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Bailey (AL) and Coghlan (NL) Win Rookie of Year

Jim Vassallo — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 19:34:41 +0000

Oakland Athletics reliever Andrew Bailey and Florida Marlins outfielder Chris Coghlan have been named the American League and National League Rookies of the Year for the 2009 season. Bailey is a native of Haddon Heights, New Jersey and was a struggling minor league pitcher as recently as the 2008 season. Coghlan is a native of Tarpon Springs, Florida.

Bailey made his Major League debut on April 6, 2009 for the Athletics after struggling during the 2008 season with Double-A Midland of the Double-A Texas League. He went 5-9 with a 4.32 ERA in 37 games. But Bailey made the A’s roster out of Spring Training in 2009 and caught on quickly with the big club. He posted a 6-3 record with a measly 1.84 ERA in the Majors in 2009 in 68 games with 26 saves.

Coghlan debuted with the Florida Marlins on May 8, 2009 and never looked back, tearing through National League pitching staffs. Coghlan recorded a .321 batting average with nine homeruns and 47 RBIs in 128 games for the NL East club. Coghlan primarily was the club’s left fielder for the 2009 season but did play one game (seven innings worth) at second base for the Marlins.

On Tuesday, the American League Cy Young winner will be announced. Wednesday, the American and National League managers of the year will be announced. Thursday, the National League Cy Young winner will be announced. Monday, November 23, the American League MVP will be announced and Tuesday, November 24, the National League MVP will be announced.

Padres Send Scott Hairston to A’s

Jim Vassallo — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 16:06:49 +0000

The San Diego Padres have made a minor trade that signifies they have all but given up on the 2009 season. They have sent outfielder Scott Hairston to the Oakland Athletics for three players. Two of the players have been named and the third is a player to be named later. Both named players are minor league players.

Hairston was hitting .299 with 10 homeruns and 29 RBIs in 55 games with the Padres. Hairston was one of the lone bright spots on an anemic offensive team that is sitting 16.5 games out of first place behind the Los Angeles Dodgers with a 35-46 record.

The two players acquired by San Diego are right handed pitchers Ryan Webb and Craig Italiano. Webb was a fourth round pick in 2007 of the A’s and was 7-1 with a 4.34 ERA with Triple-A Sacramento. Italiano was a second round pick of the A’s in 2005 and was 5-6 with a 5.63 ERA with Class-A Stockton.

Hairston was originally drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the 18th round of the 1999 draft but did not sign. The Arizona Diamondbacks drafted him in the third round of the 2001 draft. The D’Backs then sent him to the Padres in 2007 for Leo Rosales. Hairston went 0-for-5 with a walk in his final game with the Padres on Sunday.

Athletics Select Green at No. 13 Overall

Jim Vassallo — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 23:14:35 +0000

The Oakland Athletics have selected Grant Green with the thirteenth overall pick in the 2009 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. Green is out of the University of Southern California (USC) and is a shortstop. He was previously drafted in 2006 in the 14th round by the Padres. Green is a five tool player that will hit the ball all over the field and flash the leather too.

The Athletics are 6.5 games out of first place behind the Rangers in the American League West with a 26-30 record in 2009. In 2008 the Athletics took second baseman Jemile Weeks out of the University of Miami with the 12th overall pick on the board. Weeks is hitting .341 with the Stockton Ports of the Class A Advanced California League. He has three homeruns, 10 RBIs, two doubles and a .591 slugging percentage in 10 games so far in 2009.

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