Ok, so we lost.  161 to go.

The Good: The little team that could took the World Champion Red Sox to 10 innings and had Francona looking like he was passing a kidney stone watching Papelbon pitch.

The Bad:  Duh

The Weird:

a) Seeing the A's back 1/2 game when the rest of the AL West is still playing Spring Training.

b) No Super-Marco to turn to for a miracle

The Irritating:

a) 6-Time Golden Glove Winner Eric Chavez referred to by ESPN's Underwater Tidily-Winks broadcast team as "one of the better defensive players in the league" (implied: But clearly not on par with any of the Gods of Boston)

b) Bud.  'Nuff said

c) Realizing the only place in the World that the Sox really play an away game is at Yankee Stadium.

Items d) through zzzz):  The disrespectful, damning-by-faint-praise crap that was heard every 30-seconds or so as "commentary".

 

</rant>

 

OK, so I've been pretty quiet for a while, lurking about.  Mostly been shocked into silence by the local baseball team.  Funny, I started to go to their games because I like baseball & hot dogs.  Never thought that they'd become.... interesting.

Poll

Dumbest Rallying mechanism:

30%

Cowboy Up! - Boston

24 votes

46%

Rally Monkey - San Dimas Angels of Rancho Cucamonga

37 votes

23%

Thunder Sticks - Anywhere

19 votes

0%

Other (Write in comments)

0 votes

80 votes | Poll has closed

Continue reading this post »

Having a hard time not feeling a little angry at Kendall.  I mean here is a career .300 hitter who was the posterboy for GIDP while with the A's.  Now what is he doing?

Kendall has nice game as No. 2 hitter
Jason Kendall - C - CHC - Aug. 16 - 1:22 am et

Jason Kendall had a two-run homer and an RBI double as the Cubs' No. 2 hitter on Wednesday.
Perhaps manager Lou Piniella will leave Kendall at the bottom of the order against righties, but it was nice to see him moved up against the lefty tonight. Kendall is batting .311 with 12 RBI and 11 walks in 22 games for the Cubs. Aug. 16 - 1:22 am et

From:

Poll

Why is Kendall hot now?

18%

Lou Pinella gives good backrubs?

31 votes

5%

He plays better pissed off? ( at A's..... see M. Bradley)

9 votes

58%

NL Pitching sucks compared to AL?

100 votes

17%

Regression to mean?

30 votes

170 votes | Poll has closed

I have to admit being a bit of a curmudgeon, and I know there are a few others out there.  Since I have been in Denver, aside from missing seeing the A's, I've been trying to become a Rockies Fan. It has been more difficult than it sounds.  In my world, here's who I root for:

1.  Green & Gold champions of goodness & underdoggedness.

2. <sigh> The Rockies

3.  Whoever is playing the Yankees

4.  Whoever is playing the Angels.  (I know I will be chastised for the obvious reversal of 3 &4, but whatever.)

Anyhow, what joy, on an A's day off to have Todd & the Toddlers SWEEP the Bronx Bombers!!!!  Oh! the wonderful looks of misery on Yankee Fan Faces!  The horror!  The sweet smell of justice!

Ahhh! Spring has Sprung, and the Baseball Gods have decided that work will send me to the Bay Area that week.  I'm just wondering who will be in the bleachers that night?  At least I will get one A's game this year since the A's aren't coming to Colorado for inter-league play.  I'm seriously jonesing for some Green & Gold.

It's been a loooong winter :)

On Pitchers and MVP; Also at the bottom, FT and the HOF:

Thomas was limited to 20 games in 2001 because of injury. And he hit just .252 in 2002 with 28 homers and 92 RBI -- paltry by his standards. There was a belief that he was a borderline Hall of Famer.
http://www.startribune.com/509/story/680508.html

-----------------------------------------------
Twins have "Grit" and "Intangibles" not those "Moneyball A's"

But I love this quote:

Were they really "feel-good" stories, though? The Boston payroll is second only to the New York Yankees, year-in and year-out. The White Sox play in one of the biggest media markets in the country and have a payroll to match. Let's be honest, these teams aren't really underdogs -- they're underachievers.

http://www.sports-central.org/sports/2006/09/15/the_team_nobody_wants_to_play.php

Poll

Who scares you the most in Postseason?

18%

Yankees

10 votes

0%

Tigers

0 votes

0%

White Sox

0 votes

81%

Twins

45 votes

55 votes | Poll has closed

First of all, I have to say from the get go, if there are two fan bases in baseball who deserve each others sympathies its us and the ChiSox fans.

Two teams who share cities where baseball fans as a whole seem to be attracted to the teams who suck.  Southside, Eastbay.  Diminuitives, as it were.  As if some how the mere presence of some idiots in the "senior" circuit <snerk> somehow dimishes what the AL Teams have achieved.  The ChiSox and we are kindred spirits, sharing the memories of *Jermaine* [ed] Dye, Frank Thomas, and others.  The Cubbies and Giants fans can fight over Dusty Baker.

Lets look:

Records (as of right now)
White Sox: 84-65
Cubs:  61-89

Athletics: 86-62
Giants: 74-74

Last World Series Win
ChiSox: 2005
Cubs: 1908

Athletics: 1989
Giants: 1954  (as the New York Giants)

So let me say, while I cannot grieve an A's win or sweep, in this case it isn't as sweet as it could have been.

In point of fact, the ONLY World Champions in either the SF Bay or Chicagoland for ALMOST A CENTURY have been the A's & ChiSox.

First of all, MLB seems to have already picked the manager of the year:

http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060912&content_id=1658547&vkey=news_mlb &fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb

But here's one guarantee: no matter what they do, Leyland is the AL's best manager this season.

Oh Ok, glad that resolved.

Finally, Macha has navigated through the usual plethora of injuries.

Usual?????? Give me a break.

And on Rich Harden: What I mean is that I have no idea where the A's starter/reliever/rehabber goes after today. Does he come back into the bullpen to stretch out his arm? Does he come into the rotation, backed up by another starter due to his pitch limit? ...Your guess is as good as mine here, but I'll be watching closely.

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=5517

I don't know is aparently news for BBP. Thanks for that wisdom there...not.

BIG FRANK... please say its true.
General Manager Billy Beane is handling negotiations with agent Arn Tellem, and Wolff said he is confident of re-signing Thomas.

Also the A's are 0 for 10:

If the A's and Los Angeles Angels finish tied for the American League West lead, a playoff game would be played Oct. 2 in Anaheim. The A's lost the coin flip Tuesday to determine the site for the game. The A's have not won a flip in the past four years, going 0-10.
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/sports/baseball/mlb/oakland_athletics/15506795.htm?source =rss&channel=mercurynews_oakland_athletics

No Woofing here.  But at what point do we start thinking about shifting focus to the playoffs?  Not yet, but I would like to see Chavez get some rest before a playoff appearance.  It would really be nice to get Chavy's bat back at full strength.  But I shudder at the idea of Antonio Perez down the stretch.

After the roster expansion, how much time do you think we can afford to do without Chavy?  How much time do you think he needs?

So here is the question?  What is the most unlikely thing that could happen in the next 3 days or so, that you would LIKE to see happen, and is in the realm of possibility.

So for instance:

Halsey pitching a shutout tonight.  That is highly unlikely, but possible.  GOOD

Yankees trade A-Rod and cash to Oakland for Antonio Perez.  BAD

Oh please, stay on vacation and do not choose a double header to make an appearance.  Instead, if you must choose a game to visit, pick the one off Yawkey way.  Lots more people there to be entertained with a blown 5 run lead.

Thank you,

510.

-------------------------------------------------

This is exactly the kind of series that scares the bejeesus out of me.  I would WAY prefer to play a very good team who we can somewhat predict the outcome of, than a series against the Royals with the A's Karma where it is right now after the Mariners.

Sp please everyone, can we keep the mojo here and not talk about "after we sweep the Royals" or some such silliness.  The skill differential between a last place team and a first place team is razor thin.

Oh yeah, and PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE let us play some good ball.

Many of you true AN'ers will be familiar with the Surf Dawgs as the home of Rickey Henderson last year.  Now aparently Bash Brother #2 is following in Rickey's footsteps:

A rumor circulating around Nettleton Stadium before Wednesday night's matchup between the Chico Outlaws and Fullerton Flyers suggested that former Oakland Athletics star Jose Canseco reached a one-year agreement in principle with the Golden Baseball League's San Diego Surf Dawgs in a deal that would be finalized today.

The appeal of those rumblings to Outlaws fans lies in the fact that Canseco would make his debut this weekend when the Surf Dawgs visit Chico for a three-game series.

http://www.chicoer.com/sports/ci_3994573

While I am here in Denver, I have been trying to follow the Rockies, but its hard when they show such poor manners.

First, we sweep the Dodgers, (Big Favor for them) and they repay us by shutting us out 2 days in a row.  Now we beat the Giants.  The LEAST they could do is beat the Rangers...but no!  I mean heck that's just rude.

So tommorow, the (tied) Giants & Rockies play the A's & Rangers (.5 diff, but who's counting?)  Who thinks that Todd & the Toddlers will learn their manners?

Poll

Tommorows Results:

58%

A's Win, Rockies Win

21 votes

33%

A's Win, Rangers Win

12 votes

2%

Giants Win, Rockies Win

1 votes

5%

Giant's Win, Rangers WIn

2 votes

36 votes | Poll has closed

Wow, the day is finally here.  My beloved A's come to visit the Mile High City.  And the 3 days of the year that I cannot root for my new Rockies.  The Rockies are in a lot of ways an easy team for an A's fan to root for.  They're young, they have struggled with market share.  So while I cannot help but feel a tad bit bad that the A's are in town to (hopefully) continue the Rockies losing streak (swept by Cards), I can always hope for them to get swept by the A's, then catch fire and sweep the Rangers, Angels, and Mariners! (Oh to have such a perfect world!).

So tonight, at 7:05 MDT, I will be sitting 7 rows in back of homeplate, my grungy A's Away Cap on my head (the same one that was purchased just outside the Westside club during the 7th innning stretch of the 8/13/2002 game versus the Blue Jays)

And hopefully, history will repeat.  Its Kim tonight, not Lima.  Its the Rockies, not the Tigers.  Its Haren, not Hudson.  But it COULD be 11 in a row.

And just for a quick trip in the Wayback Machine:

http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/oak/news/oak_win_streak_2002.jsp

Go A's!

Now I think that Mychael Urban may be drinking the same Kool-Aid that I am, but what about Mark Mulder back in the Green & Gold?

Link:  http://oakland.athletics.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060612&content_id=1501945& ;vkey=news_oak&fext=.jsp&c_id=oak

And while this is probably pure fantasy, there's a pretty good lefty out in St. Louis who's going to be a free agent at the end of the year, and with Albert Pujols injured, the Cards can't be feeling too great about their chances of winning it all this year. Wouldn't it be something if Mark Mulder somehow made it back to the Bay Area?

Poll

Bring Mulder Home?

48%

Hell Yes!

122 votes

28%

Hell No!

72 votes

9%

Fire Macha Now!

23 votes

10%

Fire Larry Davis!

26 votes

2%

Mark who? (I just linked over from Halo's Haven....)

6 votes

249 votes | Poll has closed

Well, we are well into the season now, and I promised to do another poll on the tarps, and what people think.

So I am trying to be "scientific" here (lol), so...

Good plan?   Bad Plan?  Seats are too expensive now?  Helped reduced the noise of bandwagon Giants fans?  When you post your comment, please say whether you were AT the game, or saw it on TV.

Poll

The Tarps.....

17%

Look cool

21 votes

18%

Make it more like a REAL BALLPARK

22 votes

15%

Suck! Tear them off!

19 votes

13%

Make Mt Davis more bearable

16 votes

9%

Are lame, but who cares

11 votes

15%

Are coming off for the World Series, so who cares!!!! =)

18 votes

10%

don't matter

12 votes

119 votes | Poll has closed

I am curious now that we've got some games done, what people are now thinking about the tarps.  Good plan?   Bad Plan?  Seats are too expensive now?  Helped reduced the noise of bandwagon Yankee fans?  When you post your comment, please say whether you were AT the game, or saw it on TV.  Since my chances of seeing the A's in Oakland this year are slim to none, I'm pretty curious.  (But I can't WAIT until they come come to Denver in June!!!)  Since there's no game today, I figure this would be a good time to ask.

Poll

The Tarps.....

20%

Make Mt Davis more bearable

28 votes

5%

Are lame, but who cares

7 votes

17%

Are coming off for the World Series, so who cares!!!! =)

24 votes

6%

don't matter

9 votes

21%

Look cool

29 votes

16%

Make it more like a REAL BALLPARK

22 votes

11%

Suck! Tear them off!

16 votes

135 votes | Poll has closed

I mean, 2-1 against the Yanks Rocks!  But why do I have this sick feeling in my gut?  The A's are supposed to SUCK this time of year.  We are all supposed to screaming about how Chavy needs to pull his head out of his a**.  We should be screaming about Macha... we should be complaining about how we shouldn't have traded <insert player>, or complaining about our bullpen (RINCON!)

Instead, I am now worried about the one thing I felt was sure as dawn:  The A's second half surge.  Somehow, the success has me more worried than failure would.  "Is there anywhere to go?" I know, I know... its only the third game, and there is plenty of time to get swept by the Royals at home.  But somehow, this uncharted territory is more scary than a series loss is.  Anyone else feeling this?  Or do I just need to up my meds?

Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe that the first Regular Season game, which will see Jason & Johnny as teammates will be played in Oakland... Life is pretty ironic sometimes.  

Too bad Bill King won't be there to highlight the irony.

Basball is pretty weird sometimes... I mean I still can't get my head wrapped around Matsui-Damon-Sheffield in OF.  Even though we were blasted with pictures of Damon's Yankee shorn pate,  I still have a Twighlight Zone moment when I look at the roster.

Octavio Dotel is on the 15 Day DL, so that particular reunion will have to wait.

Just watching Jim Rome talk about Rickey's ending tenure with the Mets as a guest instructor.  And the highlights brought a tear to my eye (sniff!)  As much as I want Rickey in Cooperstown, I selfishly think I want to see him in an A's uniform ONE MORE TIME.  Anyhow...

I love Rickey.  Everyone should love Rickey.  (Rickey loves Rickey!) After feeling so good thinking about the A's playing the Rivercats.  I got to thinking a Poll was in order.

So I was looking and I found this:

During one of his stays with Oakland, Henderson's locker was next to Billy Beane's. After making the team out of spring training, Beane was sent to the minors after a few months. Upon his return, about six weeks later, Henderson looked at Beane and said, "Hey, man, where have you been? Haven't seen you in awhile."
from: http://www.sheriffsully.com/2005/08/30/rickey-being-rickey/

That is priceless. So why do you love Rickey?

Poll

I Love Rickey because...

8%

31 Years in Pro Ball?

8 votes

2%

High Socks?

2 votes

56%

Rickey being Rickey?

55 votes

26%

Just Green & Gold baby!

26 votes

7%

Stolen Base King?

7 votes

98 votes | Poll has closed

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the season of wisdom, it was the season of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope..."

Wow, that Mr. Dickens could turn a phrase... but I digress.  Hope springs eternal.  Unfortunately knees and ankles do not.

Poll

Who has the better 2006 Season?

54%

Bonds

25 votes

45%

Thomas

21 votes

46 votes | Poll has closed

Continue reading this post »

Just a random thought as I sit in Denver looking at the snow, but lets just say that hypothetically, the A's were just looking for a hitter?  Someone who can play 1B as well as DH?  I'm just thinking leave Swish in OF, and split 1B/DH between Helton and Dan Johnson.

What do the Rockies need?  Pitching.  What do we have?  Pitching.

(Maybe they'd take Kennedy and Witasick back?)

If your favorite player were to read EVERYTHING you've ever posted about them on AN.....

Poll

How Embarassed would you be?

17%

Would Like it (I think)

5 votes

17%

OMG! <thud>

5 votes

14%

What do you mean? I copy them all my Comments!

4 votes

3%

Unable to talk

1 votes

17%

Fine as long as my mom didn't see it!

5 votes

28%

Wouldn't mind TOO much...

8 votes

28 votes | Poll has closed

Continue reading this post »

I mean stop it allready! I DON'T CARE about preseason coverage, in fact, I hate it as much as I hate the stores that are already carrying CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS!!!!!!

Its bad enough that the Raiders are gonna screw up centerfield pretty soon, but I don't really care about a sport that has fewer than 20 games a year!!!!  I mean enough already!!!!

On 8/29 I sent an email to Susan Slusser arguing the case that Mark Ellis was the most deserving player in the AL for Comeback Player of the Year voting. I am posting the reply and the original email.

Continue reading this post »