A’s News Clips, Tuesday, October 12, 2010 Major Leeague: 2010 season snapshot: The good stuff Jane Lee, mlb.com, 10/8/2010 Taking stock of all the good that came out of Oakland in 2010: Pitching • Ranked third in the Majors with an American League-leading 3.56 ERA, which was the lowest mark by an A's team since the 1990 club posted a 3.18 ERA. • Led the AL in shutouts with 17, along with opponents slugging percentage (.379) and pickoffs (27). The 17 shutouts were the second best total by an A's team over the last 21 years (19 in 2002). • Ranked second in opponents batting average (.245) and opponents on-base percentage (.313). • Now have an AL-best 3.97 ERA since 2000. • Craig Breslow ranked second among AL relievers with 75 games pitched, tied for fourth with 74 2/3 innings and tied for sixth with 71 strikeouts, which set an Oakland record for a left-handed reliever. • Bullpen ranked sixth in the AL with a 3.75 ERA and had just 13 blown saves, which tied for the fewest in the AL. Starting Pitching • Major League-leading 3.47 ERA marked the lowest ERA by an American League team since 1990, when Boston compiled a 3.32 ERA. • Posted the lowest opponents slugging percentage in the Majors (.373) and led the AL in opponents batting average (.243). • Trevor Cahill and Gio Gonzalez's ability to garner at least 15 wins each while aged 24 years or younger represented just the 17th time in the post-World War IIEra that a Major League team has done so. However, itmarked the third time it's happened in Oakland (2001, 2002) over the lastnine seasons. • Cahill tied for fourth in the AL with 18 wins, most by an A's starter since Mark Mulder tallied 17 in 2004. It wasthefirsttime a pitcher aged 22years or youngerwon 18 gamessince Brett Saberhagen went 20-6 for Kansas City as a 21-year-old in 1985. Defense • The A's committed 99 errors, which was the fifth fewest in the AL. It marked the sixth time in the last seven years they committed fewer than 100 errors. • Mark Ellis ranked second among AL second baseman with a .995 fielding percentage. He has now finished at least second in each of the last four seasons in which he qualified for the leader board. Offense • Ranked ninth in the AL with a .256 batting average and .324 on-base percentage. • Tallied 527 walks for the second consecutive season and have not walked fewer than 527 times in a non-strike season since 1985. • Had 30 triples, which were the most by an A's team since 1987 (33). • Daric Barton led the AL with 110 walks, ranked fifth with a .392 on-base percentage and tied for ninth with five triples. Running Game • The club's 156 stolen bases represented the ninth best single-season total in Oakland history and the most by an A's club since the 1989 team stole 157. • Ranked third in the AL and the Majors in steals and led the AL and ranked second in the Majors in stolen base percentage (80.4%). • Rajai Davis (50), Coco Crisp (32) and Cliff Pennington (29) combined for 111 of the 156 stolen bases, marking the most by three Oakland teammates since1983 when RickeyHenderson (108), Mike Davis (32) and Bill Almon (26) combined for 166. • Crisp's 32 stolen bases was a career high, and he achieved the mark in just 75 games. He was successful in 32 of 35 (91.4%) attempts, which was the best percentage in the Majors and second best in Oakland history. • Davis' 50 stolen bases was also a career-high, and the mark ranked second in the AL and third in the Majors. He now has 116 career steals with the A's, which ranks eighth in Oakland history. • Pennington's 29 steals were most by an A's infielder since Carney Lansford had 35 of his 37 steals in 1989 while playing in the infield. Miscellaneous • The A's pitching staff had a 3.27 ERA with Kurt Suzuki behind the plate, which was the lowest catchers ERA in the AL by more than half a run. • The A's compiled a 47-34 (.580) record in Oakland, their best home mark since 2006. The pitching staff's 3.02 ERA at home was the third lowest home ERA in the Majors. They allowed just 62 homers at home, which was the fewest in the AL. • Oakland had the second best day record in the Majors with a 35-21 (.625) mark. For Immediate Release Monday, October 11, 2010 Arizona Fall League Opens 19th Season Phoenix, Arizona — The Arizona Fall League, known throughout professional baseball as a finishing school for Major League Baseball’s elite prospects, begins its 19th season on Tuesday, October 12 with three games — Surprise Rafters @ Peoria Javelinas (12:35 p.m.), Mesa Solar Sox @ Phoenix Desert Dogs (12:35 p.m.) and The Future Of Peoria Saguaros @ Scottsdale Scorpions (6:35 p.m.). Major League The six-team league, owned and operated by Major League Baseball, plays six days per week (Monday-Saturday) at five spring-training stadiums (Mesa Hohokam Baseball Now Stadium, Peoria Sports Complex, Phoenix Municipal Stadium, Scottsdale Stadium, and Facts Surprise Stadium) in the Phoenix metropolitan area. • Over 1,800 former Fall This year’s schedule features the fifth annual Rising Stars Game on Saturday, Leaguers have reached the November 6 at Surprise Stadium and the annual championship game on Saturday, major leagues November 20 at Scottsdale Stadium. • 159 MLB All-Stars The Peoria Javelinas are the defending league champions. including 45 in 2010 • 7 MLB MVPs East Division •Jason Giambi •Ryan Howard Mesa Solar Sox Phoenix Desert Dogs Scottsdale Scorpions (HoHoKam Stadium) (Phoenix Municipal Stadium) (Scottsdale Stadium) •Joe Mauer •Chicago Cubs •Atlanta Braves •Arizona Diamondbacks •Justin Morneau •New York Mets •Florida Marlins •Baltimore Orioles •Dustin Pedroia •Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim •Los Angeles Dodgers •Colorado Rockies •Albert Pujols •Philadelphia Phillies •New York Yankees •San Francisco Giants •Jimmy Rollins •Pittsburgh Pirates •Oakland Athletics •Washington Nationals • 3 Cy Young Award winners Manager Manager Manager •Chris Carpenter Casey Kopitzke (Cubs) Don Mattingly (Dodgers) Randy Knorr (Nationals) •Roy Halladay Pitching Coach Pitching Coaches Pitching Coach •Brandon Webb Ricky Bones (Mets) Garvin Alston (Athletics) Blaine Beatty (Orioles) • 20 MLB Rookies-of-the-Year Hitting Coach Danny Borrell (Yankees) Hitting Coach • 3 World Series MVPs Mark Parent (Phillies) Hitting Coach Alan Zinter (Diamondbacks) • 7 All-Star Game MVPs Trainers Jamie Dismuke (Braves) Trainers Bryan Housand (Pirates) Trainers Chris Dovey (Rockies) • 48 MLB Silver Sluggers Brian Reinker (Angels) Scott Difrancesco (Yankees) Eric Ortega (Giants) • 41 MLB Gold Glove Awards Julio Hernandez (Marlins) • 9 MLB batting champions • 12 MLB season hits leaders West Division • 8 MLB season RBI leaders Peoria Javelinas Peoria Saguaros Surprise Rafters • 7 MLB season homer leaders (Peoria Sports Complex) (Peoria Sports Complex) (Surprise Stadium) •Boston Red Sox •Chicago White Sox •Detroit Tigers • 11 MLB season stolen-base leaders •Cleveland Indians •Cincinnati Reds •Kansas City Royals • 27 MLB managers •Houston Astros •Minnesota Twins •Milwaukee Brewers • 31 MLB umpires •Seattle Mariners •San Diego Padres •St. Louis Cardinals • Over 75 administrators •Toronto Blue Jays •Tampa Bay Rays •Texas Rangers Manager Manager Manager Mike Sarbaugh (Indians) Ted Simmons (Padres) Mike Guerrero (Brewers) Phoenix Municipal Pitching Coach Pitching Coach Pitching Coach Stadium Kevin Walker (Red Sox) Richard Dotson (White Sox) Ray Burris (Tigers) 5999 E. Van Buren Hitting Coach Hitting Coaches Brad Holman (Rangers) Phoenix, AZ 85008 Stubby Clapp (Astros) Floyd Rayford (Twins) Hitting Coach Office: 602.681.9362 Trainers Steve Livesey (Rays) Derrick May (Cardinals) Eddie Tamez (Mariners) Trainers Trainers FAX: 602.681.9363 Bob Tarpey (Blue Jays) Jimmy Mattocks (Reds) Dave Iannicca (Royals) www.mlbfallball.com Lee Slagle (Rays) Corey Tremble (Tigers) Facebook.com/ MLBFallBall Media Contacts: Paul Jensen ([email protected], 480-710-8201) Twitter.com/ Adam Nichols ([email protected], 843-735-1517 MLBazFallLeague Mike Feigen ([email protected], 360-280-1480 What Is The Arizona Fall League? Q: What is the Arizona Fall League (AFL)? A: Major League Baseball created the Arizona Fall League in 1992 to serve as an off-season “graduate school” for top prospects. The AFL often is known as a showcase league because its players have the opportunity to display their skills for baseball scouts, general managers and farm directors. For baseball fans, it’s a 40-day Valley of the Sun homestand featuring many of baseball’s elite prospects. Q: How many players have played in the Arizona Fall League? A: The Fall League welcomed its 3000th player in 2009. Over 1800 former Fall Leaguers have reached the big leagues, meaning approximately 60 percent of players assigned to the Fall League reach the major leagues. Q: What is the genesis of the Arizona Fall League? A: Long-time baseball executive, current special assistant to the president of the Arizona Diamondbacks, and Phoenix resident Roland Hemond is considered the “Architect of the Fall League.” His dream to create a six-week off-season league for baseball’s top prospects in Arizona each fall became reality when the Arizona Fall League began play in 1992 after he spent two years selling the concept to baseball’s hierarchy — first general managers, then owners. After veteran baseball front- office executive Mike Port shepherded the Fall League through its maiden voyage in 1992, former Cincinnati Reds traveling secretary and Triple-A Columbus Clippers’ executive Steve Cobb was hired as the Fall League’s director.