

Cain is a star entering his prime, he is a leader, and is amongst the most valuable players on the team. The Giants have the financial wherewithal (they have stated it) to sign him long-term and now it is time to act. Pay the man like one of the best pitchers in the game for that is what he is and remember how much the team will be weakened if you let him walk away because you didn’t want to pay him the dollars you had to spend.