RELATED LINKS Around the Web » A'S NOTEBOOK - Last of the three lefties leaves the team from sfgate.com (7/31/02) » Lefty thinks 3 is crowd from sfgate.com (3/4/02) » A'S CLUBHOUSE - Magnante Adjusts, Gets in Groove from sfgate.com (9/12/00) » A'S NOTEBOOK - Pen Comes On Strong from sfgate.com (7/27/00) » A'S NOTEBOOK - Olivares, Velarde Hurting from sfgate.com (6/19/00) » Service odd man out in bullpen from sfgate.com (4/10/00) » Magnante Finds Match With New Team Perfect - Reliever fills important role in A's bullpen from sfgate.com (3/22/00) Jump directly to Library content from any website!

Many teams had a bullpen artist who specialized in geting lefties out. Magnante took it a step further, not only specializing in getting southpaws, but in getting them mainly in July and August. From the moment he began his career in 1991 with the Kansas City Royals, he struggled in the early going, with a 5.09 pre-All-Star Game ERA through the 2001 campaign.

But for some reason he found it easier going in those last two months of summer, posting up a 2.84 and 2.96 ERA in July and August, respectively. Magnante's managers empathized with his early-season struggles, and the tall Californian started each year in the minors until 1994. Unimpressive in his first full year as a big-leaguer(2-3, 4.60 ERA), he was sent back down in 1995. He didn't play another full season in the majors until 2001 with the Oakland Athletics when he gave up only 17 earned runs in 65 appearances. (EPW)