Rick Kaplan
Staff Writer

OAKLAND (September 30) – Can someone explain the difference between “balanced” and “best,” or between “hottest” and “scariest,” “gritty” and “clutch,” and so on?

Where did I put my Sportswriters’ Dictionary?

I said in a previous column that the Athletics-Twins ALDS (American League Divisional Series) winner would be the World Series champ, and that the A’s, the most balanced club, would triumph.

I still think so. And may the best team win.

But not in 2006.

Click below for more! [Read more →]

Inside Baseball with Marty Lurie, Bruce Magowan & Shooty Babitt – Tigers or Twins: Is Oakland ready?, Mets: Issues with starting Pitching?, Padres: Sleeper pick to go all the way?, Twins: blow latest shot at division lead.

Segment one : Marty, Shooty, Bruce & Rod Allen.
Segment two : Marty, Shooty, Bruce & Rod Allen
Segment three: Marty, Shooty, Bruce & Danny Nobler.
Segment four : Marty, Shooty & Bruce. [Read more →]

Here in the Emerald City, headquarters for the
largest coffee retailer in the world,home of UPS
and birth city for greats Bruce Lee and
Jimmy Hendrix something might happen for
the first time next season.

Amaury Pi-Gonzalez
Seattle,Washington [Read more →]

It was only appropriate that the Oakland Athletics
would clinch the Division title againt the Seattle
Mariners. After all,they have owned the Mariners
since April.

By Amaury Pi-Gonzalez
Seattle,Washington [Read more →]

Inside Baseball with Marty Lurie & Shooty Babitt – Post-Season Play: A’s flying under the Playoff radar?, Tigers or Twins: who’s the bigger 1st-round test?, Harden: Great Comeback Start, Playoff Starting Pitching: 3-man Rotation or 4-man?

: Marty, Shooty, Vince Cotroneo & Bruce Magowan.
Segment two : Marty, Shooty, Bruce, Robert Buan & Vernon Glenn(from KRON4).
Segment three: Marty, Shooty, Vince Cotroneo & Robert Buan.
Segment four : Marty, Shooty, Vince & Robert.
Segment five : Marty & Shooty. [Read more →]

In 2006 an old baseball maxim rang true. The best teams survived the grueling 162 game regular season. The cream rose to the top. Twenty-two teams are packing for the winter.

Thanks for playing. We’ll see you next spring.

This year’s playoff teams come as no surprise. Let’s see why the most deserving teams are headed to October baseball.

Click below for more! [Read more →]

OAKLAND (September 23) – ESPN re-wrote the script on Milton Bradley’s ejection before MB even got to the showers last night after being tossed by home plate umpire Ron “Mea” Kulpa, in the eleventh inning of a game eventually won by Oakland in twelve, 5-4.

And apparently Josh Suchon, the ordinarily level-headed and highly capable Athletics’ beat writer for the Oakland Tribune, was watching a different game than I was, or not watching at all, if he really agreed with “The Leader in World-Wide Sports Coverage” that Kulpa only threw out Bradley after MB threw his bat.

This morning I wrote the following to Suchon:

Check below for the letter and more! [Read more →]

Inside Baseball with Marty Lurie & Shooty Babitt – Rich Harden: Is he ready for a start this week?, Frank Thomas,10 home runs this month: A September for the ages?, Derek Jeter: League MVP?, Mets: Going all the way?
Segment one : Marty, Shooty, & David Feldman.
Segment two : Marty, Shooty, David Feldman &
Rick Hurd(National Baseball writer for the Contra Costa Times).
Segment three: Marty, Shooty, Vince Cotroneo & David Feldman.
Segment four : Marty, Shooty, & David Feldman.
Segment five : Marty, Shooty, & David Feldman. [Read more →]

Rick Kaplan

OAKLAND (September 18) – If Oakland and Minnesota face each other in the first round, the winner of that series is my pick to win the World Series. And I’ll tell you later in my column which team I happen to think would win this match-up.

I’m jumping the gun a little on the post-season. Shortly, you’ll be inundated by the predictions of all the usual suspects–ESPN, our own Marty Lurie, the Sporting Green, the handicappers in Vegas, George Steinbrenner, your uncle Ralph–you name it.

I wanted to draw first blood.

And don’t forget you heard it first here!

Click below for Rick’s Picks. [Read more →]

In 1956 the New York Yankees played the
Brooklyn Dodgers in the World Series.
Forty-four years later in 2000 the New York
Yankees played the New York Mets in the
World Series.
Both of these teams could make a return
to the October Classic 2006.
There is really nothing to compare to a
World Series among two New York teams.

By Amaury Pi-Gonzalez [Read more →]