Griffin to have Surgery Wednesday, Details Still Shrouded in Mystery

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Since it was reported last week that Oakland A's pitcher A.J. Griffin was seeking a second opinion on his injured elbow. There have been varying reports as to what is to become of the pitcher and his fate for the 2014 season. At first it was will he require surgery at all or just more rehabilitation? Originally diagnosed with flexor tendinitis but having made no real progress in six weeks, Griffin decided on the second opinion.

Then a few days ago  it was reported by CSN Bay Area's Joe Stiglich that Griffin was having Tommy John surgery on Tuesday (what would have been today). That report was then refuted by the San Francisco Chronicle's Susan Slusser who spoke with A's assistant general manager David Forst who said that no plans were made for surgery and that Griffin's appointment with Dr. Melhoff was only scheduled for Tuesday (today).

Well Slusser has now confirmed that Griffin will in-fact have season ending surgery but what type has not yet been specified or if it has it has not been released to the public.

Griffin will have elbow surgery in Houston tomorrow.
— Susan Slusser (@susanslusser) April 29, 2014

In her most recent report for the San Francisco Chronicle of less than an hour ago, Slusser says that not even A's manager Bob Melvin knows the specifics of the surgery. Slusser writes that the surgery could be,

"a Tommy John procedure – the most common elbow surgery – or could involve other elbow ligaments besides the ulnar collateral ligament, or could involve the flexor tendon. Then there are all the unknowns such as cartilage damage, etc. Dr. Thomas Mehlhoff will perform the procedure."

In any case any elbow surgery will end Griffin's 2014 season before it even began. He is expected to return no later than mid season 2015. No specific timeline will be known until the type of surgery he is having is known.

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Melvin did say that he had an idea of who would be next in line if another starter needs to be replaced. Besides Griffin, starter Jarrod Parker is out for the season having had Tommy John surgery during spring training. In their steads Jesse Chavez and Tommy Milone have stepped into the rotation. Chavez has been a virtual ace for the A's and Milone has held his own. In the case another starter is needed Melvin said that it will not be long reliever Drew Pomeranz who is comfortable in his role and currently not stretched out enough to move into starting duties. Since the A's will need an extra starter for their double header next week Slusser tweeted that it will likely be Josh Lindbloom or Arnold Leon. Lindbloom pitched the one game of the A's first double header earlier this month.

Melvin says if #Athletics need another starter - and they will for doubleheader next week - it will be Leon or Lindblom. #Athletics
— Susan Slusser (@susanslusser) April 29, 2014

At least the Athletics have a plan on starter depth. Losing two starters for the year can be a big blow to a team but so far the A's haven't missed a beat. They are currently sitting atop the AL West at 16-10. Still, although the A's are prepared and ready to continue their strong season, one has to wonder what is with all the secrecy surrounding Griffin's surgery?? 

Athletics, Coco Crisp Ink Two Year Contract Extension

Yes! Finally some news about my A's and not just news but I know for A's fans FANTASTIC NEWS! COCO IS LOCKED UP FOR THE NEXT TWO YEARS, MAYBE EVEN 3!!

The Oakland Athletics had already exercised their $7.5 million option on CF Coco Crisp, 34, earlier this winter. Crisp was scheduled to become a free-agent next off season. As it seems, much to the delight of A's fans everywhere, Crisp will be wearing an Oakland uniform for at least the next two years.

The news was announced earlier this morning by the team and the contract details came through The San Francisco Chronicle's Susan Slusser. According to Slusser the deal is worth $22.75 million with a club option for 2017 based on plate appearances.

Crisp is coming off a career year in 2013. In 131 games with the Athletics he batted .261 with 22 doubles, a career-high 22 home runs, 21 stolen bases and 61 walks (compared to just 66 strike outs). He's been a stellar lead-off man for the Athletics and have great defensive capabilities.

As the news was posted on Facebook this morning the reaction to the news from A's fans sounded like this,

Larry Medina: Yessssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss
Randy T. Montgomery Jr.: #faithinbeane
Randy Smith: Hell ya love Coco!
Brad Washburn: I am HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY!!!! I had to play the Bernie Lean song! Coco is the heart of this team!

And my personal reaction was "HELL F*CKING YEAH" ... coming from me that is shocking I know! LOL!

So Crisp definitely will be welcomed back with open arms by his fans. He has been quite a leader, cheerleader and creative comedian for the Athletics in recent years. He was the creator of the "Bernie Lean" craze of 2012 that took over Northern California and is seen by many as the heart and soul of the team. 

 This is not just coming from the fans. Before last fall's playoffs Manager Bob Melvin said, 

"I think everybody feeds off of Coco here, not necessarily just experience, just how good he is. I've said often when we're playing well, he's playing well. He sets the tone for us, and you've seen he's taken his game to a whole new level this year as far as the power dynamic goes."

Even former Detroit Tigers manager, Jim Leyland, said multiple times last season that the key to defeating the A's was containing Crisp. Crisp has a career .278 batting average in 30 post season games with both Boston and Oakland. 

Providing the A's with such team leadership and now power hitting along with defense, it is no wonder the Athletics want to keep him around for a while. 

For More on the Latest News Around the League visit MLB Nation

Bye, Bye Balfour Rage ....

We all knew it was coming. We all dreaded the thought but today it became official. Former Oakland Athletics' closer Grant Balfour is now a Baltimore Oriole. We took their closer, Jim Johnson, for infielder Jemile Weeks (yeah, big loss there ... *hopefully obvious sarcasm*) and catcher David Frietas. That's a pretty good deal in my opinion! Just a quick switcharoo!

But the question begs, why Johnson and not Balfour?

Johnson is set to make $11 million in 2014. Balfour signed with the Orioles for 2 years and $15 million. The A's could have afforded to keep Balfour. Rumor has it though the All-Star closer wanted a three year deal when in talks with Oakland. Being that Balfour is 35, that is a large contract to ask for and it's not likely that the A's were offering any more than a year. Even after coming off a career and All Star caliber year in which he surpassed Hall of Famer, Dennis Eckersley to become Oakland's consecutive save leader with 44 straight, it's not the Athletics' usual method of operation to offer guarentees. That is why they lost out to the San Francisco Giants in their attempt to acquire starting pitcher, Tim Hudson, they offered two years and $23 million just like the Giants but the Athletics' organization likes options and refused to grant Hudson the no trade clause that he wanted.

Johnson on the other hand is 30, coming off back to back 50 save seasons and is going to be a free agent in 2015. This gives the Athletics youth and flexibility. It's certainly no secret that the Athletics are all about flexibility. Just look at the bench and bullpen depth and Manager Bob Melvin's style of changing things up. It appears to be a good fit and the right choice for Oakland,

However the fan's adoration of Balfour could have been a reason to keep him. Absolutely a fan favorite Balfour inspired, fan Will MacNeil, of the infamous Oakland Right Field Bleacher Crew to create the "Balfour Rage". 

The Rage truly took on a life of it's own when Balfour entered the game. It began in the bleachers and became contagious to the crowd. Fans began to follow MacNeil's lead, wearing gigantic "Hulk Fists" and thrashing and swinging their arms in the air! The bleachers alone turned into a mosh pit. 

The stadium would go dark the music would start, a video of Balfour, who was recently named "The Biggest Potty Mouth" in baseball by ESPN because of his crazy swearing fits on the mound, played on the screen. San Francisco Chronicle's beat writer and President of the Baseball Writers Association of America (BWAA), Susan Slusser, tweeted Balfour's response:

@SusanSlusser on Twitter : I asked Grant Balfour how he feels about being named "The Biggest Potty Mouth" in baseball and he said, "I don't give a (bleep)." #Athletics

 Everyone was metal for that moment where he confidently strolled to the mound with Metallica's "One" blasting across the O.Co Coliseum. All the fans raising and pumping their "Hulk Fists" like crazy kids at a rock concert, truly was a virtual mosh pit! I personally got to participate in the front row of the right field bleachers courtesy of Mr. MacNeil! It was exhilarating to say the least. To be honest it was pretty A-mAzing!! Wow! 

We also got our head banging on for set up man Sean Doolittle who's walk up song, "For whom the Bell Tolls," is also by Metallica. So I think that the fans need to take solace that while Blevins and Balfour are gone we can still rock our heads around for Doolittle. Known as "Doo" to most fans, he also inspired the phenomenon of "Doolittling" (see the pic below). 

"Doolitting" in my condo watching the ALDS!

So to all the A's fans out there ... well we are gonna have to figure out what to do with the Foo Fighter's "The Pretender" and welcome Johnson with open arms. There is always something special about a closer to find be it their potty mouth or walk up song, it's always something special. 

"The Sandman," icon Mariano Rivera will always be thought of when Metallica's "Enter Sandman" is played (even on his final day to play baseball the trending Twitter hashtag was #ExitSandman). 

Balfour and his Aussie Swear Jar should be a big hit in Baltimore. I hope Johnson has the personality to be an Oakland Athletic. As fans we look for that and embrace it. Until we get to know Johnson's personality, I am hoping that Doolitting and head banging as usual to Metallica will hold us over. But you never know.

Jim Johnson might just be able to capture our hearts they way guys like The Eck (Dennis Eckersley), Izzy (Jason Isringhausen), Grant Balfour and other closers of the past have.

Welcome to the "Pit" as our favorite baseball commissioner, Bud Selig called it or as fans like to think of it sometimes as the "Mosh Pit" .... Jim Johnson. Welcome to Oaktown. Now about getting a Metallica song for you ..... all good things happen in time and there are approximately 56 days until pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training ... you'll learn in time Jim and as of now we welcome you and say "Bye Bye Balfour Rage"! (very sadly apparently, as the lamentation continues on Twitter and Facebook) 

As A's fans are used to change, we and as much as I will miss Mr. Balfour, our Awesome Aussie, I'm keeping my head up that 2014 will be our year! Let's Go Oakland!!