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wed by 47 per cent in the final four years. "I think that theyre trying to pull a bit of a PR fast o
Topic Started: Apr 11 2014, 07:59 AM (10 Views)
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OAKLAND, Calif. -- Bob Melvin has repeatedly described the comfort of managing right at home in the Bay Area -- and Billy Beane has described the comfort in having a winning, "modern-day" manager leading the Oakland Athletics. Melvin is staying put in the very place he wants to be well into the future. The As manager received a two-year contract extension Monday that takes him through the 2016 season. Later Monday, Oakland announced it had reached agreement on a $1 million, one-year contract with catcher George Kottaras, a raise of $275,000. Beane is thrilled to have a manager in place to guide the small-budget As for years to come. "To get an extension like this from people you respect and admire and supported you, it really makes you feel good and makes you feel better about doing your job," said Melvin, voted AL Manager of the Year after leading Oakland to a surprising West division title. "My expectations are the same as last year. Were going to compete hard and expect to win. Based on having the results we had last year, well have that much more confidence coming into spring training." Oakland became the first team in major league history to win a division or pennant after trailing by five games with less than 10 to play, sweeping three games against Texas to win the division over the Rangers. "Its really a reflection of our commitment to Bob and Bobs commitment to us. If you know you have the right guy, theres no sense in waiting until hes got one year left," general manager Billy Beane said. "This was probably the simplest negotiation Ive ever had in my career here. Thats a reflection of the relationship that Bob has with the organization. Were happy to give him this well-deserved extension. It didnt take very long. The actual writing it up took longer than the actual negotiations." Oakland lost to Detroit 3-2 in a best-of-five AL division series. The As ended a five-year stretch without a winning record or playoff berth, finishing 94-68. The As did it with a payroll of $59.5 million -- lowest in the majors -- and 12 rookies. They did it with significant injuries to their starting pitchers and lost their third baseman, Scott Sizemore, to a season-ending knee injury on the first full-squad workout of spring training. And they did it after losing right-hander Bartolo Colon to a 50-game suspension in August for a positive testosterone test, then re-signed him this winter. The 51-year-old Melvin, a former big league catcher who grew up in Menlo Park and played at Cal, took over from the fired Bob Geren in June 2011. Melvin led the Diamondbacks to the NL West title in 2007 and also won 93 games in his rookie season with Seattle in 2003. "We knew we had the right guy right from the get go. Continuity is important," Beane said. "Its really important. Once again last year was certainly enjoyable. Its easy to look at a year like last year and everybody has fun when youre winning. This relationship with Bob and myself and the front office and the players started when he took over." Melvin received a three-year contract from Oakland late in the 2011 season. The As went 47-52 after he took over that year. His local ties are only a bonus. Melvin played three seasons with the San Francisco Giants. "I was excited and impressed when Billy told me that Bob was available and accepting the manager role with us," owner Lew Wolff said. "As I observed Bobs leadership and very special drive, I was even more impressed with Billys choice. I am so very pleased that we will have Bob with us for the foreseeable future. Bobs use of our talent was and is brilliant in my opinion." Kottaras, acquired from Milwaukee before last years trade deadline, batted .212 with six home runs and 19 RBIs in 27 games for Oakland after hitting .209 with three home runs and 12 RBIs in 58 games with the Brewers. Three As remain eligible to file for arbitration Tuesday: left-hander Jerry Blevins and outfielders Brandon Moss and Seth Smith. wholesale jerseys . Seven relatively unknown young athletes, nominated by a group of British Olympic champions, simultaneously lit 204 copper petals, which rose to ignite the Olympic cauldron, which will burn throughout the duration of the Summer Games. cheap jerseys from china . The three-time Stanley Cup winning goalie coach is no longer with the Leafs, departing from the organization after three middling and often turbulent seasons. http://www.chinanfljerseyswholesale.com/ . Detroit on Wednesday night. Its a busy week for the club. Here are a few quick NBA thoughts. cheap nfl jerseys china .C. United on Thursday. In return, Vancouver received a third-round choice in the 2015 Major League Soccer SuperDraft. cheap nfl jerseys . The Vancouver stalwart scored a goal but also committed a miscue that enabled the Colorado Rapids to come back and tie the Whitecaps 2-2 on Sunday.NEW YORK - With a seemingly inevitable lockout charging straight ahead, a trio of Leafs who endured the last NHL work stoppage couldnt help leaving midtown Manhattan without some frustration. "From the leagues stance, it seems like they have it in their minds, theyre set to lock us out and take it from there before they start negotiating," Mike Komisarek told TSN.ca as he and a pair of teammates, John-Michael Liles and Matthew Lombardi, exited the most recent set of NHLPA membership meetings. Negotiations between the league and the players association remain at a relative standstill with the current collective bargaining agreement set to expire on September 15, paving the way for the fourth NHL work stoppage. Komisarek, Liles and Lombardi were among the 283 players on hand for a pair of players association meetings, led by executive director Donald Fehr. Beginning with a detailed explanation of their most recent proposal and a lengthy question and answer period, the players met for upwards of five hours on Wednesday evening, reconvening again on Thursday morning to iron out the plan moving forward. Frustrated with the league and its insistence on drastically cutting their percentage of hockey-related revenue, players left New York with little optimism in hand, hoping with only a whimper for a sudden change in the current tide. League revenue has grown dramatically since the last agreement was reached in 2005 with average salaries rising in tow, but despite the dramatic uptick in growth, Gary Bettman and the owners pine for a greater share of the pie; up from the current 43 per cent. In their latest proposal, the players association looked to secure the $1.8 billion or so garnered last season with a series of increases over the length of the five-year deal. The offer also addressed revenue sharing with an intent toward stabilizing the smaller market teams across the league. "Right now they keep saying Wee have to keep taking from the players, we need to take from the players, we need to take from the players," Liles explained.dddddddddddd "Well, the proposal we put forward, we feel, is the best way to make the league as solid as possible top to bottom, not just Hey lets put some more money in the owners pockets for now and then in five years theyre going to come back for more." "I think the PA is trying to implement a system where were not doing this again in five years," Komisarek said. "Coming out of the last lockout with the rollbacks and the salary cap and everything that the current system has in place now, it seemed like the owners and Bettman got the deal that they wanted and here we are seven years later after an average of 7 per cent growth every year over the term of the last deal and here we are and theyre saying it doesnt work again." Meeting for the first time since late August on Wednesday, the league countered the players association proposal with an offer of their own, simplifying matters by cutting player revenue to 49 per cent in year one, down to 48 per cent in year two, followed by 47 per cent in the final four years. "I think that theyre trying to pull a bit of a PR fast one with some of the proposals that theyve made," Liles noted. "When you get down to brass tacks, its pretty misleading some of the numbers that they throw out…its not essentially the proposal that theyre actually coming forth in the media and saying." Overwhelmingly in support of Fehr and his detailed leadership, the players claim to be better informed at this point from seven years prior, preaching unity at every turn. "Its a lot different this time around," Lombardi concluded. "I feel like the guys are on the same page. Everyone believes in the cause and we truly believe in this process in terms of standing strong and fighting for what we believe in." ' ' '
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