2014 Oakland Athletics: Life of a MLB Season Ticket Holder

So this column is going to appear on Sports Unbiased every Monday at 12pm Eastern Time! I hope you guys will take a minute to read it and once it gets going, really enjoy it!! :-)

xx ~ Jen

Welcome to the first edition of 2014 Oakland A’s: Life of a MLB Season Ticket Holder. I’m Jen aka the original “Oakland A’s Socks Girl.” I’ve also had season tickets for well over a decade now. I sit down the third base line in Section 128, row two, seat eight, directly behind the Athletics’ bullpen. That’s my seat. I LOVE that seat. I could be buried with that seat and know that I died happy! My mom sits in seat nine and my dad in ten. Seat seven also belongs to the Rainwater family but being that my brother lives in Merced, CA, we usually have a guest. Technically we only have our season tickets for every weekend home stand. But lucky for my mom and me, the A’s have a great policy where you can turn in tickets that you aren’t going to use or that you didn’t use to be able to go to weekday games. So in essence, I usually make four to five games every home stand, which equals out to about 60 games per season....

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My New Weekly Column is Debuting Tomorrow on Sports Unbiased!!

So tomorrow at noon Eastern time and nine am Pacific time my new weekly column will be debuting on Sports Unbiased!! So PLEASE check it out!! 

The title of my new weekly series of articles is 2014 Oakland Athletics: Life of an MLB Season Ticket Holder. I am starting tomorrow going to be chronicle the season for the entire year ... because as all A's fans and die hard baseball fans know there is ABSOLUTELY no such thing as the off-season ... it's like, "what? I've never heard of such a thing!" .. LOL! Yes we all mourn the end of a season but there are trades and deals and the winter meetings and arbitration fights ... and yes, football and basketball and hockey to get us through the off-season ... but mainly let's just stick to the baseball stuff! Why? Because baseball is the greatest sport EVER and it should be treated as such! LOL! Now I am just being silly and making myself laugh ...

So back to my new column it is! I'm gonna talk about everything from the sometimes tediousness of having to get up, get ready and get to the yard six days straight, to the joys of seeing a Perfect Game(which we all know probably will not happen this year depending upon how bad the Astros are ... oh! I like the Astros! That was so mean ... but true) or a Complete Game Shut Out or a No-Hitter or a 18th inning walk-off single off Mariano Rivera (thank you Nate Freiman for FINALLY ending that marathon in the sun!)  ... but you get the ideas I am trying to get across here ...right?

Sometimes being the most hard core fan is the most rewarding thing in the world, sometimes you come home just wanting to kill yourself or you find yourself yelling at your empty Bud Light can in its #OaklandKoozieSwag saying youre gonna throw it at the television (oh wait .... what do you mean that doesn't happen to you guys?? Wait a min ....) But no matter how happy or how miserable you are there really isn't a bad thing to say about baseball .... 

It's the greatest sport the world has ever known and its history is so rich both before and after the modern era .... the amazing amount of time this game has been played and there have only been what? 24 PG's in well over 100 years and I was present for one! That's someone watching out for you right there ... that kinda shit doesn't happen ... like I hugged the President ... I mean how often do you get that chance ... odds are it's more often than seeing a PG and I've done both. Now before I die I just want to meet Troy Aikman and be at a World Series game that the A's are playing in and preferably one they win (and preferably win the whole thing but I will take what I can get depending on the circumstances) .... 

Ok, again caught rambling off topic .... so PLEASE REMEMBER MY NEW COLUMN GOES LIVE TOMORROW ON SPORTS UNBIASED at Noon Eastern Time (9am for us West Coasters) ... PLEASE Check it out! Leave comments, love it - hate it - lemme know how to improve it because I am gonna be promoting it for a year so if you hate it you just might wanna make a suggestion or two!!! LMAO! But in all seriousness I'm excited about having this opportunity to share my baseball experience with all of you ... it means so much to me and I hope that everyone has something that means as much to them! SO CHECK OUT MY COLUMN: 2014 Oakland Athletics:Life of an MLB Season Ticket Holder on Sports Unbiased tomorrow at 12pm ET/9am PT!! Thank you and as always ..... 

LET'S GO OAKLAND!!!!!

Kimbrel, Braves Avoid Arbitration with a Four Year Deal

My latest for MLB Nation:

Craig Kimbrel and the Atlanta Braves announced Sunday morning that they have agreed to terms on a four-year contract with an option for 2018. The financial details of the contract were not disclosed.

Kimbrel, 25, is arguably one of Major League Baseball’s best closers and by far the best in the National League. He has led the National League in saves the past three seasons, including recording a MLB leading 50 saves last season. In 2013 Kimbrel posted an ERA of 1.21 and had 98 strikeouts in just 67 innings pitched. The three time All-Star was also Rookie of the Year in the National League in 2011.

With statistics like those it is no wonder the Braves wanted to avoid any arbitration issues with the young closer as well as keep him on their roster as long as they can. As it is Kimbrel will be only 29 when this contract is up. If he stays healthy over the next four years the Braves may have a hard time keeping him. Braves general manager, Frank Wren said of Kimbrel,

“”We are very excited to agree to terms with Craig, who we feel is the best closer in Major League Baseball. He is one of the key pieces of our pitching staff and we are happy to keep him in a Braves uniform for at least four more years.”

The Braves have made it their top priority to lock down all their young stars this off season. They recently signed Freddie Freeman, 24, to an eight-year, $135 million deal. They also made sure to keep outfielder Jason Heyward, also 24, and 21-year old starting pitcher, Julio Teheran, who went 14-8 last season with a 3.20 ERA.

With so many young stars the Braves are not only securing success for 2014 but for the future as well.

For More News From Around the League Check Out MLB Nation!

Dallas Sportscaster's & Jon Stewart's Similar Take On Michael Sam

Here's the Link to Jon Stewart's Take On Michael Sam Coming Out! The Daily Show: Friday Night Rights

Well, alright. I know, I know it took me a while to get to this! You're like gosh Jen this has been news for hella days now! LOL!  Now I really hope that you have watched both videos and there are some definite similarities ... Jon Stewart's is of course a little more colorful as you would expect ... but what surprised everyone this week was this Dallas News Anchor's reaction. 

Yes, I'm from Texas but being raised in California this is NOT the reaction we'd expect from a guy in south. It's extremely refreshing to know that there are normal people, who care about others and don't put them down for their skin color, sexual orientation or anything else** even in the south!

Aren't equal rights what this country was founded upon? And freedom of religion ... not freedom of the type of Christian you are! I am an Atheist and proud of it. I support people who feel the need to believe in a higher power but not the judgmental ones ... those people should pretty much rot in hell ... if there was one! Basically the point of this blog is to praise Michael Sam for his brave decision to come out and wish him the best of luck in the NFL and if anyone f*cks with him ... there will be more than enough people who have his back like his Missouri teammates who have known his "secret" since August, didn't care and kept it quiet! So bottom line ... let people be! If their lifestyle or the way they were born is not affecting you then keep your mouth shut! EQUAL RIGHTS FOR ALL!

**Exception**  - the only thing allowed in my book to judge someone on is team affiliation - esp if they know nothing about the team and act like a "die-hard"  - so basically that means being a gnats fan ... yes, I will judge you for that unless you can answer three questions for me. The first one is easy NOW THANKS ALOT BAT KID! 1. What is the giants mascot? 2. What is Buster Posey's real name? 3. Name 3 giants players - not including Zito - pre 2010? If you can do that I won't judge you and see you as a competent fan ... which is cool in my book)

Orioles Finally Ready to Forfeit Draft Pick for a Starter

According to Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal the Baltimore Orioles are finally giving in to the fact that in order for them to round out their rotation they are going to have to give up their first round, 17th overall, draft pick.

The Orioles haven't had the greatest off season. They traded away their closer, Jim Johnson, for a mediocre second baseman, Jemile Weeks. They had pretty much done deals with both RHP Grant Balfour and OF Tyler Colvin only to have both deals fall through due to issues surrounding the player's physicals. They were interested in closer Fernando Rodney but lost out to the Mariners. The Orioles have an even more desperate need for a fifth starter. They had would like to have signed Bronson Arroyo who signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks, reportedly saying that he was deterred from playing in Baltimore because of the issues they'd had with Balfour and Colvin. Baltimore was also very interested in AJ Burnett. It was widely known that Burnett wanted to pitch somewhere near his Maryland home and the Orioles were automatically seen as the front runners, only to have Burnett sign with the Phillies instead.

The Orioles did sign Korean pitcher Suk-min Yoon on Wednesday to a three year, $5.75 million contract. This signing does give their rotation a definite boost, but only if Yoon performs like fellow Korean pitcher Hyun-jin Ryu has performed for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Signing a player from overseas is always a risk because there is no guarantee how they will adjust to playing Major League Baseball as opposed to baseball in their home countries.

Jamie Squire/Getty Images

Still there are two free agent, proven starting pitchers out there for the taking but they each have a downfall. Both Ervin Santana and Ubaldo Jimenez have a draft pick attached to them. Meaning that if signed by Baltimore, the Orioles will have to give up their highest draft pick to either Santana's former team, the Kansas City Royals or to Jimenez's former team, the Cleveland Indians. Both pitchers' former teams offered one year deals worth $14.1 million and both deals were rejected by the players, thus the Indians and Royals receive a draft pick to compensate for their loss.

The Orioles (and most other teams) have been shying away from Jimenez and Santana for this reason. It is very likely the reason these two are still on the market with pitchers and catchers having already reported to training camp. Baltimore's only other option is to stay in-house and promote their 2012 first round draft pick, Kevin Gausman, to the starting rotation. Promoting Gausman is, like signing Yoon, a gamble because he is young and inexperienced.

As was reported by Ken Rosenthal the Orioles have a small window if they want to win (2014-2015) so the best bet for the team is to suck it up and give up a draft pick in order to get a proven starter. We will probably know within a matter of days if that starter is Jimenez or Santana.

For More News From Around the League Check out MLB Nation!

Update: Mark Mulder Ruptures Achilles Tendon, Needs Season Ending Surgery

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Mark Mulder, who is trying to make a comeback to Major League Baseball after a six year hiatus, was injured early Saturday while warming up for his first bullpen session of the spring. MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez reported early Saturday morning that the Angel's pitcher injured his ankle. Mulder was taken in for x-rays and it was later found that he ruptured his left Achilles tendon. The injury is going to require what will probably be season-ending surgery.

This is a major and very unfortunate freak injury for Mulder that may not have just sidelined his comeback but ended it completely. He injured the ankle during some easy agility drills during a warm up for his first bullpen session in years. 

I feel for the guy, I really do. I watched him grow as a pitcher with the A's and he was dynamic. When Mulder pitched you knew it would be a quick game and most likely a complete one, maybe even a shut out. The first time I ever sat in the Diamond Level at the Coliseum, Mulder pitched the game. The game was under two hours!! At the time I was thinking, thanks a lot Mark! But when he announced his plans to comeback I was all for it! He was probably my favorite of Oakland's "Big Three" (along with Tim Hudson and Barry Zito) in the early 2000s. I'm very sorry to see this happen to him even though he most likely would have been pitching against my Athletics with the Angels. Which if he were back to his 2000s form would have been formidable. All I keep thinking is,

 "Really? Seriously? How could this happen? It's like a freak accident! Poor guy!"

Ok, back to the facts of the story and not my rambling .... In November Mulder held a tryout session and the scouts were impressed with what they saw. It was rumored that his fastball was hitting the 90 mph mark. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim soon signed Mulder to a minor league contract with an invite to big league spring training. There were hopes that he would be able to stay healthy with his new delivery and possibly make the Angels' starting rotation. Mulder would have been battling for the fifth spot in the Angels rotation with Joe Blanton and Tyler Skaggs, whose importance just rose immensely. Angels' general manager, Jerry Dipoto, told the media,

"My heart goes out to him. I know how hard he worked, and we're all disappointed for him. Every one of us."

The former star southpaw for the Oakland Athletics and St. Louis Cardinals has not thrown a pitch in the majors since 2008 and officially announced his retirement in 2010. Mulder was sidelined by shoulder injuries after being traded from the Athletics to the Cardinals. A star on the Athletics, Mulder dominated the league between 2001 and 2005.  In that time he averaged 18 wins a year with 3.65 ERA.  After the trade he pitched only 12 2/3 innings with the Cardinals.  He has since been working for ESPN as an analyst.

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During the playoffs last year Mulder figured out a way to throw the ball without it affecting his shoulder by watching Dodger's pitcher Paco Rodriguez's delivery. He was able to replicate Rodriguez's delivery without any shoulder pain or strain. He has been training extremely hard since October to be ready for spring training. Mulder was confident about his comeback just Friday saying,

"That was the first day I really thought to myself, 'OK, I'm ready to start this."

Mere hours later Mulder was at the hospital getting the news that he'd have to have season ending surgery on his left ankle. For Mulder the comeback was more out of curiosity than necessity which prompts one to believe that he will return to ESPN and retired life especially given that he is already 36 years old. Mulder talked about the injury Saturday afternoon on his Twitter account,

@markmulder20 I can handle this. But seeing my son in tears when he saw me in a boot and crutches and I told him I wasn't going to pitch - that was tough.

Mulder, unfortunately, just seems to have a streak of bad luck. After finding a way to throw with his often injured shoulder, he wasn't even able to make it to his first bullpen session. It is highly likely that his comeback attempt was thwarted before it even officially started.

The southpaw has not made an official statement on what he believes his future to be. Mulder is expected to address the media Sunday morning

For More News From Around The League Check Out MLB Nation!

It's a MIRACLE! Reddick and the Athletics Avoid Arbitration!!

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As an A's fan, recently,  I have expressed my displeasure that the arbitration situation between RF Josh Reddick, 26, and the Oakland Athletics was going to be taken all the way to an arbitration hearing, one there was no way Reddick was going to win. He asked the Athletics for $3.23 million after a dismal year in 2012 and wouldn't accept the A's offer of $2 million.

Reddick has been compensated well over his four year career first with the Boston Red Sox and then with the Athletics. Last season made $510,000 and has made well over a million dollars professional career.

MLB.com's Jane Lee just reported that the Athletics and Reddick have avoided arbitration with a one year deal. The details of his salary have not been released but it is expected to be around the midpoint of the two offers at about $2.625 million.

This is great news for the Athletics. Arbitration hearings do not always end with the warmest of feelings between the two parties.  Had they gone to a hearing it would have only been the third time during Billy Bean's tenure as general manager of the A's and the first time in nine years. The Athletics have only gone into an arbitration hearing twice since 1997; first in 2000 with pitcher Ariel Prieto and second in with Juan Cruz in 2005. Prieto is currently on the coaching staff with the Athletics proving that unpleasantness doesn't always go hand in hand with an arbitration hearing, but often times it does.

For More News From Around the League Check out MLB Nation