‘It’s special, man’: Oakland native Stewart has jersey retired by A’s

As a native of Oakland who grew up in the shadows of the Oakland Coliseum, Dave Stewart vividly recalls the excitement he felt when the A’s moved out west from Kansas City in 1968.

Stewart immediately became a regular at the Coliseum, with the seats down the right-field line his preferred spot so he and his cousins could get a glimpse of Reggie Jackson. With the Swingin’ A’s dynasty that captured three straight World Series titles from 1972-74 forming over the next few years, Stewart developed an affinity for the likes of Bert Campaneris, Catfish Hunter and Rollie Fingers.

“Every time I walk into that ballpark, I can replay different things on a given day,” Stewart said. “I remember when I was a little kid and Reggie was in right field with his back to the infield looking at me and my cousins collecting baseballs in the right-field seats. I remember when the A’s came to town and the first player I met was Ramón Webster. I remember ‘Campy’ Campaneris running around the bases and looking like he never touched the ground because his feet were so quick.”

Little did a teenage Stewart know that one day he’d be immortalized at that same stadium alongside those same legends he idolized. After living out a childhood dream by playing eight of his 16 seasons with the green and gold, Stewart had his jersey No. 34 retired before Sunday’s game against the White Sox. He became the sixth A’s player to have his number retired, and the first since Rickey Henderson—one of Stewart’s closest friends while growing up in Oakland—in 2009.

Athletics release Andrus in final year of $120M deal

The Oakland Athletics continued to reshape their roster amidst a dismal season, as they released veteran shortstop Elvis Andrus, the team announced.

Andrus, who turns 34 next week, is earning $14 million this year, the final guaranteed season of his $120-million contract originally signed in 2015.

Infielder Sheldon Neuse was recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas in a corresponding roster move.

A’s Promote Shea Langeliers, Release Stephen Piscotty

The A’s announced they’ve selected the contract of top catching prospect Shea Langeliers. The club also recalled infielder David MacKinnon from Triple-A Las Vegas, placed center fielder Ramón Laureano on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to August 15, with a left oblique strain and released right fielder Stephen Piscotty.

It’s a notable shakeup for the A’s, who’ll get their first look at a player they hope to be a key piece of the future. Langeliers was one of four players Oakland received from the Braves in the Matt Olson trade this spring. Arguably the headliner of the deal, the righty-hitting backstop is regarded by most prospect evaluators as a potential above-average regular behind the dish.

The ninth overall pick in the 2019 draft, Langeliers has spent the past three years progressing up the minor league ladder.

Frankie Montas, Lou Trivino traded to Yankees (source)

The Yankees made another big splash ahead of the Trade Deadline, acquiring starter Frankie Montas and reliever Lou Trivino from the Athletics, a source told MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand on Monday. The clubs have not confirmed the news.

The A’s return included a quartet of Yankees top prospects: left-handers Ken Waldichuk (New York’s No. 5 prospect/No. 70 overall) and JP Sears (No. 20), right-hander Luis Medina (No. 10) and second baseman Cooper Bowman (No. 21), according to Feinsand.

Warriors Owner Joe Lacob Says He Has ‘Standing Offer’ to Buy A’s

Lacob doesn’t mince words about how he thinks the ballpark situation would’ve played out under his control.

“I had the A’s done,” Lacob told the Chronicle. “It was just taken away from me. You know what, everyone’s confident in their own abilities, obviously. I think we would’ve had a stadium a long time ago if I had bought it. That’s just me.”

Lacob also told the Chronicle that he remains interested in buying the A’s. In fact, he told the newspaper that a “standing offer” has existed for him to buy the team from the Fisher family, which purchased Wolff’s share of the club in 2016, for more than 10 years.

“I’ve had a standing offer to buy the A’s from John Fisher for I don’t even know how long. Over a decade,” Lacob told the Chronicle. “It’s up to him; it’s his business.”

Lacob also unsuccessfully tried to buy MLB’s Angels and Dodgers before acquiring the Warriors, according to the Chronicle. He told the newspaper that his status as a baseball outsider hurt his chances in those bids.

Lacob then bought a stake in the NBA’s Celtics and became acquainted with power players around the league. Those contacts helped him purchase the Warriors with Peter Guber for $450 million in 2010.

J.J. Cooper: Looking Back At ‘Moneyball’ 20 Years Later

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With the benefit of hindsight, Oakland’s “renegade” list fares incredibly poorly.

Of the 15 unique players on the Athletics’ list, three produced at least 1 WAR in MLB: outfielder Nick Swisher (No. 34 on the BA board), Khalil Greene (35) and Mark Teahen (134). Those 15 players combined to produce 33.6 WAR. Of the 11 players who ranked outside of the BA Top 50 who were on Oakland’s top 20, Teahen is the only one to produce at least 1 WAR.

Josh McCurdy (“might be the next Jeff Kent”), Brant Colamarino (“might be the best hitter in the country”), Ben Fritz (“third best righthander in the class”), Mark Kiger (“a machine for wearing down pitchers”) and Jeremy Brown (“we’re not selling jeans here”) all ended up being much closer to the industry’s evaluation of them than how the A’s viewed them at the time.

What about those 15 players who were coveted by “crusty scouts” from other teams? That list included Greinke, Cole Hamels, Scott Kazmir, Denard Span and B.J. Upton. Combined they have produced 211 WAR.

Yes, it is ironic that the 2002 draft would go on to be one of the best first rounds for high school pitchers, the draft demographic “Moneyball” most significantly poo-pooed.

Four of the players ranked in the BA top 20 failed to reach MLB. Another four failed to produce 1 WAR. One did not sign. Seven produced 10 WAR. Three produced 25 WAR.

Of Oakland’s top 20, 11 failed to reach MLB. Three more failed to produce 1 WAR. Three produced 10 WAR. None produced 25 WAR.

MLB would not charge Oakland Athletics a relocation fee if team moves to Las Vegas, per reports

Major League Baseball is reportedly willing to waive its relocation fee for the Oakland Athletics if they move the franchise to Las Vegas, Nevada, according to the New York Post.

In what’s undoubtedly a coincidence and certainly not an attempt to gain additional leverage, that rumor has surfaced just days before the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission is scheduled to vote on Thursday on removing a port priority use designation on the Howard Terminal site, the location the Athletics have been eyeing for a waterfront stadium, among other mixed-use developments.

The relocation fee is a standard piece of sports business. As noted by the Post, the National Football League charged the Rams and Chargers more than $600 million to move to Los Angeles, and later docked the Raiders nearly $400 million to move to Las Vegas themselves. The National Basketball Association hasn’t had a team move in more than a decade, but had the last ones to do so pay a $30 million toll in the process.

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred says Tampa Bay Rays, Oakland A’s need new ballpark deals soon

Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred said the Tampa Bay Rays and Oakland Athletics need to reach new ballpark deals soon and left open the possibility of considering relocation if agreements are not struck.

“There is urgency with respect to Tampa,” Manfred said Thursday during a news conference following an owners meeting. “There needs to be a resolution in the Tampa Bay region for the Rays.”

Tampa Bay’s lease at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, where the team has played since its inaugural season in 1998, expires after the 2027 season. The Rays said in January that MLB had rejected the team’s plan to split its season between Florida and Montreal.

“Obviously, the end of that lease is a hard deadline, but you need to take into account that stadiums take a little bit of time to build, right?” Manfred said. “So we are getting to the point where wherever it is in the region that has an interest in having 162 baseball games, they need to get to it, get with the club—I know the Rays are anxious to get something done—and see if a deal can be made.”

Asked whether he was considering relocation, Manfred responded: “Right now, I’m focused on Tampa,” putting emphasis on “right now” and later adding he was referring to the region, not the specific side of the bay. “I think a great man once said, all good things must end at some point. And but right now we’re focused on Tampa.”

Why aren’t the Oakland A’s trying harder to fill their stadium?

Sub required.

If you really take a look at what’s different for the A’s right now compared to other low points in their history, what’s curious is what the team is not doing to try and get butts in the seats. It’s that lack of action that inspires some to wonder if this isn’t the plot of a popular baseball movie, where the team wants it to look like baseball can never work in Oakland, so that they can leave Oakland and get a new park elsewhere.

“I know some people think it’s ‘Major League,’ but it’s not,” A’s president Dave Kaval said. “We wouldn’t be spending $2 million a month trying to get our waterfront ballpark approved if we weren’t serious about staying in Oakland.”

The question is whether the way the A’s are being run this season lines up with that assertion — both in terms of the product on the field, and when it comes to what they’re doing to sell tickets.

Kaval has pointed out on Twitter that attendance is down a little around the league, including for the Giants, the more popular team in the Bay Area. It’s certainly true that there was a big drop in 2021 that was most probably related to the pandemic, and that April 2022 attendance did not return fully to pre-pandemic levels.

But the league’s median attendance is down a couple thousand off of 2019. The Giants are down a couple thousand off of 2019. Oakland is down close to 12,000 a game, by far the biggest differential in the league.

Commentary: For the Athletics, a home opener at the home they keep failing to escape

“In a two-team market, with us competing against the Giants, we need a product that’s at the same level,” Kaval said. “That is what it is going to require for two teams to be successful in this marketplace.”

The Giants started this season with a $158-million payroll, and revenues about to soar as the team completes its new and vibrant ballpark neighborhood. Even if the A’s build that waterfront home, can they truly compete with the Giants in this marketplace?

Can the A’s really plan for a payroll in the top 10 in the major leagues?

“I think the revenue from a new waterfront ballpark in Oakland can support that,” Kaval said. “One hundred percent.”

The fans in Oakland can be excused for their skepticism. Kaval says the A’s would spend more if only they had a new ballpark, and of course that makes sense. But the “if only” part comes off to this ear as passive.

A's announce an attendance of 17,503 for tonight's home opener.

— Matt Kawahara (@matthewkawahara) April 19, 2022

Oakland Coliseum Sees Feral Cat Population Boom – ‘We Have Been Invaded’

Feral cats are a maybe too common a sight these days at the Oakland Coliseum property, the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Authority executive director said Tuesday, calling it an invasion.

Rats are no longer the problem, said executive director Henry Gardner.

“We have been invaded by these cats,” he said. “The population keeps increasing.”

He said it grew during the pandemic.

Gardner has ideas for the cats and euthanizing them is not an option. He said the plan is to relocate them a few at a time to new homes.

Gardner is considering the possibility of advertising opportunities for people to adopt the cats. The ads would appear during Oakland Arena and Oakland Coliseum events, such as Oakland A’s games.

“That is something I will be pursuing,” he said.

White Sox Trade Rumors: A’s Want Andrew Vaughn for Frankie Montas

According to Bob Nightengale, Rick Hahn has been in talks with the Oakland A’s to acquire their ace, Frankie Montas. The only problem is the A’s want slugger Andrew Vaughn in return. Per Nightengale’s report, Hahn is hesitant to part ways with Vaughn, and it’s easy to understand why.

When the White Sox drafted Vaughn with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2019, they did so because he had the most advanced bat in his class, and you could clearly project him to take over for José Abreu at first base one day. He lived up to the hype, debuting in 2021 and hitting 15 homers in 127 games.

What may have come as more of a surprise is that Vaughn proved to be such a high-level athlete that he was able to contribute all over the field when called upon. No demonstration of that ability was more impressive than when he made his MLB debut at left fieldー a position he had only started playing a few days before since Eloy Jiménez hurt himself about a week before the season began. Vaughn did so well with the new assignment that he became the team’s regular left fielder before too long. By season’s end, Vaughn was playing left field, right field, filling in at first when Abreu needed a breather, and even played a game at second and third. He became the team’s slugging swiss army knife.

The A’s say a new ballpark can stop their teardown culture. Should we believe them?

“The ballpark is the key to having a larger payroll so we can compete more effectively with bigger market clubs, have a better fan experience and retain players,” A’s president Dave Kaval said. “You will see a completely different business model based on this revenue potential when we have our new building.”

The A’s claim a new ballpark will allow them to finance teams and players that will create a better product. But now is the time for A’s fans to ask: Is a new ballpark enough to fulfill that promise?

From a baseball standpoint, probably. After 20 years, A’s baseball operations has team-building down to a science, continuously spawning successful teams that deserve more financial support. New ballpark revenues would allow them to offer competitive extensions and explore a wider variety of free agent options to supplement their core instead of flipping players whose talent becomes expensive.

Operating on a shoestring budget this year, even, the A’s have managed to re-allocate some funds for new technology throughout their minor league affiliates and with the big league team. Director of Baseball Systems Rob Naberhaus was promoted to an assistant general manager position to reinforce “more of a voice in our internal technology investments,” Forst said.

“I wouldn’t say we were falling behind,” Forst said. “We just want to make sure we are not falling behind.”

A’s business operations, though, might not be as reliable.

San Diego Padres acquire LHP Sean Manaea in trade with rebuilding Oakland A’s

The San Diego Padres have acquired left-hander Sean Manaea in a trade with the Oakland Athletics.

In return, Oakland is getting right-hander Adrian Martinez and infielder Euribiel Angeles. San Diego also got right-hander Aaron Holiday in the deal.

Manaea, 30, went 11-10 with a 3.91 ERA in 32 starts last season for the A’s. He now joins one of the deepest rotations in the majors as the Padres feature Opening Day starter Yu Darvish, Joe Musgrove, Blake Snell, and Nick Martinez. Right-hander Chris Paddack is on the injured list with an oblique injury while fellow righty Mike Clevinger will begin the year on IL as he continues to recover from Tommy John surgery.

Source: A’s interested in Manny Ramirez

Just BillybeingBilly.

The Oakland Athletics are “very interested” in making Manny Ramirez their designated hitter next season, a source told ESPNDeportesLosAngeles.com.

Ramirez, 39, has been working out in Miami since December and has plans to have open workout sessions for clubs interested in his services at the end of January.

Last week, ESPNDeportesLosAngeles.com reported that the Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays had a look at Ramirez batting in an indoor cage.

“The Orioles and Blue Jays saw Manny work and Baltimore liked what it saw, but Oakland has been the team that has expressed the most interest, even before having him work out,” the source said.

Ramirez, a .312 lifetime hitter with 555 home runs and 1,831 career RBIs over 19 seasons, was reinstated by Major League Baseball from the “voluntarily retired” list after the Dominican player opted to leave the game instead of serving a second suspension for violating the league’s banned substances policy in 2011 while playing for the Tampa Bay Rays.

Camden Depot: Rick Peterson Breaks Fewer Pitchers?

Jon Shepherd takes a first look at Rick Peterson’s record in keeping pitchers off the disabled list.

Rick Peterson and his pitching lab will apparently be in full effect for the Orioles in 2012.  His analytical technique has been hailed as a major prevention tool against injuries.  I have disabled list numbers of starting pitchers from part of his tenure with the A’s and all of his tenure with the Mets, giving us a time line from 2001 to 2007.  I also have disabled numbers of Orioles’ starting pitchers in 2009 and 2010.

Jonny Gomes to Sign with A’s

The Oakland Athletics are poised to sign Jonny Gomes, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. Slusser points out that he’s a local favorite set to join the club after Billy Beane indicated after the Seth Smith trade that he could be looking for more depth in the outfield.

Gomes, 31, has spent most of his career with the Tampa Bay Rays but was with the Cincinnati Reds for a couple seasons and then spent part of 2011 in DC. He’s never been an especially good hitter (being kind to the guy with the mohawk, ok?) but does have a little pop, with a career line of .242 / .329 / .451. If you’re playing at home, think Adam Dunn without the walks.

Thanks to Ferg.

Orlando Cabrera To Retire From Baseball

OH NO, EXPO!

Last season, Orlando Cabrera batted .238 with the Indians and Giants, posting a 61 OPS+. The season before that, he posted a 76 OPS+. The season before that, he posted an 85 OPS+. Orlando Cabrera has been declining, and just turned 37 years old. As a free agent, Cabrera didn’t drum up much interest, which I’m guessing is why he’s intending to hang ‘em up. Enrique Rojas:

  “Orlando Cabrera to retire from baseball, he said in Colombia radio station. Thanks for memories!”

Cabrera had a long career that’ll be difficult to forget. He debuted with the Expos in 1997, and remained there until the giant Nomar Garciaparra three-way trade in 2004. That year, with the Red Sox, Cabrera won a World Series. He wound up with the Angels, earning the unfortunate nickname “The Wizard of O.C.”, and then he wound up with the White Sox, and the A’s, and the Twins, and the Reds, and the Indians, and the Giants ... He remained a shortstop to the end, and collected 2,055 hits. He will always be remembered as a pest. An absolute pest.

A’s trade Moscoso, Outman for Seth Smith

#### THE GOLDEN GLOBES!

Billy Beane’s Oakland A’s continued their extreme offseason makeover Monday with yet another trade. This time Beane shipped pitchers Josh Outman and Guillermo Moscoso to the Rockies for outfielder Seth Smith—who has been involved in trade rumors throughout the offseason.

Smith, 29, has served mostly as a fourth outfielder type for the Rockies since 2008, but he got a career high 533 plate appearances last season. He hit .284/.347/.483 with 15 homers, 32 doubles and 10 stolen bases. He hasn’t played center field since 2008, so he’s best used as a corner outfielder. He’ll likely be the starter in left field with Coco Crisp in center and Josh Reddick in right. Of course, prospect Michael Taylor is going to figure in the mix at some point.

One item of note: Smith’s career splits indicate he was hugely helped by Coors Field. He’s hit .296/.366/.559 at home and .257/.332/.418 on the road. And Oakland plays in one of the worst hitters’ parks in the majors.

Moscoso, 28, was 8-10 with a 3.38 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 74 strikeouts in 128 innings last season. Outman, 27, was 3-5 with a 3.70 ERA, 1.46 WHIP and 35 strikeouts in 58 1/3 innings. And, again, we’ll note that these two pitchers are going from having a very pitcher-friendly home park to one of the most hitter-friendly yards in the bigs.

Oakland manager Melvin excited about Japan series

The Athletics and Seattle Mariners open the regular season with a two-game series at Tokyo Dome on March 28-29. Many hoped the series would feature a showdown between Matsui and countryman Ichiro Suzuki, but Melvin said the A’s likely wont be re-signing the 37-year-old free agent Matsui.

“Matsui was a great fit for us last year and we all loved having him on our team,’’ Melvin said at a press conference on Monday to promote the series. “But this year it doesn’t look like a fit for us based on the personnel we have going forward.’‘

...Suzuki also had a down season in 2011. For the first time in his career, He failed to reach 200 hits - finishing with 184 - and hit a career-worst .272. Other numbers were lower too, including on-base percentage, infield hits and home runs, while he struck out a career-high 69 times.

Former Seattle star Ken Griffey Jr., who now serves as a special consultant to the Mariners, said he expects Suzuki to bounce back this season.

“Ichiro is going to be fine, you can ask these two guys (Melvin, Wedge) if a guy had 184 hits they wouldn’t be complaining,’’ Griffey said. “But you are looking at a guy who is a special athlete. He had one hiccup in his career and come this time next year we won’t even be talking about this. He is going to come into this season determined and with a little fire.’‘

Hiccup?...That was a freakin’ Dave McNally tally if ever!

Phil Rogers: Bean-counting GM Beane deserves a better place to work

And furthermore

(bullet) MLB should have a minimum payroll. It would require all teams to at least attempt to be somewhat competitive, and fairness is an issue. For instance, how much of an advantage will the Angels and Rangers have in the wild-card race because they have 19 games each against Oakland?

(bullet) According to Bill James’ projections, the Athletics’ most productive hitter next season will be DH Brandon Allen, with a slash line of .243/.327/.449, 22 home runs and 71 RBIs.

(bullet) Melvin is a major upgrade in the dugout, probably the best manager they’ve had since Tony La Russa (although Art Howe was much better than the movie’s portrayal by Philip Seymour Hoffman suggests).

(bullet) MLB scoffs at Forbes’ projections, but they’re the best available.

(bullet) Wolff is very close to Selig, but so far that does not appear to have gained him any advantages.

(bullitt) There are bad writers and there are good writers - and then there’s Rogers.

MLB Trade Rumors: Bartolo Colon Agrees to Sign With Unknown Team

Bartolo Colon has agreed to a deal with an unknown club reports Bob Nightengale of USA Today (on Twitter). The right-hander wouldn’t divulge the team because he has not yet passed his physical.

Pretty sure it’s either the All-Stars or the Champs.

On DVD: Moneyball’s deleted scenes reveal the numbers game

The deleted scene in question features Oakland A’s general manager Billy Beane (Brad Pitt) discussing the team’s relief pitchers with field manager Art Howe (Philip Seymour Hoffman). The two butt heads several times in the film, as Beane recommends fielding undervalued, unorthodox players over the objections of the more conservative Howe.

This time he’s singing the praises of Chad Bradford over Mike Magnante. He concludes his own pitch by telling Howe to bring Bradford out of the bullpen no matter what. “If we’re in, let’s say to make it easier on you, any situation. OK? Righty, lefty, two outs, one out, the umpires want to finish the game throwing darts … Bradford!”

It’s no surprise, however, when Howe does the opposite. Magnante promptly gives up a home run, and the crowd boos lustily. Beane then makes a rare (and illegal) trip to the dugout during the game to tell Howe what a costly f-you that was, and adds: “Those boos; they’re for you. Drink up.”

It’s a clever scene, probably cut only because we see so much sniping between Beane and Howe that their animosity is already clear.

Thanks to Nroll.

Kevin Goldstein: Athletics Top 11 Prospects

Five-Star Prospects
1. Michael Choice, OF
Four-Star Prospects
2. Jarrod Parker, RHP
3. A.J. Cole, RHP
4. Brad Peacock, RHP
5. Sonny Gray, RHP
6. Derek Norris, C
7. Grant Green, OF
Three-Star Prospects
8. Chris Carter, 1B
9. Collin Cowgill, OF
10. Raul Alcantara, RHP
11. Max Stassi, C

Nine More
12. Michael Taylor, OF: He made some improvements in 2011, but the A’s showed “confidence” in Taylor by acquiring Reddick and re-signing Crisp.
13. Josh Donaldson, C: He doesn’t have any star-level tools, but he has improved defensively and has always had solid power.
14. Yordy Cabrera, SS: He had an ugly full-season debut in 2011, but the seven-figure tools are still there.
15. Bobby Crocker, OF: This 2011 fourth-round pick is a big-time athlete with speed and power potential.
16. Aaron Shipman, OF: He could explode with some hitting refinements due to his speed and advanced approach.
17. Vicmal De La Cruz, OF: De La Cruz was beat up in the Dominican Summer League. His speed and bat are his best tools.
18. Ian Krol, LHP: He lost 2011 due to injury, but his instructional league showing has officials optimistic for a bounceback.
19. Miles Head, 1B/3B: Head came over in the Andrew Bailey trade. There is nothing pretty about what he does, but his power is significant.
20. Jermaine Mitchell, OF: He finally had his breakout season, but he is also 27 now.

BN: A Proposal To Break The Territorial-Rights Logjam Between The A’s And The Giants

With a doff of the chapeau to Mr. Calcaterra, a modest proposal indeed:

All of the two-team territories but one share the same counties: the Yankees and Mets; the White Sox and Cubs; and the Dodgers and Angels. Only the Giants and A’s split the counties surrounding their home cities. The A’s territory includes Alameda and Contra Costa counties; the Giants’ territory includes San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Cruz, Monterey and Marin counties, “plus Santa Clara County with respect to another major league team.” San Jose is in Santa Clara county.