MLB Offseason 2010-11

[surfer]

Welcome to what has to got to be the lowest point for the A's franchise since I started following the team 11 years ago:

- Dallas Braden suing former A's medical staff
- Beane and Wolfe saying they wont be active in FA market
- SJ Redevelopment Agency in such rough financial shape that they may not be able to buy the last parcels for a downtown baseball stadium for the A's.
- Neukom maintaining "no negotiations" stance and threatening lawsuits wrt South Bay territorial rights
- Giants making WS
- Curt Young, A's pitching coach for last 7 years turns down a 1 yr contract with 40% increase in salary, presumably to interview or take RS pitching coach job.
- Still no word from Bud's Blue Ribbon Committee
- Poor year in AAA for Michael Taylor (although he's doing well in AZ Fall League), which is pretty much all we have left of the Holiday trade

A's stove is not hot, its off.

[crawjo]

There's some thought that the Orioles might target Mark Reynolds in a trade. They need a third baseman and Beltre isn't coming to Baltimore.

[surfer]

There's some thought that the Orioles might target Mark Reynolds in a trade. They need a third baseman and Beltre isn't coming to Baltimore.

I heard the A's offered Kouz and Mazzaro for Reynolds. Not sure if that's true.

[crawjo]

There's some thought that the Orioles might target Mark Reynolds in a trade. They need a third baseman and Beltre isn't coming to Baltimore.

I heard the A's offered Kouz and Mazzaro for Reynolds. Not sure if that's true.

Yeah, he's definitely on the block and probably going somewhere. I'd have mixed feelings if he came to Baltimore, depending on what is offered. His defense has been improving but he strikes out so much that I'm not sure if he can be effective long term. Apparently neither are the D-Backs, at least not for the salary they have to give him.

[Harold Baines]

Stay classy, fans. From Rotoworld:

Cliff Lee's wife told USA Today's Bob Nightengale that she enjoys the Dallas area and that living there makes her life "a lot easier."

Lee is just weeks away from hitting the free agent market and is expected to score one of the biggest contracts in the history of baseball. The Yankees are known to have interest in signing the dominant lefty, but Lee's wife, Kristen, was treated poorly while at Yankee Stadium for the ALCS. "The fans did not do good things in my heart," she told Nightengale. "When people are staring at you, and saying horrible things, it’s hard not to take it personal." Kristen loves the ease of travel in Texas and the proximity to her Arkansas home.

[jon abbey]

uh oh, that's not cool. that Yankee crowd was fucking embarrassing on so so so many levels, good to see it may have cost them Lee now. SHITHEADS.

[surfer]

Great so A's offered Curt Young a 2-yr deal with 40% increase (per Buster Olney), and it looks like he's still going to bolt to Boston. What is going on with this organization?

[Harold Baines]

Options picked up on Thornton and Ramon Castro.

Did you see Alexei Ramirez was the Sporting News AL ss? He did settle down once Omar started playing next to him.

It'd be good to bring Omar back.

[Enforcer]

Tigers might go hard after Carl Crawford.

[surfer]

Sandy Alderson taking over as Met's GM and he’s looking to bring Paul DePodesta and J.P. Ricciardi over with him. Oakland Athletics East?

http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/mets/str ... z13ft3bzLm

[Harold Baines]

White Sox re-sign Vizquel for one year.

[jon abbey]

the new rule this year is that guys are FAs 5 days after the WS instead of 15, so Cliff Lee could theoretically sign elsewhere this weekend if he wanted (he won't, just pointing out how quickly things may move now).

[Harold Baines]

RIP Sparky Anderson, one of the good guys.

[Captain Hate]

Dupre barely beat me. RIP to one of the greats.

[crawjo]

1. Connie Mack 3731
2. John McGraw 2763
3. Tony LaRussa 2638
4. Bobby Cox 2504
5. Joe Torre 2326
6. Sparky Anderson 2194
7. Bucky Harris 2158
8. Joe McCarthy 2125
9. Walter Alston 2040
10. Leo Durocher 2008

[bostontricky]

The excitement among Tiger fans when Sparky came on board in 1979 was palatable.

I'll forgive him (someday) for carrying the hideous Jim Morrison on the playoff roster in 1987 instead of cult hero Jim Walewander. (IIRC he wound up pinch-running Jack Morris one of those games).

The exchange been Kirk Gibson and Sparky during Game 5 of the 1984 WS is priceless.

Perhaps this will get Ilitch off his ass and take #11 out of circulation for good. RIP Sparky.

[Enforcer]

Damn, this one hurts. RIP, Sparky.

Long but good piece on the man: http://www.freep.com/article/20101104/S ... ullarticle

[Captain Hate]

Am I the only person here shocked that Sparky was only 76? I'd have thought at least 85.

[Mo Noyz]

That part kinda of shocked me at first, too. Seemed like he had been around since the Bronze Age.

[Harold Baines]

Part of that was that Sparky went gray so early. He looked 60 when he was 45.