“It’s hard. I’ve had so many good memories at this ballpark with this organization. I had three children here. At the same time, I still see myself an everyday second baseman. Hopefully (Weeks) does a great job for this organization for a long time. I hope he has the same opportunity I had in the organization.” -Mark Ellis on being traded to the SF Chronicle
Composed of mostly former or current Athletics’s the River Cat’s lineup looked something like this last night: Eric Sogard SS, Daric Barton 1B, Josh Willingham DH, Kevin Kouzmanoff 3B, Michael Taylor LF, Andy LaRoche 2B, Anthony Recker C, Matt Carson RF, Jai Miller CF, Tyson Ross P. Can you spot the A’s in this lineup? There are so many with Kouzmanoff being optioned, and several others rehabbing. The final score of the game was 12-7 so it is safe to say Ross is not ready to rejoin the Athletics in the near future. This means good things for Guillermo Moscoso who has been pitching well, with a 2.68 ERA in Tyson Ross’s absence.
The River Cats scored 7 runs in the loss to the Tucson Padres, which the A’s would be lucky to score in a week’s time. The Stockton Ports Class A Advanced Affiliate of the A’s just won their 16th game in a row 4-3 over the Cincinnati Red’s Class A Advanced team the Blaze last night. The Oakland Athletics’s Minor League System seems capable of not only hitting but winning at all levels so what is their major league problem? It is time to make the September call-ups a little early.
There is no question that Jemile Weeks has been a spark plug since his call up to the Athletics’s and is the future of the team. He has been making spectacular defensive plays, and is one of the few on the team that is hitting consistently. It is bittersweet that Mark Ellis has been traded to the Rockies this week however it makes sense given Weeks performance of late. Ellis was with the A’s for his entire career, but now is going to a hitter’s park where he can hopefully boost his numbers. Hopefully it will work out for all parties involved. I wish Ellis nothing but the best and he will always hold a special place in my heart. I have watched him play since I was 15 and he will always represent Green and Gold Baseball to me.
Among the Pacific League All-Stars will be 3 players from the Sacramento River Cats. Catcher Anthony Recker, Short Stop Eric Sogard, and Pitcher Willie Eyre all made the cut. These Future A’s will be representing the River Cats in the 2011 Triple-A All Star Game on July 13th. The Pacific League will be facing off against the International League in similar fashion to the MLB All-Star game. The game will be broadcast on the MLB Network at 6:00 p.m. PDT, so don’t forget to tune in to see Future Athletics play. I know I will be watching the game.