The scene yesterday in the Chantilly West Ballroom at the Winter Meetings would be one of the greatest fantasies a baseball fan could ever have.  Each year, all 30 Major League managers gather for a special reception and lunch with members of the Baseball Writers Association of America.  Standing within a couple thousand square feet are the Who’s Who of big league skippers.  Joe Madden, sporting a pair of his distinctive eyewear and a slick sports coat, is at one end of the room, sharing an anecdote or two with a national baseball writer.  A’s manager Bob Melvin, certainly no stranger to this annual event, having experienced two previous managerial stints with Milwaukee and Arizona, is surrounded by two other Northern California-born managers in Cincinnati’s Dusty Baker and Dale Sveum, the new field general of the Chicago Cubs. 

Over at the drink line is former Yankee great Don Mattingly, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ manager, talking to an old friend, Buck Showalter, the Baltimore Orioles’ skipper.  And, of course, there’s the man in perpetual motion, new Marlins’ manager Ozzie Guillen, who has already generated as much buzz for the re-born Miami franchise as the signing of Jose Reyes, Heath Bell and Mark Buerhle during these meetings.  Even for someone as jaded as me, who has worked in professional sports for three decades, I find the managers luncheon to be a true spectacle.  Where else can you find 30 high-profile leaders in one location outside of a NATO or U.S.-European Union Summit? 

Yesterday reminded me of the first time I had the privilege to attend a private dinner in Cooperstown, hosted by Jane Forbes Clark, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Baseball Hall of Fame. It was held prior to the induction ceremonies that particular weekend.  It was a wonderful affair, and like any life-long baseball fan, I felt like the proverbial kid in the candy store.  All of my childhood heroes had come to life, with Hall of Famers standing in the buffet line ahead and behind me.  It was baseball’s version of the movie Night at the Museum.  Former stars tended to flock together by team.  There at one table were former Baltimore Orioles, including Brooks Robinson and Jim Palmer.  Meanwhile, I was in the food line discussing entrée choices with Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan and Tony Perez of the Big Red Machine.  Sometimes we take things for granted, but when you are dropped in the middle of living and breathing Hall of Famers, you quickly realize this is a pretty fun gig.  

As for A’s Assistant GM David Forst, subbing for Billy Beane with the Bay Area journalists, he seemed to have a little fun himself in bantering back and forth.  Only the past few hours, Twitter posts were coming in at a dizzying pace, noting multiple teams that allegedly have shown interest in some of the A’s top pitchers.  Forst would not confirm any specifics, but he did acknowledge there was significant interest shown by teams he or Billy had spoken with earlier in the day.  While David said, point blank, that there would be no deals consummated last night, he did say they have a better idea of the current landscape than they did when they arrived in Dallas Sunday.

This morning, us remaining A’s staff members attended the Rule 5 Draft, and will soon board flights and be on our way home. Thanks for following our blog this week.  I hope it gave you some insight on the proceedings.  Pitchers and catchers report to Phoenix in 41 days.  The season nears.

Well, another day is in the books at the Winter Meetings for the Oakland A’s.  To best describe what transpired at Billy Beane Central, I’ll borrow a line once written by my good friend Ben Hyman while he was plying his trade at The Baltimore Sun.  “On a day that nothing happened, nothing happened.”  That about sums it up, boys and girls.  Well, maybe not exactly.  Certainly the A’s braintrust had further meetings and phone calls with other teams today, and possible deals were discussed.  Any of those conversations could be important steps in a process that eventually triggers a trade.  But for now, Billy’s state-of-the-day address to Bay Area beat writers in his suite last night was without much substance or fanfare – or pretense on Billy’s part.

For a second straight night, a recurring subject was the A’s outfield positions.  Billy acknowledged that Ryan Sweeney would be the team’s starting right fielder if Opening Day were tomorrow.  However, beyond that, he could make no definitive statements.  Of the young, upcoming players in the system, he said no one had distinguished themselves with a dominant performance that would merit “500 at-bats this year in Oakland.”  Billy did offer kudos to Jermaine Mitchell, an outfielder who impressed in Sacramento last year before a knee injury required surgery.  He also said Michael Taylor had a solid year with the River Cats last season, but still ideally wants to see him “dominate” on the Triple-A level.

Probably the lightest moment of the media session came later, when Billy poked a little fun at Gaku Tashiro, the affable dean of Japanese baseball writers in the United States who is serving as a pool reporter.  He asked Gaku why the Japanese media corps continues to cover him and the A’s even though Hideki Matsui is no longer under contract with Oakland.  “Are you guys going to cover us for the rest of my life?” the A’s GM quipped.  He then told Gaku about his experience at the coffee shop in the morning.  He was having breakfast with another team’s GM when he spotted a Japanese photographer with a zoom lense.  “I leaned behind a column, and he leaned right with me and took another shot.”   It appears that Billy, while not leading the league in free agent signings this week, may very well lead the majors in paparazzi.

Mr. Beane was headed to the airport last night to catch a flight, leaving our hotel suite operations to the capable Assistant GM David Forst.  Whether he’ll have new quips for Gaku or other Bay Area writers tomorrow remains to be seen.  In the meantime, I personally made a major acquisition this evening.  I visited the Original Sonny Bryan’s for some down-home Texas barbecue brisket.  It’s a quirky place in that diners, since 1958, have been eating their meals sitting in school classroom desks.  The trick is to not eat so much brisket or Frito Pie that you get stuck in your seat.  After much sampling, I can honestly say Sonny’s cue is big league.  I luckily sprung free from the desk, post-feast, and returned to the Hilton Anatole unscathed.  It’s back to baseball and the Winter Meetings today, though, the final full day in Dallas.

For me personally, the Winter Meetings are as much about seeing old friends as anything else.  It may sound cliché, but there truly is a “baseball family.”  While the Meetings are conducted, I’m also attending the Public Relations Meetings, which span three days.  These are my people!  While we work for competing teams, we are part of a fraternity.  As a group, we share the same challenges and goals.  Everything that affects the image of our franchise, we take personally.   And if we don’t, then we’re in the wrong business. 

We discussed many issues that impact our universe.  Dan Halem from MLB’s Labor Relations Department spoke to us about the new basic agreement.  Kevin Sullivan, the ex-White House communications chief, addressed the group about social media, building a message and how players can avoid embarrassing pratfalls in the media.  Joe Torre, now executive VP of Baseball Operations for the League, and his aide Peter Woodfork provided an update on umpires, and how meticulous their office is in quality control, how high umpires consistently score under any matrix used, and also emphasized that the Men in Blue are human beings, just like the rest of us.

Yet perhaps the most interesting – and yes, even heart-warming – exchange came from national baseball journalists Ken Rosenthal and Jon Heyman, who joined the PR directors to discuss how they view this phenomenon called Twitter.  First, what they said that was interesting.  Rosenthal, the former Baltimore Sun reporter who now stars on multiple FOX Sports platforms, opened the session by expressing some regrets about the rapid evolution that has seen Twitter totally reshape the media business and how consumers’ habits have changed.  “It’s where we break news now,” said a reluctant Rosenthal, shrugging his shoulders.  “It has its good and bad points.”  While recognizing the immediacy provided by Twitter, Rosenthal also said he agonizes over the fact that the two-source rule that used to be the industry standard in deciding to run a story has pretty much been tossed asunder.  One source and it’s tweeted in a New York second.  And that goes for the veteran scribes, who know that, in their industry, if you “lose” in the tweet posting game – even by one or two minutes – you finish behind the competition.  Rosenthal said there are many more mistakes made, himself included, in what he described as “a lessening of standards” in the media business.  Heyman, who just left Sports Ilustrated to take a position with CBSSportsline.com, echoed Ken’s feelings.  He welcomed the vehicle that Twitter provides for breaking stories.  “It used to be where we would file a story at 8 p.m. and then pray no other writer broke it before we did.  Now, we can control that by immediately tweeting it the moment we’ve got the story.”  

As for the heart-warming part, I think what I enjoyed most about their presentation was this:  While both Rosenthal and Heyman are fierce competitors, along with the likes of Buster Olney, Jayson Stark and Jerry Crasnick, you could see they were friendly rivals who clearly respected – maybe even empathized with – each other.  In a way, they, too, are part of the baseball family.  They have been covering countless Winter Meetings, World Series and ordinary every day games. Through the years, they have built close relationships with hundreds of journalists, GMs, PR types, agents and, of course, players and managers.  Yes, they call them “sources,” but in a way, they also consider them friends.  That is not a conflict of interest, merely a statement about the human condition.  And I, for one, am glad we can enjoy the company of people, no matter which side of the fence they work from, or whether they’re a team rival. 

Next up, I’ll give you an update from the GM suite.  Billy Beane spoke to our beat writers recently, but to be truthful, there wasn’t much to report.   He said he remains open-minded about possible trades, and has communicated or met with more than half the teams in MLB.  However, he also cautioned the writers, stressing that being open-minded does not necessarily mean we’re “shopping” any players.

As the 2011 Winter Meetings commence today at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas, Oakland A’s beat writers Susan Slusser, Joe Stiglich and Jane Lee will scour the hotel lobby and vigorously work their cell phones in search of any noteworthy development on the free agent or trade front. In fact, I just spotted a contingent of my old Japanese media friends in the lobby, who are still riding herd on the Hideki Matsui story and where he might land in 2012, so add them to the list.  In light of Billy Beane’s recent comments about the club sitting in wait-and-see mode until Major League Baseball’s Blue Ribbon Committee comes down with its ballpark recommendation – after nearly three years of study, we might add – expectations are rather low that we’ll see much action this week in the Lone Star State. However, if you’re part of the A’s Faithful, I can offer you a few things to look for during the meetings.

Beyond the reports filed by our Bay Area reporters covering the event, you’ll be treated to hours of live coverage by national TV networks and Comcast SportsNet Bay Area.  Later today, Beane will appear on MLB Network’s Hot Stove show at 3 p.m. PST, followed by segments on ESPN’s Baseball Tonight at approximately 3:25 p.m. and on CSN Bay Area’s Chronicle Live program at 7 p.m. In addition, skipper Bob Melvin joins MLB Network Radio on Sirius/FM with Mike Ferrin and former Mets’ GM Steve Phillips at 3:30 p.m.  Melvin also is scheduled to appear Tuesday on MLB Network’s Hot Stove show at 2:45 p.m. PST and later on Comcast SportsNet Bay Area’s Chronicle Live.

It should be interesting to see the reaction Billy gets this week, particularly in the hotel lobby where fans congregate. His already high profile has been elevated to near Rock Star status with the movie premiere of Moneyball.  Being protrayed by Brad Pitt will tend to do that.  While Billy has been very gracious with his media time, he tends to shy away from the bright lights in favor of spending time in the A’s baseball suite during the Winter Meetings.  He and Assistant GM David Forst, well aware of the team’s unsettled outfield situation and need for some middle-of-the-order hitters, will no doubt be laying the groundwork for possible future deals.  Beyond that, it’s difficult to predict if anything of substance will materialize this week.

One area of interest here will be a couple of Hall of Fame announcements.  By the time you read this blog, the Golden Era Committee might have revealed this year’s inductee.  Former A’s owner Charlie Finley is one of those being considered.  While he may not be the favorite this time around, there’s no doubt he is worthy of the honor.  Beyond assembling a team that won three straight World Series championships from 1972-74 and produced four Hall of Famers in Catfish Hunter, Rollie Fingers, Reggie Jackson and Dick Williams, Finley also impacted the history of the game through his innovative ideas.  Among them were the designated hitter in the American League and night baseball in the World Series.  Also, this Wednesday at 8 a.m. PST, the Hall of Fame will announce the 2012 Ford C. Frick winner, the broadcaster elected to Cooperstown.  Of course, our beloved Bill King, who so eloquently described A’s baseball for 25 years before his untimely death, is among the favorites.  Let’s cross our fingers and hope this is finally the Year of the King.  If it’s good news Wednesday, I would expect thousands of Bay Area sports fans to shout, in unison, that old familiar refrain made famous by Bill: “Holy Toledo!”

This is the first of a series of daily blogs I plan to write this week. I hope it brings you closer to the Winter Meetings here in Dallas. We appreciate you thinking about us during the offseason.

In a season most A’s fans are understandingly willing to forget, my suggestion to you is this: don’t.  While he did it in a backdrop of sub-.500 baseball, a true rising star was born in the summer of 2011. His name was Jemile Weeks, and he took flight almost from the time he first slipped on those distinctive white shoes.

And it was an improbable flight at that. Starting off, he had the unenviable task of replacing a long-time fan favorite in Mark Ellis at second base.  Most baseball observers questioned whether he was ready for “The Show,” based on an injury-plagued minor league career that had sidelined him for large chunks of both the 2009 and 2010 seasons.  But on June 7, this scrawny little kid (5-9, 160) from Orlando, Fla. wandered into Camden Yards in Baltimore and was fitted with jersey No. 19.  It’s a jersey that won’t be coming off for a long, long time.  Exuding uncommon confidence for a rookie, A’s fans instantly fell in love with the club’s new leadoff hitter with the flamboyant dreadlocks.  Not that the rest of the baseball world was taking notice.  Opponents’ broadcasters and public address announcers had a difficult time pronouncing his unique first name. Invariably, he was called Juh-MEEL instead of Juh-MILE.

Well, the mispronunciation is ancient history now, as the baseball world clearly does know who Jemile Weeks is.  After all, he’s one of the leading candidates for 2011 American League Rookie of the Year.  Yesterday, with the help of my trusty PR assistant Adam Loberstein, I prepared a one-page fact sheet on “The Case for Jemile Weeks” and emailed it to our national media who vote on post-season honors.  Some of the statistics and rankings we came across were rather staggering.  Among the better, more compelling ones:

• If he had enough at-bats to qualify, Weeks’ .305 batting average would be tied for seventh best in the American League.
• If he had enough at-bats to qualify, Weeks’ .400 average with runners in scoring position would lead the Major Leagues.
• Weeks is the only AL rookie to lead his team in batting average with his .305 figure, the second highest by a rookie in Oakland history (Mitchell Page, .307 in 1977).
• Weeks is ranked in the Top 10 among AL rookies in 12 statistical categories.  Only KC’s Eric Hosmer appears in more (14).
• Weeks became the first player in Oakland history with 100 hits and 20 stolen bases in their first 80 games.  In fact, no A’s player had even reached 100 hits in their first 80 games.  If you take Weeks’ numbers and double them for a full season, he would have 200 hits and 40 stolen bases this year.

Yet what may have spoken volumes about the r-e-s-p-e-c-t that Jemile is starting to get in the league occurred Sunday in Anaheim.  With two out, runners on second and third, and the score tied 5-5 in the top of the ninth inning, Mike Scioscia chose to intentionally walk Weeks to face the always-dangerous Coco Crisp.  Aretha Franklin would have been proud.

As a somewhat late entry, Weeks will not be considered the favorite to win the Rookie of the Year award.  But I wouldn’t count him out just yet.  After all, baseball writers have certainly been kind to previous Oakland candidates.  We’ve landed seven Rookie of the Year trophies since 1986—Jose Canseco, Mark McGwire, Walt Weiss, Ben Grieve, Bobby Crosby, Huston Street and Andrew Bailey.  Mark down Monday, November 14 on your calendars.  That’s the day we’ll find out who wins this year’s award.

Monte Moore, the former legendary voice of the A’s, used to call them “taters” and “dingers.”  Fans used to sit in the right field bleachers under the sign that read “Reggie’s Regiment,” waiting for future Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson to uncork one of his patented home runs.  More recently, you might have spotted a t-shirt at the Coliseum that proclaims that “Chicks Dig the Long Ball.”  No doubt, Oakland A’s fans through the years have been treated to some of the greatest home run hitters of modern times, from  Jackson to Mark McGwire, from Jose Canseco to Jason Giambi, from Sal Bando to Eric Chavez.  Unfortunately, sluggers have been in short supply over the past few years in Oakland. Even at the traditional power positions–the corner infield and outfield positions–it has been rare to see a 20-homer season.  In fact, last year, third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff led the team with only 16 home runs (I suspect he’ll hit a few more in his new home, Coors Field).

So, what has transpired over the past few weeks is sweet music to A’s fan who covet the long ball.  Not only has left fielder Josh Willingham gone on a home run tear that has seen him “go yard” nine times in his last 23 games, but last night we witnessed the explosive bat of newly-acquired first baseman Brandon Allen.  While the former Diamondback certainly had shown glimpses of his batting prowess in his first week in Oakland–roping two doubles and two triples and hitting in the rarefied air of a .400-plus average–the power display he unleashed at Yankee Stadium last night could go down in franchise annals as one of the more impressive A’s debuts ever in the Bronx.  Beyond belting his first two home runs as an Athletic, Allen left little doubt of the outcome of both, as one landed in the second deck, the other in the third deck of the New Yankee Stadium.  Much like Willingham, Allen possesses the kind of legitimate power that no Major League park can contain.

Willingham, who is tied for the American League lead in home runs (11) and ranks fifth in RBI (30) since the All-Star Break, will become a free agent after this season.  But it’s difficult for A’s fans not to contemplate the raw-boned slugger joining Allen in the middle of our 2012 lineup, providing the kind of one-two punch that could be the cornerstone of a more powerful and balanced offense in Oakland.  Health has been the real key to Willingham’s recent surge, as he has started 38 of the A’s last 40 games since coming off the DL with an Achilles strain.  His 20 home runs and 74 RBI are certainly impressive on their own merit, but they’re even more impressive considering he’s played in only 103 games.  This good run of health may suggest that the way Bob Melvin and our training staff is handling him–including occasional days at DH–bodes well for Willingham’s future production.

Historically, defense and pitching still does win championships, no doubt.  But as any baseball fan will tell you, it’s awfully fun to watch the home team launch a few missiles into the bleachers, too.  Willingham, Matsui, and now Allen, are starting to resemble some of those A’s power hitters of yore.  But for a one young boy named Reid Manley from Napa, his appreciation for dramatic home runs is clearly in the present.  Unless his father has provided a history lesson of the Bash Brothers or Reggie, all little Reid knows is what he experienced at the Coliseum last Saturday when his hero, Josh Willingham, hit the team’s first pinch-hit home run of the season. His before-and-after reaction, chronicled here on YouTube, pretty much says it all.  Take a look, enjoy the moment, and allow yourself to dream about this becoming a more common occurrence in A’s Land:

This is how it was supposed to be.  The A’s were down 3-1 in the fifth inning yesterday at Tropicana Field and then BOOM.  Hideki Matsui smoked a David Price fastball into the right field bleachers and suddenly the two-run deficit evaporated before our very eyes.  Then later when the game went into extra innings, Josh Willingham stepped to the plate and smashed a Jake McGee delivery over the left field fence to propel a 5-4, 10-inning win for the never-say-die A’s. After watching the festivities from the press box, I couldn’t help but think this was exactly what Billy Beane envisioned when he acquired both Matsui and Willingham during the off season.  In fact, watching yesterday’s offensive fireworks–not to mention the entire lineup’s awakening during the past month–has actually made it even more maddening for A’s fans I suspect.  We always knew they had this kind of production in them, as their past seasons suggested it.

Bob Melvin, certainly an experienced hand, made an early commitment to certain veteran players when he assumed the managerial reins at mid-season.  And since the All-Star Break, a once moribund lineup has begun to function in exciting, wondrous ways that seemed unfathomable only one month earlier.  I mean, really.  Would you have predicted that a team that ranked at or near the bottom in batting average, runs scored, home runs and slugging percentage would now be leading the Major Leagues in hitting (.299), on base percentage (.370) and slugging percentage (.473) since the All-Star Break?  Yesterday’s heroes have played prominent roles in the turnaround.  Matsui has arguably been the hottest hitter in all of baseball since the break.  His big fly yesterday extended his hitting streak to 15 games and he’s now hitting a Major League-leading .451 with seven doubles, five home runs and 22 RBI in the 22 games since the All-Star Game.  And Willingham, who has exhibited legitimate power all season long (as his team-high 17 homers would suggest), ranks among the American League’s leaders in walks (7th, 14), home runs (9th, 6) and RBI (13th, 19) since the break.  Then, when you add a resurgent Cliff Pennington, who’s hitting .375 since the break and Coco Crisp, the AL’s stolen base leader(37) who’s hitting .275 with a team-high 22 doubles as perhaps the team’s most consistent performer, and you see why this team is starting to gain traction.  Then add Jemile Weeks as our dynamic new leadoff man who’s done nothing but impress with his .293 batting average and team-best six triples, and Ryan Sweeney, who’s getting a little more playing time and has hit .326 since the All-Star Break.  And we’re not even counting David DeJesus, who has perserved through perhaps his most frustrating season and has gone 5 for 10 with a double, two homers and two RBIs in the A’s wins the past two days.

Yet, as the Gods of Baseball would have it, our pitching staff’s performances have waned a bit during this same period of offensive fortune.  However, we’re still making overall progress.  To post a 12-10 record since the All-Star Break, particulary against mostly upper-tier opponents like the Yankees, Angels, Tigers and Rays, speaks well about how this team, under Melvin, has begun to gel.  That said, we all know that reality can be cruel at times, something our current 51-63 record would suggest.  But, sports in its purest form is about competing.  Competing no matter what the circumstance.  Hopefully we can all let go of the A’s ulcerating first half of the season and enjoy a current team that has become just that–a team.  For the first time this year, we’re beginning to look pretty solid in every facet of the game.  So, when Matsui or Willingham launch a home run, or Crisp steals two or three bases, or Pennington and Weeks turn a fancy double play, my hope is you’ll not only see a great game, but you’ll also see a better future for the Green and Gold.  Hang in there and keep the faith.  All indications are there are better days ahead.

My most recent blog, posted last night, caused a stir among at least one of our beat writers, and perhaps rightly so.  This writer took me to task, saying I was wrong to say tweeters got the Harden-to-Boston trade (or non-trade) story “flat wrong.”  It was not my intent to suggest it was any of our beatwriters who misrepresented the stage of that possible deal.  They merely said that the A’s and Red Sox were close to a deal.  My comments, obviously a bit too broad, were directed at tweeters and other media, broadcast and internet, around the country that ran with the story prematurely, saying the trade was imminent or had been done.  That said, I must apologize for any misperceptions my words may have caused. The last thing I would want to do is throw my own beatwriters under the bus.  I’m crazy, but not that crazy. Also, I offer a correction.  I wrote that around 10 am Sunday there were reports out of Phoenix that we had traded Ziegler to the Diamondbacks.  Actually, truth be told, the first reports came from the San Francisco Chronicle.  So, my bad.  E-me.  Next time, I promise to check my facts better.

The final 24 hours leading up to yesterday’s trading deadline were exhilarating, unpredictable and awkward, all at the same time; and in today’s world of instant communication, the tweeters were working overtime. By the time I arrived at the Coliseum Saturday afternoon, there was a flurry of Harden-to-Boston tweets filling the internet stratosphere.  Of course, this was all news to the A’s pitcher, not to mention me. The wonderful invention of Twitter has empowered us to communicate messages faster than you can say Fautino De Los Santos. Accuracy? Well, that’s another matter.  It seems many journalists and bloggers, some under heavy pressure from their editors, are more concerned about the speed in which they can “break” a story, even if time proves their facts flimsy and ultimately flat wrong. The Rich Harden story is a prime example.  I always have to chuckle when transactions are reported on the internet or other medium, and you’re sitting in the eye of the storm and you know the deal is not done.  And whether it’s a medical issue or a change of heart, many a deal goes sideways in those final hours.

As Saturday afternoon wore on, the media corps had asked Bob Melvin whether he could confirm the deal during his pre-game session in the dugout.  Then during the game, beat writers and team broadcasters took turns approaching me –actually pleading with me–about when the story might be confirmed, and “please, oh please, don’t let Harden leave the clubhouse before we can talk to him!”  I make light of it, but obviously these folks are just doing their job.  But confusion is certainly the order of the day (or night as it were).  It all went full cycle when Harden, standing at his locker, spoke with the reporters after the game, letting them know that he would be taking his normal turn in the A’s rotation Tuesday in Seattle.  In other words, it was much ado about nothing.

Yesterday, meanwhile, started innocently enough.  I arrived at the park around 9:30 a.m.  Soon after, reporters entered the clubhouse and began taking inventory.  Coco here?  Check.  Willingham?  Yep.  Bailey?  Yeah, there in the corner.  Then around 10 o’clock or so, Twitter Nation began to buzz again. There were reports out of Phoenix that the Diamondbacks were acquiring Brad Ziegler–our Ziggy –for first baseman Brandon Allen and minor league reliever Jordan Norberto.  Soon thereafter, Assistant GM David Forst informed me that the trade would happen if there were no red flags in team doctors’ evaluation of Allen and Norberto. He projected that process would be completed by 11 a.m., at which time he, Billy Beane, Farhan Zaidi and Melvin would summon Ziegler into the manager’s office to break the news. Only problem, though, was Ziggy was in team chapel–held in the weight room on home Sundays–when our baseball braintrust got the green light from our doctors. So, I waited outside the weight room so I could direct Brad to Melvin’s office as soon as chapel ended.  Once he was told about the trade, my assistant Mike Selleck made it official by sending out our press release and yes, tweeting the bare essentials for all to see.  For me, the toughest part was saying goodbye to one of the most cooperative athletes I’ve dealt with in more than three decades of my career.  Whether it was media interviews, community programs or season ticket holder events, you could always count on Zig.  And yesterday was no different.  After calling his family and Diamondbacks’ GM Kevin Towers, he agreed to come to the dugout for one final media session.  He was still wearing A’s gear, although he took off his green cap as a subtle reminder that he was no longer an Oakland Athletic.  After the questions ended, many writers came up to Brad and exchanged hugs.  No question, he was their “go-to guy” after tough A’s losses. And then, I walked back through the tunnel to the clubhouse.  But before I did, I caught one last view of Ziggy.  He had stopped in the walkway near the dugout and was signing autographs and visiting with dozens of fans along the railing.  It was an appropriate scene for one of the good guys in this business.  Tweet that!

Love ‘em or hate ‘em, the New York Yankees are intertwined with the history of baseball like no other team.  Yes, their payroll continues to approach the GNP of some Third World countries.  Yes, they make more appearances on network television than Bob Costas.  And yes, they play in baseball’s most expensive new stadium where even the visiting clubhouse is so spacious you have to send for a search party just to round up your players for pre-game batting practice. But having just spent last weekend in the Big Apple, I must say this.  The Yankees and their fans, as well as the New York media, may appreciate and embrace the history of baseball like no other place on the planet.

You see it at the team hotel in midtown Manhattan.  The autograph seekers arrive early to their customary sidewalk spot  on 51st Street, and they can recite every A’s player’s current stats.  You see it when the team bus rolls into the Bronx, and every block leading to The House That George Built features nothing but Yankee merchandise stores.  Jerseys of Ruth, Gehrig, Mantle, DiMaggio, Jeter and Sabathia hang from the shop windows.  And of course, inside the park, there are those Hall of Fame plaques behind center field of Yankee players of yore.  The plaques don’t end there either.  In the pressbox where I work, there’s plaques of legendary former Yankee PR men, along with a photo tribute to a recently-deceased official scorer who presided over games for four decades. However, he had nothing on the late Bob Sheppard, whose photo adorns the press lounge to acknowlege for serving as perhaps the greatest public address announcer of all-time (heck, he’s still so loved by local fans, the Yankees play a taped version of his dignified introduction of Jeter every time Mr. 3000 strolls to home plate).

But what I experienced last weekend went beyond a lovefest for Everything Yankee.  That was made abundantly clear the first time A’s designated hitter Hideki Matsui came to bat Friday night.  He received a rousing ovation. This, two years since he played for hometown team and won the 2009 World Series MVP. The Yankees also played a heart-warming video tribute to honor Godzilla reaching the 500-homer milestone two nights earlier in Detroit.  Very classy.  Another round of applause came Hideki’s way when the Japanese slugger hit No. 501 Saturday in fueling Oakland’s 4-3 win. Yesterday, New Yorkers showered some love David DeJesus’ way, too, when he made a nice catch in right field.  While it may not hurt that David was born in nearby Brooklyn and went to college at Rutgers, it seemed the applause were merely to show their appreciation for a good play, no matter the uniform or local lineage.

And while many of the legendary journalists I used to see in the New York press box have retired or passed away, I did enjoy meeting Bob Rosen, an old-timer who works for Elias Sports Bureau.  He was sitting right in front of me.  Our conversation led towards the current travails of the Dodgers.  Before I could say much, he quickly pulled out a stack of photos from his briefcase.  They were taken in 1957.  At Ebbetts Field!  It was remarkable seeing these 3×5 color shots that showed those large advertising signs of that era along the right field fence.  There were outside shots of the famed Ebbetts Field rotunda entrance.  And photos of future Hall of Famer Roy Campanella, and a game action photo of Roger Craig on the mound pitching for the Dodgers.  And this gentlemen from Elias not only had these photos, he shot the photos.  A living, breathing link to baseball’s past right before me.  Of course, being a die-hard Dodger fan who lost his boyhood team to the beaches of Southern California, he couldn’t help making one final comment about the Dodgers’ current situation. “Serves them right.  I knew there was a curse.  They never should have left us!”