Elephant Rumblings: Forbes values Oakland A’s franchise at $1.1 billion

A’s Coverage:

• Hickey: Athletics’ Franchise Valued at $1.1 Billion by Forbes
• Hickey: Is an Expos-Like Future Awaiting the A’s?
• Hickey: Any Revamped MLB Schedule Likely to Do the A’s a Favor
• Gallegos: Hendriks family buys lunch for first responders
• Seamheads podcast: Special guest Ken Rosenthal (Apple) | Spotify
• Castrovince: This reliever was traded for same HOFer (Rickey) — twice
• Lockard: Two trades and a winning streak: The A’s get off to a strong start in OOTP ($$$)

MLB News:

• Forbes: Despite Lockdown, MLB Teams Gain Value In 2020 (including all 30 team valuations)
• Adams: Mark Reynolds Announces Retirement | (Original news break on MLB Network radio)

Baseball Interest Stories:

• Carig: My favorite player: Dennis Eckersley ($$$)
• Wolfe: Could a Shortened Season Resurrect the Four-Man Rotation?
• Diamond: A Season Without Baseball Could Be Crushing Blow for Minor Leagues ($$$)
• Simon: Who’s the best defensive player you’ve ever seen?
• MLB: Each club’s next retired number? Our best guesses
• Feinsand: Was Pedro robbed of ‘99 MVP? Here’s a re-vote
• Clair: One weird retro commercial for every team
• Brisbee: Introducing The Athletic Alternate Universe for the 2020 MLB season ($$$)
• Szymborski: Let’s Pretend to Heal All of the Yankees
• Martinez: How They Got There: The 1990-1999 NL MVPs

Today in Baseball History:

• 1913 - In a game which features U.S. President Woodrow Wilson throwing out the first pitch, the New York Highlanders become the New York Yankees. Playing their first game under their new nickname, the Yankees lose to the Washington Senators, 2 - 1, as future Hall of Famer Walter Johnson picks up the win for Washington. After giving up an unearned run in the 1st inning, Johnson begins a string of shutout innings that will reach a major league record 56 before the St. Louis Browns score in the 4th inning on May 14th.
• 1947 - In one of the most significant moments in baseball history, Jackie Robinson becomes the first black player of the 20th century to sign a major league contract. Robinson agrees a one-year deal with the Brooklyn Dodgers, whose general manager, Branch Rickey, personally recruited Robinson from the Negro Leagues.
• 1961 - The new Washington Senators club plays the first game in franchise history. With U.S. President John F. Kennedy in attendance, the Senators lose a 4 - 3 decision to the Chicago White Sox on Roy Sievers’ sacrifice fly.
• 1962 - Dodger Stadium, the first major league ballpark privately financed since Yankee Stadium opened in 1923, opens in Chavez Ravine. With 52,564 fans on hand, the Los Angeles Dodgers inaugurate the $22-million facility with a 6 - 3 loss to the Cincinnati Reds.
• 1962 - At Colt Stadium, the Houston Colt .45s make their major league debut with an 11 - 2 victory over the Chicago Cubs. Houston right fielder Roman Mejias hits a pair of three-run home runs before a crowd of 25,271 fans. Bobby Shantz pitches a complete-game five-hitter and Don Cardwell is the loser. The Colt .45s and New York Mets join the National League as expansion teams this year.
• 1977 - At Fenway Park, the Cleveland Indians (13) and the Boston Red Sox (6) establish a major league record for the most runs scored by both teams in one inning. The 8th-inning barrage proves to be too much for Boston as Cleveland beats the home team, 19 - 9.
• 1979 - Chicago White Sox owner Bill Veeck offers fans free admission to the next home game after his team’s unimpressive debut on Opening Day. The White Sox’s 10 - 2 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays prompts the unusual action by Veeck.
• 1980 - On Opening Day at County Stadium, Sixto Lezcano hits a grand slam off Dick Drago with two outs in the 9th inning, to give the Milwaukee Brewers a 9 - 5 victory over the Boston Red Sox. Lezcano also opened the 1978 season with a grand slam, becoming the first player in major league history to do it twice on Opening Day.
• 1994 - Former NBA star Michael Jordan singles twice, collecting his first hits in his professional baseball career while playing for the Birmingham Barons of the Class-AA Southern League.

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