By:
Wire Reports
12/17/12 8:27 PM
Two people with knowledge of the negotiations said the A’s agreed to sign shortstop Hiroyuki Nakajima of Japan’s Seibu Lions.
The people spoke on condition of anonymity Monday because there had yet to be a formal announcement. The AL West champion A’s called a news conference for today afternoon described as a “major announcement.”
Nakajima agreed to a $6.5 million, two-year contract. The deal also includes a $5.5 million option for a third season, one of the people said.
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Right-handed reliever Pat Neshek and the A’s reached agreement on a one-year contract, avoiding salary arbitration.
The AL West champion A’s rallied around Neshek after his newborn son, Gehrig, died 23 hours after his birth just before the playoffs began last month. Oakland players took the field wearing patches in the baby’s honor during their five-game division series loss to the Detroit Tigers.
He went 2-1 with a 1.37 ERA in 24 appearances with the A’s after being acquired from Baltimore on Aug. 3 for cash considerations.
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Pitcher Brandon McCarthy is ready for a normal offseason after being medically cleared this week to resume his regular routine, less than three months after being struck in the head by a line drive and undergoing emergency brain surgery.
“Everything’s good,” McCarthy said by telephone Thursday. “This last month I have taken the rest part very seriously. I have a couple little projects I’ve picked up, I read — I’m actually really good at being lazy. It kind of worked out well timing wise.”
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Bartolo Colon will be welcomed back to the A’s with no hard feelings — at least by newly crowned AL Manager of the Year Bob Melvin.
Melvin said Wednesday he is “thrilled” the right-hander will return to the club next year after his 2012 season ended with a 50-game suspension Aug. 22 for testing positive for testosterone.
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Young rosters, small budgets, limited expectations.
No matter.
Bob Melvin of the A’s and the Washington Nationals’ Davey Johnson won big right away and were chosen as managers of the year Tuesday after guiding their teams to huge turnaround seasons.
Melvin beat out Baltimore’s Buck Showalter for the AL honor in a close vote by a Baseball Writers’ Association of America panel. In his first full season with Oakland, the rookie-laden A’s made a 20-game improvement, finished 94-68 and stunned just about everyone by winning the AL West with baseball’s lowest payroll.
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By:
Josh Dubow
10/11/12 10:04 PM
The A’s finally encountered the one hurdle too tough to overcome in this surprising season: Justin Verlander.
The A’s struck out 11 times against last year’s AL Cy Young winner and MVP and were unable to complete an improbable comeback in the AL Division Series, losing Game 5 to the Detroit Tigers 6-0 on Thursday night.
Oakland overcame losses in the first two games of the best-of-five series and a two-run deficit in the ninth inning of Game 4 to force the decisive game against the Tigers.
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By:
Josh Dubow
10/10/12 11:01 PM
Seth Smith, Coco Crisp and the never-say-die Oakland Athletics forced a Game 5 of their AL division series against the Detroit Tigers with their most memorable comeback yet.Smith hit a game-tying two-run double off closer Jose Valverde in the ninth inning and Coco Crisp capped Oakland's most dramatic comeback yet with a two-out RBI single as the A's staved off elimination for a second straight night with a 4-3 victory in Game 4 Wednesday night.
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By:
Janie McCauley
10/09/12 10:58 PM
These A’s never count themselves out — down and doubted is their dogma.
Brett Anderson outdueled fellow postseason first-timer Anibal Sanchez and the upstart A’s were stellar on defense all over the diamond, avoiding another playoff sweep by Detroit by beating the Tigers 2-0 Tuesday in their AL Division Series at the Oakland Coliseum.
The A’s cut their deficit in the best-of-five matchup to 2-1.
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By:
Janie McCauley
10/08/12 6:36 PM
Ideally, Jim Leyland would have everybody hug it out and play ball.
Just as Detroit’s Justin Verlander and Coco Crisp of Oakland did on the field for Monday’s workout day ahead of their teams’ Game 3 in the AL division series Tuesday. The Tigers lead 2-0 and are one win from advancing to a second straight AL championship series.
Leyland insists reliever Al Alburquerque meant no ill will toward the A’s when he fielded Yoenis Cespedes’ ninth-inning comebacker and quickly kissed the ball before throwing to first. Yet the manager disagreed with the display.
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By:
Noah Trister
10/06/12 6:45 PM
Justin Verlander threw a fastball that caught a bit too much of the plate, allowing Oakland's Coco Crisp to lead off the game with a stunning home run.For the first few innings, Verlander labored, his pitch count rising while his control deserted him. But the Athletics could manage only that one run, missing their best chance of the night to break through against Detroit's hard-throwing ace.
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URL: http://www.sfexaminer.com/archive/17886/17886?page=7
