Oakland A's

A’s Home Runs Shutout The Tigers

Published

10 years ago

May 26, 2014

Oakland, CA – The last time these two teams met was in the postseason. And for the second time in two years, the Detroit Tigers moved on while the A’s got better. Today it’s just another game on the schedule but for Oakland it’s so much more.

“There is some history there when facing this team,” said A’s manager Bob Melvin.

Oakland put on a home run clinic to shutout the Tigers 10-0 in the first of a four-game series. After returning home from a tough road trip, the A’s dominated Drew Smyly to take a early 5-0 lead through the first four innings. Smyly came in having only given up four home runs all season, and he allowed that many in less than three innings.

“Honestly, I felt like the ball was coming out of my hand pretty well,” Smyly said. “I was attacking hitters and putting myself into good counts. I don’t know how you give up four solo home runs in one game, but there it is. They hit my good pitches and they hit my bad pitches.”

Coco Crisp leadoff the first with a single, moved to third on a fielding error by shortstop Andrew Romine. Derek Norris was safe at first putting both runners in the corner with no outs. But Smyly retired the next three batters leaving runners stranded. No worries, Oakland made up for it in the second.

Brandon Moss hit a home run off Austin Jackson’s glove over the center field wall. After extending himself leaping over the wall Jackson caught the ball but lost it trying to bring it down. Kyle Blanks in his first at-bat blasted a solo home run to left field making it a 2-0 game. Blanks ended his 49-game homerless streak dating back to June 16, 2013 with the San Diego Padres.

“I don’t think you’re ever going to get in trouble for it,” said Blanks. “I think it’s more just the thought process of really not trying to do too much. Today was a great example of everybody contributing.”

The A’s home run parade continued in the third. Both Josh Donaldson and Yoenis Cespedes went back-to-back with solo home runs deep to left field. Donaldson shot a bullet just over the left field wall while Cespedes took Smyly’s ball high into the stands. Oakland’s 4-0 lead still kept Smyly in the game.

“It wasn’t a great outing for him,” Detroit manager Brad Ausmus said. “At least he got deep enough in the game where the bullpen wasn’t completely torn apart.”

It didn’t get any better for Smyly in the fourth, he loaded the bases with no outs. Alberto Callaspo leadoff the frame with a single and Blanks followed with a single to left field. Craig Gentry walked and Crisp drove in the A’s fifth run with a sacrifice fly. Donaldson extended Oakland’s lead 6-0 with a RBI single.

Tommy Milone was two outs away from recording seven shutout innings but Jed Lowrie’s error ended his day on the mound. He exited to a standing ovation from the sellout crowd. Milone tossed 6 2/3 innings, yielding four hits, two walks, six strikeouts and no runs. His performance was outstanding, he stayed inside the corner all afternoon, mixing up his changeup and fastball which was a huge part of his success.

“Whenever you go out there and give up zero runs, it’s always a good day,” said Milone. “But I’ve got to give credit to the the defense and, obviously, the offense today because they backed me up.”

Milone worked around Miguel Cabrera’s leadoff double in the fourth to retire the next four batters. The Tigers remained scoreless with only three players getting hits. Bottom of the eighth, Phil Coke issued a free pass to Blanks, a catcher’s interference put Gentry on and an error by shortstop Romine loaded the bases with no outs.

Derek Norris hit grand slam that gave the A’s a 10-0 lead to seal their victory. What a way to cap off a special day to honor the men and women who fought for our country on Memorial Day. This was Norris’ first career grand slam and a season-high five home runs for Oakland. Norris stated that all he wanted to do was join in the fun of getting on base like his fellow teammates but he did much more.

“Homers can be rally killers,” Norris said. “But when you end up hitting four or five of them on the day, you can probably make a different statement.”

Notes – Kyle Blanks joined the A’s on the road in Cleveland. He was acquired from the San Diego Padres on May 15 for minor league outfielder Jake Goebbert and a player to be named later. Blanks appeared in five of Oakland’s nine games since then. He is now the first baseman and feels he’s adjusting well with his new team.

“I haven’t faced a lot of these teams so it’s a first time for me,” Blanks said. “It’s nice to be back at first base, I grew up playing this position except over the last couple of years. I’m starting to feel really comfortable again and just hoping to get better.”

“It takes awhile to adjust to a new team but he’s gotten some starts and made some athletic plays at first,” said manager Bob Melvin. “I’m sure he’s looking forward to scoring some balls up. He’s got a lot of power and he’s doing well.”

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Oakland Welcomes a New Baseball Team to Compensate for Oakland A’s Departure

Before a City Council meeting in early November, Mayor Sheng Thao held a rally with fans to call on the A’s owners to vote to stay in the Bay Area. In a show of solidarity, the City Council voted to approve a resolution that asserted its support for the A’s and appealed to MLB owners to keep the team rooted in Oakland. Despite the appeals, the owners decided to go ahead with their plan to move to Las Vegas, making this Oakland’s second major sports team since the Raiders exited in 2020 to play at Allegiant Stadium.

Published

5 months ago

December 10, 2023

Oakland Post

The Oakland Ballers, or Oakland B’s logo. Courtesy image.

By Magaly Muñoz, Post Staff

The city of Oakland is welcoming a new baseball team, the Oakland Ballers, only weeks after the Oakland A’s unanimously decided to relocate to Las Vegas.

The team’s owners, Bryan Carmel and Paul Freedman, who refer to themselves as the Oakland B’s, held a press conference in late November to announce their new minor league team with the intention to “steal back Oakland’s baseball legacy.”

“In Oakland, sometimes we win, sometimes we lose, but we always bring it,” Carmel said.

Despite the appeals, the owners decided to go ahead with their plan to move to Las Vegas, making this Oakland’s second major sports team since the Raiders exited in 2020 to play at Allegiant Stadium.

Thao was present at the press conference, alongside others, including City Council President Nikki Fortunato-Bas and Oakland rapper Mistah F.A.B. There, she expressed her enthusiasm for the new sports team.

“The Ballers will be ambassadors for the town and demonstrate our spirit, hustle, and resilience to the world. Let’s play ball, Oakland!” said Thao.

The B’s will be a part of the Pioneer League, an independent baseball league that operates in the Rocky Mountain region of the United States. The team will play at Laney College starting May 2024.

Tyler Peterson, assistant general manager for the B’s, said the team coming to Oakland brings opportunities for everyone involved.

Ball players who weren’t drafted straight out of college or who did get drafted but aren’t performing up to expectations have the opportunity to join the B’s and build up their skills with the team.

“We want to be able to offer them [players] high visibility, opportunities to get themselves in front of Major League scouts,” Peterson shared.

Peterson told the Post that nine players have already been signed onto the team, and over 60 inquiries have come through from players all over the country. The names of the players will ~~soon~~ be announced to the public soon.

The B’s will have one of the lowest contract buyouts for players in the league — $5,000 — making it more enticing for major league teams to scout players from their roster. Peterson revealed that the Ballers also intend to give back to the community by donating a portion of the buyout money to local charities.

Oakland sports has taken massive hits over the last decade, with major teams relocating one after the other. The Golden State Warriors moved in 2019 to Chase Stadium in San Francisco, the A’s are set to leave as early as 2025, and the Raiders left in 2020. Oakland was among several cities considered for a WNBA expansion team but was also passed up in favor of San Francisco.

Peterson said they reject the idea that Oakland isn’t a pro-sports town, and although they can never replicate the A’s impact, he affirmed that the B’s are here to stay for good.

“We aren’t going to dictate to the fans what we are because we’re supposed to be for Oakland by Oakland,” Peterson explained. “We want this to be something for Oakland to celebrate and something that we all need.”

Peterson revealed that the team has received an overwhelmingly positive response since their announcement, and they are excited to get started.

The B’s have secured $2 million in seed funding from investors, and fans will have the opportunity to become part owners of the team through a public crowdfunding campaign.

The Oakland Ballers‘ inaugural home game is scheduled for June 4, 2024.

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Mayor Thao, Rebecca Kaplan Back Resolution Endorsing Barbara Lee’s “Moneyball Act” Legislation

On June 28 the Oakland City Council will vote on Mayor Sheng Thao and Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan’s resolution in support of Congressmember Barbara Lee’s “Moneyball Act” legislation at the 3:30 p.m. Special Council meeting. The Moneyball Act would require any professional baseball club that relocates more than 25 miles from its previous location to compensate the state and local authorities they relocate from; and subject Major League Baseball (MLB) to Anti-Trust Laws if professional baseball clubs do not comply.

Published

10 months ago

July 5, 2023

Oakland Post

Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao (left) and Oakland Councilmember at-large Rebecca Kaplan. Post file photos.

The Moneyball Act would require any professional baseball club that relocates more than 25 miles from its previous location to compensate the state and local authorities they relocate from; and subject Major League Baseball (MLB) to Anti-Trust Laws if professional baseball clubs do not comply.

“The Moneyball Act will ensure that no city and community is left behind when billionaires decide that Lee. “The Oakland Athletics have been an institution of the East Bay for over half a century. I want to thank Mayor Thao and Councilmember Kaplan for supporting our federal efforts to keep the A’s rooted in Oakland and for their commitment to our community.”

The current antitrust exemption granted to MLB is a direct result of the unique value that individual sports teams bring to their communities. However, the incentivization of professional baseball clubs to leave their home cities and relocate to other markets has raised questions about the continued validity of the legal and public policy bases for MLB’s antitrust exemption.

“I commend Congressmember Barbara Lee for defending the rights of communities like Oakland, along with many others across the nation, that are struggling to fight corporate greed in sports. The Moneyball Act will rectify Oakland’s current situation by ensuring fair compensation as a result of losing revenue, jobs, and commerce should the A’s relocate, Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan states.

As the Councilmember who represents the entire city of Oakland and Chair of the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Authority, we have worked diligently to bring about a thriving future, including sports, entertainment, job opportunities, and more. This includes providing substantial opportunities for the A’s. Communities, taxpayers, workers, and fans all deserve to be treated with respect,” said Kaplan.

The relocation of clubs to new cities can sever the bonds established between franchises and their communities, leading to adverse economic effects and a loss of revenue, jobs, and commerce for the former host communities.

As demonstrated in the relocation of the Oakland Athletics (A’s), which was supported and encouraged by MLB, there are deep and inequitable impacts on the local community, especially the East Oakland community where the A’s have called their home for 50 years.

Thao states: “The A’s have been a treasured part of the Oakland community for more than a half century, and the City and fans have repeatedly shown our commitment to keeping the A’s ‘rooted in Oakland.’ That history and deep commitment shouldn’t be thrown aside lightly.”

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Oakland Mayor Thao, Councilmember Kaplan Announce Resolution in Support of Representatives Lee and DeSaulnier’s ‘Moneyball Act’ Legislation

Mayor Sheng Thao and Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan announced their resolution in support of Congressmembers Barbara Lee and Mark Desaulnier’s “Moneyball Act” legislation that would require any professional baseball club that relocates more than 25 miles from its previous location to compensate the state and local authorities they relocate from; and subject Major League Baseball (MLB) to Anti-Trust Laws if professional baseball clubs do not comply.

Published

10 months ago

June 26, 2023

Oakland Post

On Thursday day, the Rules and Legislation Committee approved the resolution to be scheduled for a vote at the June 28 City Council meeting.

The current antitrust exemption granted to MLB is a direct result of the unique value that individual sports teams bring to their communities.

However, the incentivization of professional baseball clubs to leave their home cities and relocate to other markets has raised questions about the continued validity of the legal and public policy bases for MLB’s antitrust exemption.

Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan stated: “I commend Congressmembers Barbara Lee and Mark DeSaulnier for defending the rights of communities like Oakland, along with many others across the nation, that are struggling to fight corporate greed in sports.

“The Moneyball Act will rectify Oakland’s current situation by ensuring fair compensation as a result of losing revenue, jobs, and commerce should the A’s relocate,” she said.

“As the Councilmember who represents the entire City of Oakland and chair of the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Authority, we have worked diligently to bring about a thriving future, including sports, entertainment, job opportunities, and more,” Kaplan said. “This includes providing substantial opportunities for the A’s. Communities, taxpayers, workers, and fans all deserve to be treated with respect.”

Mayor Sheng Thao states: “The A’s have been a treasured part of the Oakland community for more than a half century, and the City and fans have repeatedly shown our commitment to keeping the A’s ‘rooted in Oakland.’ That history and deep commitment shouldn’t be thrown aside lightly. Once again, Congressmembers Lee and DeSaulnier are bringing plain common sense to the table, and we appreciate their steadfast support.”

From the media relations offices of Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and City Councilmember at-Large Rebecca Kaplan.