Posts by Ben Ross

A's Preview: Inexperienced, Young Roster Has a Lot to Prove in 2023

March 29, 2023

Last season, the Oakland Athletics lost more than 100 games (102 to be exact) for the first time since 1979. Unfortunately for A's fans, the 2023 sequel could be even more horrifying.

Oakland enters the season with serious question marks — and that's putting it nicely — at every position. To make...


From DFA to All-Star: The Improbable Rise of Paul Blackburn

July 20, 2022

LOS ANGELES — How can you not be romantic about baseball?

It's fitting that the most memorable line from 'Moneyball,' a film about the Oakland Athletics, applies so perfectly to the team's All-Star representative this season.

Just last year, Paul Blackburn was designated for assignment and outri...


Wiggins propels Warriors to 3-2 lead in NBA Finals

June 13, 2022

If the Warriors go on to win their fourth NBA championship in the last eight years, Stephen Curry will undoubtedly — and deservedly — be named Finals MVP. But make no mistake, Golden State would not be here without Andrew Wiggins.

After finishing Game 4 with 17 points and a career-high 16 rebounds...


A's-Giants Preview: 3 reasons why each team could win the series

August 20, 2021

The San Francisco Giants and Oakland Athletics haven't made the playoffs in the same season since 2014, but that could change this year.

The Giants enter this weekend's Bay Bridge Series with the best record (78-43) in Major League Baseball, while the A's (69-53) lead the Boston Red Sox by half a...


A's go all in at trade deadline, but did they improve enough?

July 31, 2021

If there was any doubt whether the Oakland Athletics would be buyers at the trade deadline, Billy Beane and David Forst answered that question Wednesday with a resounding yes.

The A's pulled off an absolute stunner, sending top pitching prospect Jesús Luzardo to the Miami Marlins for talented outf...


A's Report Card: April was a roller coaster ride for the ages

May 1, 2021

Through the first eight games of the season, the A's legitimately looked like the worst team in all of baseball. Over the next two weeks, it seemed as though they might never lose again.

April turned out to be the ultimate roller coaster ride for the Green and Gold, but at the end of the month, Oa...


A's Preview: Healthy Chapman, revamped bullpen vital to defending AL West title

March 31, 2021

While the Oakland A's underwent several significant changes this offseason, one thing remains the same for Bob Melvin's squad — they are still the team to beat in the American League West.

A year after claiming their first division title since 2013, the Green and Gold possess the talent and depth...