SF Examiner: Oakland A's GM Billy Beane an expert at shaking things up

By Art Spander
Special to The Examiner

The A’s? “Team Irrelevant”? Grabbing supposedly the best Cuban baseball playing defector available, Yoenis Cespedes, for $36 million? Then signing Manny Ramirez? The A’s?

Welcome to the New World of Moneyball. No longer when a journalist asks GM Billy Beane whether we’ll recognize any members of the A’s will he be able to respond, if tongue in cheek, “Do you ever?”

Read the full story here.

Copyright 2012 SF Newspaper Company

RealClearSports: Oakland Teams Find There's No There There

By Art Spander
For RealClearSports.com

OAKLAND, Calif. – She didn’t mean what we thought she meant. Gertrude Stein’s infamous quote about this town, “There is no there there,’’ was misinterpreted. The intent of teams that, like Stein, called Oakland home is well understood, however.

They can’t wait to get out.

Stein, the poet, author and art collector...

Read the full story here.

© RealClearSports 2011

RealClearSports: 'Moneyball' a Reminder of A's Better Days

By Art Spander
For RealClearSports.com

The arrival of "Moneyball,'' the movie "based on a true story,'' has brought the anticipated reaction: Like so many other unconventional concepts, it no longer is applicable and can be dismissed as an accident in time.

But that misses the entire point.

Which is...

Read the full story here.

© RealClearSports 2011

SF Examiner: San Francisco Giants mired in offensive slump

By Art Spander
Special to The Examiner

This isn’t a June Swoon, it’s an “Oh gawd, how do we get back to last October?”

It’s a season of Murphy’s Law baseball, with the people who aren’t getting injured unable to get out of slumps.

“It’s going to have to pick up,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. “We know it.”

Read the full story here.

Copyright 2011 SF Newspaper Company

SF Examiner: Bay Area sports limping along

By Art Spander
Special to The Examiner

The Bay Area blues: The Warriors can’t catch a break. The A’s can’t catch on. The Giants can’t catch a ground ball — or if they do, can’t throw it properly to first base.

Dare we mention the Sharks, who until proven differently, remain the only major league franchise in the region yet to win their sport’s championship?

Read the full story here.

Copyright 2011 SF Newspaper Company