Doan Signs Extension with Coyotes, According to Report

Well, there goes the last chance for the Sharks to sign a quality free agent.

Shane Doan, who has spent his entire illustrious career with the Phoenix Coyotes has decided to stay in Phoenix.

Reports indicate that he has signed a four-year, $21.5 million deal with the Coyotes.

The Sharks were one of several teams interested in Doan's services, which included the L.A. Kings and Vancouver Canucks.

Read more »

Will Matt Leinart Ever Be a Starting Quarterback in the NFL?

Matt Leinart has always been a question mark in the NFL. Good enough to play in the league as a back-up, but does he have what it takes to make the jump and become a full time starting quarterback? Well...

First off, he's very knowledgeable. He's got seven years of NFL experience under his belt, while learning from some of the game's best, as he backed up Kurt Warner (future hall-of-famer), Matt Schuab, and Carson Palmer. Schuab and Palmer might not be considered elite, but both have intangibles and mechanics that can be learned by a young newcomer like Leinart.

However, things haven't always gone his way. Leinart never got much playing time in Arizona when he played under Warner (not surprising) and his short stint with Houston didn't go well. After starting quarterback Matt Schuab went down with a broken bone in his right foot late into the season last year, Matt Leinart was presented a golden opportunity to start for the playoff-hoping Texans and show the league what he's made of.

However, in a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Leinart wound up on the sidelines too, as reports later revealed he had a broken collarbone. Rookie TJ Yates then took over and finished out the Texans' season strong and helped them reach the postseason.

And now, Leinart is in Oakland, playing yet another back-up role with the Raiders. It's unlikely that he'll start over Carson Palmer, the veteran QB who was acquired from Cincinnati last season. At least he is ahead of Terrelle Pryor on Oakland's depth chart, but with Leinart's luck, don't be surprised if Pryor makes the leap and snags his job, especially after we saw glimpses of excellence in him during the preseason.

It's sad to see this all happen to Matt Leinart, who, believe it or not, was once a Heisman-winning quarterback for the USC Trojans. Hopefully his hard work and patience will guide him to finding a starting role for himself, that he can keep for years to come.

Read more »

Dan Straily Called Up From Triple A

Update: Susan Sussler is reporting that the A's have called up Dan Straily to the team. It is likely that he will be in their starting rotation.


As an update to our earlier story on replacing Brandon McCarthy. According to Joe Stiglich, Dan Straily has been removed from his next AAA playoff start.

Dan Straily flew with #Athletics to Seattle, I'm told. Don't have it confirmed he'll replace McCarthy in rotation, but obvious candidate.
— Joe Stiglich (@joestiglich) September 7, 2012

All signs are pointing towards Straily starting five days from tomorrow against the Angels. That would pin him against Dan Haren. Now the only question is whether or not the A's will score more than one run.

Straily's stats in three starts for the A's this year:
1-0 W-L; 17 IP; 3.18 ERA;  17SO

Win or lose its nice to know the A's are willing to bring up another key prospect in a pivotal part of the season.

Read more »

How Does the A's Pitching Staff Deal With the Loss of Brandon McCarthy?

First and foremost all of our thoughts are with Brandon McCarthy and his family. Based on a statement released by Billy Beane and the Athletics, it appears McCarthy is in stable condition.

In the past thirty days the A's have lost their two most veteran pitchers on the staff. After losing Bartolo Colon, it was easy to say things were okay as Brett Anderson stepped up and took on the role as the ace of the staff. Now that McCarthy appears to be out as well, the big question is who will step up and provide the depth that McCarthy added to our staff?

The current staff looks like this:

- Brett Anderson
- Jarrod Parker
- Tommy Milone
- AJ Griffin

The easy choice is to convert Travis Blackley back to a starter and have him make four starts in September. Based on the current schedule, he is likely to face the Angels, Orioles, Yankees and Rangers, respectively.

While he's pitched well this year, I'm not thrilled on throwing him out against teams with extremely potent offenses.

One other possibility to fill the void is the "king of strikeouts", Dan Straily. People are clamoring over the fact they want to see him pitch, but we must realize that he is a rookie pitcher that will exceed his innings pitched in a season. The Dan Straily from three months ago might not be the Dan Straily of September.

In short, while the pitching staff has fallen on hard times there's enough viable replacements to make 4 starts in September and help carry the Oakland Athletics back to the playoffs.

Read more »

MLB Power Rankings With a Twist

As a kid, I had two major loves; baseball and comic book villains. The heroes were always one- dimensional and had more flash than substance (like the NFL), but the villains were deep and took a lot more time to grow attached to (like MLB). I wanted to write an MLB power ranking, but those are a dime a dozen. You, my dear readers, deserve a better class of writer. So join me, villainous friends, as I give you all 30 baseball teams and the fiends who would wear their caps proudly-

1. Cincinnati Reds (83-55)/ The Juggernaut

In the heartland, a seemingly unstoppable, red-clad being is in the middle of a rampage. Amid broken beer barrels, a huge fist nearly takes the head offof a man wearing an eye patch. Small blue bears and red birds flee before this powerful monster.

2. Washington Nationals (84-52)/ Bane

"Ahhh, you thinking pitching is your ally." A bat is broken and thrown into a discarded pile of tomahawks. Bane Strasburg puts his boot on the MLB logo's neck when Talia Al Rizzo puts his hand on the giant's shoulder. "That's enough, you've reached your punching limit tonight..."

3. Texas Rangers (81-55)/ Magneto

"Tell me Charles, have you ever been so close to victory that you can taste it? Have you ever been so certain you've won only to have glory snatched away at the last moment? I get San Francisco being mad; I mean, I did kind of destroy the Golden Gate Bridge. But for the life of me, I don't know what I did to St. Louis."

4. New York Yankees (77-59)/ Kingpin

"I know I'm getting up there in age, but I still rule this city, dammit! I have a great new plan: I'll tell everyone I'm going to cut back on my spending, lure them into a false sense of security, then -BAM- I'll buy the AL Central! Now stop making jokes about how I look like a skinny Sabathia and tell the Dodgers to enjoy their shopping spree."

5. San Francisco Giants (77-60)/ Two-Face

"What Melky did was completely wrong. He should give up his All Star Game MVP..."

*Flips Coin

"He was trying to help the team, and he is going to win the batting title..."

*Flips Coin

"Lincecum is terrible, he needs to cut his hair and move to the bullpen..."

*Flips Coin

"But the kid's got two Cy Young's, and the 2010 playoffs..."

*Flips Coin

"Beat LA"

*Flips Coin

"BEAT LA"

6. Atlanta Braves (77-60)/ Doctor Doom

With the Fantastic Four of the Phillies rotation dead and defeated, Dr Doom and his tomahawk bots set the nation's capital in their sights. There is no doubt in his mind that he can chip away at his foes and regain his rightful place as the most feared being in the east.

7. Baltimore Orioles (76-60)/ Venom

All those years waiting and plotting his return has led Venom not to be satisfied with mere victory, but a desire to see his enemies suffer. Venom strikes from the shadows and does not allow his prey to escape once he has them in his grip. He's fast, he's strong, and he will not go away without a fight.

8. St. Louis Cardinals (74-63)/ Ra's Al Ghul

When future Hall-of-Famers Tony LaRussa and Albert Pujols departed, many thought the Cards were dead. A rookie mistake, as all they needed was a dip in the lazarus pit to be able to replace the unreplacable. If you doubt the power of the lazarus pit, just ask yourself -- what other reason can there be for Carlos Beltran staying healthy...?

9. Chicago White Sox (74-62)/ The Joker

"Do I look like a guy with a plan? Let my manager and ace pitcher leave to Miami, make no real upgrades in the lineup, and instead decide to rely on Adam Dunn - who hit .159 - and Alex Rios - who hit 13 homers - to be main-stays in the lineup. Watch the other criminals make plans with Prince Fielder and Albert Pujols, then take those plans and turn them on themselves by having a better record than both. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

10. Oakland A's (76-60)/ Ozymandias

"Why didn't Brad Pitt play me in the Watchmen movie? What I'll do is trade away the A's best players, and let the best free agents walk away. I'll start rookies and washed up rejects. At first the team will stink. We will only have one all star -a relief pitcher- and then when all hope seems lost, we will win enough games to make the playoffs and finally be able to move to San Jose. The best part is, you can't stop me -- this all happened 48 games ago..."

11. Tampa Bay Rays (75-62)/ The Riddler

"Riddle me this! How do you make your move in the AL East?" Answer: With constant infield shifts.

12. Los Angeles Dodgers (73-65)/ Galactus

Galactus: devourer of bad contracts.

13. Los Angeles Angels (74-63)/ General Zod

"ALL KNEEL BEFORE GENERAL TROUT!"

14. Detroit Tigers (73-63)/ Doomsday

The two most deadly things in the universe are Doomsday and Verlander.

15. Pittsburgh Pirates (72-64)/ The Lizard

The Pirates want to be good so badly. Will they be held back by the demons of losing, whom they all know could jump out at any time?

16. Milwaukee Brewers (67-69)/ Kraven the Hunter

Kraven used a magic potion to make himself stronger and faster. Ryan Braun also used something to make himself stronger and faster.

17. Seattle Mariners (67-71)/ Scarecrow

Other teams are afraid of King Felix, but the Mariners' hitters are more afraid of home plate.

18. Philadelphia Phillies (66-71)/ Red Skull

Even the best pre-season plans can be derailed by a group wearing red, white, and blue.

19. Arizona Diamondbacks (68-72)/ Bizzaro

When they were playing well, they wanted to trade their best player; when things went badly, they refused to move anyone.

20. New York Mets (65-72)/ The Penguin

They used stolen money to fund their group, but they still don't have the bats...

21. San Diego Padres (64-75)/ Mr. Freeze

If they can't make the playoffs, then all the other good teams must feel their pain by joining them in a cold winter of no postseason.

22. Kansas City Royals (61-75)/ Harley Quinn

When will they stop being a joke?

23. Toronto Blue Jays (61-75)/ Metallo

Metallo's body was destroyed and his brain put in a robot. The Blue Jays are wondering how he stayed so healthy.

24. Boston Red Sox (63-75)/ Lex Luthor

They spent all the money in the world, but couldn't win against their more powerful foes. Their new plan is to pout.

25. Miami Marlins (60-77)/ Mysterio

Spiderman likes to call him Fishbowl Head, but I think comparing him to the Marlins is a little harsh. After all, he's never done anything as evil as their owners.

26. Minnesota Twins (60-77)/ Sabretooth

Despite being able to attack non-stop, neither the Twins nor Sabretooth seem to know how to stop anyone else from beating them.

27. Colorado Rockies (56-79)/ Doctor Octopus

They both have insane plans that don't work, to solve problems they created.

28. Cleveland Indians (58-79)/ Bullseye

Even Daredevil can seethat  this team needs a major overhaul. Let's start by getting rid of Chief Wahoo...

29. Chicago Cubs (51-85)/ Poison Ivy

Of course, if the ivy was poisoned, I think several fans would have eaten it by now...

30. Houston Astros (42-95)/ Mad Hatter

Who is the Mad Hatter? Anyone who paid $20 for a Houston hat.

Read more »

What's on Tap - 9/7: Giants, A's Back in Action

Hope we were able to keep you company yesterday, a day that will go down as one of the worst in sports programming history.

Anyways, the good news is that both the Giants and A's are back in action tonight, and we will be all over it with previews and recaps.

The Giants take on the Dodgers at AT&T in a pivotal series. Tim Lincecum and Josh Beckett, two marquee pitchers, will duke it out in a battle between two rivals. First pitch is at 7:15 PM.

After being swept by the Angels, the A's will look for some wins up in Seattle. It will not be easy for them tonight though, as they will have to solve the puzzle that is Felix Hernandez. First pitch is at 7:10 PM.

Once again, stay tuned for previews and recaps of these games.

Read more »

The Nightcap - 9/6: McCarthy Recovering From Surgery, Raiders Sign Hagan

The lack of games on this Thursday did not make it a boring day on this sports blog.

A's pitcher Brandon McCarthy had surgery after being hit in the head by a line drive off the bat of Erick Aybar on Wednesday. Fortunately, he is expected to make a full recovery. 

The Raiders signed wide receiver Derek Hagan. What value does he add to the team? Find out here. 

Read more »

Countdown to the NBA Season: 9/7

"LeChoke Sucks!" "Kobe doesn't pass the ball!" "Kevin Durant has small arms, haha!" Just stop. I know NBA fans have rivalries with each other, but there's no need to directly insult players of tremendous talent. Have a rivalry, fine. Don't bring the players, who work as hard as they can, everyday, into it. They have enough problems going on. They keep training, and training, and training, waiting for that opening night game..

NBA News and Buzz:

- Which Players Will Ruthlessly Pull Down Rebounds?

- 5 NBA Veterans Who Are Soon To Be Washed Up?

- Scalabrine Retires (Although many made fun of him, Scal didn't take the hatred personally, but he kept his head up, and that's admirable)

- Does T-Mac Have ANY Fuel In The Tank?

- Is Shaq Done Yet?

Read more »

Warriors: An Open Letter to Mark Jackson

Dear Marc Jackson,

        
Ever since your autograph signing, I knew that the Warriors were in good hands. While I do understand that it is very tough to be a rookie coach, and still do well, I want the Warriors to make the playoffs. As do 100,000 other angry fans. I believe that I am speaking for everyone when I say that the time has finally come. It's now or never. If your Warriors aren't successful this season, the fan base will begin to deteriorate, and eventually become like the Bobcats. Nobody wants that.

I'm glad that you are able to coach defense, but that's not the important thing. As long as you believe that your coaching styles are effective to the skill levels of all the star shooters on your team, then the Warriors will not have a problem winning. They just need to get it done on the defensive end. Most sharpshooters, however, play defense quite well. Hopefully this season will be the best in a while. Aiming for the 7th or 8th seed is a reasonable goal.

"Mama, there goes that man," Hopefully, that's about a Warrior this year. 

Best of Luck,
Tej Kamaraju 

Read more »

Dissecting Jarrett Jack's Role for the Warriors

When Bob Myers sent Dorell Wright to the 76ers, most Warrior fans were probably thinking that they were lucky just to get rid of him. Getting Jarrett Jack, a PG of putting up some big numbers, was a huge bonus. Upon hearing this news, many were ecstatic. Jack is going to bring more to the table than one would expect. He has a huge role as backup PG.

First of all, Jack is a true PG with true court vision. If Curry goes down, then Jack and Thompson should also be a good backcourt pairing. Thompson is a static SG who knows what his role is and won't try to deviate from it. He will only improve. With Jack's right-on-the-money passes, there's no way he and Thompson won't work together.

Next, he and Curry would also work as a backcourt in periods of time. Yes I understand, this is like the Curry-Ellis arrangement. Keep in mind, however, that Ellis and Curry were able to win some games in their stint of seasons together. Jack will really allow Curry to shine at the SG spot where he really wants to play. You can't deny what Curry is - A spot up, stone cold shooter with a beautiful stroke.

The biggest role, perhaps, of Jarrett Jack, however, would probably be assists. He will lead the Warriors in assists this year, as he will always be the PG. The fact that he's a bench player, doesn't matter. Another good trait of this veteran is that he's a crowd pleaser. He may fill even more seats in the building.

Read more »