// Oakland Athletics

Athletics’ Norberto Halts Red Sox Comeback in Ninth

By ⋅ May 1, 2012 ⋅ Post a comment

Down two with two men on in the bottom of the ninth, Kevin Youkilis grabbed a batting helmet. The oft-injured Youkilis didn’t start Tuesday against the Oakland Athletics due to back stiffness, but no one left on the bench gave the Boston Red Sox a better chance of tying and possibly winning the game. Unfortunately, [...]

2012 Red Sox Preview: Relief Pitchers

By ⋅ March 15, 2012 ⋅ Post a comment

A big storyline heading into this new season is how the Red Sox bullpen will perform given significant personal changes. Gone is four-time All-Star closer Jonathan Papelbon to free agency. A big change awaits former dominate set up man Daniel Bard as he is stretched out to start this year to help a limited rotation. [...]

Manny Ramirez’s Return: Orioles or A’s… Why Bother?

By ⋅ February 7, 2012 ⋅ Post a comment

Do you ever get the feeling like there’s no one on earth who loves you? That feeling that you’re completely alone in the world, completely abandoned by people who once cared so much for you? I bet that Oakland Athletics and Baltimore Orioles fans feel that way all the time. These two franchises had so much to look forward [...]

“Moneyball” Deserves None of Six Academy Award Nominations

By ⋅ January 24, 2012 ⋅ One comment

Moneyball, starring Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill, has earned six Academy Award nominations. The film is an adaptation of Michael Lewis’ book following Oakland Athletics GM Billy Beane’s use of sabermetrics in creating his 2002 roster and setting the single-season MLB record for consecutive wins. The film’s high-profile cast and writer (Aaron Sorkin of The [...]

Movie Review: “Moneyball,” starring Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill

By ⋅ September 22, 2011 ⋅ One comment

I accompanied Starpulse.com writer Evan Crean to a Sept. 7 press screening of “Moneyball,” starring Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill. Moneyball: the Art of Winning an Unfair Game is one of my favorite sports books, and I was eager to see how a book that mixes the history of sabermetrics – baseball’s statistics-based evaluation method [...]

Hurricane Irene Can’t Finish Red Sox From Finishing Athletics in Game 1

By ⋅ August 27, 2011 ⋅ Post a comment

We all knew we were in for some crazy action with Hurricane Irene forcing a double header Saturday. With the rains coming in and causing multiple delays, Boston still handled their business in Game 1, easily defeating the Oakland Athletics 9-3. Dustin Pedroia started the scoring with an RBI single in the 1st inning; he [...]

Athletics Hammer Wakefield for Eight Runs, Add Seven More off Bullpen

By ⋅ August 26, 2011 ⋅ Post a comment

The Oakland Athletics swung early and often Friday night at Fenway, and Tim Wakefield was powerless to stop them. Wakefield gave up eight runs (four earned) on eight hits, including two homers, and the Athletics battered the Red Sox, 15-5. The Red Sox maintained their one-game lead in the AL East because the Yankees lost [...]

Red Sox Trade for Rich Harden “Called Off”

By ⋅ July 30, 2011 ⋅ Post a comment

UPDATE (3:00 a.m., Sunday): The deal for the oft-injured Rich Harden is reportedly off. According to the Boston Globe, Red Sox officials reviewed Harden’s medical records and came to the conclusion he would not be able to get through the rest of the major league season. “I’m here and staying here,” Harden told reporters in [...]

Runs Lacking for Lackey And The Bullpen Implodes In Sox’ Loss To A’s

By ⋅ April 20, 2011 ⋅ Post a comment

The Red Sox three-game winning streak came to an end Tuesday night in Oakland, as the Athletics beat the Sox 5-0. The Sox got an outstanding start from a previously slumping starter for the second straight game. John Lackey followed up a solid performance from Daisuke Matsuzaka on Marahton Monday with a gem of his [...]

Sports Illustrated Pegs Red Sox as World Series Champs

By ⋅ April 2, 2011 ⋅ Post a comment

Sports Illustrated writers recently picked the Red Sox to win the World Series in 2011. They were picked to hit the century mark of 100 wins and take down the Athletics, Twins and Giants on their way to the crown. Notice any powerhouses missing from the yellow brick road? I thought so. Now let’s check [...]

Let the Hot Stove Begin!!

By ⋅ November 8, 2010 ⋅ 2 comments

At 12:01am Sunday, exclusive negotiating rights of teams with free agents ended, and open season began. You knew the debate over Cliff Lee would be rough, but there is the question of affording him. Ditto for many other high-profile players. And while no big moves have been made in terms of new teams for free [...]

Buchholz Does Not Bring ‘A’ Game in Loss in Oakland

By ⋅ September 11, 2010 ⋅ One comment

It was a strange, strange evening at the Oakland Collesium on Friday night. Coco Crisp and Jeremy Hermida started…in the A’s outfield. Red Sox starter Clay Buchholz and the bullpen both had very opposite outings (in terms of quality)…with Buch drawing the short end of that stick. Entering Friday, Buchholz had not allowed more than [...]

Book Review: Moneyball – Winning Cheap

By ⋅ August 26, 2010 ⋅ Post a comment

As titles go, Moneyball is a bit of a misnomer. When one thinks of the term “moneyball,” one might be inclined to think of playing baseball by spending lots of money. But the reality is that Moneyball, Michael Lewis’s 2003 bestseller, is about a general manager’s (Billy Beane if the Oakland Athletics) quest to put [...]

Boston on Wrong End of Home Run Derby Against Oakland

By ⋅ June 3, 2010 ⋅ Post a comment

If I came back in time and told you Boston scored eight runs Thursday, you probably would think they crushed the Athletics because of their supreme pitching staff. What supreme pitching staff? Hardly anything went right for the Red Sox, and when they tried to claw their way back into it, they always, ALWAYS, screwed [...]

Big Papi Powers Red Sox to Victory

By ⋅ June 3, 2010 ⋅ Post a comment

The Boston Red Sox faced off against the Oakland Athletics on a beautiful Wednesday night at Fenway Park. The Red Sox were coming off a solid come-from-behind victory in which they fell behind 4-0 but came back to win the game in convincing fashion, 9-4. On the hill for the Red Sox was Daisuke Matsuzaka, [...]

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