Elephant Rumblings: A’s vs. Cubs moved to 5:10 PDT (potential rain)

MLB practicing a new Mike Fiers protective shielding drill? | Photo by Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty Images

A’s Coverage:

• Slusser: Oakland A’s, Chicago Cubs to play Cactus League opener at night if possible ($)
• Press Release: Cubs move start time for Saturday’s Cubs-A’s game
• Todd: The Athletics Have Placed Their Betts (BoSox trade Betts, A’s keep Semien)
• Casselberry: Oakland Athletics ending local radio broadcasts is sign of the times, sad end of an era
• Schrock: Mike Fiers told J.D. Martinez about Astros cheating before 2018 ALCS
• Slusser: Bob Melvin has issue with David Ortiz slamming A’s Fiers for whistleblowing ($)
• Gaydos: David Ortiz says Mike Fiers looks like ‘snitch’ in cheating scandal

MLB News:

• MLB.com: Injury updates: Sevy, Carrasco, Céspedes, Mikolas
• MLB.com: Every team plays TODAY! Here’s what to look for

Baseball Interest Stories:

• Flanery: MLB players’ battle against collusion goes back decades. Meet one of its key early figures.
• Szymborski: The Obscenely Early ZiPS Projected Standings

Today in Baseball History:

• 1885 - Boston Beaneaters P Charlie Buffinton invents a baseball “roller skate” that gives pitchers greater impetus and swing in their delivery while still allowing them to keep both feet on the ground.
• 2005 - Tom Umberg, a California state assemblyman, introduces legislation which would require pro franchises to use disclaimers if they do not play the majority of home games in the location used in their name. With his “Truth in Sports Advertising Act”, the Anaheim Democrat is trying prevent the local team from changing its name to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
• 2017 - Major League Baseball adopts a significant rule change, as part of a strategy to speed up the game: a pitcher will no longer need to throw four pitches deliberately outside the strike zone in order to issue an intentional walk,

Best of YouTube:

It’s CPL prospect season on AN, so here’s some AZL footage of Greg Deichmann to get you in the mood...

And here’s La Potenica 2.0, Robert Puason in a hype vid...