Is this you? As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.
Claim your profile
Articles by Casey Tefertiller
Young Catcher Dylan Fien Stands Out At Athletics Instruct
“He’s 6-foot-4 with broad shoulders,” A’s farm director Ed Sprague said. “He swings well and hits the ball hard. He was not overmatched in terms of competition offensively. His bat-to-ball skills seem pretty solid for a high school kid.” Fien shows raw power potential along with the ability to make contact. The A’s bought him out of a UCLA commitment with a $550,000 bonus, or roughly double the slot value for the pick.
Colby Thomas Athletics 2024 Minor League Player Of The Year
“He has always had a great attitude,” A’s farm directer Ed Sprague said. “He’s a hard-nosed kid, a great kid. He comes to the party every day to play. He loves to play baseball. “He’s a really good athlete.
Hard Work Pays Off For Athletics' Gunnar Hoglund In Fourth Pro Season
Sometimes patience is required, both for players and organizations. Righthander Gunnar Hoglund has endured a rugged development path following Tommy John surgery he had in May 2021 as a Mississippi junior. After several setbacks, Hoglund is flashing the stuff that got him noticed in the first place. The 24-year-old started the season with a 2.84 ERA with 97 strikeouts in 104.2 innings for Double-A Midland.
Small Adjustment Makes Big Difference For Athletics' Cooper Bowman
But the Missions did not leave the field. Instead, they threw to third base, claiming that Denzel Clark never touched the bag while rounding ahead of Bowman. The umpires confirmed, and Clark was called out. The Missions won 4-3. “We found video evidence later that showed that Denzel touched third base,” Athletics farm director Ed Sprague said. “We got an apology, but we didn’t get the win.” The lost home run is an oddity in what has been anything but a lost season for Bowman.
Athletics' Brennan Milone Shows A Knack For Hitting Athletics' Brennan Milone Shows A Knack For Hitting
Milone transferred to the Oregon in 2022 and again started slugging, batting .337 with 12 homers in 60 games. “I kept an eye on him when he was at South Carolina and then was able to see him at Oregon,” Kubota said. “We were fortunate to have a history with him already. We thought he could hit, and his numbers backed it up, so we took a chance.
Athletics' Colby Thomas Shows Power And Speed At Double-A — College Baseball, MLB Draft, Prospects - Baseball America
Skip to content From the day Colby Thomas signed with the Athletics, he has been moving fast. The 23-year-old outfielder opened the season with Double-A Midland, where he got off to what A’s farm director Ed Sprague called “kind of a dream start.” Thomas hit .317/.382/.582 with five home runs through 20 games. He stole eight bases without being caught. “He picks his spots well,” Sprague said.
Health Could Make All The Difference For Athletics' J.T. Ginn — College Baseball, MLB Draft, Prospects - Baseball America
Ginn is projected to start the season at Double-A Midland, but it has been a long ride from his days as a high school phenom in Mississippi. The Dodgers drafted him 30th overall out of Brandon High in 2018, but he didn’t sign. Ginn attended Mississippi State and immediately put on a show, going 8-4, 3.13 in 17 starts to win Southeastern Conference freshman of the year in 2019.
Athletics Intrigued By What Jacob Wilson Could Become — College Baseball, MLB Draft, Prospects - Baseball America
Skip to content While the Athletics like what they see in Jacob Wilson right now, they dream about what the 22-year-old shortstop will be once he puts on his “man strength.” That is the term that Athletics broadcaster Shooty Babbitt and other scouts use to indicate the muscle mass that comes with maturity—and a whole lot of time in the weight room. The weight room is just where the A’s want the 6-foot-3, 190-pound Wilson to spend a good deal of time as he blossoms.
Athletics' Jack Perkins Shines In New Role In AFL — College Baseball, MLB Draft, Prospects - Baseball America
Skip to content When righthander Jack Perkins reported to the Arizona Fall League, he took steps in a new direction. The 24-year-old had been used mostly a starter in his pro career, but now he was trying his hand at relieving—and he really responded to the challenge. Perkins did not allow an earned run in his 10 AFL appearances and 12.1 innings of relief. “He just continues to get better,” Athletics pitching coordinator Gil Patterson said.
Athletics' Cooper Bowman Adds Versatility In AFL — College Baseball, MLB Draft, Prospects - Baseball America
What is in front of him is Zack Gelof, Oakland’s standout rookie second baseman. The A’s believe Bowman could turn into an effective offensive player, so versatility will be his avenue to MLB. “He’s very quick-twitched, and he can run,” Sprague said of the 6-foot righthanded hitter. “He’s similar to Gelof (in that) they’re both super athletic guys.” The Yankees drafted Bowman out of Louisville in the fourth round in 2021, then traded him to the A’s last year as part of the Frankie Montas deal.
Darell Hernaiz: Athletics 2023 Minor League Player Of The Year — College Baseball, MLB Draft, Prospects - Baseball America
And Hernaiz has been very, very good this year. He began the season playing for Crosby in Midland, where he hit .338 with an .879 OPS. He spent 71 games there before moving up to Triple-A Las Vegas. Through 126 games at two levels, Hernaiz hit .324/.386/.463 with nine home runs and 13 stolen bases.
Athletics' Henry Bolte Focuses On Making Better Swing Decisions — College Baseball, MLB Draft, Prospects - Baseball America
“He’s made a ton of strides this year,” Athletics farm director Ed Sprague said. “He came in with a lot of swing-and-miss out of high school. We sent him to extended spring to work on that. Now his strikeout rate is down, and his walk rate is up.” Sprague said there was no special plan, and Bolte figured things out mostly on his own, working with a high-speed pitching machine. “We told him to get in there and put the barrel on the ball, then go from there,” Sprague said.
Athletics' Joey Estes Thrives On Strength Of His Unique Fastball — College Baseball, MLB Draft, Prospects - Baseball America
“Every time I read a report from (Midland manager) Bobby Crosby, he talks about how this kid is competitive,” Patterson said. “”Everyone is competitive, but he takes it to a different level.” And what is that level? “He’s kind of a maniac on the mound,” Crosby said. “He walks around, super energetic. He runs off the mound. I love when he pitches. He’s a competitor. He doesn’t like to lose or give up a run. He’s a guy who I love having on the mound.
Athletics See Utility Role In Max Schuemann's Future
Nothing comes easily for a 20th-round pick. The only guarantee is an opportunity. The rest is up to the player. Max Schuemann has championed that opportunity and taken it to the cusp of the major leagues. Now in his age-26 season, he is challenging for a utility role. “He’s kind of a (Chad) Pinder-type player, but a little bit better defender,” Athletics farm director Ed Sprague said. Pinder served as a big part of the A’s for years, playing both infield and outfield.
Control Is Final, Elusive Piece For Athletics' Luis Medina
Whenever Gil Patterson walks past 24-year-old righthander Luis Medina, he chants “El León." That's because the Athletics' pitching coordinator believes Medina will develop the heart of a lion. Medina has wowed the A's with superior pitch quality. “His fastball is electric,” Patterson said, “almost as electric as (Mason) Miller’s.” Medina also flashes a tight curveball and a plus changeup, along with an effective slider.
Tyler Soderstrom's Bat Is Nearly Ready For Oakland
A big decision looms for the Athletics and Tyler Soderstrom, and the folks in Oakland feel no pressure to choose in haste. After moving quickly through the system, Soderstrom could soon be on the brink of reaching Oakland. The question is what position will he be playing. “I am comfortable saying he impacts and hits in the middle of a major league lineup,” A’s assistant general manager Billy Owens said.
Ken Waldichuk Ready To Compete For Athletics Rotation Spot
When Athletics pitching coordinator Gil Patterson sees something special in a pitcher, he quotes former MLB pitcher Orlando Hernandez. “El Duque told me that you pitch with your head. You pitch with your heart. And you pitch with . . .” something else that equates to intestinal fortitude. “That’s what Ken Waldichuk does,” Patterson said. “He brings it all.” Oakland acquired Waldichuk from the Yankees in a trade deadline deal for Frankie Montas, and the A's are delighted with what they received.
I’m Your Huckleberry: The Real Meaning of Doc Holliday’s Iconic Line
One of the best quotes in Tombstone is also one of the most argued and least understood. But it doesn’t have to be that way. We have answers. Kevin Jarre’s classic western screenplay Tombstone is full of memorable lines, scenes and face-offs (here are the best Tombstone quotes in case you need a refresher). But one line in particular, uttered in the slow-moving Southern drawl of Doc Holliday, tends to be what many viewers remember — and for good reason.
Shea Langeliers: Athletics 2022 Minor League Player Of The Year
See also: Baseball America updated all its prospect rankings for subscribers in August. • Top 100 Prospects • Top 30 Prospects for every team • Organization farm system rankings When Shea Langeliers came West, he carried a mountain of expectations. The Athletics had made the difficult decision to tear down and rebuild, a bitter toxin for a fan base that had grown to love its team with homegrown cornerstone players Matt Olson and Matt Chapman.
American League West: August Prospect Notebook
Rangers’ Anthony Gutierrez Makes Big Impression In Pro Debut The Rangers believed in January that they had landed one of the three best players on the international market when they signed Venezuelan outfielder Anthony Gutierrez for $1,997,500. He’s proving them right in his first pro debut. The 17-year-old Gutierrez showed that the Dominican Summer League was no match for his advanced skill set, and he was on his way to doing the same thing in the Arizona Complex League.
American League West Prospect Notebook For July
Astros’ Enmanuel Valdez Develops Into A Complete Hitter The Astros found the raw version of Enmanuel Valdez some time in 2014. He trained in the Dominican Republic and caught the eye of Astros international scout Jose Lima. He and then-international director Oz Ocampo signed the undersized second baseman based on his bat alone for $450,000. Eight years later, Valdez is among the organization’s fastest-rising prospects, perhaps even on the precipice of MLB readiness.
American League West Prospect Notebook For June
Angels’ Sam Bachman Could Follow Quick Trajectory To MLB Chase Silseth blazed a trail from the 2021 draft to Double-A Rocket City to Anaheim in less than a year. The 22-year-old righthander gave up three earned runs and seven hits in 10.1 innings of his first two MLB starts in mid May. Sam Bachman could follow a similar trajectory if the opportunity arises.
American League West Prospect Notebook For May
Mariners’ Edwin Arroyo Gets Up To Speed Quickly As an ultra-athletic and highly skilled shortstop, Edwin Arroyo’s calling card is elite defense. But over the first month of the season, the 18-year-old Puerto Rico native’s loudest statement came from his bat. Through 25 games with Low-A Modesto, the Mariners’ 2021 second-round pick slashed .300/.398/.550 with five home runs, three triples and four doubles.
Athletics' Kevin Smith Has The Bat For Third And Glove For Short
By Casey Tefertiller on March 28, 2022 At points in his career, Kevin Smith’s bat has been his nemesis. A solid defensive shortstop, the 25-year-old has frequently struggled to present enough offense to convince he had an MLB future. Then something clicked in the summer of 2021. Smith made a number of adjustments to his swing and set-up, and the result was a big season. At Triple-A Buffalo he hit .285/.370/.561 with 21 home runs and 18 stolen bases in 94 games.
Athletics' Tyler Soderstrom Makes Progress Behind The Plate
By Casey Tefertiller on February 4, 2022 When Tyler Soderstrom arrives at spring training, there will be one big difference: No one will be debating whether he has a future as a catcher. “His catching was a major improvement from where we saw him at the alt site (in 2020),” Athletics farm director Ed Sprague said. “It was night and day. He just got with Gabe Ortiz, our catching coordinator.
Did Doc Kill Ringo?
Once and for all, historians set the record straight on the tragic demise of the legendary gunfighter. July 2, 1882 John Ringo has decided to move to Tombstone (he has been living in San Simon and Galeyville). He arrives in town and meets Editor Sam Purdy of the Epitaph, who later writes of their talk: “He said that he was as certain of being killed as he was of living then.
Zack Gelof Makes A Quick Impression
By Casey Tefertiller on November 4, 2021 With injuries mounting in the big leagues, Triple-A Las Vegas needed infield help. The call went out for a player barely past a trip to the College World Series, and he responded. Oh, how he responded. Two months out of college, Zack Gelof was thrown into the fire against Triple-A pitchers, and he pounded seven hits in 12 at-bats, driving in six runs. After three months and 36 games, the Athletics have seen enough of Gelof to get really excited.
Nick Allen: Athletics 2021 Minor League Player Of The Year
By Casey Tefertiller on October 6, 2021 It seems only fitting that Nick Allen would end his best season with a flourish. The 22-year-old shortstop excelled both at Double-A Midland and in the Olympics, but his first weeks with Triple-A Las Vegas were nasty. He began September hitting .143 before batting .313 in the final month, including an 11-game hitting streak. This capped an outstanding season for Allen, who has vaulted himself forward in his journey toward Oakland.
Colin Peluse Is Steadily Improving
By Casey Tefertiller on August 31, 2021 When Colin Peluse needed to reshape his slider, the 23-year-old righthander went to the logical place—the Athletics' staff astrophysicist. That would be Samantha Shultz, an analyst whose work assists in finding the most effective angles for breaking balls. A's general manager David Forst has made Shultz part of the organization’s innovative analytics department.
Brady Basso Thrives In New Role
By Casey Tefertiller on May 23, 2021 As spring training rolled along, Athletics farm director Ed Sprague and his advisers Keith Lieppman and Grady Fuson had one big question: Why isn’t lefthander Brady Basso a starter? So they went to A's pitching coordinator Gil Patterson and asked. After a short discussion, the 23-year-old Basso’s fate changed. Once the Wild Man of Stillwater, Basso had been an erratic lefty at Oklahoma State.
The Will of McLaury
This story by Paul Lee Johnson won the Wild West History Association’s 2014 Six-Shooter Award for best article in a general Western publication. It appeared in the October 2013 edition of Wild West. On Thursday afternoon, October 27, 1881, an incoming signal rattled the telegraph key in Leonard Trimble’s Fort Worth grocery store. The half-rate message came from Luther Halstead, formerly of Fort Worth and now living far to the west, in Arizona Territory.
Into the Saguaros of Tucson
Once again, I had it all wrong. A friend of a friend had informed me that Tucson, Arizona was still very much part of the Wild West, where people wore no masks, did not participate in social distancing and everything was wide open. I found the opposite to be true, despite my chagrin of all indoor museums closed. The Tucson highways led to experiences deep into the Sonoran Desert. Photo courtesy of Deb Roskamp.
Cody Thomas Makes A Good Impression
By Casey Tefertiller on February 25, 2021 Life has somehow conspired to keep 26-year-old outfielder Cody Thomas away from the baseball diamond. He spent most of his college career at Oklahoma focused on football, where he served as backup quarterback to Baker Mayfield. Then, just when his baseball career seemed to be taking off, the pandemic canceled the 2020 season and prevented him from gaining the experience he so desperately needs.
Wandisson Charles' Lands On 40-Man Roster
By Casey Tefertiller on November 30, 2020 Throw hard easy. This mantra sounds simple, but it can be a daunting challenge for a young pitcher who has grown up putting big numbers on radar guns. Righthander Wandisson Charles spent his younger days trying to reach those big numbers on the gun, winding his body to get everything he could out of his fastball. “Early on, it was about seeing how hard he could throw.
Michael Guldberg Makes An Impression
By Casey Tefertiller on October 29, 2020 After spending most of the summer sitting waiting to play, outfielder Michael Guldberg came to instructional league ready to make a big impression. There was no rustiness apparent in the 2020 third-rounder out of Georgia Tech, who pounded 11 hits in his first 19 at-bats, including two doubles and a homer. “He’s a quick-twitch outfielder who comes from a good program” Athletics farm director Ed Sprague said. “He’s wiry and shows a little power.
Sean Murphy: Athletics 2020 Rookie Of The Year
By Casey Tefertiller on October 2, 2020 Since the day Sean Murphy signed in 2016, the Athletics have talked about his arm. The young catcher can throw. That was easy to see. What is not so easy to see is what else Murphy does behind the plate. “I think Murph is unbelievable back there in keeping guys off balance and knowing where to pitch guys, and where not to,” A's righthander Chris Bassitt said.
Tyler Soderstrom Puts On A Show For A's Officials
By Casey Tefertiller on August 24, 2020 When catcher Tyler Soderstrom showed up at the Athletics' alternate training site camp, he provided a big surprise. He was surprisingly big. Soderstrom had been listed at 6-foot-2, 190 pounds during the draft process. However, he was an inch taller and 15 pounds heavier with well-proportioned muscle, according to A's farm director Ed Sprague Jr. As players at the site work out, some with hopes of reaching the majors this year, Soderstrom put on a show.
Kyle McCann Continues To Draw Attention
By Casey Tefertiller on July 27, 2020 Even in the strangest of seasons, Kyle McCann has a knack for drawing attention. “I can’t recall anybody in my time hitting the ball with that kind of power to the opposite field,” Athletics farm director Ed Sprague Jr. said. “Majestic balls that just go up.” The lefthanded-hitting catcher pounded 23 homers for Georgia Tech during the 2019 season and was rewarded by the A's calling his name in the fourth round.
The Earp Rap Sheet
Wyatt Earp. Wyatt Earp’s life history is checkered with good and bad events from his early manhood in Missouri to his final days in California. In most published biographical treatments, his shadowy past has generally been glossed over by those who see him as a lawman hero.
The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp
The ABC television series The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp, starring Hugh O’Brian in the title role, catapulted the Earp mythology to new levels, including the myth of his extra-long-barreled Buntline special. — Historic Image of Tombstone Courtesy True West Archives/ Image of Hugh O’Brian from “The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp” Courtesy ABC/Design by Dan Harshberger — The Wyatt Earp everyone knew has gone away. More than once.
A's View Vimael Machin As Rule 5 Prize
By Casey Tefertiller on January 8, 2020 Back when Tony La Russa managed the Athletics, he often said of his players, "These are men, not machines.” The A’s finally got their Machin—26-year-old middle infielder Vimael Machin—in the major league Rule 5 draft from the Cubs. "First and foremost, he's a really good baseball player,” assistant general manager Dan Feinstein said. "He’s not all that large in stature (a listed 5-foot-10), but he can really swing the bat. He plays multiple positions.
2019 Tony Gwynn Award: Keith Lieppman
Through much of the 1970s, the rumor circulated through the press and in the clubhouse that Keith Lieppman would be the next man called up to Oakland, to fill in for an injured player or to finally get his shot. Three times equipment manager Steve Vucinich prepared the gaudy uniforms with LIEPPMAN written boldly across the back. That call never came. And Lieppman wound up spending nearly five decades in the minor leagues, helping others find their way to the major leagues.
Bryan Buelvas' Loud Pro Debut Hints At Potential
By Casey Tefertiller on November 27, 2019 Had outfielder Brayan Buelvas grown up in he U.S., he would be just starting his senior year in high school, contemplating a future of proms, studying and just maybe deciding between college and the draft. But Buelvas hails from Monteria, Colombia, where he signed as an international free agent in 2018. At the age of 17 this year, he put together a year that most high schoolers could only dream about.
Don’t honor a blot on Santa Cruz history | Casey Tefertiller
Something truly awful happened in Santa Cruz on the night of May 2, 1877. Two men were pulled from the jail on Mission Hill, then carted down to the Water Street Bridge, where they were hanged from the beams and left to dangle in the night air. When the morning sun illuminated the town, townspeople came to gawk. A photographer lugged his bulky camera to the scene and took the kind of picture that makes one want stare, then look away because of its repugnancy.
Athletics' Miguel Romero Getting Closer To Major League Role
Oakland Athletics By Casey Tefertiller on July 22, 2019 Throughout baseball, contenders are desperately searching for bullpen help. The Athletics may be able to find that in their own system, from an unexpected source. Miguel Romero has made so much progress this year that he is nudging his way toward consideration for a promotion to the big leagues.
Now In Triple-A, Athletics' Jonah Heim Continues To Improve
Oakland Athletics By Casey Tefertiller on June 25, 2019 When Jonah Heim arrived at big league spring training, he found his new best friend. And what a friend it was. Athletics manager Bob Melvin, a former catcher, takes an interest in his young backstops. He worked with Heim and helped him learn a few of the intricacies of his very difficult job.
Jorge Mateo Starting To Translate Tools Into Results
Oakland Athletics By Casey Tefertiller on May 20, 2019 Nearly every day, long before game time,Jorge Mateomakes his way to a Pacific Coast League field for extra work. One afternoon he may be focusing on footwork with an infield coach. The next could be spent in the intoxicating presence of Rickey Henderson learning the artistry of baserunning. The A’s have made a point of bringing in their roving instructors to try to turn this highly tooled prospect into a major league force.
Sean Murphy Proving To Be A Third-Round Steal
Oakland Athletics By Casey Tefertiller on April 23, 2019 Looking back, the Athletics consider it almost a fluke that they were able to select Sean Murphy in the third round of the 2016 draft. “He was hurt most of that spring, or he would have gone much higher,” said A's scouting director Eric Kubota. “The guys who saw him early had him evaluated far higher than we took him.” Murphy drew enough attention that Baseball America ranked him as the 63rd-best prospect in the draft class.
Book Review: If These Walls Could Talk
By Casey Tefertiller on March 15, 2019 If These Walls Could Talk: Stories from the Oakland A’s Dugout, Locker Room and Press Box By Ken Korach and Susan Slusser Foreword by Dennis Eckersley Triumph Books, 2019 Athletics radio voice Ken Korach and San Francisco Chronicle beat writer Susan Slusser combine on an intriguing volume telling inside stories from their experiences.
Oakland Athletics Like Alfonso Rivas' Mix Of Offense And Defense
By Casey Tefertiller on February 4, 2019 There is a very familiar look when you watchAlfonso Rivas swing a bat. "He’s got that pure, effortless Wally Joyner swing,” farm director Keith Lieppman said. "He’s a nice, sweet-swinging lefthander with a great glove.
Show More
loading
Actions
Is this you?
As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.Get in touch with Casey
Contact Casey, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack