Although the A's young pitching staff put up the best ERA in the league in 2010, the team announced that longtime pitching coach Curt Young has declined a contract offer and instead will pursue another opportunity.
Young, who has served as the A's pitching coach the past seven seasons and who also pitched for Oakland's three consecutive pennant winners in 1988, 1989 and 1990, said by phone that it was "a tough decision.
"I've been with this organization basically 27 years," he said, "but I'm kind of looking in a different direction and hopefully everything will work out."