The start of Spring training in Florida and Arizona has been the talk around water coolers lately. One thing likely going unnoticed is the new Caps certain MLB team will be wearing this season. Not a lot of changes, but some interesting and noteworthy additions have been made.

First off, I am pleased to mention to you again that the Toronto Blue Jays will go retro at home inside the Rogers Centre on Friday nights this year. I feel that this new lid is unique and unmeasurable when it comes to retro caps. This cap is so nice, I have even spotted a few people around town sporting it. Heck, Sportable’s own staff writer Rich purchased his in January.

The Oakland Athletics have added yet another alternate cap to their locker this year, going with a more bold look (above). The cap is a mirror image of the other alternate hat, however, this new one has a white “A’s” with a yellow outline. I like the addition here by the A’s, but I think they should try to switch the design up a bit as they now have four hats that are all the same.

Staying in the American League, the Indians have decided to turn back the clocks this year. On Saturday June 14, the Indians will host the Padres at Progressive Field sporting this new cap and jersey to celebrate the 1970s . You have to love this plain “C”. It’s sharp and crisp to say the least. Not fancy or glamorous by any means but when it comes to sporting a clean image, this hat will do the trick.

Since the Devil Rays became the “Rays”, Tampa Bay decided to axe its look completely and go with something totally new. That changed resulted in new jerseys and a new hat. Kevin from the Sportable staff just received his new Rays hat in the mail and this is what he had to say about it: “I needed a new blue hat and I was lucky enough to stumble upon this one.”

Finally the last change on the hat rack for the 2008 season comes from Philadelphia. The Phillies will sport this new lid on certain occasions with this new alternate throwback jersey. I am a big fan of the red and blue mix that the Phillies are adapting again this year. I’m getting sick and tired of seeing the same old red and white look that has adorned the team for many years now.

All in all, I am really pleased with all of the additions this year. And if you have not had the chance to purchase one of the new 59-50 hats yet, you are missing out. NewEra created the light weight cap to not only help out with player performance, but feel more comfortable than the previous hat. Be sure to pick up your favorite team’s lid. The new season is just weeks away!

Hosts: Sonny, Ryan, Kevin, and Rich: This episode focused solely on the American League West. We expect it to be a close race with the usual contenders: the Angels and Athletics. Will Oakland be able to rebound from the loss of Barry Zito? Or will Anaheim ride Vladimir Guerrero to the playoffs?

You can snag Episode 15 here.

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Barry Zito had some reportedly “productive and encouraging” talks with the New York Mets yesterday. Unfortunately, the two parties that are involved in this, agent Scott Boras and the Mets, will likely clash on Zito’s salary and in the end, pay him more than he deserves.

How good is Barry Zito? Just like the other members of his Oakland crew, Tim Hudson and Mark Mulder, I don’t think Zito is really that good. Since his unreal 23-5 season in 2002, Zito has been pretty typical. He’s 55-46 in the last six years, numbers not very worthy of an expensive #1. Just because he’s the best pitcher in the remaining free agent class doesn’t mean his average numbers should be given $75 million.

Zito, Mulder, and Hudson all loved the laid-back atmosphere of the Oakland clubhouse and the Bay Area in general. After Mulder and Hudson went elsewhere, they’ve struggled mightily. Maybe it’s because they can’t cut it in a more pressure packed atmosphere and they miss the late-night guitarring/bong-hitting that used to take place at Zito’s house. If Zito is the same way as those two, he’s going to have a very tough time in New York, a place where you have to earn the fan’s respect. If they pay Zito $75 million for a 14-11 season, it’s going to be tough to win New York over.

“The last two times I’ve seen him the last couple years, he wasn’t on at all. He struggled getting his breaking ball over for strikes, and when he does that, he’s in trouble. He can’t get by on a power arm,” the scout told The Post.

While the 28-year-old Zito has pitched over 200 innings in six consecutive seasons, he’s given up over 200 hits in two of the past three seasons. He also has allowed 27, 26 and 28 home runs the past three seasons with Oakland.

Sources close to the deal say he’ll likely get paid money similar to Roy Oswalt’s extension. Oswalt signed for five years and $73 million. If you give me the choice between Oswalt and Zito, I’d take Oswalt quickly. He’s the more overpowering pitcher and his ERA has never been below 3.50 in his career. Zito’s hasn’t been under 3.83 in the last three years.

Few things are more frustrating than watching Zito throw 11 consecutive looping curveballs and getting shelled. He’s simply not that good of a pitcher. When you add in the environment of pitching in New York, I don’t think the laid-back Zito will have much success.

Word is out that the A’s have finally agreed on a site for their new 36,000 seat stadium to be opened in either 2009 or 2010. They’ve decided to pack their bags and get the hell out of Oakland. The stadium will be built in the city of Fremont, which is 27 miles away from Oakland and 18 from San Jose. It’s a great move that should be applauded.

The A’s have played in the Oakland Coliseum since they moved to Oakland in 1968. The name may have changed (to McAfee Colliseum), but the stadium is still awful. And when I say awful, I mean the worst stadium I’ve ever seen. If you’ve ever flown into San Francisco by way of Oakland, you would agree with me. The stadium is very close to Oakland’s airport and couldn’t be worse on the eyes. McAfee Coliseum isn’t exactly in the nicest location in the Bay Area. They’re also not really sharing the stadium with a very stable franchise either. It’s a nice move by Oakland.

As good as the A’s have been in the last six years or so (they’ve won 102, 103, 96, 91, 88, and 93 games), their location hasn’t done them any favors. Why would any free agents sign with the A’s to play at the McAfee Dump where they could probably play for the Giants at beautiful AT&T Park? The move to Fremont may not be popular with the A’s Oakland fanbase, but it will definitely help the team lure some free agent talent into the franchise.

The A’s are moving to a much more affluent part of town in Fremont. Their fans are going to have more money, which might result in a few more Milton Bradley souvenirs being purchased. Nearly 20% of Oakland lives below the poverty line but only about 5.5% of Fremont does. That had to play a role in the move.

I can’t help but notice the large Asian population of Fremont. There happens to a pretty high-profile Asian player coming to Major League Baseball this season. Will this move inspire the A’s to make a move towards signing Daisuke Matsuzaka? They’ll have to win a bidding war but would definitely get some excitement going in Fremont and might encourage a few Asian fans to drive up to Oakland for a game or two before the big move.

The A’s simply didn’t belong at McAfee Coliseum. The Black Hole, Mount Davis, and the shabby venue were all Raider trademarks. The A’s made the right move here. They may have angered some Oakland fans but they’ll also win a lot more fans in the cities of San Jose and Fremont. It’s a smart move for a franchise that has played second fiddle to the San Francisco Giants for so long.

Dear Billy Beane,

Did I miss the chapter in your book about firing your manager after he lead you to the ALCS? Because that’s what you did this past weekend, and although I’m not a MLB general manager I’m smart enough to know how stupid that is. We’re talking about a guy who brought together this team and made them produce. This is the same team with noted idiot Milton Bradley, who is such a bum he has a whole section on wikipedia devoted to his “controversial moments,” as well as Frank Thomas who evidently was a clubhouse cancer. Macha was able to make these guys play well together, and that is not something every manager can do. Macha has also done a good job with controlling his young talent, and his young pitching. In his four years with the A’s Macha has won two AL West titles and has finished in second the other two years. His team has never won less than 88 games. So I ask you this Billy Beane, how do you fire a manager with a track record of success in your moneyball world, where you know that not everyone can succeed? Unless you already have someone lined up who you know can do this well for the team (Joe Girardi?) then this is an incredible mistake. Good luck with your A’s in ‘07, a new manager wasn’t the right thing to do to this team.

Sincerely,
Kevin