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Ziegler to Cooperstown

Every media member had a question for Brad Ziegler on Monday. Myself included. Mainly, how did this 6-feet-four-inch right handed rookie break a 101 year old pitching record throwing sidearm?  

"He's hard to catch," said A's catcher Kurt Suzuki, "so you can imagine how hard he is to hit."

True. But Ziegler picked up the sidearm technique only last year, and according to him, he did not want to do it. Now, 27 innings after his Major League debut with the A's, the 28-year-old is on his way to the Hall of Fame. Well, parts of his uniform are anyway. On Sunday, Ziegler pitched two scoreless innings against the Rangers to set the record for most consecutive scoreless innings to start a career. George McQuillan held the former mark of 25 scoreless innings since 1907.

The amiable Ziegler ran around the field during warm-ups before the Royals game, fitting in interview requests when he could and scheduling others for later.  Work comes first for Ziegler, but his story is worth the wait.

MB: Are you tired yet of talking about the new record you hold?

BZ: No, it's still exciting. It's still new, and maybe it will go away at some point or maybe I can drag this out for a little while longer and make it a little bit more of a story.

MB: How do you put in perspective what you've accomplished? Some players work hard all their careers and never make it to the Major League. Others wait 15 to 20 years after they're done playing to get into the Hall of Fame and now  part of you will forever be enshrined there?

BZ: That part to me, I can't comprehend that. I told my wife we might have to take a trip to Cooperstown this offseason to even think about that. But it has been a lot of hard work. I don't feel like it's been a long road time wise. I just feel like I got a late start to my pro career because I was 23 when I was drafted and a lot of guys were 20, 21. But I don't feel like once I got into pro ball I don't think it took me extra long. I had to work for everything I got. I was never handed anything and to me that makes it a little more satisfying.

MB: What exactly went into the Hall?

BZ: My spikes that I wore yesterday. The last out of the eighth inning, so the 27th inning ball is going. And they were talking about a jersey or a hat or something else. I'm not sure. I didn't even look in my locker to see if it was still in there. I just told Vuc, whatever they needed feel free to take it, and I'd get it replaced.

MB: I understand when you tied the record Jack Hannahan inadvertently threw the ball into the stands. Did you get a ball from this record breaking night?

BZ: I did. I got two. I got the ball that I struck Michael Young out on for the first out. And then I got the ground out that Hannahan made the play on to end the seventh inning yesterday. So the two balls that made it official. Other than that, all the other balls, I hope there's some people out there that can find some value in them.

MB: When you have this kind of career defining event, what do you look forward to now?

BZ: Taking it one game at a time, one pitch at a time. I know it's kind of cliche, but that's what I have to do to be successful. I'm not going to overpower guys, and on the days where I'm not dealing as good I've got to work extra hard to continue to get guys out. And if the streak continues for a long time, great. But at some point, just the nature of the game, I'm going to give up a run, and I think at that point it's going to be how I bounce back. It's easy to pitch when things are going well. How do you do when things are struggling? That can totally define my career after that.

MB: When Ron [Romanick, currently the A's bullpen coach] first came to you in Triple-A and said he wanted you to change your delivery to the sidearm style, were you receptive to that? What were his reasons and how did that conversation go?

BZ: I was a little disappointed at first, and the more I thought about it, the angrier I got. I had always had success overhand, and I didn't feel like there was a need to change if what I was doing was working. And when he suggested it, and his reasoning was, stuff-wise, I was pretty generic overhand. I didn't have a really hard fastball, my breaking stuff wasn't tremendous. But I threw a lot of strikes and I always got guys out. And he though we might be able to do something to add a little movement, add a little deception and not lose the other attributes I did bring to the table.  And at that point maybe the combination would be good enough to get me here and to allow me to stick once I got here. Thankfully, it's worked out so far.

MB: How long did it take you to really buy into it?

BZ:  A good two or three months before I realized that it could be something as good as they thought it might be. I'm not sure anybody expected this out of it. Ronnie was very adamant, very sold on it, and he put a lot of work into it. With him making that commitment, I was willing to give it a shot. There were definitely some struggles last year, and even since I've been here, I haven't given up runs, but I've had outings where I was frustrated when I got done. The ball was hit harder than I wanted, and I feel like it's still a learning process, and I'm still trying to get better every time out.

MB: So what exactly do you throw?

BZ: I just throw one fastball, and then I throw a changeup and a slider as well. Hopefully there's a difference to the hitter at least. Sometimes my dad watches on TV, and he's like, "That was a great changeup you threw to so-and-so" and I was like, "Dad, that was a slider."  So it's a lot of fun when that comes up because if you can't tell on TV, a lot of times the angle is very deceptive, but it seems to be deceptive to the hitters so far, and that's what's most important.

MB: Do you ever want to just confuse a hitter and throw overhand?

BZ: I did that once in Triple-A earlier this year. I had a lefty that had fouled off four or five pitches in a row, and I was like, "I'm sick of this. Let's try it." I threw a ball of course. But we've talked about that. Maybe that's something in the future, once I get a little more comfortable up here, maybe that's something I can add in. I feel like my arm's gotten stronger since I've taken to this delivery. So if I were to uncork an overhand fastball, then hopefully it would be enough to surprise him. 

MB: Are you surprised at all the attention you're getting?

BZ: Very much. As I was approaching it, I really didn't realize that it would be that big of a deal. I was like, "Oh, that's a nice little record." But it's nothing you've ever heard of before. Maybe because it's so old and it never gets approached, I don't know. But as I passed the team record and then passed the American League record I couldn't believe all the attention it was getting. When I tied it the other night, on Friday, we had lost the game. I had given up the inherited runner that was essentially the difference in the game. I didn't realize reporters would want to talk to me. They were like, "By the way, you tied a Major League record. " And I was like, "Well, yeah, but we lost."  It's still a big deal media-wise, and that's kind of when I realized maybe this is something a little more special than what I thought it was.

***Ziegler writes an occasional blog for AthleticsNation.com, but not as often as he did last season. He still reads the site, though, and says he likes to check in with fans from time to time***

Buy a Root Beer Float!

The A's annual Root Beer Float Day is coming up. Who could forget? You wait in line for Huston Street to scoop a frozen blob of vanilla ice cream into the oversized mug Eric Chavez just filled with root beer. You slurp it down as fast as you can while it froths up your nose as you run to get in Bobby Crosby's line for another round.  It's crowded. It's crazy, and it's fun. The proceeds from this sugar bonanza benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, which I have long found ironic. But the event raised over $35,000 last year.  So who am I to question marketing strategy?

Along with players, coaches and their wives, the A's solicit members of the local media to show up and play barista. I have volunteered twice. I wore the apron, got sticky up to my elbows and watched most of my concoctions foam over onto the table. I met some great fans, got a few tips and felt I was helping a good cause. But I admit. It wasn't a cause I understood all that well. I do now.

A few months ago, I got a call from my best friend. The best friend who I have known since childhood. The best friend who is more like a sister than a friend. Her voice was shaking. She had taken her son in for his yearly check up the day before. He seemed healthy. Perfectly normal. He had lost a few pounds, though, and had developed quite a thirst over the previous few weeks.  It was a bit unusual, yes, but did not appear alarming. He was still an active, busy boy and doing well in school. Still, Lori mentioned the changes to the pediatrician. Their lives changed forever that day. 

A simple test revealed that her son's blood sugar levels were dangerously high. He was admitted to the hospital immediately. He was later diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Scott is six-years-old.

Lori had already been at the hospital with Scott for one day when she called. They were going to be there for a few more while doctors tried to stabilize his glucose levels. The diagnosis was a shock. No one, not one person in either her or her husband's family, had type 1. And what they were about to learn would scare anybody, especially a parent.

Type 1 diabetes is when the body's own immune system attacks and destroys the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin. We need insulin to survive. It helps move the glucose from the food we eat into all of our cells which use it for energy. Without insulin, the glucose hangs out in the blood. Over time, the effects of this can be horrific. Mainly, the thick, glucose filled blood damages the very vessels that carry it. When this happens in the heart, the results are cardiovascular disease, stroke and heart attack, the main cause of death among diabetics. When it happens to the small capillaries in the eyes, the results are vision problems and possibly blindness. Nearly all diabetics will develop some complications with their eyesight. About sixty percent will suffer nerve damage with symptoms ranging from mild to catastrophic. One third will suffer some level of kidney deterioration or failure. Nearly all will have their life spans shortened by 15 years. 

There is no cure for type 1, so diabetics inject the insulin their bodies no longer make. Scott now pricks his finger several times a day, tests his own blood, and when he needs to, lifts his shirt to have his mom stick his stomach. Physically, he is one of the strongest kids I know. His dad lovingly calls him "the brick". But even the strongest of kids doesn't want to be poked all the time. There are days when it is tough, and you can't blame him. But he has no choice. His glucose levels can fluctuate from three times the normal rate to a dangerously low number within a few hours if he goes unchecked. With low blood sugar, a diabetic runs the risk of having a seizure or slipping into unconsciousness. Scott and his parents have to be vigilant -- all the time. His very life depends on it. How's that for parental responsibility?

With the root beer float day approaching, I asked Lori if she and her family would be interested in being interviewed on the subject for one of our A's programs. Anything, she said, to help people with this disease. I also knew that Mark Ellis' family had been affected by type 1. When I asked if he would mind taking part as well, he didn't even pause. "I'm in," was his immediate response. With the producer and reporter, Jaymee Sire, also on board,  the A's media relations team went to work. 

The A's treated Scott, his older brother and parents to a one-of-a-kind day. They came to the ballpark and watched batting practice from the field, got in Jack Cust's way, caught balls Ryan Sweeney rolled to them all while decked out in A's hats and shirts and waving those big foam fingers. The highlight, though, was meeting Mark Ellis. He spent about five minutes with the family, signed baseballs and baseball cards for the boys and talked to Scott about what position he liked to play and taking care of himself. Scott's smile was huge.  Jaymee then interviewed the family. (Her story, along with an interview with Mark, will air on A's Pregame Live this Friday. Be sure to read her blog on the event as well.) Lori called the day "perfect". 

It's been six months since Scott was diagnosed, and he is doing great. He is as active as ever, is on the swim team, plays baseball, is still fishing whenever he can and has even gained back a pound or two. In a few years, he will be old enough to know how to treat himself. But for now, his parents want him to enjoy being a kid, worry free, as much as that is possible. He will be at the root beer float day for the first time this year, though Lori will be looking for diet root beer and low sugar ice cream to help keep his levels from spiking too much. And once again, I'll be scooping. But this time, no one walks by the booth without a donation for the tip jar.  I'll even include extra foam.

**Most of the information in this piece came from www.jdrf.org. Please, check it out. Hope to see you July 30**

Young at the Heart of A's Success

A's pitching coach Curt Young is unassuming, easy to talk to and has a knack for just telling it like it is. (Which he proved when he nonchalantly dropped the first of George Carlin's "The Seven Words You Can Never Say on TV" in a post game interview discussing Justin Duchscherer's complete game shut out against the Mariners.)  Young's laid back style is a bit amazing, really, when you consider that behind Billy Beane and Bob Geren, the Michigan native is most responsible for the A's successes or failures. And Young has succeeded. 

The A's pitching staff currently leads the Major League with a 3.39 ERA and has allowed the fewest earned runs (322) and home runs (65) as well. This with two left handed rookies -- and a 30-year-old starter who came out of the bullpen -- in the rotation. That starter, of course, is Justin Duchscherer, an '08 All-Star who leads MLB with a 1.82 ERA. 

Before Young, former A's pitching coach Rick Peterson went from "The Professor" to "The Guru" during his time with the team. He incorporated biomechanics, pitch counts, specific physical conditioning along with the pitchers' feelings and emotions into overhauling the pitching staff's training regimen. He is credited with the development of the Big Three and had the AL's best ERA in '02 and '03.  Not an easy act to follow. 

But Young's own career as a ML pitcher taught him how to deal with pressure. Mulder-Hudson-and-Zito were all All-Stars under Young. So were Duchscherer (twice) and Dan Haren.  And the A's are among the top three in the AL in home runs allowed, opponent batting average, shuts-outs and ERA during Young's first four years with the team. Many of the guidelines Peterson put in place still exist, but Young has added his own approach, and players respond to it.

"He lets you learn on your own," left hander Greg Smith said. The rookie had never heard of Young before joining the A's this season. "If he sees something he needs to talk about, then he'll step forward and say something. But for the most part, he lets you learn. He lets you figure stuff out on your own, and he lets you be your own person and figure out what works for you and what doesn't work for you."

"I think he is a real players' coach," said catcher Kurt Suzuki. "He is always willing to help. He's always willing to do the extra. He's here early at games, just preparing himself, and it's pretty impressive. And it kind of relaxes you knowing that your pitching coach cares that much. He does a real good job of doing everything with a pitcher, whether it's mentally, whether it's mechanics, you know, stuff like that. He kind of just, overall, I guess, gets the pitcher in that comfort zone to where he feels comfortable going out there and competing."

MB: You have a starting rotation with young players, players with different needs, different strengths. What is your approach for each pitcher to give him what he needs individually?

CY: Well, for one, I try and stay consistent with the way I approach them and talk to them about the game, good or bad, and that comes into play with young guys. Where they located their ball good and didn't get good results, that comes into play quite a bit with Greg Smith where he pitches his game, locates well and they get him, whether it's a string of hits or whatever. But I try to stay consistent, good or bad, with what they're doing and be positive knowing the next start is the one that counts. 

MB: Mechanics can be the easier aspect to point out especially with so much video available. But so much of pitching is mental. How do you help a player who is struggling? Give him the confidence to throw certain pitches?

CY:  Right. You know mechanics are one thing. Throwing on the side and working on it is one thing. When you're in the game it's a whole 'nother thing. So you try and get trigger points for those guys when they're in the game, what they need to do with their mechanics. Now mentally, success breeds confidence and vice-versa. Confidence. You have success and you do, you get two or three young guys up here that wonder, once or twice they kind of get hit around. They have a little doubt in their mind, and it really is getting across to them that it does happen to everybody. We believe in you. We know you're good and keep doing what you've been doing and that works for you.

MB: Does it help that you've had the Big 3 here? Had some success? Is it easier to get your words across now as opposed to when you first started?

CY: Well, that was fun in its own way, you know, watching those guys pitch. And they were, everybody is, always open for suggestions, and that's the thing. I really don't try and over coach, ever. It's little suggestions that I see. Little things that I can help improve their game.

MB: Do you get nervous when your starters are on the mound? 

CY: At times. I still get nervous before the game, and being around as a pitcher and a coach now, I really don't put too much into the warm-up situation because you do feel so different once you get on that mound. But, oh yeah, I get a little nervous with runners on base, and the score definitely has a lot to do with how you feel.

MB: You have worked with some amazing talent in the past. Are you enjoying the change of working mostly with unproven talent this season or can it be more of a burden because there is so much expectation?

CY: Well, no, I enjoy every day. I enjoy each individual. You know the veterans are a little different than the young guys, and I really enjoy being around the game. The competition part of it. Preparation on my part I feel is so important, to pass along to them and the catchers and being able to execute a game plan and win a game is really satisfying. 

MB: Yes, Kurt was telling me one of the main things you do so well is your preparation. How much time do you think you spend breaking down game tape and hitters?

CY: We have a lot of things that can help, that can make it a little bit quicker. But it's usually, between myself and Ronnie (Romanick, bullpen coach) probably three to four hours when we're facing a team for the first time that year. Once you play them that second time, it's really just watching video, and if you see something different and where they're making outs, that type of thing, you pass along. But that first time you face them is usually three to four hours. Then that interleague is even different. You know you're really seeing whole new guys. 

MB: So the Atlanta series was tough? (first interleague series)

CY: It was. It was. It still comes down to your guys executing, but you're not quite as sure about what you're saying sometimes when you're seeing new guys the way we do in that interleague.

MB: Just say it with confidence, right?

CY: (laughing) Oh yeah. If I can bring it across with confidence. Oh yeah. But it really comes down to those guys making pitches and hopefully they're in the right spots.

MB: Do you have any aspirations to manage a club or are you satisfied as you have so much influence on the game as it is?

CY: You know, I've never been in a managing situation, so I really can't say if I would want to do that. I really enjoy what I'm doing. As a pitching coach, you feel responsible for basically half the team and the catchers, so I feel like I've got enough to do as a pitching coach.

Harden Trade Makes Cents

After a few hours to digest the Harden-Gaudin trade to Chicago, one thing became clear. It had to be done. With the Cubs as the only team actively, and adamantly, pursuing the right handed flame thrower, Billy Beane made a timely and sensible decision, and as usual, a highly unpopular one. A's fans are flustered once again. How do three prospects and one semi-unproven starter in exchange for one of the top power pitchers in the AL and a versatile veteran pitcher in any way constitute a good deal?! But there are a few realities A's fans need to face.

Harden's Injury History -- This is well known so there is no need to be redundant. And signs hinting at Harden's vulnerability started to appear in his last two starts. His velocity dropped, his outings were short, his command not as sharp. The 26-year-old had one more scheduled start with the A's on Friday before the All Star break. If the trend continued, would the Cubs have have offered the same? Would another team have stepped forward and been willing to take a chance?

AL Standings -- The A's are currently 5 games behind the Angels for the division lead and 3.5 behind the Red Sox for the Wild Card. The A's pitching staff carried the team the first half.  The problem is the A's lack of offense. Tampa Bay, Boston and Anaheim have solid pitching staffs and big lineups. So does Chicago in the AL Central. (And somehow without pitching, Minnesota has a better record.) A handful of A's rookies have been outstanding at the plate, but the team's much needed veteran bats are on the DL. The A's taking the Division Title or the Wild Card is a a long shot with or without Harden in the rotation and Gaudin in the bullpen.

Contract -- Harden is in the last year of a four year contract for $9 million total. He has a club option for $7 million for '09. With Mark Ellis and Justin Duchscherer looking for new contracts, it was highly unlikely the A's would have been able to keep Harden next year.  If he went back on the DL this season, the team would have received nothing in return as well. Gaudin is midway through a one year $1.775 million contract. No guarantees the A's would have re-signed him either. The Cubs have a $118 million dollar payroll this season. They can better afford to eat either contract should something go awry. The consequences for the A's and their $48 million payroll would have been more severe. 

Promising Prospects -- While the A's are cash poor, the three new prospects the team received from the Cubs add to the wealth of good players in the farm system.  The deep talent pool has already proven its value with the current DL situation. It will also give the A's leverage if they ever find themselves on the receiving end of a deal for a marquee player. (Think the Dan Haren trade in reverse.) I can dream, can't I? 

Sean Gallagher --  Pitching coach Curt Young was scouting the White Sox, and the video happened to be the game where Sean Gallagher was pitching against them.  Young told me he ended up watching Gallagher instead. He liked his stuff. A lot.  Many consider Young the MVP of the team as he continues to develop top pitchers year after year. Just look at rookies Greg Smith and Dana Eveland this season. If Young likes Gallagher's stuff,  I have no reason to doubt his addition to the rotation.

All trades involve risk which leads fans to stew over the could-a, would-a, should-a's.  At least with this trade, the fans will know within the next few weeks which team ends up with the better deal.  Maybe both. But in this situation, the risk to Beane was not in making a "bad deal" for Harden and Gaudin. It was do nothing, get nothing. So Beane made the deal.

No Surprise! It's Carlos

Did you see that throw? On Monday night against the Mariners? The one Carlos Gonzalez air mailed in from center to catcher Kurt Suzuki right on the third base line side of the plate. Perfect. Suzuki got the tag on a sliding Willie Bloomquist for the inning ending out. Not bad for a kid who has spent most of his career in right.

Did you see that lead off bunt? In the fifth inning of the same game? Gonzalez laid the first pitch he saw softly along the third base line. Caught a bit off guard, catcher Kenji Johjima sent the ball over the head of first baseman Richie Sexson. Gonzalez cruised to third and jump started a three run inning that would eventually give the A's the win. All on a bunt. Not expected of a rookie known for his attachment to extra base hits. (14 doubles, 2 homeruns in 34 career hits, so far.)

Everyone knew of Gonzalez' talent when he came to the A's in the Dan Haren trade. He had only played ten games about the Double-A level before coming to Oakland. But ever since his call up on May 30, the 22-year-old Venezuelan consistently provides one game changing highlight after another. It leads one to wonder, 'Why did the A's wait so long?'

MB: Has your transition to the Major League been as easy as it looks?

CG: Well, you know what, nothing is easy. Obviously, I've been working really hard for this, and everything is going well. Hopefully, I'm trying to keep it that way the whole year. If I keep working the same way I know everything is going to come.

MB: You already have a reputation as a doubles hitter. How are you doing this with the new pitching you're seeing this year?

CG:  Like I say, it's all about adjustments. I've been facing a lot of pitchers I've never faced before in my life, but that's the only good thing about this game. You always get the second opportunity to face guys. We did it against Garland (last week). We faced him at home. That was my first time. I hit two doubles against him the first time, and I got two hits against him (the next game). It's more about when you get the second chance everything is going to be, of course, more easy. But about the doubles, I feel really proud of myself and doubles keep coming to me. Hopefully I keep the same way. I keep getting doubles. It's good for me and it's good for the team.

(Through July 7, Gonzalez was .212 against a pitcher the first time he saw him in a game, .333 the second time and .391 after that)

MB:  Ryan Sweeney credits his success at the plate this season to seeing the ball well early. What about you? Is it more about your swing right now or recognizing pitches?

CG: It's all about recognizing pitches. Sometimes it's tough for us to recognize the pitching. But when you get more comfortable at the plate, I know Ryan is feeling very good because, obviously, he's been doing great. And I hope he keeps doing the same way for the team because he's been a really important player for this team. I think we are going to be fine. All the players are working really hard.

MB: What are your thoughts about how you're playing center field now compared to the beginning of the season?

CG:   I feel so much comfortable now after playing a lot in center field. The first time I was a little, you know, it was a new position for me. I feel more comfortable. They have given me a lot of opportunity and I'm taking advantage. I'm trying to prepare myself before every game just to try and get better, just to try to be the best center fielder I can be and win that position and try to stay there a long time.

MB: Do you feel that another outfield position would be more natural for you?

CG:  I feel a lot natural right now in center field. It's a different angle because I used to play right field. That was my natural position. But center field, I feel a lot more comfortable because you get to see the pitcher and the hitter and you get to see everything. It's a better angle, so I feel a lot comfortable, so hopefully I'll play center field for a long time.

MB: Some players like to wear their pants "old-school", show their socks. You wear your pants underneath your cleats. Don't you trip? How do you do that?

CG:  I think it's a different style, like you say. I feel comfortable that way. I've been wearing my pants like that for four or five years. I don't know. I think it's a little bit of superstition.

MB: Do you have to punch holes in your pants so they go under your cleats?

CG: Well, yeah, there is a little hole in my pants so you can feed the cleat inside of my pants. 

MB: How beneficial has it been to you to come to such a young club? working alongside other rookies?

CG: I think this is a great organization to be in when you're a rookie because there is a lot of young talent, young players, and you feel like you're not the only one. We all get along very well here and with the veterans. I think those guys, they've been doing a great job. They make us feel like a home and safe and comfortable.

MB: You came with Greg Smith and Dana Eveland in the trade from Arizona. All of you were in the farm system last year. Did you ever expect that all three of you would play this season at the Major League level? 

CG: I never expected that. I thought we were going to be wearing the red uniform, the Diamondback uniform. But you know what? This is baseball. We're having so much fun. We're enjoying wearing the Oakland A's uniform, and like I always say, we're here for a reason. We always work hard together and we're trying to stay here for a long time together. 

Bienvenido, Michel!

It is finally official.  The A's signed the highly coveted Michel Inoa of the Domincan Republic. There has been a lot of talk about Inoa over the last few months and with good reason. At only 16-years-old, the 6-foot-7 right hander's fastball consistently hits the mid-90s. He also throws a solid change up and curveball. Scouts say he is one of the best pitchers to come out of Latin America in the last decade.  His rare talents are touted on every website and in every article that covers baseball. 

"Even at this early age, he is a very polished pitcher with three above average pitches and a fluid delivery," A's General Manager Billy Beane said in a prepared statement.  "We are very excited about this young man's potential and look forward to watching his growth, both personally and professionally in the years to come." 

How excited? Beane and the A's just spent $4.25 million to sign Inoa. It is the largest signing bonus to a prospect -- EVER -- in Oakland's history eclipsing the signing bonus the team gave Mark Mulder by a little more than $1 million.

While getting ready for Tuesday night's game against the Angels,  outfielder Carlos Gonzalez could only laugh at the amount. 

"I got a $130,000 signing bonus, and I thought I was so rich,"  the Venezuelan said. 

I wonder what Mark Ellis thinks? His first signing bonus was a whopping $1,000. (Ellis and Gonzalez were originally signed by other teams.) Now in his sixth season with the A's, Ellis has proven himself as one of the best second baseman in Oakland history and is making a career high $5 million this season. Inoa has yet to throw a pitch as a professional.

Different situations. Different times. Different positions. I know. But Inoa's bonus is quite a departure for the low budget A's whose team payroll is among the lowest in Major League Baseball year after year. The team has greatly increased its resources in Latin America recently and that includes making more money available for signing bonuses. (The team currently has 129 Latin American players under contract.) But a $4.25 million bonus? That is New York Yankee money. Boston Red Sox money. Not A's money. 

I spoke with team owner Lew Wolff on the field in Anaheim before Tuesday night's game. He would not confirm the Inoa signing until it was official (at midnight in the Dominican Republic) but he did tell me that two teams offered Inoa more, and he was giddy that the A's were going to nab this one. Wolff traveled to the Dominican with Beane to see Inoa firsthand and was impressed, though he was not sure how to pronounce Inoa's name. Actually, no one from the A's who was at the game that night did. They figured they should.

So Baseball Operations Analyst, Farhan Zaidi, put in a call to Assistant General Manager David Forst to find out. In the Dominican, the correct way to say the phenom's name is Mee-shell EE-no-uh. But the A's have chosen to go with "Michael" in the States. Kind of how Ervin Santana is addressed as Air-veen in his home country and Ir-vin among los americanos.  

Beane has said the risk of signing Inoa is worth the potential, but the savvy GM is well aware that with big money comes big expectations.  Inoa will continue to play in the Domincan Republic this summer and be mentored by the A's at the team academy there. The team will also help him learn English and prepare for life in the United States. Inoa has the stuff to become a dominant starter in the Major League. No doubt. But he is not there yet, and the A's want to ensure nothing is lost in the translation.

*Beane will be a guest on the A's pregame show on July 11 at 6:30