Oakland Athletics

It's unclear when the Major League Baseball season will begin, as it was pushed back until at least mid-May because of the coronavirus pandemic, but the Oakland Athletics already have a plan for who will throw out the first pitch on Opening Day.

According to ESPN, team president David Kaval contacted a 39-year-old fan of the team named Justin who said he is hospitalized with COVID-19.

On Monday, the Athletics announced they would donate $100,000 to the Alameda County Community Food Bank amid the coronavirus outbreak.

"This is an unprecedented time in our community," Kaval said in a news release. "As we navigate this pandemic, it is crucial that we come together and help those who need us most."

Oakland Athletics pitcher Mike Fiers took the mound in a game for the first time since he was one of those who told Ken Rosenthal and Evan Drellich of The Athletic about the Houston Astros' sign-stealing practices and was greeted with a warm reception.

"Oakland is going to support us no matter what," Fiers said Sunday after pitching two scoreless innings against the San Francisco Giants in spring training, per Jesse Rogers of ESPN.

"I try to put it behind me," he continued. "We have to focus on 2020. Our season is coming up pretty quick."

The Astros' sign-stealing scandal has dominated headlines throughout the offseason, sparking comments from a number of players and notable punishments from Major League Baseball.

The league fined the American League West team $5 million, stripped it of its first- and second-round draft picks for 2020 and 2021 and suspended general manager Jeff Luhnow and manager AJ Hinch for one year. Houston ultimately fired both of them.

It largely started with Fiers' decision to come public about the team he played for during its 2017 World Series championship run.

While he played a direct role in the story becoming such a notable one, he said he is not worried about asking for extra security during the season in an interview with Alex Coffey of The Athletic:

"I'm not asking for extra security. I'm here to play baseball and I can defend myself, if anything. We do have National League games and I'm going to have to get into the box (to hit) just like everybody else. It's part of the game. If they decide to throw at me, then they throw at me. There's nothing much you can do about it.

"I've dealt with a lot in my life. I've dealt with people hating me before. I've dealt with a lot of life problems. It is what it is. And if someone's going to retaliate then by hitting me with a pitch, it's not a big deal."

Much of the criticism has been directed at the Astros management and players, but Fiers has not completely escaped it.

ESPN's Jessica Mendoza appeared on Golic and Wingo and said, "To go public with it and call them out and start all of this, it's hard to swallow" before clarifying she believed the pitcher's mistake was not "going directly through your team and/or MLB."

Former Boston Red Sox slugger David Ortiz said he was "mad" at Fiers and went so far as to say he "looks like a snitch," noting that it was bad optics to win the championship and get paid before going public, per Julian McWilliams of the Boston Globe.

For his part, Fiers said "Everyone is going to have a comment, but I'm not worried about that. I'm worried about playing baseball and pitching for this team."

While he likely won't be welcomed with open arms when his team plays in Houston, Fiers at least knew he would receive a warm welcome from Athletics fans.

As the fallout continues from the Houston Astros' sign-stealing scandal, many have wondered if other teams were involved in similar schemes to cheat the game.

You can count out the Oakland Athletics, according to former A's starter Brett Anderson. 

Not because of any moral high ground, though. Simply because the organization could not afford to pull off a scheme so high-tech. 

"I know the A's weren't cheating," Anderson, now with the Milwaukee Brewers, told The Athletic's Andy McCollough. "Because, one, I don't know if they could afford it. And to relay from f--king 300 yards away in the video room? What were we going to do, get some vendor to throw some popcorn up in the air, or something? It's too f--king far to relay something."

Anderson, who played for the American League West team from 2009-13 and again the last two seasons, added that the only way the A's could have cheated would be related to the Oakland Coliseum's "decaying infrastructure." 

“The lights go out, it's a curveball," Anderson joked. "If there's a sewage backup, it's a fastball."

The Astros and MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred have been in the eye of a constant storm since the league announced the results of its investigation into Houston stealing signs using video camera and tipping off its batters. Players have called out Manfred for the lack of accountability from Astros players, who were granted immunity in exchange for detailing the scheme to MLB officials.

While Anderson makes an argument for why the A's weren't stealing signs, it's unlikely Houston is the only team that was using technology for its benefit. 

MLB is also currently investigating the Boston Red Sox for sign-stealing during their 2018 World Series-winning season. Then-Red Sox manager Alex Cora was Houston's bench coach when the club was stealing signs; he and the Sox parted ways in the fallout from the scandal. 

The details of the Houston Astros' sign-stealing scandal became public knowledge when Oakland Athletics pitcher Mike Fiers was one of those who told Ken Rosenthal and Evan Drellich of The Athletic about it, but he is not concerned about his safety when he faces his old team and current American League West rival.

"I don't know how they would," he said when asked if Major League Baseball reached out to him about additional security, per Alex Coffey of The Athletic. 

He continued, acknowledging that he has dealt with plenty and just wants to play baseball:

"I'm not asking for extra security. I'm here to play baseball and I can defend myself, if anything. We do have National League games and I'm going to have to get into the box (to hit) just like everybody else. It's part of the game. If they decide to throw at me, then they throw at me. There's nothing much you can do about it.

"I've dealt with a lot in my life. I've dealt with people hating me before. I've dealt with a lot of life problems. It is what it is. And if someone's going to retaliate then by hitting me with a pitch, it's not a big deal."

Despite Fiers' comments, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred told reporters Tuesday: "We will take every possible step to protect Mike Fiers wherever he is playing. Whether it's in Houston or somewhere else."

Fiers, who played for the Astros during the 2017 World Series championship run, was the target of some criticism for going public, most notably from ESPN's Jessica Mendoza.

Mendoza appeared on ESPN's Golic and Wingo and said, "To go public with it and call them out and start all of this, it's hard to swallow" before clarifying she only disagreed with him not "going directly through your team and/or MLB."

While there may be some who agree with that line of thinking and want to target Fiers with hit-by-pitches, it is the Astros players and management who have been the subjects of far more criticism around the league.

Notable players such as Cody Bellinger, Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Nick Markakis have criticized the Astros and the lack of player discipline for the cheating scheme. Even basketball great LeBron James weighed in, saying he would be "irate" if he was cheated out of a title.

The league fined the Astros $5 million, stripped them of their first- and second-round draft picks for 2020 and 2021, and suspended general manager Jeff Luhnow and manager AJ Hinch—who were both fired by Houston—for one year.

There seems to be far more anger directed at the Astros than Fiers, and the pitcher is not concerned about his own safety at games.

The Houston Astros' sign-stealing scandal first became public knowledge when pitcher Mike Fiers was among those who revealed the practice when speaking to Ken Rosenthal and Evan Drellich of The Athletic in November. 

However, Fiers' current team, the Oakland Athletics, filed a complaint about Houston to Major League Baseball prior to the story going public.

Manager Bob Melvin and general manager David Frost both told Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle (h/t ESPN.com) the team did as much, but the former admitted it was hard for the league to do anything at the time.

"MLB does a great job of monitoring these things, but it's very difficult if a team calls in and complains about something, they can only do so much," Melvin said. "It took a player and a player who was on that team to put it over the top. And I think MLB is handling it very well right now."

Fiers has been with Oakland since the 2018 season but pitched in Houston from 2015-17.

While some, including ESPN broadcaster Jessica Mendoza, criticized him for going to the press, his manager had his back.

"I'm glad we're at this point right now, and obviously Mike had a lot to do with that," Melvin said Wednesday. "The game's better for it from this point going forward. I think it's all about moving past right now and getting through a lot of the issues that you saw. It's supposed to be an equal playing field, and it wasn't."

MLB ultimately fined the Astros $5 million, stripped them of their first- and second-round draft picks in 2020 and 2021 and suspended then-general manager Jeff Luhnow and then-manager AJ Hinch for one year. Both were later fired.

The fallout went beyond Houston, as the Boston Red Sox parted ways with manager Alex Cora for his role in the scandal when he was the bench coach of the Astros. The New York Mets did the same with manager Carlos Beltran, who played for the Astros during their championship run in 2017 and was the only player to be named in the MLB report.

For his part, Fiers did not want to focus on the sign-stealing scandal and instead was looking ahead to the upcoming season.

"Right now I want to focus on this team and not the past," he said.

Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf confirmed Tuesday that MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred raised the possibility of the Oakland Athletics moving to Las Vegas if the City of Oakland does not drop its lawsuit against the A's, according to KTVU's Sal Castaneda.

Per KPIX's Kiet Do, the City of Oakland filed a lawsuit against the Athletics in an effort to prevent the organization from redeveloping the site of RingCentral Coliseum.

The lawsuit came to pass after the City of Oakland caught wind of Alameda County attempting to sell its ownership stake in the Coliseum back to the Athletics organization.

According to Do, Oakland Councilmember Larry Reid said Manfred told him, Schaaf and Oakland City Council President Rebecca Kaplan in a pair of meetings that the A's have "other options" if the lawsuit isn't dropped. Reid added, "I don't think he was bluffing. He was very serious."

Schaaf expressed confidence the A's will remain in Oakland and explained how she believes it will happen: "I've been clear about the path to keeping the A's in Oakland—build a privately-financed ballpark that's responsible to taxpayers and enhances neighborhood vitality."

The Athletics have been in Oakland since moving from Kansas City in 1968, and they have played in the Coliseum their entire time in the city.

The NFL's Raiders also have a lengthy history in Oakland and the Coliseum, but after they were unable to reach a new stadium agreement, they made plans to move to Las Vegas. The Raiders are currently scheduled to begin playing in Vegas next season.

Las Vegas would be a logical landing spot for the A's due to the crossover between the Athletics' and Raiders' fanbases.

The Athletics' Triple-A affiliate is located in Las Vegas as well, meaning there would be a built-in group of fans already in Vegas to support the A's.

With regard to the lawsuit Oakland filed against the A's, all parties are next scheduled to appear in court Nov. 14.

The Oakland Athletics clinched a postseason berth Friday after the Cleveland Indians lost to the Washington Nationals 8-2 at Nationals Park.

The club's last two postseason appearances (2018, 2014) ended in the American League Wild Card Game. Last year, the A's lost 7-2 to the New York Yankees. In 2014, a miracle 9-8 comeback by the Kansas City Royals in 12 innings eliminated them. 

Perhaps the third time will be the charm in the wild card, where Oakland is headed given that the Houston Astros clinched the AL West. 

The foundation has been laid throughout the regular season. Third baseman Matt Chapman and reliever Liam Hendriks both earned their first All-Star nods. Khris Davis' home run count dropped from 48 last season to 23 in 2019, but Chapman leads the team with 36 dingers along with a .247 batting average.

On Aug. 26, the 26-year-old became the third A's third baseman in franchise history (Sal Bando, 1969; Eric Chavez, 2001-02) to hit at least 30 homers in a season. 

The team owns a top-10 ERA (sixth at 4.00) for the first time since 2014. Following the 80-game suspension of Frankie Montas for performance-enhancing drugs in late June—disqualifying him for the playoffs—Chris Bassitt has filled the void and leads playoff-eligible starters with a 3.84 ERA.

Mike Fiers has also emerged at 15-4 with a 3.91 ERA.    

The A's last won the World Series in 1989, sweeping the San Francisco Giants.

The Oakland Athletics are down a relief pitcher for the rest of the regular season and perhaps the playoffs, and they can blame the shower for the misfortune.

According to the Associated Press, relief pitcher Lou Trivino fell in the shower in his apartment and cracked a rib. Manager Bob Melvin said the right-hander is "for sure" out for the rest of the regular season and added, "it doesn't look great" when talking about his potential playoff availability.

Oakland will need to find a way into the postseason without Trivino and holds a one-game lead over the Tampa Bay Rays in the race for the top American League wild-card spot. The A's are also just 1.5 games ahead of the pursuing Cleveland Indians, so a playoff berth is not assured at this point.

In terms of on-field production, this would have been a more significant loss last year.

Trivino posted a 2.92 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 82 strikeouts in 74 innings as a rookie during the 2018 campaign but has experienced a significant drop-off this year with a 5.25 ERA, 1.53 WHIP and 57 strikeouts in 60 innings. He dealt with thumb and elbow injuries early in the season that may have impacted his performance.

He isn't the only Athletics relief pitcher who will miss the rest of the season.

The AP noted Blake Treinen is also sidelined because of a back and hip injury. The right-hander has a 4.91 ERA in 2019.

The Oakland Athletics signed free-agent pitcher Matt Harvey to a minor league deal Wednesday, according to Jon Heyman of MLB Network.

Harvey, 30, went 3-5 with a 7.09 ERA and 1.54 WHIP in 12 starts for the Los Angeles Angels before the team released him on July 21.

The right-hander was a rising star earlier this decade for the New York Mets and even started the 2013 All-Star Game for the National League. He finished that season 9-5 with a 2.27 ERA and 191 strikeouts in 178.1 innings.

Unfortunately, Harvey underwent Tommy John surgery and missed the 2014 season.

He came back strong in 2015 and fared well, going 13-8 with a 2.71 ERA and 188 punchouts in 189.1 frames.

However, Harvey struggled over his next two full seasons, going 9-17 with a 5.78 ERA in 36 games. Thoracic outlet syndrome ended his 2016 season early, and a stress fracture in his scapula kept him off the mound for part of 2017.

Harvey's pinpoint control faded over the years, as his walk rate ballooned from 4.5 percent in 2013 to 10.9 percent in 2017, per FanGraphs. His strikeout rate also dipped from 27.7 percent in 2013 to 15.6 percent in 2017, in part because his four-seam fastball velocity dipped to a career-low 94.3 mph.

After he started the 2018 season with an 0-2 record and 7.00 ERA in his first eight games, the Mets traded him to the Cincinnati Reds, where he enjoyed a small career resurgence. He finished 7-7 with a 4.50 ERA and 111 strikeouts in 128.0 innings. His strikeout rate rose to 19.8 percent for the season, while his walk rate dropped to 5.6 percent.

That effort earned him a one-year, $11 million guaranteed contract with the Halos, but he found trouble locating the strike zone again, as he walked 10.9 percent of the batters he faced.

It may not have happened in Henry Rowengartner-like fashion, but 23-year-old Nathan Patterson can thank some throws at a recent Colorado Rockies game for helping him land a contract with the Oakland Athletics.

Patterson and his brother, Christian, made their way to Coors Field last month to catch a ballgame. While there, Nathan decided to take on the speed pitch challenge—and he wound up hitting 96 mph:

As that clip went viral, it apparently caught the attention of the A's:

According to Cut4's Adrian Garro, Patterson, who played baseball growing up, began training last year after hitting 96 mph on the radar gun during a speed pitch challenge at a minor league ballpark.

Unfortunately, his road to professional baseball endured a setback when he underwent surgery on his non-throwing wrist in December after being hit by a car.

Patterson reportedly had been in communication with Oakland back in February. Though the A's did not sign the right-hander at that time, they wound up calling following his Coors Field performance and got a deal done.