Contra Costa Times (Walnut Creek, CA) articles from June 2012

Contra Costa Times (Walnut Creek, CA) archives from June 2012

A's Doolittle Has Done a Lot to Reach Big Leagues
June 12, 2012... Byline: Joe Stiglich DENVER _ When the A's drafted Sean Doolittle in 2007, they thought they had landed their first baseman of the future. Five years later, Doolittle finally has arrived in the majors, having transformed himself from an...

Diamondbacks Stop a's 4-3 to Complete Sweep
June 11, 2012... Byline: Joe Stiglich PHOENIX _ Count the number of ways the A's doomed themselves over the weekend. Late-inning bullpen breakdown? Check. Subpar starting pitching? You bet. Careless defense? They had that covered. It's no...

Veteran on a New Mission
June 11, 2012... Byline: Gary Peterson WALNUT CREEK, Calif. _ One of Emily Yates' favorite spots on the University of California, Berkeley, campus is the top floor of a tall building, a place so typically deserted and peaceful that she prefers not to reveal...

Around the Remote: Television Picks for the Week of June 10-16
June 10, 2012... Byline: Chuck Barney DON'T MISS: "TRUE BLOOD" _ After a 12-year run on "Law & Order: SVU," Christopher Meloni grows a pair of fangs. In Season 5 of the supernatural sensation, he plays Roman, the charismatic, 500-year-old leader of the...

Athletics Fall to Diamondbacks
June 10, 2012... Byline: Joe Stiglich PHOENIX _ Trevor Cahill will savor his memories of facing his former team Saturday. Jarrod Parker? He'd be better off with a case of amnesia. In a battle of two pitchers traded for each other, Cahill silenced the...

Woods, Martin to Get Early Start
June 10, 2012... Byline: Steve Corkran SAN FRANCISCO _ The marquee group for the start of U.S. Open practice rounds Monday features former Stanford teammates Tiger Woods and Casey Martin. The foursome, which also includes Stanford sophomore Cameron Wilson...

Athletics Fall to Diamondbacks on Three-Run Home Run
June 9, 2012... Byline: Joe Stiglich PHOENIX _ The Arizona Diamondbacks had not gone away, no matter how much the Oakland Athletics tried to distance themselves Friday night. With two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, Athletics closer Brian Fuentes...

Pilot Emergency Lands Plane on Driving Range, Just Short of Runway; No One Hurt
June 9, 2012... Byline: Chris De Benedetti and Matthias Gafni CONCORD, Calif. _ It likely wasn't the only errant shot at the Buchanan Fields Golf Course in California on Saturday, but it certainly got the most attention. The pilot of a small plane lost...

Casey Martin Expects a Smoother Ride This Time
June 9, 2012... Byline: Gary Peterson Casey Martin and his golf cart are headed back to San Francisco's Olympic Club. This time it figures to be a much quieter ride. Fourteen years ago, the 26-year-old aspiring touring pro pulled into town at the center...

A's take series from reeling Rangers.
June 8, 2012... Byline: Joe Stiglich OAKLAND, Calif. _ On the heels of a morale-crushing trip against the two worst teams in the American League Central, the Oakland A's came home and put a shellacking on A.L. West-leading Texas. They took three of four...

Colon makes quick work of Rangers.
June 7, 2012... Byline: Joe Stiglich OAKLAND, Calif. _ Bartolo Colon pitched Wednesday night as if he had evening plans to get someplace else. The veteran right-hander made quick work of the Texas Rangers, tossing eight sterling innings in a 2-0 victory...

California dangerously low on college degrees, group says.
June 7, 2012... Byline: Matt Krupnick WALNUT CREEK, Calif. _ California colleges and universities need to step up degree completion dramatically for the state's economy to flourish, a group of business and civic leaders said Thursday. The state will need...

Video conferencing steps out of the office.
June 6, 2012... Byline: Eve Mitchell WALNUT CREEK, Calif. _ Video conferences have largely been confined to offices. Not anymore. New technologies developed by Polycom and other video-conference vendors let employees use smartphones and tablet devices join...

Beyond the cone: Artisanal ice cream treats.
June 6, 2012... Byline: Peggy Spear WALNUT CREEK, Calif. _ Old-school vanilla hasn't disappeared, exactly. It's just that these days, the classic ice cream is often infused with flecks of vanilla bean, tarragon or fresh ginger. Its label proclaims allegiance...

'Dallas' reboot stirs up lots of soapy fun.
June 6, 2012... Byline: Chuck Barney Everywhere you look these days, things are being downsized and diminished. Even the great J.R. Ewing isn't immune to the trend. Larry Hagman's iconic character doesn't show up until nearly 15 minutes into the premiere...

Videoconferencing expands beyond the office.
June 6, 2012... Byline: Eve Mitchell Videoconferences have largely been confined to offices. Not anymore. New technologies developed by Polycom and other videoconference vendors let employees use smartphones and tablet devices join in no matter where they...

Martin's been down this Open cart path before.
June 6, 2012... Byline: Carl Steward Even Tiger Woods, who knows a bit about unbelievable achievements, was flabbergasted that former Stanford teammate Casey Martin qualified for the U.S. Open. "Just incredible," Woods via Twitter on Tuesday. "Ability,...

A's rout Rangers, 12-1.
June 5, 2012... Byline: Joe Stiglich OAKLAND, Calif. _ Jarrod Parker tried his best to steal his teammates' thunder Monday night. As Oakland A's hitters were busy busting out for 12 runs against the Texas Rangers, the A's right-hander had a loftier goal...

New rules aim to help 401(k) investors get a handle on fees.
June 4, 2012... Byline: Eve Mitchell WALNUT CREEK, Calif. _ Millions of employees put money in 401(k) plans to build a retirement nest egg. But most don't know that the plans they invest in charge fees that can make that nest egg smaller by thousands of...

Challenges, opportunities lie ahead for Medi-Cal as it readies for major expansion.
June 4, 2012... Byline: Sandy Kleffman WALNUT CREEK, Calif. _ As California's Medi-Cal program readies for an influx of 2 million to 3 million people when national health reforms kick in, major challenges lie ahead, including finding enough specialists who...

Runs pile up as Athletics' losing streak ends.
June 3, 2012... Byline: Joe Stiglich KANSAS CITY, Mo. _ The Oakland Athletics pressed every button imaginable in hopes of getting a victory. Reliever Grant Balfour went on a light-hearted, profanity-laced tirade in the clubhouse Saturday morning to bring...

Around the remote: Television picks for the week of June 3-9.
June 3, 2012... Byline: Chuck Barney DON'T MISS: "GAME OF THRONES" SEASON 2 FINALE _ The brutal Battle of Blackwater may be over, but the fog of war continues to thicken as this astonishing fantasy series wraps up a season full of chaos, blood, betrayal...

On summer break, homeless students will lose safe havens.
June 3, 2012... Byline: Theresa Harrington PITTSBURG, Calif. _ Michael Fiore and his son Matthew became homeless in 2010, after Fiore survived cancer but couldn't find work. After losing their Concord apartment and nearly everything they owned, the...

Royals shut out A's.
June 3, 2012... Byline: Joe Stiglich KANSAS CITY, Mo. _ A day after the Oakland A's enjoyed a feel-good offensive breakout, they received a stark reality check. Sunday's road trip finale featured more stranded base runners, more lost opportunities and _...

Athletics lose ninth game in a row.
June 2, 2012... Byline: Joe Stiglich KANSAS CITY, Mo. _ Yoenis Cespedes' return to the lineup Friday night was supposed to signal hope for the Oakland Athletics. Instead, he got sucked into the same offensive black hole that his teammates find themselves in....

Cabrera producing for the Giants.
June 1, 2012... Byline: Joe Stiglich KANSAS CITY, Mo. _ Melky Cabrera became the toast of San Francisco with his magical month of May. The outfielder generates plenty of discussion in Kansas City, too _ in a much different manner. Many Royals fans...