RIP: A's Pitcher Joe Kennedy
Former A's pitcher Joe Kennedy, 28, died at his home in Florida this morning. At this time the cause of death is officially unknown, but it was "sudden" and a brain aneurysm is rumored to be at fault, according to the Chronicle. Making his major league debut in 2001 with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Kennedy went on to play for other teams such as the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Toronto Blue Jays, and of...
It's Got to Be the Morning After
Giants 9 Reds 5- Here are three things we once thought improbable: Britney Spears having a comeback, Mitt Romney winning a "Pet Owner of the Year" award, and Matt Cain getting enough run support to win. Well, the improbable happened and for the first time since Mother's Day, the Official Favorite Giant of SFist got enough run support to win. In fact, he got a lot of run support, all thanks to Fred Lewis who hit his second grand slam of the season. Lewis played in place of Barry Lamar who sat out with bad legs. Wally Pipp anyone?
Springtime In February
A large portion of Western literature doesn't make sense to California kids. Specifically, we don't get all those poems about springtime, because it just doesn't feel like that big a deal. This is not to say that "there are no seasons in California." Rather, we mean that spring is nice, sure, but so are summer and fall, and Indian summer, and hey, winter isn't really that bad, either. There seem to be more poems about one season than it really warrants, is all.
A's Brand Baseball: 41 Losses Never Felt So Good
The Giants and the Mariners are bad this year. Here at A's Brand Baseball, we take no special pleasure in writing that, nor do we do so in order to taunt the other baseball fans and writers on SFist. (OK, maybe a little of the latter.) Rather, we simply want to point out that when the A's won nine of ten games against those two sorry-a$$ teams at the end of June, it didn't necessarily mean much. The home nine continued its hot streak, though, and took two out of three at home from the Chicago White Sox, who still carry the best record in the majors. After Tuesday night's eleven-inning victory over the Blue Jays in Toronto, the A's find themselves with forty-one wins and forty-one losses.
A's Brand Baseball: Good Seats Still Available
Before a disappointingly small, but vocal and ultimately happy crowd at the Coliseum Wednesday night, the A's fought off a series sweep at the talons of the Toronto Blue Jays. Nick Swisher led the way with two hits, one of which was a monster home run to rightfield, and Jason Kendall, whose bat may have finally arrived from Pittsburgh, added two hits and two RBI of his own. Joe Blanton went six innings and gave up three hits and a run, maintaining the excellent starting pitching the A's have seen this season: if you're keeping score, or counting on SFist to do it for you, that's two good starts each for Blanton and Haren, and one apiece for Saarloos and Harden. And although Huston Street gave up the first run of his career -- and Octavio Dotel, maddeningly enough, his first of this season -- to give Blanton's win to Kiko Calero, the bullpen continues to impress.
Back To Oakland
Previously, on SFist: Giants fans got to attend a home opener. On Monday night in Oakland, it was Kirk Saarloos (1-1, 5.59 and still looking like a solid fifth starter) giving up six runs against the Toronto Blue Jays. Going into the game, the A's sat at three wins and three losses after series against Baltimore and Tampa Bay, and we'll take that. For now.

