If you have landed here ...

You are in the wrong place!! BBST has MOVED to it's own domain:

BBSTmlb.com <-------- Just click here!

It's the same stuff you'd have previously found on my blog in a new convenient location! There's a layout and there will be new features ... for example, Relative Replays: Behind the Bullpen Chatter (coming soon) is a weekly series in which there will be a conversation between two life-long baseball fanatics: a mother-daughter discussion that can be about everything and anything related to baseball. Sometimes we will debate, others talk about current events, historical issues, the A's (obviously) ... whatever strikes our fancy. 

Now, I don't know about another mother-daughter baseball blog ... if you have please let me know.

BBST (Bullpen, Baseball and Sock Talk) along with it's sister blog/series (haven't figured that out just yet), Relative Replays, will hopefully be fun, engaging and a first of its kind ... the site is still under construction but everything should be up and running soon! Thanks for reading and I hope you will follow me over to BBSTmlb.com! (it is part of Word Press so if you have a WP blog ... do me a favor! Follow the new BBST!! I hope you enjoy it!! Thanks! xx ~ Jen aka the original Oakland A's Socks Girl! You can find me on Twitter @OakAsSocksGrl

Bullpen, Baseball & Sock Talk has Moved!!

My Blog Has Moved!! 

Thank you for reading my blog over the last year! I'm excited to announce that it has moved to its own domain!! Though the new site is still under construction it was time to launch it! So please check it out by going to:

BBSTmlb.com

All of my previous blog posts have been imported to the knew blog but they will always still be there as well! I hope you will still enjoy my blog at its new location! Thanks again for listening to me rant and ramble, learn and work my way to becoming a legitimate baseball journalist at FanSided's Call to the Pen. I will always have Baseball, Bullpen & Sock Talk but it was time to expand! So please check out the new site! I hope you like it! Thank you!! 

  

Hi there Strangers!! A few announcements & links to articles you may have missed! Let's play catch up shall we? :)

Hey there people who actually read my blog - first off let me say that I am very grateful for each and every one of you!! So thank you so much for coming back and reading the randomness that is me! Your support does not go unnoticed. 

So what's new! Well I got a paying gig (yes, you heard correctly - once I get paid I can call myself a legitimate baseball writer!! I am writing for the FanSided Network's flagship destination for ALL THINGS MLB: Call to the Pen ... did I mention that they hired me not as they usually  from already in-house staff writers but on my own merits as an Editor - so I contribute but I am also now learning new management and editorial skills. It feels like a big step up for me - I won't get paid a lot but money will be exchanged and I still get to write but am in a whole new role learning new things, expanding my horizons and advancing my career! It's all very exciting being that I hadn't written in approximately 7 years when I started this blog a little over a year ago - then moved to Sports Unbiased to being a contributior to an MLB Affiliate Pro-Blog to now being an editor at an established and very professional site  - all within the span of a year. I am grateful and humbled and SOOOOO EXCITED! Every move I have made has been a step forward and I hope to continue learning, expanding my horizons and advancing my career! 

I have one more quick announcement - my blog will be moving soon. I am hoping to get it launched by June but that's really soon and I have a busy week ahead of me but it will be through Word Press yet already has its own domain which is BBSTmlb.com - I will be expanding the blog and adding new features such as a weekly mother daughter take on events around the league or games or the A's. My mom is just as big of a baseball freak and expert as I am - not that I am an expert but ya know what I mean we study it a lot! Anywhoo - that's that! Here's a list of articles that if you haven't run across on social media you may just be interested in reading - mostly coming from Call to the Pen and a few from Outside Pitch MLB! Enjoy!!  

MY MOST RECENT ARTICLES:

Troy Tulowitzki responds to cheating allegations, he saw "The Sign"

Giants Cain, Casilla receive MRI results

A's defeat Rays, recording just one hit

Injury News: Votto to the DL, Sale to make return to Sox

Stephen Drew signs with Red Sox

Oakland A's have finally chosen a closer

CC Sabathia out six weeks according to Cashman

Athletics' history of strange games in Cleveland Continues

How far up the All-Time home run list can Albert Pujols Climb?

Jose Abreu lands on the DL with ankle injury

Rockies turn triple play and then walk-off

Gio Gonzalez headed to the disabled list

Rangers lose two more starting pitchers, both for the season

Derek Norris: All-Star??

Nationals Tanner Roark: The pitcher no one saw coming

** I know its an extremely long l,ist but I did say I've been busy so check it out! I have bolded some of my personal faves or the ones I think are the most interesting! lol**

Thanks again for reading and I hope you take the time to check out some of my articles! xx ~ Jen

New York Mets' Rookie deGrom Ends the Teams' Pitchers' 0-64 Slump

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The New York Mets have had a slight problem with their pitchers this season. Not necessarily with their actual pitching performances, although the Mets have had better years in regard to pitching statistics - the problem was with their bats. Being primarily a fan of the American League and the designated hitter, I really did not see that this was some kind of record. Had I heard mention of the hitless streak? Sure. Did it mean that much to me? Not really. 

A huge proponent for the National League to just give in and adopt the DH, it did not occur to me that anything was amiss. I watch interleague play, of course, but I always assumed that pitchers just did not really put in much effort towards hitting (I have seen that Bartolo Colon has had some interesting at-bats since joining the Mets but I loved watching him literally stand there and look at the opposing pitcher like they were crazy ... I miss him on the A's!).

That the Mets' pitchers were 0-64 to start the season? In my mind was really a "so what, who cares?" type thing. Pitchers, in my little world at least, are just not supposed to hit. Seriously, I sound like a ridiculous baseball fan to some people when I say things like that but I definitely believe it (I do not think that the NL's lack of the DH makes anything THAT much more "strategic" - Am I biased? YES! Grew up an A.L. girl but still this is a "smart persons' sport" which I believe and a smart person should be able to see the merits of the DH vs. anything slightly "strategic- but whatever, that's just my opinion). It opens them up to injury and half of them are not even good at it anyway. Actually I'd say more than half but whatever I'm completely digressing from the story at hand ... one I actually found to be quite cute and interesting.

So as I was saying the Mets' pitchers were a Major League Baseball record 0-64 at the plate to start the season. I'm sure to the Mets' fans that seemed like an eternity and I guess it is. They broke the previous record held by the 1914 St. Louis Browns who opened their season in an 0-45 slump. A century is a long time to hold a record, however random or unpleasant, and the Mets pitchers beat it by being worse by 19 at-bats! Damn! 

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But as all streaks must come to an end the Mets' undesirable one did Thursday when rookie pitcher, Jacob deGrom, singled in the third inning of the final game of the Subway Series against the New York Yankees. The story would still be a good one if I only described deGrom as a "rookie." However, it the first MLB start of this kid's career as well as his first big league at-bat. He was a shortstop and would sometimes come in to pitch, in a relief role, while playing in college at Stetson University. 

The 25-year old was a starting pitcher during his four seasons in the minors going 21-11 in 58 starts with a 3.62 ERA but he would not have been the person you, I or anyone else would have picked to break the Mets' pitchers' hitless streak. deGrom hit .176 in just 34 plate appearances during time in the minors and he had only just been brought up from Triple-A Las Vegas to replace injured Mets' starter, Dillon Gee. Gee is on the disabled list with a right lat strain.

Even though the Mets went on to lose the game to the Yankees by a score of 1-0, I'd consider this somewhat of a win for deGrom - breaking the hitless streak, getting his first major league hit and compiling some good statistics - giving up just one run on four hits while striking out six and walking only two. The one run came on a RBI double in the seventh inning by Alfonso Soriano. I feel for the Mets since they didn't get the win but they will get more wins if deGrom pitches and hits the way he did at Citi Field on Thursday afternoon. The Mets and Yankees split the four game each winning two games apiece.

Hero Cat Saves Boy from Dog Attack ... (video)

This is for ANYONE who ever said or EVER even thought for a second that cats are somehow inferior to dogs - in their loyalty or their intelligence or in ANY way - ha! Y'all suck! Cats are freakin' AWESOME! I can't believe I didn't see this sooner being a crazy cat lady! Now Tara, the Hero Cat, gets to (with a little help - let's face it people, dogs can't throw baseballs either!) "throw" out the first pitch at the Bakersfield Blaze game (Triple-A Cincinnati Reds' affiliate) on May 20th. Now, when has a dog ever gotten to do that?! (oh and don't get me wrong, I love my dog too but really, cats get a bad rap sometimes. Did you ever stop to think that maybe they are just smarter than you? lol!!)




In memory of my baby boy, Harry James Potter Rainwater, I love you boo bear and miss you everyday!

RIP Harry James

2000-2014

A's Acquire Blanks from Padres

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There had been rumors of this pending trade but it was officially announced Thursday that the Oakland Athletics have indeed traded minor league outfielder Jake Goebbert and a player to be named later to the San Diego Padres for first baseman/outfielder Kyle Blanks. Blanks was just optioned to Triple-A El Paso on Wednesday to make room for Carlos Quentin, who was activated from the disabled list, on the roster. The right handed hitting Blanks is expected to platoon with lefty Brandon Moss at first base.

The A’s new first baseman has hit 28 home runs in just 715 MLB at-bats. In Blanks the Athletics have gotten a potential power hitter. The only problem is that he seems to have had trouble staying healthy. Since making his big league debut for the Padres on June 19, 2009, the most games he has played in, in a single season, was 88 in 2013.

For more on this story CLICK HERE! Brought to you by Outside Pitch Sports Network LLC.

Find us on Twitter @OakAsSocksGrl and @OPSN_MLB

Can a Careless Whisper Cure Reddicks' Batting Woes?

If you are an A's fan and let's face it you probably are because you are actually reading my blog then you're probably well aware of Josh Reddick's new theme song Careless Whisper by Wham ... it's quite the unusual walk up song but since premiering it on Monday in the first of a three game series against the Chicago White Sox Reddick has been hitting. He went 2-4 Monday night with a triple and 2-5 Tuesday night with a two-run home run. The fans in Oakland love it and so do the other players. Here's a longer version of video than just the Vine clip that has been circulating on Twitter.
The big question though is should we be believing that the 2012 Reddick has returned? I'm gonna say, "No," at least not yet. I know that every A's fan wants to believe it and with the song, it's really hard not to. Yet, let's not be too hasty! It's only two games so I am not ready to eat my words just yet. Back on April 6th I said that the A's should send Reddick down to Triple-A Sacramento. The guy couldn't hit, desperately needed to shorten his swing and was basically just fanning everything. His batting average in April? .241. Could have been worse but you'll see that even when we move on to May, it's only gotten worse.

However I did say that I would totally take it all back if he turned it around and no, I am not ready to do that .... YET. These last two games he's appeared to be the 2012 Josh Reddick who hit 32 bombs and batted .241. 

I'm certainly not questioning that his defense is still superior to almost every other right fielder out there. In 2013, while fighting a wrist injury that required off season surgery, he barley lost out on winning the Gold Glove to Boston's Shane Victorino. He made two insane "Spider-man" like grabs to rob San Francisco's Mike Morse of two home runs in the first game of spring training. So I have never questioned his defense but his offense has been pretty bad, really ugly even. As much as you want to believe he's back, I still need more proof.

In the month of May Reddick is batting .216 with eight strikeouts, only two walks and just three RBI. All three RBI came in the last two games against Chicago. So am I NOT ready to take back all of what I wrote about Reddick but I will take back the fact that I thought he should be sent down, for now. Here's what I said about Reddick after the first week of the season in my article on OPSN Five Changes the A's Need to Make Right Now:

"1. Send Reddick Down to Triple-A: Reddick is currently hitting .100 in 22 plate appearances with eight strikeouts. Now some question why I would single out Reddick when Josh Donaldson‘s batting average is similar to Reddick’s. I would answer that by looking at Reddick’s numbers in Boston and his numbers post 2012.  You would see that they are not that different meaning his so-called breakout year could very well have been a fluke. Donaldson’s breakout year was only last season so I would keep him and give him a chance to turn it around. Reddick has had his chances. Let’s be honest, Reddick slumped down the stretch in 2012 and started 2013 on a slow note. Granted he was injured in April slamming his wrist into a wall in a game in Houston. The wrist injury did not affect his defense as he was in the running for the AL Gold Glove in 2013 and his excuse that the injury hindered his swing is worth a grain of salt but he’s repeatedly said that he is 100 percent healthy this season so there is no excuse for batting .100 even in the first week of the season."

I had a chance to reread it and I still stand by the majority of my convictions but I will say that my wanting him sent down to Triple-A was, and still is, a bit rash. Can a simple Careless Whisper bring back the 2012 Reddick? I absolutely hope so and the past two nights have shown a marked improvement but two ballgames in the grand scheme of 162 means next to nothing. To believe he's back after two games is just naive.

I will say that I am pleased with his recent success and if he keeps it going then I will take back every negative thing I have said about him, however true it may have been at the time but that, my friends, is still a promise. I want to see our boys in the white cleats win as much as y'all do so ... I'd say let's have fun with the song for sure but don't see it as a sudden cure for Reddick's offensive woes at least not just yet. Let the numbers be your guide. Remember Reddick is still batting a measly .233 on the year with just two homers, so don't let his bravado fool you. In my opinion he still has something to prove at the plate.