Oakland A's

Reddick’s Walkoff Hit Lifts A’s Over Astros

Published

8 years ago

July 20, 2016

Oakland, CA – It’s been an unbelievable half for the A’s. They continued their winning ways by rallying back for the 4-3 victory over the Astros in extra innings. Coco Crisp tied the game in the ninth and Josh Reddick drove in Marcus Semien for the win in the tenth. Oakland has been on a “hot” streak since the All-Star break.

“It was really a good game for us,” said A’s manager Bob Melvin. “We have three of our best guys not available in the bullpen tonight and we have a guy who just got called up to make a start. There was lot of fight for us tonight. We got down and battled back, we always thought we had a chance. A lot of good things transpired tonight and a lot of contribution from guys.”

Houston got going early but swift defense from the A’s kept them off the board in the first. Jose Altuve singled, followed by Carlos Correa who hit a single and stole second. Luis Valbuena grounded out to first to end the threat. But it was a close call, first baseman Danny Valencia was too far to tag Valbuena out so he tossed the ball to Dillon Overton who had to outrun Valbuena to first.

The Astros took a 1-0 lead in the third, Altuve doubled and Correa reached first on a fielder’s choice. Dillon was quick to throw to catcher Matt McBride to tag Marwin Gonzalez out at home. But Valbuena’s RBI single scored in Altuve to get on the board. Houston added on two more runs in the fifth. George Springer went deep to center field. Altuve tripled and scored on Correa’s sacrifice fly making it a 3-0 game.

Altuve has reached base safely in 34 straight road games, which is the longest streak by an Astros player since Jeff Bagwell had a 51-game streak from Sept. 23, 1998-July 31, 1999. The second baseman has hit safely in each of his last 18 road games and batting .415 on the road this season. Altuve leads the Majors with his sixth four-hit game. He is also fourth in Houston history in four-hit games with 18. Altuve is playing outstanding baseball.

Oakland went scoreless through the first six innings before Ryon Healy’s two-run double off reliever Ken Giles. Keuchel put the runners on before his exit. Overton was charged with the loss after being called up yesterday from Triple-A Nashville. He went 6 1/3 innings, allowed nine hits, three runs, one home run and no walks. Despite a rough first, he recovered well.

Photo by Eric Taylor

The A’s got back in the game in the seventh. Billy Butler singled and Jake Smolinski doubled knocking Dallas Keuchel off the mound. Ken Giles gave up a double to Ryon Healy who cleared the bases driving in both Butler and Smolinski. Oakland cut the lead to one, and threaten in the eighth but fail to score. The A’s had stranded eight runners through the first eight innings.

By the ninth, Oakland tied the game and forced extra innings. After Healy was called out on strikes, back-to-back doubles from both Stephen Vogt and Crisp tied the game 3-3. Semien singed in the tenth and stole second putting the winning run at second. Tony Sipp walked Yonder Alonso and surrendered a single to Josh Reddick who hit a grounder past third baseman Valbuena.

“I didn’t expect to be sent right there,” Semien said. “I was just trying to get out of the way of the batted ball. Wash [Ron Washington 3rd base coach] was aggressive right there and it worked out.”

Semien got out of the way as he rounded third base, Correa scooped up the ball but was late on the throw to home plate. Semien scored and the celebration began. The A’s have won four of five games since the MLB All-Star Break and are 6-3 in their last nine games. They’ve also won their fourth walk-off game this season, the first since June 17 vs Los Angeles Angels.
“It was definitely an interesting two-inning period for us,” said Reddick. “Good thing for us it worked out to get the win.”

Notes – The Oakland Athletics raised $38,460 at this evening’s 17th Annual Root Beer Float Day. All proceeds benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

The A’s have raised more than $486,000 for JDRF throughout the event’s history. Current and former A’s players, broadcasters, various Bay Area TV and radio personalities, and celebrities served root beer floats for two hours before tonight’s game. Proceeds were raised through the sale of floats and souvenir mugs, as well as tips given in exchange for autographs and pictures with the celebrity scoopers. Funds raised from tonight’s 50/50 raffle and the A’s Community Fund silent auction will also benefit JDRF.

Soda for the event was donated by Zevia—the zero-calorie soda—and Whole Foods Market. The ice cream was donated by Dreyer’s. Dexcom, a presenting sponsor for this event, was also on site to educate fans on their continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) products and tools for adult and pediatric diabetic patients.

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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.