MESA http://www.yankeesfanproshop.com/authentic-giancarlo-stanton-jersey , Ariz. (AP) — at Oklahoma last season, the Oakland Athletics knew there was a chance he might chose football over baseball.That is exactly what happened.On the day the A’s started spring training workouts, Murray said he will pursue a career in the NFL.“I am firmly and fully committing my life and time to becoming an NFL quarterback,” Murray tweeted . “Football has been my love and passion my entire life. I was raised to play QB, and I very much look forward to dedicating 100 percent of myself to being the best QB possible and winning NFL championships. I have started an extensive training program to further prepare myself for upcoming workouts and interviews. I eagerly await the opportunity to continue to prove to NFL decision makers that I am the franchise QB in this draft.”Murray passed for 4,361 yards and 42 touchdowns last season as the Sooners landed a second straight College Football Playoff berth. He ran for 1,001 yards and another 12 scores, posting the second-best passer efficiency rating in Bowl Subdivision history.He declared himself eligible for April’s NFL draft last month. He is not a prototypical NFL quarterback at just 5-foot-10 and 195 pounds, but his skills make him an intriguing option.The A’s thought so, too.Murray was the ninth overall pick in last June’s baseball amateur draft, and the outfielder agreed to a minor league contract with Oakland for a $4.66 million signing bonus. The deal called for him to receive $1.5 million after approval last summer by Major League Baseball and $3.16 million on March 1. Murray must return six-sevenths of the money he received Johnny Damon Jersey , or $1,285,714. While there is a provision for a team to get an extra draft pick in the following draft if it fails to sign a player selected prior to the fourth round, there is no such provision for a player who signed and then decided not to play.Oakland had a locker with a No. 73 jersey waiting for Murray at its facility in suburban Phoenix.“We took the best athlete on the board and who we thought was probably the best baseball player on the board, too,” Athletics general manager David Forst said. “We’ve known all along this was a possibility. We knew he had a great option in the NFL, so we’ve known for a while that there was a chance this was going to happen.”Murray showed off his skills taking batting practice at the Coliseum in an A’s uniform back in June, greeted by “WELCOME TO OAKLAND” on the big scoreboard with his photo. That was before he led the Sooners to the Big 12 Conference title behind his blazing speed and pinpoint throws.Bo Jackson and Deion Sanders played both football and baseball, but Jackson was a running back and Sanders a cornerback.“Quarterback is a very demanding position, as is being a Major League baseball player,” said Billy Beane Masahiro Tanaka Jersey , Oakland’s executive vice president of baseball operations. “To say somebody could or couldn’t, I’m not here to say that. Something like that is something that is part of our private discussions.”A’s manager Bob Melvin added: “He’s one of those rare athletes, who I think any sport that he played, he’d probably excel at.” PHOENIX (AP) — The Arizona Diamondbacks have been baseball’s best first-inning team and they added to those numbers with Paul Goldschmidt’s two-run homer Wednesday night.The way Clay Buchholz has been pitching, it was more than enough.Goldschmidt homered to set the all-time mark at Chase Field, Buchholz pitched seven scoreless innings and the Diamondbacks earned a 5-1 victory over the Los Angeles Angels.“It seems like every day. This team is pretty amazing when you look at the runs scored in the first inning,” Buchholz said.The Diamondbacks have a knack for jumping on teams early, leading the majors in first-inning runs with 109.Goldschmidt increased the total with his two-run shot off Odrisamer Despaigne (2-2), passing Luis Gonzalez with his 96th homer at Chase Field. Goldschmidt had three hits to extend his hitting streak to 14 games and has reached safely in 27 straight.Buchholz (7-2) yielded four hits and struck out seven with no walks for his eighth straight game of at least five innings and three runs or fewer allowed.David Peralta also hit a two-run shot to homer for the third straight game. The Diamondbacks have won six of seven to maintain a 1 1/2-game lead in the NL West over Colorado.“It all started with Clay tonight,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. “He goes out and gives us seven scoreless and really set the tone for us for the course of this game.”The injury-depleted Angels had five hits — two by Rene Rivera — and lost for the fifth time in six games.“I thought we had some pretty good looks at him (Buchholz), hit some balls hard Paul O'Neill Jersey , but he got in his rhythm and started to change some speeds midway through,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said.Buchholz has been sharp the past two months, entering Wednesday’s game 5-1 with 2.00 ERA over seven starts, including his 10th career complete game against San Diego last Thursday. He kept the Angels off balance most of the night, allowing three singles and a double.Despaigne gave up five runs and seven hits in four innings against Texas on Friday in his second start since being acquired from Miami on Aug. 14 for cash. The right-hander served up Goldschmidt’s first-inning homer and a run-scoring single to Nick Ahmed in the fourth.Despaigne allowed three runs and five hits in four innings.“He made a couple of mistakes: One to Goldschmidt and the other one to Ahmed,” Rivera said. “Besides that he was OK. His pitch count was a little high but overall he did OK.”PUJOLS’ PLAYAngels 1B Albert Pujols made a spectacular play in the sixth inning to take a hit away from Steven Souza Jr. Souza hit a ball off the end of the bat down the line and Pujols made a diving stop, tossing the ball to pitcher Ty Buttrey as he was rolling over to get the out.PERALTA’S RUNPeralta has been one of the best hitters in baseball in August, going 21 for 51 with eight homers and 14 RBIs in his past 12 games. He has six homers in nine games and 25 on the season after going 2 for 4 against the Angels.“I keep saying it, he’s on his way to having a special year,” Lovullo said.TRAINER’S ROOMAngels: 2B David Fletcher was replaced by Kaleb Cowart in the fourth after fouling a pitch off his left knee in the top half. Scioscia said Fletcher is day-to-day with a bruise and hopes to have him back Friday against Houston.UP NEXTAngels: LHP Andrew Heaney is 2-0 with a 1.29 ERA in two starts against the Astros going into Friday’s game.Diamondbacks: RHP Zack Godley is 4-0 with a 3.26 ERA over his last eight starts heading into Friday’s home game against Seattle.