Oakland Athletics Baseball Company7000 Coliseum Wayoakland, CA 94621 510-638-4900 PR on Twitter @Asmedia Alerts OAKLAND ATHLETICS (2-0) VS
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O AKLAND A THLETICS Game Information Oakland Athletics Baseball Company7000 Coliseum WayOakland, CA 94621 510-638-4900www.athletics.comA’s PR on Twitter @AsMedia Alerts OAKLAND ATHLETICS (2-0) VS. CHICAGO CUBS (0-0) THURSDAY, MARCH 5, 2015 – SLOAN PARK – 1:05 P.M. MT A’S WEBCAST ABOUT THE A’S: The A’s have started the spring 2-0 for the first time free agent Billy Butler to a three-year contract and claimed Alex Hassan, since 2003…have not won each of their first three spring games since Chad Smith and Taylor Thompson off waivers. 1999…have tallied 18 runs on 30 hits over the first two games for a .375 batting average…this is the A’s 47th Spring Training in Arizona…return to CONTRACT STATUS: The A’s have three players under contract beyond Mesa for the first time since 1978…after training in Bradenton in Florida the 2015 season…Coco Crisp is signed through 2016 with a vesting option in 1968, the A’s moved to Arizona in 1969 and trained in Mesa from 1969- for 2017, Billy Butler is signed through 2017 and Sean Doolittle is signed 78…moved to Scottsdale in 1979 and then spent 33 seasons at Phoenix through 2018 with club options for 2019 and 2020. Municipal Stadium from 1982-2014…are scheduled to play 35 games this A’s TOP PROSPECTS: Seven of the A’s top 10 prospects according to spring, including 30 games in Arizona, two in Las Vegas against the Cubs Baseball America are in major league camp this spring: Matt Olson (#2), (March 13-14) and three in the Bay Area against the Giants (April 2-4)…the Renato Nuñez (#4), Chris Bassitt (#5), Kendall Graveman (#6), Sean Nolin A’s went 15-13-5 last spring, which marked their third consecutive spring (#7), Rangel Ravelo (#8) and Raul Alcantara (#10)…the other three are with a winning record (17-13-3 in 2013, 15-7-2 in 2012)…the last time A’s Franklin Barreto (#1), Matt Chapman (#3) and Dillon Overton (#9)…five of had three straight winning springs was from 2000-04 when they had five the top 10 were acquired in trades this offseason. straight…the five tie games were the most by an Oakland team since mov- ing to Arizona for Spring Training in 1969…the previous high was three in MINOR LEAGUE DATES: Minor League mini camp is currently under- 2010 and 2013…have 16 tie games over the previous six springs…went way…pitchers and catchers report March 7 with the first workout sched- 8-5-2 in the final spring at Phoenix Muni and 7-8-3 on the road…led the uled for March 8…position players report March 13 with the first workout majors in walks (135), ranked second in runs (193) and on-base percent- scheduled for March 14…Triple-A and Double-A games begin March 14 age (.358), tied for third in grounded into double plays (29), fourth in strike- and Single-A games start March 21. outs (239) and tied for fourth in triples (11)…were fourth in most double MEDIA INFORMATION: The A’s clubhouse at Hohokam Stadium will be plays turned (34) and most errors (33)…the A’s pitching staff ranked fifth open to members of the media with proper credentials beginning at 8:00 in the majors with 247 strikeouts…those are the most strikeouts by an A’s am…the clubhouse may close for team meetings, etc. at certain times… team during the spring since statistics are available beginning in 1991… please do not lounge or conduct interviews in the weight room/exercise the previous high was 228 in 2013…allowed a Major League leading 44 area…once games begin, the clubhouse will also open to media who need home runs. access to players who have completed their work for the day…A’s man- YESTERDAY: The A’s defeated the Giants 9-2 in Scottsdale…Josh Red- ager Bob Melvin will be available to the media in the first base dugout at dick went 3-for-3 with a pair of RBI and Eric Sogard, Ike Davis, Marcus approximately 9:15 am…Melvin will also be available in front of the dugout Semien and Bryan Anderson had two hits each…Semien is now 5-for-5 immediately following the game…media are permitted in the dugout area with a walk, two home runs and seven RBI over the first two games…the and foul territory behind home plate extending down to (but not past) first A’s scored in each of the first five innings, beginning with a two-run single and third base until the batting cage is removed from the field of play, at by Semien in the first inning…Reddick had a RBI single in the second and which point media will need to leave the field…the A’s dugout will remain Anderson added a RBI single in the third before the A’s scored four times accessible to the media until 45 minutes before game time…TV camera in the fourth…Reddick, Semien and Anderson had RBI singles and Matt crews and still photographers with proper credentials must stay in assigned Olson drove in a run on a ground out…Mark Canha completed the A’s scor- areas at all times…no roving is permitted…TV camera crews are not al- ing with a solo home run in the fifth inning…Jesse Chavez started for the lowed in the clubhouse pregame, or in the training room or weight room A’s and tossed 2.0 scoreless innings for the win (2 h, 1 bb, 1 so)…Eury De at any time…still photographers are not allowed in the clubhouse, train- La Rosa, Dan Otero, Evan Scribner, Angel Castro, Arnold Leon and Kevin ing room or weight room at any time…lunch is available for $8 to media Whelan all tossed a scoreless inning of relief each. members with proper credentials at the patio area in the right field corner of Hohokam Stadium…the A’s provide complementary parking to members A’s vs. CUBS: This is the first of four meetings between the A’s and Cubs of the media in the Center Street Lot (Lot D), located behind home plate. this spring…meet in Las Vegas on March 13 and 14 and square off at Ho- hokam March 24…the A’s lost two of three last spring, splitting two games A’s MEDIA ALERTS: The A’s Media Relations Department will provide in Phoenix and losing at Mesa. as up-to-date information as possible through its media-only Twitter ac- count…for clubhouse hours, interview times and various media alerts, IN CAMP: The A’s have 62 players in camp, which does not include two please follow @AsMediaAlerts…player transactions and other relevant players on the 60-day disabled list (Griffin, Thompson)…that includes 40 game information will continue to be posted at @Athletics. players on the 40-man roster and 22 non-roster invitees…the breakdown includes 32 pitchers, six catchers, 17 infielders and seven outfielders. A’s ON THE AIR: The A’s radio network and flagship station 95.7 FM The Game will broadcast 12 games this spring, including nine from Arizona COACHING STAFF: Manager Bob Melvin, beginning his fourth full season and all three games against San Francisco in the Bay Area in April…the with the A’s, welcomes back four returning members of last year’s coach- schedule includes all Saturday and Sunday games and the night game ing staff in pitching coach Curt Young (10th season), first base coach Tye against the Giants on March 26…Ken Korach returns for his 20th year Waller (9th season), third base coach Mike Gallego (7th season) and Dar- in the broadcast booth and will be joined by Vince Cotroneo (10th) and ren Bush (3rd season), who moves from bullpen coach to hitting coach… Ray Fosse, who enters his 30th season in the booth…Comcast SportsNet Melvin has added three new faces to his 2015 staff, including bench coach California will televise two games, including March 7 against the Angels Mike Aldrete, bullpen coach Scott Emerson and assistant hitting/catching (1:05 pm) and April 2 against the Giants in San Francisco (7:15 pm)…Glen coach Marcus Jensen…Aldrete, a native of Carmel who attended Stanford Kuiper joins Fosse in the broadcast booth for those telecasts…all games University, was on Melvin’s staff as first base coach for Seattle in 2004 and not broadcast over the air can be heard live via the club’s web site…in ad- hitting coach for Arizona from 2005-06…Emerson is in his 13th season in dition, 15 games will be televised by MLB Network…12 of those will air in the A’s organization, including the last two as minor league roving pitching the Bay Area, including five live broadcasts and six tape delayed. instructor…Jensen, an Oakland native and graduate of Skyline HS, is in his ninth season in the A’s organization and most recently served as minor RETURN TO HOHOKAM: The A’s and the City of Mesa reached a 20-year league hitting instructor in 2014. agreement for the team to return to Mesa in March of 2013…Oakland also holds two five-year options that could extend the contract to 30 years…the HOW THE A’S WERE BUILT: Of the 40 active players on the 40-man deal includes $26.9 million in renovations to Hohokam Stadium and Fitch roster, only two were drafted by the A’s (Doolittle, compensation pick fol- Park…Hohokam Stadium will seat 10,000 fans, including approximately lowing the 1st round in 2007, and Gray, 1st in 2011)…one other (Nuñez) 7,500 seats and space for approximately 2,500 additional fans to sit on the was signed as a non-drafted free agent…five were claimed off waivers grass berms surrounding the outfield…among Hohokam Stadium’s many (Freiman, Hassan, Otero, Scribner, Smith) and four were signed as free new amenities will be the largest HD scoreboard in the Cactus League (26 agents (Butler, Crisp, Kazmir, O’Flaherty)…the other 28 were all acquired x 56 feet).