Dallas Braden is Confident

It's interesting how one game can change your whole career.

Prior to throwing an incredibly memorable perfect game back in 2010, Dallas Braden was known as an average (at best) Major Leaguer.  And since, well, it isn't like he's done any better.  Through five big league seasons, dude is 26-36 with a 4.16 ERA.

But, back to that perfect game.  It's that one achievement that makes the Oakland Athletics parting ways with the lefty newsworthy.

Thankfully, the 29-year-old is keeping everything in perspective.

The Michael Rappaport lookalike should be cleared to throw in late November...he hasn't pitched in a game since April 16, 2011.

Brandon McCarthy is on the Mend

Hey remember that line drive that Oakland A's pitcher Brandon McCarthy took off the dome last week?

Of course you do.

Well, me thinks that, based on his Twitter feed, dude might be on the mend.

And, yes, now is the time.  Below is video of that vicious liner should you want to make your head hurt.

Coco Crisp Gets Creamed By Spiderman

When it comes to pies in the face...I'm not a big fan.

When it comes to Oakland A's outfielder Josh Reddick dressing up as Spiderman and delivering not one, but TWO pies in the face?  Count.  Me.  In.

I mean, what else would you expect from the guy who proudly displays this hardware?

Wait, Someone Got a Dallas Braden Tattoo?

In January, Oakland A's starter Dallas Braden showed off his (fake) tattoo of Rollie Fingers riding a dolphin, jumping over a rainbow.

Well, Mr. Braden...you've been bested.  For real.

Apparently some fan decided to honor Braden's perfect game two years ago by getting a tatto commemorating the event.  And, yeah, I'm sure dude was totally sober at the time.

***Well done Black Sports Online. Well. Done.***

 

Dave Henderson Talks Steroids, Mark McGwire

Oh, steroids...it's funny how we still talk about you.

A couple of weeks ago, Jack Clark blasted Tony LaRussa, saying he was "responsible for a lot of the cheating that went on".  Meaning, in a nutshell, the former skipper knew about the rampant steroid use in his clubhouse.

Sour grapes from a former member of the St. Louis Cardinals who was, in his estimation, not allowed to hang out with the club when LaRussa was in charge?  Maybe.

But where there's smoke, there's, well...more validity.

Enter Dave Henderson who played for the LaRussa-led Oakland A's from 1988 to 1993.  The former outfielder recently told the San Jose Mercury News that he, too, knew of steroid use while with the A's.

"I think it was pretty obvious that when a guy gains 40 or 50 pounds of muscle, he is on steroids," the 1991 All-Star said.  "Throughout my career that guys started hitting the ball 20-30 feet farther. It wasn't fair but I couldn't do anything about it."

Henderson also went on to call out former teammates Mark McGwire, Jose Canseco and anyone else who used steroids.

"I think it's pretty simple..none of them get in,'' Henderson said. "If you cheated, you are not a Hall of Famer."

Why anyone would randomly ask Dave Henderson about someone's Hall of Fame credentials is beyond me, but , I suppose, there are only so many times you can talk to dude about the 1986 playoffs, right?

Josh Reddick Shows Off Championship Belt

Aaron Rodgers has got nothing on Josh Reddick.  I mean, have you seen dude's championship belt?

It's awesome.

So, naturally, I had to reach out to and ask the Oakland A's outfielder who he was rooting for this weekend at WrestleMania 28...John Cena or The Rock.

"(I've) always rooted for Cena," Reddick told me. "He's always been about the business and takes pride in it. That's what it's about."

I couldn't agree more.

Oh, remember the fun I poked at Reddick's expense a couple of weeks ago when dude watched "Moneyball" to brush up on his new team?

I take it all back.

More Baseball Movies for Josh Reddick to Avoid

According to the Boston Herald, former Red Sox outfielder Josh Reddick knew nothing about the Oakland A's when he was traded this offseason.

So what did he do?  He did exactly what every 25-year-old male would do...he turned to movies.  That's right, dude apparently watched "Moneyball" on his flight out West to expand his knowledge.

Was it helpful?

"Not really," the outfielder said. 

Now, not to rain on Reddick's parade, but if he's looking for baseball realism on his laptop when flying cross country, there is better source material than "Moneyball"...six Oscar nominations or not, the movie is littered with errors.

That said, here are some more baseball movies that he might want to avoid and why.

"The Stratton Story" (1949)
In Monte Stratton's 1934 pitching debut versus the New York Yankees, Joe DiMaggio is shown circling the bases in stock footage. Two problems, DiMaggio didn't debut himself until 1936 and Stratton...well, he first took the mound against the Detroit Tigers.

"The Winning Team" (1952)
In "The Winning Team", Grover Cleveland Alexander (played by Ronald Reagan) is shown leading the Phillies to the pennant in 1916.  The correct year was 1915.

"Fear Strikes Out" (1957)
In "Fear Strikes Out", Hall of Famer Joe Cronin was not the manager of the Red Sox when Jimmy Piersall played. Mike "Pinky" Higgins was. Cronin was the General Manager.

"Field of Dreams" (1989)
Not only was "Shoeless" Joe Jackson incorrectly shown as being a right-handed batter, he was also shown as being a left-handed thrower.  In real life, the outfielder batted left and threw right.

"The Babe" (1992)
When Babe Ruth calls his shot at Wrigley Field during the 1932 World Series, you can see the famed ivy on the bleacher walls. Unfortuantely, the ivy wasn't planted until 1937.

"The Rookie" (2002)
Several of the players shown in the movie were not with their respective team at the time Jim Morris made his big league debut.  Most notably...Alex Rodriguez.  The slugger was still hitting home runs in Seattle in September 1999.

Friday 5 (Oscar Edition): Casey Bond

Tonight's the night, baseball fans.  Soon, we'll know if "Moneyball" will go six-for-six (a even Derek Jeter has never accomplished), or, well...come home with anything at all.

Enter Casey Bond. 

Like Stephen Bishop, who played David Justice in "Moneyball" , Bond also played a former member of the Oakland Athletics in the Oscar nominated film.  Bond played submarine-throwing reliever Chad Bradford. 

I caught up with Bond on the eve of the Academy Awards and asked him how he would rank his all-time favorite baseball movies.

1.  Moneyball  (2011, directed by Bennett Miller)

2.  Bull Durham  (1988, directed by Ron Shelton)

3.  The Sandlot  (1993, directed by David M. Evans)

4.  Field of Dreams  (1989, directed by Phil Alden Robinson)

5.  For Love of the Game  (1999, directed by Sam Raimi)

Casey Bond is no stranger to baseball.  The actor was actually drafted by the San Francisco Giants in 2007.  You can follow him on Twitter at @CaseyBond, keep tabs on him over at Facebook or, imagine that...check out his personal website.

Lastly, I'm a big "Bull Durham" guy...but what about you?  What are your favorite baseball movies?

The Yankees Stink...Literally

There are jokes to be made about this, but Kevin Kaduk over at Big League Stew already made them all, so here.

This...according to ESPN New York.

Called, simply, "New York Yankees'' and "New York Yankees for Her,'' the team will introduce two "official fragrances'' at a cocktail reception in Manhattan on Tuesday, February 21. Smells like money.

This isn't the first Yankees-related scent to hit the market, Derek Jeter Driven was launched by AVON in 2006 and if you read some of these reviews...it had its fair share of fans.

On a related note, Bartolo Colon (see what I did there?) is expected to start Oakland's second game of the season when the Athletics take on the Seattle Mariners during baseball's semi-annual excursion to Japan.

Colon was 8-10 with a 4.00 ERA in 26 starts last season.

Full.  Circle.

Behold...the Rollie Fingers Bobblehead!

Quick question...are bobbleheads getting better or is my taste in baseball tchotchkes getting worse?

Both.  But that's neither here or there right now.

When the Oakland Athletics square off against the Cleveland Indians at home on April 21, the first 10,000 fans are taking home a Rollie Fingers bobblehead as part of the team remembering their 1972 World Series win.

Now, you might think to yourself...self, is this the first time Mustached American folk hero Rollie Fingers has ever been celebrated in bobblehead form?

The answer?  No...it's happened at least twice.

On August 20, 2004, the Birmingham Barons had a Fingers bobblehead giveaway.  And even though, the future Hall of Famer wore a lip sweater in the minors...he did in bobblehead form.  The Barons would lose 10-4 against the Carolina Mudcats.

A year later, July 16, 2005, the Milwaukee Brewers would honor their former American League MVP and Cy Young Award winner with two bobbleheads (one wearing the home unis...the other in roads).  Unfortunately, the Crew would also fall...5-3 against the Washington Nationals.

Hopefully, Oakland can reverse the trend against the Tribe at the end of April.

Best Tattoo Ever?

If you're like me (and best of luck to you if you are), you've had the conversation with your friends about what tattoo you'd like to get.

For me...it usually ends up being some sort of tophat wearing skeleton or monster driving a hot rod.  The reason?  No reason at all.  I just want something to regret for the rest of my days.

But now, after seeing Dallas Braden's new ink...I feel as though I've let everyone down with my choice.

The Oakland A's pitcher was recently seen sporting a tattoo of Rollie Fingers riding a dolphin...jumping a rainbow.

Word is that the tat was for a commercial Braden shot with the Hall of Fame closer.  I choose to believe that he's juse embracing the gloriousness (gloriousness?) that is one Rollie Fingers.

Oakland Interested in Manny Ramirez?

What do Mike Piazza, Frank Thomas, Nomar Garciaparra and Jason Giambi have in common?
They were all brought in by the Oakland Athletics in hopes to provide veteran leadership and add a little pop to an otherwise lackluster lineup.

Now, I'm not sure what sort of anything Manny Ramirez would bring to the A's, but according to ESPN Deportes...the team is interested in the 39-year-old slugger.

Last week, ESPNDeportesLosAngeles.com reported that the Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays had a look at Ramirez batting in an indoor cage.

"The Orioles and Blue Jays saw Manny work and Baltimore liked what it saw, but Oakland has been the team that has expressed the most interest, even before having him work out," the source said.

It's a mystery as to who or why anyone would take a chance on the 12-time All-Star, but whoever does...they're looking at Ramirez spending 50 games on the sidelines while he serves his pending suspension.
Your move, Taiwanese animators.

Hideki Matsui Hits 500th Home Run

It's one of those "blink and you missed it" sort of achievements...but with a sixth inning home run Wednesday night against the Detroit Tigers, Hideki Matsui did something that no one else has ever done.

You see, the Oakland A's designated hitter became the first slugger to hit a combined 500 home runs in both Japan and here in the States.

25 Major Leaguers and eight Japanese ballplayers have reached the 500 mark. But for some reason...Matsui wasn't all that impressed with what he pulled off.

"It isn't like I've been aiming for this, because I don't really combine numbers from Japan and herem" the slugger told reporters after the game. "To me, they are two separate leagues."

Whatever. It's still wicked cool.

Oh...if you're keeping track, Matsui's blast (his seventh of this season) was number 168 of his Major League career. He hit 332 for the Yomiuri Giants.

An MC Hammer Bobblehead? Yes, Please

Someone, anyone, please...get me one of those things!

A couple of weeks ago, I found out that the Oakland A's were having an MC Hammer bobblehead giveaway.

Well...Sunday it came and went. And yes, I still want one.

Hammer, who was once an employee of the team, seemed pretty pleased with the event. And from the look of things...the fans loved it as well.

"Just the energy and the love and the camaraderie of the fans," the "entertainer, entrepreneur and humanitarian" told reporters. "It's always exciting, and appreciated."

Check out the video of the "Funky Headhunter" (courtesy of The San Francisco Chronicle).

Here Comes the Hammer!

We all know the story of MC Hammer, right?

Long before the genie pants, "U Can't Touch This" and bankruptcy, MC Hammer was an employee of the Oakland A's.

It's true.

When the iconic entertainer was a kid, former A's owner Charles O. Finley discovered the 11-year-old dancing and doing splits outside Oakland Coliseum and offered him a job.

Well, the boys over at Cosby Sweaters have discovered that the A’s have figured out how to re-pay their former clubhouse assistant.

MC Hammer bobblehead has become a reality for MLB. Check out the MC Hammer bobblehead, presented by Supercuts, which will be available to 15,000 fans on Sunday, July 17.

I’m not sure who thought this was a good idea…but is it okay to say I want one?

And, no, that has nothing to do with the fact that it looks more like Carlton from “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air” than it does the former “funky headhunter”.

Your First Look at "Moneyball"

Time to come clean, troops...I only read books written by my friends and I haven't watched "Entertainment Tonight" since John Tesh was in the anchor chair.

So, until Michael Lewis hits me up on Facebook or the "ET" producers honor the thousands of pro-Tesh emails I've written...I'm left with "reading" my books on the big screen and watching "the most watched entertainment newsmagazine in the world" on the internet.

Thank you anonymous internet user for posting the trailer for "Moneyball" over on YouTube. And thank you Hollywood for finally realizing that Scott Hatteberg is worthy of being captured on the big screen.

And hey, Mark Steines...I realize you might be from Dubuque, but only an idiot would try and wrestle "Field of Dreams" from the fine folks in Dyersville, Iowa.

Welcome Back Fro-Co Crisp!

After a week away from Twitter...Oakland A's outfielder Coco Crisp was back Saturday night with a message for all:

Come get your froco on with me tomorrow. Legs feeling good and the fro's gunna be in full effect!

Yes!

You might remember a couple of weeks ago when Covelli channeled his inner Oscar Gamble and made my friend Dan Epstein (author of the great Big Hair and Plastic Grass: A Funky Ride Through Baseball and America in the Swinging '70s)

Unfortunately, that version of the "fro-co" only lasted a day, so who knows how long this re-incarnation will survive.

My hope is that it stick around long enough to get its own bobblehead.

Hell Yeah, Covelli. Hell. Yeah.

When Coco Crisp, then just 26, left Cleveland for Boston...I was one of the guys who thought that a new Red Sox legend was going to emerge. 

Unfortunately...I was wrong.

The speedster has been more flash than substance.  His actions of late have been suspect and, if you follow his Twitter feed...you've gotta wonder if the cat isn't just a little bit distracted.

Thursday night, the Oakland A's outfielder won me over.

Looking like someone right off the cover of Dan Epstein's great book Big Hair and Plastic Grass: A Funky Ride Through Baseball and America in the Swinging '70s,  Crisp did his best Oscar Gamble impersonation and broke out the afro.

We'll all have to wait and see what Crisp will do with his hair next, but you know what my hope is.

Nothing.

Hideki Matsui Celebrates Japanese Heritage Day

In his first at bat Sunday, new Oakland Athletics designated hitter Hideki Matsui did something he couldn't do in his first seven.

He got a hit.

Why is that a big deal? 

That second-inning double was the 2500th hit of "Godzilla" professional career...and it just so happened to come on Japanese Heritage Day.

"I feel relief just getting my first hit as a member of the A's and getting our first win," Matsui told reporters after the game. "I'm not really focused on my hits between Japan and the big leagues."

Thankfully...The Hall is.

If you break down Matsui's hit totals...the 36-year-old now has 1111 to add to the 1390 he got as a member of the Yomiuri Giants.

But I'll be more impressed when dude gets his seventh home run this year.

Going into this season, Matsui has 161 career home runs over his eight-year Major League career. Combine that with the 332 he hit in Japan...and you're looking at 493 career bombs.  You see the numbers I'm dropping?

Matsui is on the verge of 500 career home runs...and ain't nobody talking about it.

And yeah...I just dropped an "and ain't nobody"!

2011 Milestone Preview: American League West

It's times like these that I am glad that Disney no longer has anything to do with the ownership of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

Because if they did...we'd be subjected to them knocking the cobwebs off Shawn Bradley, dressing him up in a baseball uniform and throwing him on the silver screen Gheorghe Muresan-style to play pitcher Loek Van Mil.

Granted, Van Mil looks to be starting the season at Triple-A Salt Lake City, but if/when he gets called up by the Halos...he'll enter the Majors, not only as the game's tallest player ever, but also the first seven footer baseball has ever seen. 

With that...it's off to the AMERICAN LEAGUE WEST we go!


LOS ANGELES ANGELS OF ANAHEIM

Regardless of what they've been called (and they've had a few different names)...Opening Day marks the 50th for the Angels.

In the dugout, Mike Scioscia is gearing up for his 12th as the manager of the Halos.  And when he gets his 20th victory of the season...he'll be just the fifth active skipper with 1000 or more wins.

I sound like a broken record saying this...but Bobby Abreu has, quietly, put together one heck of a career.  Sure, sure, last year was a bust for the outfielder (his streak of 100-plus RBI seasons ended at seven)...but dude can rake. 

And run.

As it stands, Abreu is 24 home runs shy from being only the eighth member of the exclusive 300-300 club.

Only Barry (762-514) and Bobby Bonds (332-461), Willie Mays (660-338), Alex Rodriguez (613-301), Andre Dawson (438-314), Reggie Sanders (305-304) and Steve Finley (304-320) have achieved 300 home runs and 300 stolen bases.

Abreu is sitting at 276 and 372.

OAKLAND ATHLETICS

On paper, new Athletics designated hitter Hideki Matsui appears to be miles away from any sort of milestone discussions.  Thankfully, "Godzilla" doesn't play his games on paper. 

Going into this season, Matsui has 161 career home runs over his eight year Major League career.  Combine that with the 332 he hit Yomiuri Giants...and you're looking at 493 career bombs.  Not too shabby.

SEATTLE MARINERS

Alright, the annual "Ichiro Watch" is underway here at The Hall...and this is why.

After ten years in the Majors, he has:

• Ten straight seasons with a .300 or better batting average
• Ten straight seasons with 200 or more hits (he's led the league the last five seasons)
• Ten straight seasons with 25 or more stolen bases
• Ten straight Gold Gloves
• Ten straight All-Star appearances

Have you noticed a trend?

Last season, the outfielder set the Major League record for reaching the 200 or more hits in ten consecutive seasons.  The only other guy to have put together ten season with 200 or more hits?  Hit king Pete Rose. His accomplishment, however, was spread over 24 seasons...Ichiro has done it in ten out of ten seasons.

TEXAS RANGERS

Alright, alright, alright...last season I broke out this:

And if the Mariners superstar leads the Majors in hits (again), it'll be the eighth time he's accomplished that feat. That will, in turn, set another record...breaking a three-way tie with Rose and Ty Cobb.

One last interesting sidenote about AL West. Did you know that it is home to two of the lowly three Major League Teams that have never appeared in a World Series game?  It’s true, Texas, Seattle and the Washington Nationals have never played in the Fall Classic. Will 2010 be the year the streak is ended…stay tuned!  Smart betting, however, says it won’t.

Well, I was wrong.  And I can admit that.

Hoping to cash in on lightning in a bottle is new Ranger Adrian Beltre.  The thirdbaseman comes into 2011 111 hits shy of 2000 for his career and 22 home runs away from 300.  Both are attainable should the injury bug not bite...let's all agree to re-convene later in the season to see what Beltre's status is.

Also chasing down 2000 career hits...Rangers infielder Michael Young.  Young enters the season with 1848...152 away from the afore mentioned milestone.  Provided he can find a spot in the lineup (likely to happen...but will it be with Texas?), he'll get to 2000.

The National League West is next and should wrap things up. In the meantime, feel free to check out Milestone Previews of the American League East, American League Central, National League East and National League Central.