Elephant Rumblings: A’s Add Three on MiLB Deals, Like Khris Davis ‘Just As He Is’

A’s Coverage:

• A’s add outfielders, left-hander on minor-league deals...
• Oakland Athletics 2018 top-50 prospects: Skye Bolt, OF...
• Shea: A’s like Khris Davis just fine as is...

MLB News:

• MLB Hot Stove Rumors: Marlins reportedly gave Giancarlo Stanton a trade ultimatum...
• Shohei Ohtani asked MLB teams for their best pitch; here's who offers a good fit...

Baseball Interest Stories:

• The Next Battle in the War Over WAR: What is the stat meant to do?
• If the Mariners land a star, all their other moves might finally make sense...
• Why the 100-win Indians, Astros and Dodgers could be even better in 2018...
• Is Omar Vizquel a Hall of Famer?
• Jaffe: Edgar Martinez is one of the Greatest Hitters of All-Time. It's Time to Send Him to Cooperstown...

Today in Baseball History:

• 1926 - Tris Speaker resigns as Indians manager. Stories of a thrown game and betting on games by Ty Cobb and Speaker gain momentum when Judge Landis holds a secret hearing with the two stars and former P-OF Joe Wood. The story and testimony will not be released until December 21st. Former Tiger P Dutch Leonard wrote to Harry Heilmann that he had turned over letters written to him by Wood and Cobb to American League president Ban Johnson, implicating the two in betting on a Tiger-Cleveland game played in Detroit, MI, on September 25, 1919. He charged that Cobb and Speaker conspired to let Detroit win to help them gain third-place money. At a secret meeting of AL directors, it was decided to let Cobb and Speaker resign with no publicity. But, as rumors spread, Judge Landis takes charge of the matter and holds the hearings, at which Leonard refuses to appear. Cobb and Wood admit to the letters, but say it was a horse racing bet, and contend Leonard is angry for having been released to the Pacific Coast League by Cobb. Speaker, not named in the letters, denies everything. Public sympathy is with the stars, but the matter will remain unresolved until January of next year.
• 1962 - Major league officials and player representatives agree to return to a single All-Star Game in 1963. The players' pension fund will receive 95 percent of the one game's proceeds (rather than 60 percent of two games).

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