BY J.A. SCHWARTZ From 2011 through 2013, the Houston Astros were the worst team in baseball. They lost 106, 107 and 111 games in that three year stretch, going a combined 162-324. Those results were not entirely unexpected, as the franchise embarked upon a “rebuilding” process that would begin in …

BY J.A. SCHWARTZ Stanford’s Andrew Luck was the top overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft by the Colts. Indianapolis earned the #1 pick in that draft after going 2-14 in 2011, and Luck paid immediate dividends. Starting every game as a rookie, he led the Colts to an 11-5 …

BY J.A. SCHWARTZ What defines success in the eyes of a baseball fan ? There is a heated rivalry between the supporters of the Dodgers and the Giants. Their fan bases are imbued with a deep-rooted contempt for their counterparts. When these two teams and their partisans reflect on the …

BY J.A. SCHWARTZ The New York Yankees come to town to play a three game set with the A’s Tuesday night, bringing with them the best record in baseball and a stranglehold on the AL East division. The A’s continue to battle for a Wild Card berth, one game behind …

BY J.A. SCHWARTZ With Houston enjoying a 9.5 game lead over the A’s and rolling to a third straight division title as they arrive in Oakland for a four game weekend series, the Astros pitching philosophy has become the cornerstone of their sustained success in the AL West. But what …

BY J.A. SCHWARTZ Most of the attention around the trade deadline is rightfully focused on the teams that are in contention for a playoff berth, and whose roster machinations in search of the perfect combination of talent and opportunity drives the news cycles in late July. It was wonderful theatre …

BY J.A. SCHWARTZ With the A’s standing at 61-47, holding the second Wild Card position in the American League, just 1/2 game ahead of Tampa and 7 1/2 games behind the West leading Astros in the division race, Oakland GM Billy Beane has made multiple efforts to strengthen his team’s …

BY J.A. SCHWARTZ The Twins rallied dramatically for two runs in the bottom of the ninth off A’s closer Liam Hendriks Sunday afternoon, winning the final game of the four game set 7-6 in a back and forth affair. Max Kepler drilled the winning hit to left field, following an …

BY J.A. SCHWARTZ A line drive single by Khris Davis off Twins closer Taylor Rogers with two out in the ninth inning led the A’s to a dramatic, come from behind 5-4 victory in Minneapolis Saturday night as Oakland celebrated their second straight victory over the first place Twins with …

BY J.A. SCHWARTZ By any reasonable measure, Jason Castro has been a success, earning a degree in Economic Sociology from Stanford, an elite academic institution. And in 2012 he married his college girlfriend Maris, a lacrosse player for the Cardinal. Drafted by Houston as the tenth overall pick in the …