Shaun Livingston Rises Up To Provide Depth In Oakland

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Did someone say "depth?" (Photo by Rob Carr) 

By Kevin Calder | @KCalder3

In February of 2007, Los Angeles Clippers' guard Shaun Livingston rose toward the rim for your average NBA layup. By the time he returned to the floor, he would be an instant YouTube sensation.

His left leg was snapped, a torn ACL, PCL and sprained MCL all accompanied a dislocated patella. Amputation was a real possibility at the time of injury. A promising young point guard on a good team was facing not only the end of a basketball career but also the devastating loss of a limb. Video clips were too gruesome for many to endure. A return to his old form seemed less than doubtful.  

Fast forward eight years later. Oracle buzzes on a Saturday night in February as the Warriors continue the most dominant start the Association has ever seen. The Bay Area is alive with star power from Jay-Z and Beyonce, to Kate Hudson, Dave Chapelle, and Kendrick Lamar all filling seats in the NBA’s loudest arena.

A playoff like vibe surrounds the court as three All-Stars take turns electrifying the crowd.  The Warriors lead, once a comfortable 16 points, is dwindling as the fourth quarter begins. Now the narrow lead stands at six as Shaun Livingston enters the game and goes to work. Livingston scores six points in a minute and a half to push the Warriors lead back to 11. Utilizing his power forward length, he backs down smaller defenders and rises with a turnaround fade that he has perfected to help stabilize the Warriors bench unit. He even chips in a steal on a Westbrook pass during the productive stretch.

Heartbreak Hotel in the City of Angels

While the Splash Brothers and Draymond Green certainly deserve the lion's share of the credit for the success of the Dubs, Livingston provides them versatility and backup point guard depth that the team has desperately needed for years.

Gone are the days of heavy minutes for Steve Blake and an assortment of other backup guards where the Warriors were hanging by a thread counting down the seconds anxiously until their superstar guard was ready to check back in. Livingston’s height allows him at times to smoothly switch defensive assignments and play in the key, while also serving as an offensive spark plug for the second unit at times.

Livingston seems to shine brightly on the game’s biggest stages as well. In last year’s Western Conference Finals Game 1, Livingston poured in 18 points in 29 minutes. The Warriors, trailing by 16 points, got 10 points out of their backup in less than three minutes and cut the lead to four.  The game ended up being a four point victory for Golden State.

Granted the Warriors were the superior squad to the Rockets for the series but Livingston’s performance was huge in giving them the series lead. The game could’ve easily gone in Houston’s favor and stretched the series out to six games. The Warriors were in need of a short series as Curry and Thompson were both banged up heading into the Finals. The extra rest proved critical.

Livingston has continued to perform in big games this season including 10 points in a win over OKC, 13 points in 15 minutes versus San Antonino and 16 points on 8-9 shooting against Cleveland on Christmas Day. It's safe to say Livingston seems to bring his best game for the marquee match-ups.

In many ways Livingston is the perfect representation of the Warriors in recent years. For the longest time, a dark cloud hung over the Golden State's franchise. But much like the Livingston injury, glances of light shown on the recovery as the We Believe moments and Mark Jackson transition paved the way to eventual gold. Livingston began to re-discover his career and showed glances of the athleticism that awed Clippers' faithful early in his career. Today, Livingston stands tall as an NBA champion and an integral bench asset on (perhaps) the best team in basketball history. And for that, Dubs fans are grateful.

(photo by Jed Jacobsohn of theplayerstrbune.com)

Golden State Heads To PHX On Last Stop Before All-Star Weekend

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The Warriors Big Three are headed north of the border for All-Star Weekend in Toronto after Wednesday's game. (photo by Ezra Shaw)

By Connor Buestad | Connor@Section925.com

When Michael Jordan and his '95-'96 Bulls pulled off their historic 72-10 regular season (before beating Oakland's Gary Payton in the Finals), Chicago had a total of 47 wins through their first 52 games. The Dubs will play their 52nd game of the year tonight in Phoenix, looking to secure their 48th win of the season before the well-deserved All-Star Break.

Arguably the biggest obstacle standing in Golden State's way of 72-wins is the idea of fatigue. Pippen, Rodman and Jordan were an infamous trio that never seemed to leak oil. Jordan gambling all night and playing a round of 18-holes prior to tip-off? No problem. Rodman taking in-season benders to Las Vegas? Not unheard of. Pippen hawking both ends of the floor at 100% effort night after night? You bet. Oh, and let's not forget about Steve Kerr bringing energy off the bench to rain spot up-threes. 

The Bulls might not have been as deep or as pretty as the Dubs, but their horses were built to take a beating and keep on pushing. This is not to say the youthful Warriors don't have the necessary energy levels to push through to 72, but one has to admit MJ set the bar incredibly high. The Warriors have played virtually flawless basketball this season and still only have six losses to spare as they knock on the door of the ASG. 

One of the most physically cruel aspects of an 82-game NBA schedule are road games on the back end of a back-to-back. After putting on a show for the Oracle faithful on Tuesday, the Dubs had to immediately fly out to PHX to face the Suns less than 24-hours later. Granted, Phoenix is a woeful 14-39 on the year and the Warriors are 17-point road favorites. Not to mention, Talking Stick Resort Arena is not exactly a hostile environment for visiting teams. That being said, winning on the road in the Association should never be taken for granted. 

The Suns have already had head coach Jeff Hornacek fired this year in favor of interim head coach Earl Watson. As of late, the team has been reeling, having dropped their last eight games, including a 10-point loss to Philly. 

In the other corner you have the magical Golden State Warriors who's season speaks for itself. Flame-thrower Steph Curry (29.9 ppg) dropped 35-points last night on James Harden and figures to continue his tear in Phoenix on Wednesday. If he's feeling heavy in the legs, Curry can look to the closest thing the Warriors have to Dennis Rodman (power forward Draymond Green), for a burst of trash-talk-laced intensity to help push the team through. 

Following what figures to be a Dubs romp in the Valley of the Sun, Klay Thompson, Green and Curry will happily head up to Toronto for a weekend of All-Star festivities (both Splash Brothers will appear in the 3-point contest). 72-10 will most certainly be a topic of discussion, and for that, Warriors' fans should be grateful... and energized. 

Mark Canha - Feeling Right at Home in the Bay Area

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(Click above to listen to Mark Canha's interview with Section925)

By Connor Buestad | Connor@Section925.com

Mark Canha is not your average Major League baseball player. He’s redheaded, UC Berkeley educated, and is more interested in Michael Bauer’s latest food review than what’s happening on the latest edition of SportsCenter.

Despite a muscle-bound physique, a set of hefty sideburns and a job as a baseball player, Canha is more cultured than you might think. By now, you probably know of his comprehensive culinary micro-blog (@BigLeagueFoodie) that takes you along with Canha into the nation’s most renowned and unique restaurants. But on top of that, Canha sports a dry, witty, and original sense of humor that A’s fans have grown to love after just one year.  

“I was under the radar in high school for whatever reason. I always think it was a conspiracy because of the redhead thing,” Canha joked. “People don’t like readheads, so I like to blame it on that.”
— Mark Canha

After spending five seasons on the minor league circuit as an overlooked farmhand for the Miami Marlins, Canha made his rookie debut in an Athletics’ uniform during the first home stand of 2015. Following a mishap at first base and pop-out to the catcher, Canha managed to laugh off the rocky start to his career in the Majors and turn it into a night he’ll never forget.

Canha came up in the bottom of the third inning with the bases full and unloaded a drive to right field that was just inches from a Grand Slam. He settled for a bases-clearing double as his first Big League knock. By the end of the evening, Canha had three hits (two doubles) and four RBI.

The only thing that overshadowed Canha’s monster debut was his humorous post-game press conference in the A’s clubhouse, as he deadpanned a classic line from the iconic baseball film, Bull Durham. “Just trying to help the ball club,” Canha explained to Oakland beat writers with a smile. “Give it my best shot, and the Good Lord willing, things will work out.”

Whether or not Tim Robbins and Kevin Costner contacted Canha to congratulate the rookie on his performance is unknown, but manager Bob Melvin plugged him in the lineup the following night and off he went. By season’s end, he had played in 124 games and tallied 121 hits to go along with 22 doubles and 16 homers. In the month of August, Canha hit over .300. Not bad for a rookie that the Miami Marlins gave away.

With good speed for a power hitter, Ron Washington has no problem wheeling Canha around the bases inside the Coliseum. (photo by Thearon W. Henderson)

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Canha was born and raised in San Jose where he eventually attended Bellarmine College Prep. One of the oldest and most prestigious schools in the Bay Area, Bellarmine prides itself on offering top-notch academics to go along with some of the best athletic programs in the state of California. Canha made sure to take advantage of both, succeeding on the competitive campus both on and off the field. But even after putting up big stats for the Bells (a team that boasts 14 MLB alums), Canha was still not as heavily recruited as he would have liked. His dream was Stanford, but then hitting coach and former Phillies first-baseman Jon Zuber convinced him to come to Berkeley and play for him at CAL.

“I was under the radar in high school for whatever reason. I always think it was a conspiracy because of the redhead thing,” Canha joked. “People don’t like readheads, so I like to blame it on that. But Zuber found me.”

In Berkeley, Canha joined a star-studded roster that forced him to wait his turn as a freshman. But come sophomore year, Canha was poised to break out and he credits the work he put in with the equally dry-humored coach Zuber as a key to his success.

“Zub was instrumental in my success of my breakout sophomore season. We did a lot of work in the Fall and I saw results. You build up confidence and see results, then you get more confidence. Zub really taught me how to hit in college. I had to make some changes.”

After leading the PAC-10 with 69 RBI as a junior, Canha would leave Berkeley a year early after being selected by the Florida Marlins in the 7th round. Once in their minor league system, Canha put up solid numbers year in and year out, but still felt as though he was overlooked. “I eventually came to the realization that I wasn’t a part of the Marlins’ Big Leagues plans,” said Canha.

It was hard to tell where Canha’s baseball career was headed following his 2014 season. All he really knew was that his wife Marci (also from San Jose) wanted to pursue her architecture career in the Bay Area. That’s why the Canha’s were elated when A’s GM David Forst gave Mark a call to let him know the A’s had signed him.

“Getting a call from David Forst, it was like bedlam for us,” remembers Canha. “We were unsure where this baseball thing was taking us and the fact that it took us to the Bay Area was outstanding for us.”

From the moment Canha arrived in the A’s clubhouse he was as comfortable as he ever felt. It showed in Spring Training last year as the hungry redhead led the team in homers while down in Arizona. He was playing alongside former teammate Marcus Semien and under Bob Melvin, both of which played at CAL. Needless to say, this felt like home for Canha.

In 2015, Canha played 75 games at 1st base and 58 games in left field, as well as few appearances sprinkled in at RF and DH. Wearing Josh Donaldson’s #20, Canha did his best to fill the void of the lost right handed power bat. A self-proclaimed lover of home runs, Canha didn’t get cheated at the plate as rookie. Seemingly loading up and letting it fly each and every at-bat.

With 2016 Spring Training just weeks away, Canha has a ton to look forward to in his sophomore campaign in the Green and Gold. He figures to be a key bat in the A’s lineup this year as he moves into his prime years as a pro (Canha turns 27 on Feb. 15th). He just recently finished filming a series of Green Collar commercials in Arizona and is now hunkered down at the Baseball Rebellion training facility in North Carolina, working with his hitting guru, Chas Pippitt.

Now that he and his wife are happily settled in San Francisco, one of the only worries Canha has at the moment is what walkup song he should use at the Coliseum this year (he wants your help, btw). Other than that, Canha is thrilled to be in the food centric Bay Area, with plenty of fodder for @BigLeagueFoodie and even more at-bats in the ever-young Oakland A’s batting order.

“I went through the system for so long,” Canha told Tripper Ortman of Section925. “Really it sounds cliché, it’s very Bull Durham of me to say this, but I’m just happy to be here. Truly, I’m just happy to be in the Big Leagues. As cliché as it sounds.”

The Good Lord willing, things will work out.

Canha prides himself on being a versatile defender, splitting time between the A's infield and outfield. (photo by Thearon W. Henderson)

Rivals CAL & Stanford Meet in Shadow of The Bay's Super Weekend

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Freshman Jaylen Brown is leading the young Bears in scoring with 15.8 a game. (photo by Ezra Shaw)

By Spencer Schulman

The passion and intensity of signature rivalry games in college athletics is unmatched by any sport in this country. Marquee rivalries- OSU/Michigan, UCLA/USC Texas/Oklahoma, Duke/UNC, Kentucky/Louisville, Auburn/Alabama, and of course Stanford-Cal are all universally recognized by fans of the NCAA. Most of these rivalries originated on the football field, and Stanford/Cal most certainly falls under that category.

For most power conference schools, football is the flagship sport with the most spectators. The annual Big Game has its counterparts in other sports: the Big Row, the Big Splash, and of course today's Big Tipoff tells us that there is most certainly a mutual disdain across all sports. Today's big tipoff is merely an afterthought for most Bay Area residents.

For the next 48 hours, the Bay Area will be the world's sports capital. The Super Bowl is the most anticipated event in American sports. When it's the 50th anniversary of the game, the spectacle is even greater. In addition, Sunday's contest is most likely the world's final chance to see Peyton Manning lead a fourth quarter comeback. 

Of course, SB50 is not the only nationally-anticipated event going on in the area. The Warriors are playing, and these days Dubs games are always appointment television. On Pace to become the best regular-season team in NBA history, and the favorite to repeat as NBA world champions, the Warriors have become the pride and joy of the Bay Area. This is no ordinary game, however. The Oklahoma City Thunder  are coming to Oakland, bringing two must-see talents in Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.

The Baby Faced Assassin and The Durantula discuss the art of the jump shot while playing for Team USA this past summer. (photo by Ethan Miller)

And then there's Stanford-Cal facing off at Haas Pavilion. For many, the mere mention of the two schools evokes visions of the miraculous game-winning kickoff return and the leveled tuba player (hear from a participant of "The Play" here).

A Stanford-Cal matchup in basketball will be buried in this weekends' events, and is unlikely to be seen by a large number of people, either on TV or in person. The game is not even sold out. The Golden Bear's website currently contains an advertisement for baseline and corner seats still available for just $70. On StubHub, close to 200 tickets are available hours before gametime for as low as $25. In contrast, the WCC's St. Mary's-Gonzaga rivalry matchup in Spokane is sold out, and only 15 tickets remain on the resale website with a starting price of $195. That game is over two weeks away.

Though the game will be nationally televised on ESPN2, Maryland/Purdue and Kentucky/Florida start at the same time on ESPN and CBS respectively. Due to concurrent games featuring big-name programs the Bay Area rivalry game won't likely be watched by too many around the country. 

Of course, the fact that both teams are having rocky seasons can't be ignored. That most definitely has an impact on fan interest. On the other hand, a 2002 University of North Carolina team, who went 8-20, still packed 23,000 fans into its stadium for their game against heated rival Duke.  

The Bay Area has been the beneficiary of an almost inconceivable run of success and championships this decade alone. Three World Series titles (Giants 2010, 2012, 2014), an NBA title (with another one possibly on the way), an NFC Championship (2013 49ers), and Three Pac-12 football Championships (Stanford 2013, 2014, 2016). And please, don't forget about the SaberCats Arena Bowl title (Section925.com was in the locker room to help celebrate).

I challenge you to name a time where so many different titles in multiple sports came to such a small geographical region in such a short time (Boston perhaps?). Sports fans in the Bay Area might be exhibiting symptoms of excessive success. Basketball programs at Stanford and Cal have enjoyed no such success as of late, thus, the Big Tip has slowly become an afterthought around these parts.  

Despite the recent struggles of both teams, the history exists on both sides. Both teams have multiple final four appearances, and CAL even has a national championship banner. Additionally, the Bears' second-year coach was able to secure an inexplicably strong recruiting class. Two five-star recruits, both projected as top-10 NBA draft pick, opted to play their college ball in Berkeley.

Stanford is coming off of an NIT title and a Sweet 16 appearance the year before, and head coach Johnny Dawkins is a former Duke assistant under the legendary Mike Krzyzewski. He has won at least 23 games in three of the last four seasons. Both programs appear to be headed in good directions, and the problem isn't outright lack of success, but rather the extraordinary success achieved by other Bay Area teams.

The Bears come into tonight's contest as 8-point favorites, despite losing on The Farm earlier this year, as Cuonzo Martin's club still hasn't lost at home all year. The last time Stanford was in the East Bay, they were over the hill in Moraga, losing to the Gaels of St. Mary's. If CAL expects an invite to the Tournament in March, taking care of business at home versus their rivals is an absolute must, regardless of how full Haas Pavilion happens to be.

St. Mary's Falls Out of First Place with Loss to BYU

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St. Mary's had no answer for Chase Fischer and Kyle Collinsworth on Thursday night in Utah.

By Spencer Schulman

St. Mary's arrived in Provo with sole possession of first place in the West Coast Conference. They left in a familiar spot, in second place to Gonzaga.

The nation’s hottest shooting team was stifled by a BYU squad in a must-win game for the Cougars. Shooting just 34 percent from the field, including a 6-23 mark from behind the arc, the Gaels were outplayed by BYU, losing 70-59. The loss is just the third of the season for the Gaels (18-3, 9-2 WCC) ending a pleasurable 6-day streak in the USA Today Coaches Top 25 Poll.

BYU, who lost the first meeting in Moraga, played like a team with urgency and recorded its first win against an RPI top-50 team. The Cougars have one more shot at a ‘quality win’ in the eyes of the selection committee when they host Gonzaga in their season finale.  An NCAA berth appears to be just out of reach for BYU unless they win out in the regular season and make a deep run in the conference tournament.

What does the loss mean for the Gaels’ tournament hopes? Probably not much, but a loss to any remaining opponent aside from Gonzaga could be fatal.  A road defeat at BYU is not something the NCAA Tournament selection committee is likely to frown at. According to Ken Pomeroy’s prediction formula, they have a win probability of over 80 percent in each of their remaining games, with the exception of a February 20 visit to Spokane. Pomeroy’s index gives SMC just a 37 percent chance of winning, but predicts just a three point loss. This scenario would give SMC a final regular-season record of 25-4, and a mark of 15-3 in the conference. Of course, these are computer-generated rankings, and if the regular season title comes down to the matchup with Gonzaga, anything is possible.

Joe Lunardi released updated rankings this morning, and SMC remains a projected #9 seed, with their RPI falling a few spots to 54. SMC has an opportunity to make a big splash in the Dance this year. Unlike most years, there is no clear dominant team.  The top-25 seems to get completely rearranged every week, and traditional powerhouses like Duke, Kentucky, and Michigan State are all experiencing tumultuous seasons.

The remaining teams in the high-major conferences are beating up on each other. This is one of the weakest all-around college basketball seasons in recent memory, and that plays heavily into SMC’s favor, so long as they get a bid in March. 

The Gaels, as mentioned earlier have one of the most balanced and efficient offenses in the nation (11th amongst Division I teams in Pomeroy’s adjusted offensive efficiency rankings). With a 43% 3-point percentage (3rd in NCAA), an extremely patient offense (19.2 seconds per possession), and a balanced scoring attack with 5 player averaging 9.9ppg or above, this team is built for gritty, low scoring NCAA tournament games. The only concern is the team’s youth. With only two juniors in the regular rotation, SMC relies almost entirely on underclassmen for offense.

If SMC continues to play at the level they have been this entire year, there’s no reason to believe that they wouldn’t be the recipients of an at-large bid. Of course, all of this speculation is null and void should the Gaels triumph in the conference tourney, in which case they would punch their own ticket. 

Next on the schedule for St. Mary's is a trip to San Diego tomorrow night to face the 8-14 Toreros. The Gaels will look to get back to their winning ways inside the Slim Gym of Jenny Craig Pavilion, a venue that has played favorable to the Gaels over the years. 

 

SMC Visits BYU for Challenging Road Test

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Veteran Kyle Collinsworth is a stalwart for BYU. (photo by Chris Detrick)

By Spencer Schulman

The red hot Saint Mary's Gaels are on the road tonight to face a talented BYU team in a tough WCC test inside The Marriott Center in Provo.  The Gaels (18-2, 9-1 WCC) are off to its best start since the 2008-2009 season, when the Gaels were infamously excluded from the NCAA tournament despite winning 26 games in the regular season.

St. Mary’s cracked the AP top 25 this week after winning 12 of its last 13 contests. BYU (16-7, 7-3 WCC) is a longshot to make the tournament, without a single one of its 16 wins coming from opponents inside the RPI top 100. They do, however, sit at 65 in the RPI rankings and have a chance to claim their first win against an RPI top-50 team.

Even with a win tonight, the Cougars would have to win out in the regular season and have a strong showing in the conference tournament to even be considered for a bid to the dance. A loss puts BYU firmly out of the running for an at-large bid.

With the WCC field its weakest in years, tonight’s game is about the closest to a resume-building win either team will get a shot at for the remainder of the season. Both teams do get another shot at Gonzaga, but at 16-5 with an RPI of 71, a win against the Bulldogs doesn’t carry the same weight as it has for most of the last quarter-century.  

Provo is a notoriously tough place to play for any team, and the Gaels’ only two losses this season have come on the road. According to ESPN’s Bracketology, they are a projected 9 seed, but have been falling. With an RPI of 46 and a cupcake schedule ahead of them, a loss for the Gaels would put them closer to the fringe of the field of teams in contention.

This is not must-win for the Gaels but given their strength of schedule (217), coupled with the NCAA Tournament selection committee’s virtual disregard for any WCC team not named Gonzaga, the Gaels would need to finish strong in the regular season as well as the conference tournament in order to attain an at-large.

For this year’s team, a strong finish and even a WCC title is certainly within reach. The Gaels lead the nation in 3-point shooting and assist-to-turnover ratio. The team’s balanced and highly efficient offense (5th best scoring margin in division I at 18.2 ppg) make them a team to watch out for in the Big Dance.

With a win tonight, St. Mary’s would improve to 19-2 and 10-1 in the WCC, which would both be career bests for Bennett. They would also move one step closer to claiming the WCC regular season championship, an honor that has gone to the ‘Zags in 15 of the last 16 seasons (St. Mary’s won the crown in 2012). 

"Reporting From A's FanFest" - Oakland Focuses on Bolstering Bullpen in Offseason

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Spirits were high at the Coliseum for 2016 A's FanFest (photo by Jose Carlos Fajardo)

By Karl Buscheck | @KarlBuscheck

David Forst's first big-money move as the general manager of the Oakland Athletics was a bold one, splashing out $22 million – plus up to $3.75 million in incentives – to Ryan Madson, a 35-year-old reliever. Madson, who didn't throw a single major league pitch from 2012 to 2014, spent part of the 2014 season tutoring a high school pitcher as a favor for an old friend. 2015 was a much different story. 

After inking a non-guaranteed minor league deal with the Kansas City Royals that would pay him a million bucks if he made the squad, Madson spent this past season as an indispensable cog in the nastiest bullpen in baseball – a bullpen that helped the Royals roll to their first World Series title since 1985.

The 6'6” righty, who also won a Fall Classic with the Philadelphia Phillies way back in 2008, dazzled at Kauffman Stadium, posting a 2.13 ERA and limiting the opposition to a .205 average in 68 outings. In the process, the veteran whose career was almost snuffed out by a slew of elbow injuries, pushed his way to the top of Forst's winter shopping list.

Sitting in a left field suite at the Coliseum during a media availability session at the team's recent FanFest event, Forst commanded the room with a calm confidence as questions were lobbed his way. 

“The one thing we did this year with Ryan Madson is we went out and were aggressive,” Forst explained. “We sort of went to the top of the market. He just was such a good fit with his stuff and his experience in the back of the pen.”

From left to right: Chris Bassitt, Kendall Graveman, Jesse Hahn, Josh Phegley, and Stephen Vogt (photo by Jose Carlos Fajardo)

The signing of Madson was the signature move of Forst's first offseason in the GM's chair in Oakland, but it was actually just one of four key moves he made to overhaul his dumpster fire of a bullpen. Last season, the A's relief crew piled up the third-most losses (31) in the American League, lugged around the third-worst ERA (4.63) in MLB and checked in at No. 19 in strikeouts. It doesn't take a major league talent evaluator to decipher what kind of relievers Forst and his boss –executive vice president of baseball operations Billy Beane – were targeting: Hard-throwers who miss a ton of bats.

As teams like the Royals have made abundantly apparent, the more flame-throwing relief aces you have pitching out of the pen, the better off you'll be. Madson, who posted an 8.2 strikeout-per-nine ratio and whose average heater clocked in at an average speed of just under 94.5 mph, per the calculations of MLB.com, does exactly that. And based on those numbers, he's not even guaranteed to be the scariest of the club's new quartet of arms.

Liam Hendriks, who Oakland snagged in a swap which sent Jesse Chavez to the Toronto Blue Jays, logged a K/9 ratio of 9.9 and threw a two-seamer that ran up to the plate at 95 mph. Then there's John Axford, who the team officially signed to a two-year, $10 million pact on Dec. 11 – the same day Madson joined the club. Axford punched out 10 batters per nine frames for the Colorado Rockies in 2015 and has a four-seamer that sits in the mid to high 90's. Like Madson, the righty has closing experience on his resume as well.

The 32-year-old landed in the No. 9 spot on the National League Cy Young ballot back in 2011 when he saved 46 games. After slamming the door 25 times for the Rockies during the season that was, Axford had options this winter. As it turns out, the right-hander, who is famous for his creative facial hair, is a fan of the region. “I love the Bay Area,” Axford assured members of the East Bay media contingent on hand.

Axford is also a fan of helping the AL west squad solve its pesky one-run loss problem. In 2015, the club dropped 35 contests by a single run – setting a new Oakland record.

“Obviously, last year was a difficult year watching from the other side and just hearing about these one-run games every single time you turn on SportsCenter, but then knowing what the team was able to do the previous seasons – getting to the playoffs. So, the team's good and you know that sometimes bad luck just [happens] and those things happen and getting to the playoffs is really important for me.”

For Marc Rzepczynski, the new southpaw in town, landing in Oakland wasn't his call. 

“I got traded here,” Zep – as he's known – cracked, leading the suite to erupt in laughter. “So, I kind of had no choice. No, I'm happy to be here.”

The lefty, who's also known as "Scramble" – a play on his unwieldy last name – brings the heat with a devastating slider which clocked in at better than 92 mph last season and helped him K 10.4 batters per nine innings, as he split the campaign with the Cleveland Indians and the San Diego Padres.

While Madson will be the top caddy for closer Sean Doolittle, Axford and Hendriks will slot in to the middle innings, while Rzepczynski will be the proverbial lefty slayer. In parts of seven seasons in the majors, Rzepczynski has crushed left-handed hitters to the tune of a .288 opponents' slugging percentage. The sharp-witted 30-year-old, who embraces his role as the resident class clown, also embraces his role as the on-call specialist.

“I can get ready in five pitches. I literally can get ready in a batter if you need me to. That's kind of been the mindset for me, it's being ready as quick as I can,” Rzepczynski said, as he sat alongside Axford whom he shared a pen with in Cleveland in 2014. “Sometimes for me I don't even have the time to get the adrenaline going. I'm out there sometimes for one pitch. A lot of times I'm going out there and going, 'Okay, that's it.' ”

As Axford explained, the opportunity to join his old pal Zep and the other new guys in the bullpen is why he ultimately signed up with Oakland.

“Solidifying the bullpen [is what I want to do],” Axford said. “I signed after [they] traded for Hendriks, after Zep came over and after Madson. Sean's already here. Seeing that all of a sudden come together, I wanted to be a part of a group of guys that can be really familiar in the back end of the bullpen no matter where you're setting up and what you're doing. That's really big and key for me. Especially when we can have some young guys and some of the older guys and the veteran presences back there. For me, that's a big thing too to be there and maybe be one of the veteran guys and help out.”

As Forst foreshadowed, there's still a chance that one more veteran guy, who has been left stranded on the free-agent market could end up in an Oakland uniform in due time.

“I can't think of anyone specifically off the top of my head right now that I think might fall to us,” Forst said. “But we do have the flexibility – both payroll and roster-wise – to be opportunistic.”

A's hurler Rich Hill ponders his future in Oakland... (photo by Jose Carlos Fajardo)

(Note: All stats courtesy of MLB.com.)

Karl Buscheck has covered the A's, Giants, Warriors, Raiders, 49ers and Earthquakes for various outlets including the San Francisco Examiner and Bleacher Report. Find him on Twitter: @KarlBuscheck

"A European Football Roundup" - Barcelona Beats Atletico, Pep to Man City

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Neymar Santos Jr. of FC Barcelona eludes the defense of Club Atletico de Madrid's Jose Maria during Saturday's La Liga match. FCB prevailed 2-1. (photo by Alex Caparros)

 

By Bryan Maag | @FutbolTasteMkrs 

This past weekend’s much-anticipated La Liga match pitting top-ranked F.C. Barcelona against no. 2 Atletico Madrid ended up being a brutal/beautiful example of two team's will to win, which ultimately resulted in a 2-1 FCB win and two Marid players being sent off. Over FCB’s last few outings, teams have been pressing Barcelona high up the pitch, forcing them back up against their own sticks. The thought process has been to push Barcelona at their own game.

Conventional wisdom over the last five years has had teams sit back at their own end and invite Barcelona to attack time and time again, relying on one shot throughout the 90 minutes they could capitalize on. On Saturday, Atletico flew in the face of this traditional tactic and came out firing. It paid off, as they were able to score within the first twenty minutes.

Similar to Atletic Bilbao, and Malaga before that, Atletico Madrid could not keep up the exhausting pressure to secure a win. It took 20 more minutes but Barcelona was able to equalize at the half hour mark. Luis Suarez secured the win 10 minutes later with a show of personal brilliance. Finally, just before the end of an eventful first half, the game took a turn for the worse right before when Atletico’s frustration boiled over and Felipe Luis attempted to end Messi’s career with a high foot to the knee. Luckily, the fabled Messi walked away unscathed and Luis was rightfully sent off for the tackle.

The second half featured Atletico displaying a lot of heart and a near equalizer, until finally their brutal tactics resulted in another player being sent off with a red. 

February is shaping up to be a rough month for both teams. Barcelona will be competing in the Champions League, Copa Del Rey and La liga. The next six weeks will decide their place in all three competitions.

The big news on Monday was Pep Guardiola finally confirmed his much-anticipated move to Manchester City. He will be leaving behind a Bayern team that he has lead to unprecedented Bundesliga titles and the DFB Pokal. Today many managers are judged on European Success and rightly so, but Pep has been glorious as their leader. He has dealt with countless injuries and revamped the squad with Douglas Costa, Thiago Alacantera, and Robert Lewandowski. He is in a great place to take home European glory this year. But if not, he will leave with his head held high. 

Moving to City will be a huge shock to the Premier League. Pep will reunite with his old Barcelona confidant Txiki to overhaul the City squad. I would expect Fernandinho, Toure, Fernando, and Nasri to be shown the door within a year. City has young talent in Kevin de Bruyne but not enough to keep them moving forward. Pep will splash some cash this summer, which will be very interesting to see with Real Madrid needing to dominate the market prior to their transfer ban.

If Cristiano Ronaldo jettisons to the beaches of Miami and Zlatan leaves PSG, the summer market is going to be incredibly inflated. Pep will rely on selling his development of players like Messi, Busquets, and Thiago but players will have a lot of bargaining leverage.  jettisons to the beaches of Miami and Zlatan leaves PSG, the summer market is going to be incredibly inflated. Pep will rely on selling his development of players like Messi, Busquets, and Thiago but players will have a lot of bargaining leverage.

Perhaps the most worried people about Pep’s move to City are the people of Barcelona. Barcelona has to be scared their youth setup will be raided once again, especially the young Sergi Roberto. Hopefully Pep doesn’t meddle with his old club. Only time will tell. 

"The Sunday Section" - Selected Stories From Around The Bay

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ZAGS Invade Moraga for Annual Rivalry Game at McKeon

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Gonzaga's Kyle Wiltjer presents an inside-outside threat on offense for the Zags. (Photo by William Mancebo)

By Connor Buestad | Connor@Section925.com

On Thursday night at 8pm, the Zags and Gaels will renew their storied rivalry on the hardwood in front of a nationally televised audience (ESPNU). Over the last decade, WCC fans have been spoiled with countless great games between these two clubs. Mark Few and Randy Bennett replenish their talent pool every year it seems, always ready to make an honest run at a WCC crown come March. 

After last week's loss at home to BYU, Gonzaga has dropped out of the AP Top-25 for the first time in recent memory. At 6-1 in conference, they share the same WCC record as St. Mary's. Surprisingly, SMC received eight AP Top-25 votes to Gonzaga's five this week.*

To Mark Few's credit, the Zags four total losses this season are nothing to be ashamed of. Notorious for playing a treacherous non-conference schedule, this year's Gonzaga team has lost to (#25) Texas A&M, (#19) Arizona, UCLA, and BYU. 

Traditionally a school known for relying on productive and exciting guards, this year's version of the Zags hinges more on their inside presence. With guards Kevin Pangos and Gary Bell Jr. gone, the face of their program is now 6'10" senior Kyle Wiltjer (22ppg), who is a dynamic offensive scorer who will be tough to contain for the Gaels. Wiltjer is flanked down low by Domantas Sabonis (Arvydas' son), a hefty big man who has a polished offensive skill set, similar to his father. 

Countering the Zags' two-headed monster will be a surprising Gaels team led by, you guessed it, a crop of crafty Australians. Emmett Naar and Dane Pineau lead an offense that is shooting a Warriors-esque 46% from three-point land. Sophomore Aussie Jock Landale has also come on strong as of late, winning WCC Player of the Week honors following his 7-for-7, 24-point performance on Thursday versus UOP.  

The Gaels only bad loss this year came on the road at Pepperdine, falling to Waves in Malibu by three. Randy Bennett's only other blemish this year was a hard fought four-point loss at CAL, a game in which the upstart Gaels earned a great deal of respect from Cuonzo Martin. 

As we now approach late January, there is not a single Mid-Major in the Top-25. It is rare that Gonzaga makes their trip to Moraga without at number next to their name, so you have to believe the McKeon Pavilion faithful will be smelling blood in the water on Thursday night. Adam Morrison certainly isn't walking through that door...

* Section925 has yet to earn a voting seat at the Associated Press table. 

Believe the Hype: Lady Mats Roll Over Mater Dei 65-47 at St. Mary's MLK Showcase

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(Photo courtesy of Miramonte Girls Basketball) 

By Josh Hunsucker | @jphunsucker

The center of the girls high school hoops universe may be in Stockton, California but Saturday night that universe revolved around Sabrina Ionescu and the Miramonte Matadors.  St. Mary’s High School, the No. 1 girls basketball team in America, has hosted the MLK Showcase since 2008.  This showcase pits some of the best teams from Northern California against the best Southern California has to offer.  The MLK Showcase features a two-day slate of 17 games and this year included nine McDonald All-American nominees.

The Mats, No. 2 in the state and No. 6 in America by the arbitrary ranking poll I subscribe to, matched up against No. 4 (CA) Mater Dei in the weekend’s highest profile game (and a battle of identical Nike stamp unis).  Not surprisingly, the host St. Mary’s players and coaches watched and scouted intently as they are no strangers to either team.  The Rams beat Miramonte in the NorCal Open Final last year and beat the Monarchs in the State Open Final.

The contrast of styles was clear from the first pass of Miramonte’s four-corners warm-up.  The Mats wanted to pressure and run and the Monarchs wanted to grind.  The first half can be best described by one word utter over and over again, pace.  For the first 16 minutes of play the Mats ramped up the pace of the game forcing countless turnovers by playing at track meet speed.  Miramonte coach Kelly Sopak’s substitution pattern more closely resembled the basketball equivalent of two-minute hockey lines.  The constant rotation of guards enabled the Mats to maintain the relentless pressure.

Ionescu did not disappoint either. From the opening tip she started off fast, driving and dropping a no-look dish Uriah Howard on the opening possession.  A step back three got the decidedly non-partisan crowd ooooing and awwwwing as Mater Dei was forced to call a time out with the lead ballooning to 12-4.

The pressure continued, which frustrated Mater Dei and didn’t allow them to effectively get the ball to UCLA commit Allyson Rosenblum in the low post.  With a 21-8 first quarter lead the Mats continued to hit the nitro button.  The Mats seemed to improve upon their push and press style in a way only Nolan Richardson and Corey Beck would truly appreciate.  Midway through the second quarter the Monarchs were shell shocked, gazing in disbelief around the gym following back-to-back turnovers, literally asking themselves, “what is happening?”

With a halftime lead of 40-18, the Mats effectively put the game into cruise control. The damage of the pressure was done.  Mater Dei looked tired.  Their shooting percentage and lack of urgency to climb back into the game confirmed that outward appearance.  Every Monarch mini-third quarter run was stymied by timely threes from Clair Steele and Keana Delos Santos.  Meanwhile Ionescu continued to facilitate the dismantling of Mater Dei to the delight of the crowd: “that girl can play,” “20 got game,” and my personal favorite “don’t get crossed up…ooooh here it comes…[Ionescu hitting cross over step back three and crowd falling over themselves] I tried to warn you, 20’s coming for you.”

In the waning seconds of the game, up by almost 20, Ionescu put her signature stamp on the game.  Taking the ball at the near midcourt, she stalked her opponent, pacing slowly forward and crossing the ball through her legs.  Then a hard push left, a hard push right, pause, cross, step-back, splash, and the game was over.  Ionescu finished with a game high 26 and the Mats cruised to a 65-47 win.

The win moved the Mats up to 4 in national rankings but more importantly the victory was a statement win.  The state championship may end against SoCal but all roads run through Stockton.  The Mats and Rams have met in the five times in the last ten years in the NorCal playoffs and appear to be on a collision course again this year.  Saturday night’s win was a shot across the bow to St. Mary’s that said we’ll see you in March and, like the Mats shooting shirts read, “Believe the Hype.”

The 14-0 Miramonte girls defeat 17-1 Mater Dei 65-47 in a battle between the #6 and #40 teams in the nation. Sabrina Ionescu led the scoring with 26 points along with 8 rebounds, 8 steals and 3 assists in the 2016 MLK Classic at St. Mary's High School in Stockton, CA.

49ers Fumbling On Search For A New Head Coach

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(Photo by Ezra Shaw)

By Devin Wright | @TheRealReno

My head hurts and it's swimming with questions right now. Unfortunately, the Niners abysmal coaching search is to blame for all of this, I'm afraid. One moment they seem to have a coach locked up, the next they are interviewing someone's grandfather for the position. By now, I'm having a hard time keeping up with Ian Rapoport, Tim Kawikami, and Mike Silver. With things still very much up in the air, lets take a minute to unpack how we got to where we are today with the 49ers search for a new team leader. 

The Monday after the last game of the season, hermit owner Jed York finally spoke with the local media. Jed announced that he was firing rent-a-coach Jim Tomsula after a nightmare 5-11 season, and that the Niners would spare no cost in conducting a search to hire a new coach. One that would return the Niners back to their glory years...of two years ago.

Jed said that he would step aside and allow Trent Baalke and his staff to conduct this search. Odd thing was, the guy running this search was not even at the presser. Hermit doesn't even begin to describe Trent Baalke, but not having the guy who is running the latest disastrous coaching search is beyond odd. Unfortunately, it's how things get done in Niners Land these days. 

Quick side note: Trent was later made available to the media that day. When asked about his contract he said he had no idea when the last time he had signed one, or when the contract expired. Local beat reporter Ann Killion was quick to point out that he signed an extension last year that ran until 2018. Trent said he didn't know that. Needless to say this is a total lie to the face of local writers and the public. I point this out because this is the kind of guy the team has placed trust in to make possibly the biggest hire in team history.

The 49ers first spoke with Chip Kelly, the hot name on the market and I believe the coach the fans want the most. Fans like the idea of Chip, his innovative offense, and what he might be able to do with Colin Kapernick. Of course, this meeting didn't go well and I'll make a few assumptions as to why. 

1. Chip is known as an odd duck, and as we know, Baalke is a really odd duck. The two of them together seems flammable. 

2. Chip had a lot of say in the roster in Philly. Needless to say his moves were terrible, but I believe he still thinks they were the right moves. When a coach gets roster power, it's tough to give it up in his next job. It is doubtful that Baalke would budge. 

3. Chip probably mentioned that he wanted to keep Kap on the roster and thinks he could turn Kap back into a star. That is the last thing York and Baalke want to hear. After blaming Kap for the way this season went (first the benching, then not allowing him on the sidelines after shoulder surgery), the 49ers seem to want nothing to do with Kap or his salary. 

Next the team talked with Hue Jackson of the Cincinnati Bengals last Sunday after the Bengals gut wrenching loss to the Steelers. After a 5 hour meeting, reports came out that Hue was the Niners' number one choice. This was odd considering that Jed, in his press conference, had mentioned that he did not know any sources of leaks to the national media. Just another example of how things work in Santa Clara. Say one thing, do another. Always lie with a bold face. 

After texting with a few Niner faithful, people seemed really excited about Jackson. He led an explosive offense in Cincy (even though they were mediocre just last season), and coached Andy Dalton to his most productive season ever. All signs were pointing to our next coach being signed soon. 

Of course like most things with this front office, nothing goes according plan, and scramble mode typically goes into effect. Jackson interviewed with Cleveland, and agreed to another meeting with the New York Giants, which is viewed as the most desirable vacancy right now. 

So Jed and Trent went to plan B, C, or even D, which was to interview 69 year-old former Giants coach Tom Coughlin. Now Coughlin is indeed a great coach. He has won two Super Bowls, players love him, and he gets a lot out of them. But age is certainly a factor here. Why hire a coach just to have to go through all of this again in a few years? Again, this is York and Baalke only seeing what is right in front of them and and failing to take the more prudent longview. 

...(looks at Twitter)

Well now the 49ers are claiming they are slow playing Hue Jackson and are willing to hire others if he does not make a decision soon. 

Again, the 49ers Faithful are left to scratch their heads during all of this. It just seems like ownership cannot make a plan that works or one that they can stick to. It should be noted that so far, only one coaching vacancy has been filled up to this point, and that owner meeting about the Rams/Raiders/Chargers move to LA has slowed things down a bit (congrats Raiders fans for one more year in Oakland). 

I do not think anyone has any idea how this process is going to turn out. The only thing we do know is that it isn't going to go smooth and a bumpy ride should be expected. One day I hope to wake up from this nightmare. Hopefully sooner than later.  

*Note: As of this (Wednesday) morning Hue Jackson has been hired by Cleveland. Meanwhile, the Niners have said that are done interviewing candidates for the time being. Ugh.

Hello, World!

FIFA Crowns The World's Best Footballers of 2015

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Carli Lloyd and Lionel Messi clutch some FIFA hardware (photo by Philipp Schmidli)

By Bryan Maag | @HalfBAM

The international soccer calendar is officially in the books, and tonight at Congress Hall in Zurich, Switzerland, FIFA handed out its end of the year awards in a relatively toned down black-tie affair. The three male BALLON D’OR invitees were Lionel Messi (F.C. Barcelona), Christiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid), and Neymar De Silva (F.C. Barcelona). The female nominees included Aya Miyama (Japan), Carli Lloyd (United States), and Celia Sasic (Germany).

The FIFA awards are always a bit awkward due to the vast amounts of nationalities and languages that are thrown together in one room. Everyone in the audience is outfitted with an earpiece while the British hosts deliver slow pre-approved jokes to a reception of awkward laughter.

This year was a tough one for the powers that rule over soccer, and the usual pomp and circumstance was missing in this year’s awards. The biggest news has been the indictments handed down to FIFA members for corruption and greed. Due to these criminal proceedings we are seeing a glimpse into the lives of the men behind the scenes of soccer. Unsurprisingly, Sepp Blatter and Michael Platini were two notable figureheads that were not in attendance this year.

The 2015 soccer campaign brought us various record breaking performances. Chile showed some amazing fortitude in defending their home soil to take home their first Copa America crown in the tournament’s 99 year history. Barcelona became the first European team to successfully win two European trebles which included the Copa America, La Liga and Champions League trophies. They topped off their season with a club world cup championship. The United States won a fantastic Women’s World Cup in Canada on artificial turf. Other notable moments were Chelsea securing the Premier League Crown, Bayern Munich won the Bundesliga and Juventus retained their Serie A trophy.

Today’s FIFA winners were well deserved. Carli Lloyd took home her first Women’s trophy and the first U.S. women since Abby Wambach in 2012. Lionel Messi took home his record fifth trophy after his stellar club team wins, yet still had to deal with another Argentina national team disappointment, losing in the Copa America final over the summer. 

The 2016 soccer calendar is packed and Section925 is ecstatic to help bring it to light. Some notable competitions to follow this year will be the British Premier League (NBC Sports), La Liga (BeIn TV), Champions League (Fox), European Championships (ESPN), Olympics (NBC), MLS, and the Copa America Centennial, which will be hosted here in the United States. 

From Avaya Stadium in San Jose to pitches across the pond and throughout the rest of the world, the coming year surely will not disappoint. 

Section925 Podcast Ep 89 - Theo Robertson

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Golden State Warriors' Video Coordinator Theo Robertson stops by the Section925 Podcenter to talk with Tripper. Raised in Pittsburgh, California, Theo's basketball journey led him to De La Salle High School to play for Brian Sullivan and Frank Allocco. The Excel Basketball Camp Hall of Fame inductee then starred at CAL for four years, making multiple NCAA tournament appearances. Today, he is a member of the Warriors' championship coaching staff...

"The Magic Theory" - Is Draymond Green a Forgotten Son of the Showtime Lakers?

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Father and son? Or nah?

(A letter to the editor):

It's obvious that there are similarities in their games.  Beyond the high hoops IQ, both Magic Johnson and Draymond Green can/could guard 1-5, play 1-5, run the "showtime" fast break, talk trash in a colorful and funny way, rack up triple-doubles, and generally be the most likable person on and off the court.  They're both leaders, talkers, and dynamic tone-setters. It's been noted over and over that their personalities and games have serious parallels that can't be ignored.  

But it doesn't stop there. They both have the Michigan State connection, philanthropy ties, and several instances where Magic has called Draymond "mini-Magic".  Let's also note that there really isn't a father figure in Draymond's life.  His MSU bio references some guy Wallace Davis, but we never see him or hear about him at all.  And now it gets weird: 

Draymond was conceived between June 1 and June 7, 1989.  And where was Magic during that time?  In Detroit, Michigan, pre-HIV diagnosis, getting swept by the Pistons in the '89 finals.  MAGIC WAS IN TOWN WHEN DRAYMOND WAS CONCEIVED! And we know he was getting down with everyone at that time in his life.

Of course I realize how strange this theory is, but I can't shake the idea that it might be true.  Add to the craziness that I "friended" Mary Tootoo Babers on FB, and I've been commenting on her posts in passively suggestive ways about her son's true paternity.  It's time to take it off the social media angles and give Section925 this hot take to run with.  Let me know how I can help...

- Chris Norton, San Francisco

Research credits to: Devin Wright, Ardian Zagari, Beau Delmore, Jason Friedman.