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Welcome back to Weekdays at Bernie's! It's the best dance in the game, so let's get rolling once more!
- Relations between the U.S. and Cuba have continued to improve, and during President Obama's groundbreaking visit to the country, the Tampa Bay Rays tagged along as well, playing an exhibition game against the Cuban National team. First baseman James Loney smacked a home run and drove in three, leading his Rays to a 4-1 victory. I tend not to venture into the politics of it all, so for more, check out JP Morosi's great firsthand account of the events in Havana.
- The A's were beaten in walk-off fashion by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in their latest spring contest on Tuesday, losing by a final of 6-5. The deciding run was the result of a bases-loaded walk by former Athletic Geovany Soto. Third baseman Danny Valencia slugged his team-high fifth home run of the spring in the loss. For more, check out Jsb213's recap.
- The Athletics optioned Tyler Ladendorf and Max Muncy to Triple-A Nashville on Monday, cutting the spring roster to 39. If healthy, Ladendorf will certainly see time in Oakland this year, as his versatility could make him the first man up in case of any injury. Max Muncy, on the other hand...is Max Muncy.
- Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle profiles two of the newest Athletics, reliever John Axford and outfielder Khris Davis. Both have fantastic personalities, so be sure to read Slusser's great profiles to learn more about both Axford (here) and Davis (here).
- As Slusser tweets, outfielder Sam Fuld could receive a cortisone shot and platelet-rich plasma injection as treatment for his left shoulder sprain.
- We all know Spring Training doesn't matter a whole lot, but some things can be learned about individual players as the games play out. Check out Nico's article on what can be taken away from this spring so far for the A's.
The Best Shape of My Life
- It looks like Khris Davis might be joining the race...
A sensible answer to all the political weirdness of late? Khris Davis walked in wearing a "Khris Davis for President" shirt.
— Susan Slusser (@susanslusser) March 22, 2016
...but BleacherReport's Zachary Rymer wants nothing of it:
Not sure I can support a candidate who can't even spell Chris correctly.https://t.co/d5WFzhGyTp
— Zachary D. Rymer (@zachrymer) March 22, 2016
That's all for today. Jesse Hahn and the A's take on Nate Karns and the Seattle Mariners at 7:10 P.M. PDT. Feel free to dump any links in the comments below. Until next time - lean on, A's fans!
