Update: Be sure to read this article by Ken Rosenthal: How A's can move - and appease Giants.
Happy Friday! For those of you who aren't following the Athletics in Japan blog, you should be, since it is updated with pictures from the Japan trip. The A's left Phoenix at noon Thursday (our time) and arrived in Japan at 4PM on Friday (their time). The plane made it safely across the world (and looked awesome doing it). More pictures can be found on Yahoo and Jane Lee also has additional information here. My favorite quote from Jemile Weeks is "Bring on the sushi."
Something I didn't know:
From Fox News:
MLB and the players' association said the series also will aim to assist rebuilding in Japan following last year's earthquake. On Tuesday, a group of players will travel to Ishinomaki in the disaster-hit northeast region to conduct a baseball clinic.
The A's have two remaining preseason games on Sunday and Monday before the start of the season (neither will be broadcast at all); they will play the Yomiuri Giants and Hanshin Tigers. The regular season begins on early Wednesday morning (at 3:00AM). The Oakland broadcast will be a tape-delay, but Seattle is showing the games live. So if you are a NRAF, or live in Seattle, you should get the game. Of course, we'll have play-by-play all night here, as well.
For those of you who want to guess the Opening Day starting lineup, here are your choices: Suzuki, Recker, Ka’aihue, Allen, Sogard, Donaldson, Rosales, Timmons, Pennington, Weeks, Crisp, Cespedes, Reddick, Smith, Cowgill, and Gomes. What will the starting lineup look like on Wednesday against Felix Hernandez?
The countdown is on; one more weekend until baseball!
