Jerry Blevins weighs in on returning to the Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are on a good run for the 2011 major league competition, and it seems like Jerry Blevins will be joining the squad soon. With a good round of players in the midst, their chances for the American League West title have increased. The pool of stars in the roster are looking for the division title and a shot at the World Series. However, with tough competition grooming on the sidelines, there is no certainty in their push for the ultimate trophy.
The Texas Rangers and the Los Angeles Angels will offer competition to the side. Nevertheless, there are a good number of players returning to the side and in particular, Blevins is one man that can bring about a considerable change.
Belvins will be returning to a line-up that will include the likes of Craig Breslow, Brian Fuentes, Andrew Bailey, Grant Balfour, Brad Ziegler and Michael Wuertz. With injured partner Joey Devine, Blevins is looking for a return to the club in the spring training period. Jerry posted a 3.70 earning runs average last year, while pitching clean in more than 48 innings. He amassed 46 strike outs and 18 walks for the tenure. However, he missed his final two weeks in the league due to a left shoulder pain and a hip injury.
Jerry, however, was able to talk about his recent condition.
"My hip is better than expected at this point," he said. "It's coming along. It was a little sore the first day out because it hadn't been active, but it already feels better now than it did at the end of last season, so that's a plus. It's more about how much pain you can take. I have a pretty high pain tolerance, so it's just one of those things you have to be careful and not push yourself too much. You've got to know your limits to a point where you can be comfortable with what you're doing."
Belvins sees an opportunity for the club to make it to the playoffs this year and he has his own opinion why.
"With our new additions and everyone being a little bit more mature this year and getting another year of experience under our belt, I think we could have the most well-rounded staff in the league," Blevins said. "It's something that's exciting. It's fun to know you have a chance to be part of a team that's going to compete. The West is wide open and with our staff, if we can just do what we're capable of doing, it should be pretty exciting."
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