Baltimore/Oakland September 6 rainout canceled Baltimore, MD (Sports Network) - The September 6 rainout between the Oakland
Athletics and the Baltimore Orioles will not by played, Baltimore announced on
Monday.
The game was originally part of a day/night doubleheader, but the day portion
was postponed due to heavy rain. The contest was originally scheduled for
September 7.
Major League Baseball determined that the contest would not be played.... More...
A's reliever Kirk Saarloos and infielder Donnie Murphy were outrighted off the team's 40-man roster, according to Scout.com.
Our View:This means the two players can either accept a demotion to the minor leagues or choose to become free agents, which is the likelier thing to happen.
Updating an earlier story, Justin Duchscherer said that the surgery on his hip to remove torn cartilage when as expected, according to MLB.com. "Everything went well," Duchscherer said. "I just had some torn cartilage cleaned out. I'll be fine in two months."
Our View:Duchscherer should be fine for 2009, and while there is no way one can reasonably expect a repeat of his efforts this season (2.54 ERA, 1.00 WHIP), he should be a fine starter if you keep your expectations in line with what should reasonably be expected.
Joey Devine, who ended the season with a 0.59 the second lowest in baseball history for a hurler with 40 innings pitched, Buck O'Brien had a 0.38 mark in 1911, may or may not end up as the A's closer in 2009, according to the The Mercury News. "The idea that you have three guys that can pitch the ninth inning and that at some point all three might, I actually think that's a great way to run a bullpen," GM Billy Beane said.
Our View:The two others involved in the mix are obviously Huston Street and Brad Ziegler, and though Devine wasn't in the mix this season with only one save, he would appear to be operating with the best stuff of the trio at this point.
