OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) General manager Billy Beane is committed to a youth movement for his small-market Oakland Athletics, even if the payoff takes time.
One positive sign of progress: closer Andrew Bailey's AL Rookie of the Year award Monday. That helped reinforce to Beane that his plan is the right one for a club determined to become a perennial contender again. Beane's model calls for building from within and giving young players chances at the big league level while weathering their growing pains.
"We're going to stay disciplined," Beane said Tuesday at a news conference for Bailey. "We're going to go with young players. We want long-term answers, like Andrew." (MORE)
