Where are Moneyball’s major players

Where are Moneyball’s major players

 
Where are Moneyball’s major players, BJ Upton, Prince Fielder, Scott Kazmir are three players who eventually proved Billy Beane didn’t always bat .1000 when evaluating future talent. Beane didn’t have the desire to take any of these players and all of these players have proven themselves in the majors. Prince Fielder last year, Scott Kazmir released by the Angels on June 15,

Beane saw something special in Kevin Youkilis and coveted him for the A’s. The union wasn’t meant to be, however, and Youkilis stayed with the team who was developing him the Boston Red Sox.

Mark Teahen was drafted by Beane and the A’s but never played for the ‘Moneyball ‘ honcho. Teahen was traded to the Royals a trade for which the A’s received Octavio Dotel. Mark Teahen traded to the Toronto Blue Jays,

Bobby Crosby stepped up to the challenge and became the starting shortstop for the A’s when Miguel Tejada left for the Orioles after the 2003 season. Crosby was good enough in his rookie season to win rookie of the year the first A’s player to accomplish that in the Moneyball era. Crosby left the A’s for the Pittsburgh Pirates after the 2008 season. diamondbacks release bobby crosby, Bobby Crosby rookie of the year,

Nick Swisher began the statistical climb immediately following his rookie season in Oakland in 2004. He contributed in the A’s line-up until he was traded to the White Sox in 2008. Nick Swisher album Believe,

Joe Blanton was brought up to the A’s to shore up the rotation after Mark Mulder and Tim Hudson were both traded from the roster. Blanton showed promise in his first years in Oakland. From 2005-2007, Blanton improved statistically but was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies in 2008.

Chad Bradford played a role for Beane’s team from 2001 until 2004. As a reliever, Bradford had three good years in Oakland until he was traded to the Red Sox following a statistical slump. Chad Bradford retired coach Mississippi,

After Mark McGwire’s departure via trade, Jason Giambi assumed the role of starting first baseman for the A’s. Although Giambi had been with the team since 1995, it wasn’t until 1999 that he really began to hit his stride. Giambi’s best years for Oakland came in 2000 and 2001. Giambi won the AL MVP in 2000 and almost won the MVP in 2001 but most importantly he helped the A’s get to the playoffs both of those years.

The A’s drafted Eric Chavez in 1996. The third baseman was a slugger at the plate and a stalwart defensively, winning six Gold Gloves in six seasons. After 13 years with the A’s, Chavez left for the Yankees as a free agent.

One of the earlier acquisitions for Beane, Miguel Tejada made his way to the A’s late in the 1997 season and became the starting shortstop in 1998. As projected, Tejada’s statistics began to back up his athletic promise. In 2002, Tejada had his best season and helped propel the A’s into the playoffs. Miguel Tejada released by giants,

Jason Isringhausen joined the staff in Oakland as a relief pitcher in 1999. In 2000 he had one of his best statistical seasons for any A’s closer in history, helping lead the team to the playoffs.

Tim Hudson rounded out the trifecta of talented, young pitchers that starred for the A’s during the Moneyball era. Right out of the gate, Hudson tore up major league baseball, going 11-2 in his rookie season and winning 20 games in his second. The A’s traded Hudson to the Atlanta Braves in 2005.

Mark Mulder benefitted from being part of the ‘Moneyball’ Oakland A’s. Teaming up with Barry Zito and Tim Hudson, Mulder helped the A’s reach the MLB playoffs from 2000 to 2003. mark mulder analyst on espn baseball tonight,

Barry Zito developed into a monster talent with the Oakland A’s. Zito won a Cy Young award in 2002 two years after his major league debut. The magic ran out in Oakland for Zito after the 2006 season — he was traded to the San Francisco Giants. Barry Zito back on the mound, Barry Zito Cy Young Award, San Francisco Giants,

As Billy Beane’s assistant GM and second in command, Paul DePodesta also had major influence on the Oakland A’s emergence as a powerhouse team. Paul DePodesta Vice President of player development and scouting for the New York Mets,

Billy Beane is a former MLB outfielder who played for the A’s, Tigers, Twins and Mets. Beane’s most valuable contribution to baseball isn’t as a player, but as a GM and talent evaluator. As GM of the A’s, Beane gained notoriety for his use of baseball metrics to build the team’s roster. This use of sabermetrics ran counter to conventional baseball wisdom and changed the way teams did business. The practice was chronicled in Michael Lewis’ book “Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game,” published in 2003. Billy Beane vice president oakland athletics,

Miguel Tejada released by giants

Miguel Tejada released by giants

Miguel Tejada released by giants, San Francisco officially parted ways with Miguel Tejada yesterday, releasing the veteran infielder with a month remaining on his one-year, $6.5 million contract.
Tejada more than earned the release by playing horrible defense and hitting .239 with a .596 OPS, and then for good measure he publicly complained about being asked to lay down a sacrifice bunt.

However, today Tejada told Enrique Rojas of ESPN Deportes that he plans to play in 2012, saying: “I will not retire.”

Here’s more from the 37-year-old former MVP:

I didn’t have a good time in San Francisco, but there are always highs and lows in life. I will play winter ball with the Aguilas Cibaenas as part of the process of staying active. In the winter I will work to return. It’s not the first time that a player has a bad year and then comes back.

True, but not many players have a .596 OPS at age 37 and go on to be anything but terrible. In fact, not many 37-year-old infielders post a sub-.600 OPS, period. The last one do so with at least 300 plate appearances was Frank White way back in 1988. He went on to play two more seasons as a part-timer for the Royals, hitting .241 with a .608 OPS.

Brian Sabean gave him $6.5 million six months ago, so I suppose anything is possible, but it’ll be surprising if Tejada manages more than a one-year, $1 million deal as a free agent this time around and he may have to settle for a minor-league contract.

source: nbcsports

Serena Williams Unicef

Serena Williams Unicef – Tennis superstar Serena Williams has been appointed UNICEF’S newest international Goodwill Ambassador.

UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake announced Williams’ appointment on Tuesday, saying she is also known as a philanthropist and champion of children.



Williams teamed up with UNICEF in 2006 when she traveled to Ghana for the African country’s biggest health campaign. Volunteer health workers immunized children against childhood diseases and distributed free mosquito bed nets to prevent malaria.

With UNICEF, Williams will use her popularity to support the U.N. agency’s mission to provide a quality education for vulnerable children.

Past and present UNICEF ambassadors include Audrey Hepburn, David Beckham and Shakira.

World's fastest Ferrari Enzo crashes into sea

World's fastest Ferrari Enzo crashes into sea, And here’s why it’s important to have car insurance: a modified Ferrari Enzo competing in the 1367-mile Targa Newfoundland rally spun and ended up in a lake. As this video shows, the Enzo’s driver lost control as the car hit a small patch of gravel.


Driver Zahir Rana and his co-driver Roland Linder both emerged from the watery accident unscathed, and they claim their Enzo racer is only mildly damaged. Rana says the accident happened because the gravel patch reduced the amount of friction available to the high-powered Ferrari. The pair say they will continue racing, perhaps even upgrading to a Ferrari FXX.

“With speed comes a little bit of risk,” said Linder, “And these things happen. It’s OK.”

Watch the video for yourself below.

Usain Bolt

Usain Bolt

Usain Bolt. Athletics-'Crazy' Blake ahead of schedule in upstaging Bolt. Jamaican sprinter, "wonderful cricketer" and chicken nugget lover. There is no doubt that Yohan Blake is cut from the same cloth as the man he replaced as 100 metres world champion on Sunday. The 21-year-old also shares a great self-confidence with Usain Bolt and, although he obviously benefited from the disqualification of his training partner for a false start on Sunday, he was not prepared to put his victory purely down to luck.

"From when I came to Daegu, I can't sleep, I've been dreaming of this race, having nightmares about this race, I've been thinking about it, I've been praying about it," he said.

"I live, I eat, I sleep this 100 metres, I do everything I can and to come out victorious is just wonderful.

"We will never know what might have happened."

Three-times world champion Maurice Greene had predicted Blake could beat Bolt, saying he was "crazy" enough not to be intimidated by the Olympic champion and world record holder.

Blake said he had always been confident that he would eventually be challenging his compatriot and mentor.

"I knew I would do this one day but I did not expect this for today," he said, sitting between silver medallist Walter Dix and the winner of the bronze. Kim Collins.

"It's very sad he was not in the final, he would push you to run even faster, but we are the guys for the moment."

Blake, born in St. James, took up athletics when he was 16 and the sport gradually took over from cricket as the great love of his life.

In one major difference from Bolt, who famously hates the training involved in running 400 metres, Blake said he loved the one-lap event and might return to it one day.

He won bronze in the 100 metres at the 2006 world junior championships in Beijing and was banned for three months for a doping violation in 2009, an incident said he had now "put behind him".

TRACK LEGEND

Like Bolt, Blake said his ambition is to become a "legend" of track and field and use his status to help people around the world.

"I would like to be a legend," he said. "My goal is just to work my way up to the top. We've got the Olympics coming up, so I'm thinking about that from now on."

"There are some things that really drive me when I'm running, I really want to help people around the world.

"When I think about Africa and Haiti and all those things that happen, I want to become a legend in sports and really help those people.

"When I'm running, all those things are in my head, and I just focus on one thing -- victory."

Blake said he also took that same intensity to training.

"I'm a beast in training," he said. "No training is ever too big for me, I always take on training. Training's just like a joke to me when I get out there because I just have to get it done."

Apart from the many things he must have picked up from training with Bolt, Blake said he had also learned what kind of food fuels world sprint champions.

"Last night we ate a lot of chicken nuggets, before Beijing he ate at least five boxes of chicken nuggets, I guess it's all in the nuggets," he laughed.

Source:yahoo

Newcastle player Nile Ranger arrested

Newcastle player Nile Ranger arrested

Newcastle player Nile Ranger arrested. Premier League footballer Nile Ranger has been arrested after a man was left unconscious with a suspected broken jaw in an attack.The 33-year-old victim was found outside Cosy Joes Pub, in the Groat Market in Newcastle, after police were called in the early hours.

Mr Ranger, 20, was later arrested on suspicion of assault.

Newcastle United refused to comment, but a source confirmed the striker had been arrested.

A Northumbria Police spokesman said: "The injured man was unconscious and was taken to the Royal Victoria Infirmary suffering from a suspected broken jaw.

"The offender made off and police carried out a search of the area.

"A 20-year-old man was arrested a short time later, nearby, on suspicion of assault and is currently helping police with their enquiries.

"Police are appealing for anyone who was in the area at the time who may have seen or heard anything suspicious to contact them."

Mr Ranger, from London, moved to Newcastle in July 2008 following his release by Southampton.

Source: bbc

White Michael Vick

White Michael Vick

White Michael Vick. Over the last four years there is no player more polarizing in the NFL — and perhaps all of American sports than Michael Vick. As the first black quarterback to be selected No. 1 overall in the NFL draft, Vick wowed football fans with his athleticism and game-breaking ability and infuriated others with his disregard for the traditional quarterback role.

When the news of Vick’s involvement in a interstate dog fighting ring surfaced in 2007, charges that landed him in prison for 21 months, vitriol spilled throughout the sports media and American public.

Now, one season after Vick resurrected his career and was named the NFL’s comeback player of the year, the public is still strongly divided on a man acclaimed by some for his athletic prowess and perseverance and hated by others for his myriad transgressions.

But what if Michael Vick were white? What if he didn’t symbolize a “thug athlete culture” to wide swaths of the American public?

This is the subject of a provocative upcoming ESPN The Magazine piece by Touré that is sure to spark plenty of debate around a man who knows little else.

If you can scroll past the asinine rendering of the Philadelphia Eagles quarterback as a caucasian — which even infuriated the author himself — you’ll find Touré describing the street culture Vick’s looks, demeanor and playing style often embody and how these perceived characteristics have shaped public opinion.

“Race is an undeniable and complex element of Vick's story, both because of his style as well as the rarity of black QBs in the NFL. A decade after he became the first black QB to be drafted No. 1 overall, about one in five of the league's passers is African-American, compared with two-thirds of all players. But after his arrest for dogfighting, so many people asked: Would a white football player have gotten nearly two years in prison for what Vick did to dogs?

“This question makes me cringe. It is so facile, naive, shortsighted and flawed that it is meaningless. Whiteness comes with great advantages, but it's not a get-out-of-every-crime-free card. Killing dogs is a heinous crime that disgusts and frightens many Americans. I'm certain white privilege would not be enough to rescue a white NFL star caught killing dogs.”

The author then essentially refutes the idea that Vick’s situation could be considered with a white subject. The quarterback’s upbringing and every element the life that have led him to this point are unique to him and it’s impossible to say how that life would be different were Vick white.

Touré concludes by asking readers to view Vick “as someone in the third act of the epic movie that is his life, leading a team that many expect to see in the Super Bowl.” In all, it’s a bizarrely interesting piece that follows a potentially incendiary premise — and overtly offensive image — only to conclude the premise is ultimately moot.

Source: washingtonpost

Rick Hansen Relay

Rick Hansen Relay

Rick Hansen Relay. Rick Hansen set to start cross-Canada relay near St. John's. A wheelchair athlete – well known for his "Man in Motion" campaign to help people with spinal cord injuries – is heading to Cape Spear, N.L., to begin a cross-Canada relay to mark the 25th anniversary of his journey around the world in a wheelchair.

Rick Hansen's relay is expected to include 7,000 people who will each carry the Rick Hansen Medal for a short distance before passing it on to another person.

Participants will pass through more than 600 communities during the nine-month, 12,000-kilometre journey, which is scheduled to start Wednesday and finish in Vancouver on May 22, 2012.

Hansen, 53, suffered a life-changing spinal cord injury in a pickup truck crash when he was 15.

More than a decade later, in 1985, he began his Man in Motion world tour and wheeled more than 40,000 kilometres through 34 countries.

He returned to his native British Columbia May 1987 after raising $26 million for spinal cord research and quality of life initiatives.

Since then, the Rick Hansen Foundation has generated more than $200 million for quality of life projects, awareness programs and research.

N.L. Premier Kathy Dunderdale is scheduled to speak at the launch of the relay.

Source: cbc