News » e Nationals to a 5-0 victory over the Miami Marlins.MARRAKECH,

OAKLAND, Calif. -- In three short years, Sean Doolittle transformed himself from a top first base prospect into a shut-down reliever. The Oakland Athletics are rewarding him for it, giving the left-hander a five-year contract Friday for making the improbable switch. The deal contains a pair of club options that could extend the agreement through the 2020 season. "It means everything that the organization thinks of you like that, that they want to keep you around and they think you can be part of teams here for years to come," said Doolittle, a regular in the second deck at As games as a boy with his brother. "If you factor in the road I took to get here and everything I went through to be able to put on this uniform, its really special to know Ill be part of this organization for a while." Oakland announced the contract ahead of a home weekend series against the Houston Astros. Doolittle took his physical Thursday and should sign the agreement as soon as Monday. His 2020 option becomes mutual if he has a combined 100 games finished between 2018 and 2019. The 27-year-old left-hander has been a reliable member of Oaklands talented bullpen since converting from first base late in the 2011 season. He appreciates his new job security -- and still thinks about the path he took to get to this point. "Its crazy," he said. "There are still plenty of times I cant believe I actually did that. The way things worked out, it just makes everything that much better. I dont take a single minute I have up here for granted." He is 7-6 with a 3.10 ERA and four saves in 122 relief appearances, allowing 100 hits with 129 strikeouts in 125 innings. He is 0-0 with a 3.12 ERA and one save in eight appearances over 8 2-3 innings so far this year, his third big league season. "Hes a guy weve gotten to know on a personal level and we have a ton of faith in the person he is on the field and off the field," said Farhan Zaidi, As assistant general manager and director of baseball operations. "Having to transition from being a position player to a pitcher, thats shown us a lot. Weve seen what everybody else has seen the last two years. Hes been one of the best relievers and setup men in baseball. I think every team would want to have that guy around for as long as possible. That was our motivation." His previous deal was a one-year contract paying $505,000 in the major leagues this season and $295,500 in the minors. The sides reached a basic framework on the new deal before the end of spring training, but still had some language to work out. If Doolittle becomes "Super 2" eligible after this season as expected -- meaning he is just shy of three years of service time -- there are escalators in his new deal based on games finished. Doolittle certainly hopes his role evolves into becoming the regular closer one day. The As brass are thrilled with Doolittles reinvention of himself, though he no longer surprises anybody. "The durability that he has shown, he takes good care of himself, all of the things you look for in the guys you want to get a long-term deal with, he does," manager Bob Melvin said. "With both sides happy about it, its a good deal for us, its a good deal for him. To have a guy like that around for a while is good news to everybody in our clubhouse." Yeezy Boost Suomi . -- Kansas City Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer will be out three to six weeks with a stress fracture of the third finger of his right hand. Yeezy Myynti .com) - The Golden State Warriors have started another winning streak and theyll try to pad it Tuesday night when they head to Staples Center to face the Los Angeles Lakers. http://www.yeezysuomi.com/ . Mark Teahen scored the go-ahead run in the home seventh on an error by Scott Sizemore, who had knotted the game with a solo homer in the previous half- inning. Paul Konerko then hit an RBI single which proved to be the winning run. Adidas Ultra Boost Uncaged Suomi . Arsene Wenger reportedly wants to convert the player into an attacking force, much like he did with Robin Van Persie. Adidas Ultra Boost 3.0 Suomi . So far, so good: Gonzalez has allowed one run through 12 innings this season. His second start came Tuesday night, when he gave up only three singles over six innings to lead the Nationals to a 5-0 victory over the Miami Marlins.MARRAKECH, Morocco - Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti says winning the Club World Cup would cap an unforgettable year for the champions of Europe.Madrid makes its entrance in the competition on Tuesday against Mexicos Cruz Azul in the opening semifinal.All the teams are champions and winning would mean putting an end to an unforgettable year, Ancelotti said Monday in comments published on Madrids website. We are heading into it with a lot of excitement.After heavy rain soaked the pitch in Rabat, organizer FIFA moved Madrids match to the Stade de Marrakech, which will now stage all the remaining matches.Ancelotti welcomed the switch in venue but said Madrid didnt request it.Its a good thing because it is a semifinal of a global competition and it has to be pplayed on good grass.ddddddddddddI think it will be a good pitch for a good game, the manager said.He indicated that fitness problems will likely keep out James Rodriguez and Sami Khedira on Tuesday but said they will definitely be good to go for the next match, which will be either the final or for third place, with both those games on Saturday.Cruz Azul, the CONCACAF champion, will present a stern test, Ancelotti predicted.They are a quality side with experienced players who have played in Spain and are already familiar with our style. It is a semifinal and every team is dangerous at this level. It will be an intense match.South American champion San Lorenzo of Argentina plays Oceania champion Auckland City in the second semifinal Wednesday. ' ' '