WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The Athletics hired former Colorado Rockies general manager Bill Schmidt as the club's special assistant to the scouting department, the team announced Friday.
Schmidt was appointed senior vice president and general manager of the Rockies in October 2021 and served four seasons in the role. He joined the Rockies in 1999 and served as vice president of scouting dating to 2007.
Before joining the Rockies, Schmidt served as a national crosschecker with Cleveland (1995-99) and as a supervisor of the Southern California, Arizona, and Nevada regions for the Yankees (1988-95).
He also worked for the MLB Scouting Bureau from 1987-88 and began his scouting career with the Cincinnati Reds in the early 1980s.
Schmidt was named the 2019 West Coast Scout of the Year and was bestowed the Legends in Scouting Award.
The A’s relocated to West Sacramento, California, last year to play the first of three planned seasons in the city’s Triple-A ballpark before moving into a new ballpark in Las Vegas.
A $2 billion, 33,000-capacity stadium on the Las Vegas Strip is under construction. Club officials told the Las Vegas Stadium Authority on Dec. 4 that the ballpark is on schedule to open in time for the 2028 season.
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FILE - Colorado Rockies general manager Bill Schmidt watches batting practice prior to a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels, Sept. 19, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/Geneva Heffernan, File)
Carolina Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal scored again Thursday night in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Vegas Golden Knights, extending his goals streak that has put the 37-year-old center among some of the best players in NHL history.
“It’s a good time to get hot," Staal said. "I want to contribute any way I can. The puck’s been going in for me lately, and it’s good timing and (I try) to still contribute in all the other aspects that I can do.”
A look at Staal's series:
Days between goals in the final from 2009 with Pittsburgh until Staal scored in Game 1, breaking brother Eric's record of 6,198 from ‘06 to ’23.
Goals by Staal in the series, one shy of tying the modern-day record for the most by a player in the final.
Captains to score six or more goals in a final before Staal: Wayne Gretzky for Edmonton in 1985, Frank Foyston for Seattle in 1920 and Newsy Lalonde for Montreal in 1919.
Players in Hurricanes/Hartford Whalers franchise history to score a goal in the final at age 37 or older before Staal: 39-year-old Ron Francis in 2002 and 38-year-old Mark Recchi in '06.
Player older than Staal to score in each of the first two games of the final: Larry Robinson with Montreal in 1989.
Players older than Staal to score in each of the first three games of the final. Brad Marchand last year with Florida was the only one to do so after turning 37.
Was the last time a player scored five-plus goals in the first four games of a final before Staal: Mario Lemieux when Pittsburgh went back to back.
Was the last time a player scored in each of the first four games of the final before Staal: Mike Bossy when the New York Islanders won the third of four championships in a row. Only two others did before that: Minnesota's Steve Payne in 1981 and Boston's Johnny Buczyk in 1970.
Was the last time a player scored in five consecutive games in the final before Staal: Yvan Cournoyer in 1973 with Montreal.
Was the last time a player scored in the first five games of the final before Staal: Jean Beliveau in 1956 with Montreal. Canadiens teammate Maurice Richard in 1951 and Cyclone Taylor of the Vancouver Millionaires in 1918 are the only other players to score in Games 1-5.
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Carolina Hurricanes center Jordan Staal celebrates an empty net goal by left wing Nikolaj Ehlers during the third period in Game 4 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final series against the Vegas Golden Knights, Tuesday, June 9, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
