A’s Coverage:
- Lockard: A’s Seth Brown is Skyping with fans to bring ‘a little joy to their day’ ($$$)
- Gallegos: A’s donate pizza, send fans on virtual vacays
- Slusser: Oakland Coliseum fixture Harold Miller dies at 90; ‘He thought of everyone as his friend’ ($)
- Hickey: Having Extra-Inning Games End in a Home Run Derby Might Set Up Well for Athletics
- Hickey: Hickey: A’s Trivino Continues to Tinker During Workouts at Home
- Hickey: Hickey: Stewart Tabs Luzardo as Favorite to Win Rookie Honors and as a Cy Young Dark Horse
- Hickey: The Day Dennis Eckersley Came Home to Oakland: `It Was Meant to Be’
- Hickey: Time to Celebrate the Birth of the Bash
Best of AN:
- Hall: Trivia — Opening Day lineups from the last decade
- Nico: Could 15 DJs Salvage The 2020 Baseball Season?
MLB News:
- Rosenthal: MLB pondering games in empty spring parks, but many obstacles remain ($$$)
- Rome: Astros’ Justin Verlander to donate paychecks to help people impacted by coronavirus ($$$)
- Buchanan: Three Diamondbacks minority owners are suing (principal owner) Ken Kendrick over forced buyouts ($$$)
Baseball Interest Stories:
- Killion: President Trump’s call for sports to resume in August is magical thinking ($)
- Hickey: Japan’s Second Pushback of Baseball’s Return a Cautionary Tale for MLB
- Hickey: What Path Should MLB Take in What is a Different Kind of War?
- Zencka: Remember When The White Sox Threw Four Consecutive Complete Games To Win The Pennant?
- Dierkes: How To Get A Job In Baseball, According To GMs
- Jaffe: The Pandemic Has Interrupted Our Sign-Stealing Scandal Outrage
- Sporer: 8 Players I Can’t Wait to Watch in 2020
Today in Baseball History:
- 1903 - Gordon (Mickey) Cochrane is born in Bridgewater, Massachusetts. Cochrane will make his major league debut in 1925, when he bats .331 for the Philadelphia Athletics. A standout defensive catcher, Cochrane will bat .320 over a 13-year career. He will gain Hall of Fame honors in 1947.
- 1939 - A howling windstorm of 50 mph does not deter the Red Sox and Reds from playing an exhibition game in Florence‚ SC, but the weather and the rock-hard infield results in the game being called in the 9th inning when all 54 baseballs have disappeared. “Grounders were actually blown off the ground and over the outfield fences‚” observed Lou Smith in the Cincinnati Enquirer. The score is 18 - 18 when the game ends with both teams covered with grime.
- 1972 - The first general strike in the history of the major leagues officially begins with the cancellation of Opening Day games in both leagues. The strike will be settled seven days later when the players and owners come to agreement on pension fund payments. The two sides agree not to make up the 86 missed games.
- 1973 - At Fenway Park, Ron Blomberg of the New York Yankees becomes the first designated hitter in major league history. In his first plate appearance, Blomberg walks with the bases loaded against Luis Tiant. He will end up with one hit in three at-bats. Meanwhile, Carlton Fisk hits two home runs (one a grand slam) to lead the Boston Red Sox to a 15 - 5 victory over New York.
- 1977 - For the second time in nine years, a new franchise makes its major league debut in Seattle, Washington. The Seattle Mariners lose their first regular season game at the Kingdome to Frank Tanana and the Angels, 7 - 0. Joe Rudi is 3 for 4 with a homer and 4 RBIs. The loser for the M’s is Diego Segui‚ who pitched in the Seattle Pilots’ Opener in 1969‚ a 4 - 3 loss at Anaheim. Segui is the only player to appear for both the Pilots and the Mariners.
- 1993 - The Phils’ Mitch Williams changes his uniform number from 28 to 99‚ the highest number in history. He picks up a save today and vows to throw at 99 mph every outing.
- 1996 - Chan Ho Park of the Los Angeles Dodgers becomes the first pitcher born in South Korea to win a major league game. Park throws six shutout innings of relief to earn the decision in a 3 - 1 win over the Chicago Cubs.
- 2013 - The Upton brothers, playing together for the Braves, stun the Cubs. With Atlanta trailing 5 - 4, B.J. Upton leads off the bottom of the 9th with a homer off Carlos Marmol, and two batters later, Justin Upton hits a walk-off blast to give the Braves a 6 - 5 win, his second long ball of the game. They are the first pair of brothers to homer in the same inning since Billy and Cal Ripken did so for Baltimore in 1996.
- 2015 - P Sonny Gray is sharp starting on Opening Day for the A’s, as he holds the Rangers hitless until Ryan Rua leads off the 8th with a single. Oakland prevails easily, 8 - 0, and in doing so breaks a string of 10 straight losses in their opening game of the season.
Best of Twitter:
More progress on (non-roster) player compensation during the hiatus.
Good news from MLBPA: The union will distribute money to any non-roster player with at least one day of major league service who was still in big league camp as of March 13. The payouts depend on service time:
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) April 3, 2020
0-1 year: $5,000
1-2: $7,500
2-3: $15,000
3-5: $25,000
6+: $50,000
“If that holds true, you can kiss baseball season goodbye. Or at least your attendance at it.” -Hank Schulman, S.F. Chronicle
California governor Gavin Newsom pushes back on Trump's reported comments from today's call that he believes the NFL season should start on time in September with fans in the stands: "I'm not anticipating that happening in this state." pic.twitter.com/QQ6QxapZ9Z
— Bryan Armen Graham (@BryanAGraham) April 4, 2020
The A’s held an online bracket to determine the best way to start a rally in Oakland, and the classic chant won the voting.
The Town has spoken. Time to celebrate, because your Let's Go Oakland Chant is the best way to start a rally!#BudLightCelly pic.twitter.com/0h4v3f5QPV
— Oakland A's (@Athletics) April 4, 2020
Hughes isn’t kidding: Cabrera went 20-for-46, 7 HR, 1.513 OPS against him (only 4 Ks)
Me pitching to Miguel Cabrera my entire career https://t.co/5TA1FIVVan
— Phil Hughes (@PJHughes45) April 4, 2020
The flip by Buehrle will always be one of my favorites. (Though, this video is glaringly missing Tarp Catch, anything Chapman, and the arms of Laureano and Cespedes.)
Is there a record for how many times in a row we can watch a video
— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) April 5, 2020
Asking for a friend...
( @MLB)
pic.twitter.com/2Zd0ZOGVWT