Oakland Athletics

There is much hype surrounding the impending promotion of Stephen Strasburg of the Washington Nationals to the big leagues. Deservedly so. If he wasn't hyped up enough before being drafted by Washington, he's proved his mettle in the minors this season, specifically with his spotless 0.00 ERA after 18 1/3 innings at Triple-A Syracuse.

On May 1, 1920, the Major Leagues would witness the longest game in the history of the sport. The Brooklyn Robins battled the Boston Braves in a game that would eventually end in a 1-1 tie, due to the fact that it was getting dark out, and stadiums were not built with lights at the time.

Friday marked the sixth time Bleacher Report and I have been welcomed into the press box at the Oakland Coliseum. My five previous trips were all stellar experiences, but this one felt different the minute I crossed the parking lot's threshold.

Generally when I arrive around 3:30 pm, the lot is dotted with one hand's worth of early birds. Today, the number was closer to triple digits.

Barbecues were in full smoke, games of catch featuring both footballs and baseballs were breaking out, and there was a general air of festivity hanging over the scene.

As a proud Minnesotan I will always be a Twins fan, but I have to tip my hat to baseball enthusiasts in Oakland.

The residents of the East Bay who attend Athletics games may be few in number, but they remain faithful to a team that was once dominant, but has recently fallen from grace, now that big-market teams like the Yankees and Red Sox have commandeered the MLB, setting it on a collision course that can only be avoided with a drastic change in league management.

Continuing our mailbox segment properly titled Fantasy Baseball Insiders’ Inbox, our Insider will answer a question posed by one of our loyal readers.

If you have a pressing question for the Insider, whether it be a trade proposal or a spot-start question, drop him a line: nick@fantasybaseballinsiders.com .

Dallas Braden has been all over the media by pitching only the 19^th perfect game in the history of major league baseball on May 9^th, 2010.

The accomplishment rightfully overshadowed a possible code violation, but it should be pointed out.

After the Oakland Raiders traded for the Washington Redskins' Jason Campbell, the speculation in the swirling rumors of JaMarcus Russell's imminent demise was replaced with inevitability.

The big man with the even bigger contract was due $9.45 million in the upcoming season and, by all accounts, nothing about the kid warranted rolling the dice when that kind of money was at stake.

And so the axe fell on May 6th, putting Russell firmly in the running for the title of Biggest Bust in the History of the National Football League.

That's gotta sting.

The news has been fodder for numerous punchl

OAKLAND, Calif. Sometimes, things have a way of working out perfectly.

The often-overlooked Oakland Athletics took on the Tampa Bay Rays, the team with the best record in baseball, in the rubber match of the three-game series. Dallas Braden was Oakland’s starting pitcher, it was Mother’s Day, it was the first game of the Dallas Braden 209 promotion, and Braden’s grandmother, Peggy Lindsey, sat in attendance along with 30 of his closest childhood friends.

In "The 209" they call that pitchin'.

The days leading up to Oakland A's pitcher Dallas Braden's perfect game against the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday—the 19th in MLB history and the first for Oakland since Catfish's 42 years ago—sure had its fair share of talkin'.

The New York Yankees' Alex Rodriguez said he didn't want to extend Braden's "15 minutes" after continued questions and jawing about the controversy regarding the two players' baseball etiquette dust-up (mound dirt-up?) last month.