Well good Good Friday to everyone.  I like several other unfortunate persons out there, find myself at work today.  Things are slow as most of, if not all, the base is emptying faster than a sinking ship for their 96 but alas I am here towing the company line as it were and thought we could all use a DLD.

Yesterday brought us very sad and unfortunate news that rocked not only baseball fans but everyone and my thoughts echo those of many yesterday and more than likely today as well, that my prayers go out to the families and cancelling the game last night was the right move to make.  If you have not done so already check out Rev Halofan's moving tribute over on Halo’s Heaven.

Using baseball to again heal and find closure when you may need it most, there were Minor League games yesterday that involved A's teams and asyouwish33 proves a great review of the A’s Minor League teams over in the fanposts and if you do the GOG thing don’t forget to get your picks for the Seattle series in before the start of tonight’s game.

And now for the good stuff or not so good stuff…For what seems to be my lot in life, I have once again found myself loving a show that might not make it back next season.  I really hope that Chuck is brought back or Monday nights will not be the same.  And in other Entertainment news Bill O’Reily is mad again, well that is not really news but the reason this time is I guess.    

If you see your Grandma today give her a hug just not don’t be like this guy.

Pull up a chair, sit a while, and tell a story or two but if nothing else dump a little link for me.

What in the wide world of sports is going on here people? We are all going to die.  Well that maybe is a bit much but let’s see what’s going on today...

It appears that swimming 250 miles is the same as swimming 2100 miles as long as you stay in the water for at least 21 minutes and do not go in until 45 minutes after eating. 

The football rules committee of the NHFS is keeping innovation out of high school football.  So take that and put it in Michael Phelps bong and smoke (what too soon?) it all you out there that want to see something different in high school sports. 

And finally wtf is going on here.  I don’t know if she is being bitter or what but my goodness.

Oh and there some kind of game being played tonight in Durham NC.  It has something to do with two teams and trying to but a ball in something called a basket.  I don’t know, sounds interesting so I might give it a look.   

Dump Away.  Its fun and everyone is trying it.

Appetizer

Check out this alternative fuel source idea.

And these people just learned a hard lesson about irony.  

Main Course:

Beat reporter Mycheal Urban answers some A's related questions here

There is a nice interview with Josh Donaldson along with other A's related new over here

And because this years winners will be voted on soon here is a look back on the 2008 Darwin Award Winners

Dessert:

To start the wrap it up process and if you are like and need a last minute gift idea try this

Closing thought for consideration:  It has been mentioned before but what about Jerry Hairston Jr. as a FA pick-up for SS?

And anyone one with any gift idea for 16-19 year old females that are not creepy (the gift ideas not the girls) I am open to suggestions.

Dump Away like Hannahan swinging at a fastball down the middle.

So I see that no one else has posted a DLD yet I will set up and see if I can swing and miss at some comedy/funny stuff as bad a Hannahan misses a 87 MPH fastball down the middle.

Any way here is something that I came across while on Yahoo from the Rangers game Thursday night (I think).  The video of the incident is good and happens moments after Reggie Sexton hits a grand slam.   

link

And from Rotoworld

Sean Gallagher avoided the disabled list on Wednesday, but he will miss his next start with a sore shoulder.  The MRI showed inflammation only in his shoulder and as a result his next start will be pushed back five to six days

Keith Foulke's (shoulder) minor league rehab assignment is likely to be extended because of his struggles at Triple-A.  (AKA he sucks even in AAA).  Foulke allowed three runs in two innings Wednesday; serving up a pair of homers (As Mr. Burns would say “Excellent”).

Finally, Ziggy is back with a new post so don’t stay here to long and go read Ziggy’s post as soon as you can.

Jump to Ziggy

Well I thought the game on Fox today was going to be decent but after DiceK was horrible and the new guy that the Sox just brought in K ed the first batter he faced then hung a slider that was hit over the Green Monster for a grand slam and all of a sudden its 8-0 Cards.  While the game may not be over I have lost interest in it and started surfing the web and found this article, (some day I will learn how to make the hyperlink thing work and be able to just put link)

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=ApZkyH2.PvFDG8nt2Yat5QURvLYF?slug=sh-buyerssellers061908&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

It talks about possible buyers and sellers as we near the much talked about trade deadline.

It lists the A’s among others, as possible sellers with Harden and Blanton being the big catches for team needing pitching and could bring another haul.  Well looking through the players listed from the different teams got me to wondering how AN would answer the question posed in the title.  Along with that what would it take it to bring Roberts to Oakland if that is what the A’s were to do? 

Also are there any others on the list for those who jumped over to yahoo that the A’s should consider.   

Note: Original Post title read “Should the A’s want or get Brain Roberts?”  Hence the excellent work of Nico in comment #4

The Yankees have signed Sidney Ponson (to a minor league deal) and added him to their 40 man roster.  This may take them out of the running for a stop gap SP aka Joe Blanton.  I could be wrong but getting a current major league player for Blanton alone may be harder following his last few starts.  But getting one or maybe a couple of quality minor leaguers for him is another story especially from a team that needs pitching.  And since our 1b and most of the outfield is just up from AAA why not plug someone else from AAA in LF and move Cust to DH (if an OF was aquired) and see what they can do for us at least until Thomas and or Big Sweeny come back. 

So going around looking for some prospects with some hitting ability, here are a few players in the minors that could help the A’s this season if they could be pried away from current parent clubs.  Parent Clubs are in parentheses.

1b-Brad Eldred with the AAA Charlotte Knights-In 72 games he is hitting .261 with 24 HR and 68 RBI’s.  Measurable 6’5” 275 and bats and throws R. (White Sox)

1b-Chris Richard with the AAA Durham Bulls-In 65 games he is hitting .316 with 13 HR and 42 RBI’s.  Measurable 6’2” 210 and bats and throws L. (Tampa Bay)

1b-John Lindsey with the AAA Las Vegas 51’1-In 67 games he is hitting .325 with 14 HR and 55 RBI’s.  Measurable 6’2” 245 and bats and throws R.  (LA Dodgers)

3b-Dallas McPherson with the AAA Albuquerque Isotopes-In 66 games he is hitting .296 with 22 HR and 47 RBI’s.  Measurable 6’4” 235 and bats L and throws R.  (Florida) Note: a move to 1b would be in order here.

OF- Nelson Cruz with the AAA Oklahoma RedHawks-In 63 games he is hitting .348 with 21 HR and 57 RBI’s also 15/21 in SB.  Measurable 6’3” 230 and bats and throws R. (Texas)

OF-Brent Clevlen with the AAA Toledo Mud Hens-In 58 games he is hitting .324 with 13 HR and 55 RBI’s.  Measurable 6’42 190 and bats and throws R.  (Detroit) Note: didn’t fair as well in 11 games with the Tigers but that was just a short call up

These would just be the key guy in a trade not the only ones should a trade go down.  Meaning I have not looked beyond the main player to acquire so I don’t know who else would/could come along in a trade that was say Blanton for 2 or 3 (or more) young guys.  

With the exception of Clevlen, no one else has been up this year to my knowledge.  Also I know that AAA hitting does not translate to Major League hitting but if these guys were in our system they would be getting a look at the least or there would be talk of bring them up.  And additional chip could be Calero.   

Going around the typical morning new/sports sites here are some of the interesting (not really but what the heck in some cases) things going around this morning.

First, some background/filler information about the up coming series.   A trade last December between Arizona and Oakland has made what many (outside of AN) thought to be a hoe hum interleague series into one with a little drama as 3 pieces of that trade are currently up with the A’s, manning CF and making up 2/5 of  Oakland’s rotation.  And Dan Haren will pitch game 2 of the 3 game set.  In the same report (the Team Report from Yahoo Sports) there was a bit of info about the other half of the prospects from the Haren deal, the high points being:

“Outfielder Arron Cunninghamis batting .287 at Class AA Midland after missing more than a month  left-hander Brett Anderson is 8-2 with a 2.23 ERA if you throw out the two starts he made with the injury and OF/DH Chris Carter is at Stockton, and while he started slow, he’s batting .306 in June and has hit 16 home runs on the year.” 

Then after the sweep of the Giants (just really like repeating that) 3B Eric Chavez has 770 career RBIs a number that ties him with Reggie Jackson for fourth on Oakland all-time list.  So congratulations to Chavvy for that.

Finally from the A’s site over at MLB.com Mychael Urban, thinks that Travis Bucks struggles are both physical and mental and that he will iron them out. Not that great of news there and not the most socking thing to here.  But here is the link:

 http://oakland.athletics.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080616&content_id=2943163&vkey=news_oak&fext=.jsp&c_id=oak

The mail bag section there also talks about his thoughts on Joe Blanton being traded, on Chad Gaudin being used more or traded, and on the thoughts on the A’s drafting 2B Jemile Weeks.  Decent little post from yesterday.

Go A’s

Read no futher if you want a lot of news and insight, this is just fodder from my thoughts but if you need to kill time at work by all means read on.

So now that a few days have past.  What are the thoughts on the draft?

I know we would have loved to have Justin Smoak and it was made even worse when he was taken one pick away from ours but until the time machine is up and running we are stuck with the hope the Mark Teixeira has had a life long dream of wanting to play for Oakland and signs with us this off-season.  But until then here are a few thoughts I have had about the draft and some draft related things. 

1. I have invested (wasted) way too much time going through all the draft picks.  When you may not hear from several of them ever again, but the lower they were picked the more I want to know about them, I’m sick in the head I guess.

2.  It seemed like ever player I (and others around AN) wanted the A’s to get was taken just before the A’s picked (damn rangers). 

3.  Like most this draft was pitcher heavy for the A’s (but the same applies for most teams) but if I’m correct the break down goes like this:  20-RHP, 6-LHP, 3-C, 1-1B, 4-2B, 3-SS, 3-3B, 4-OF, 4-CF, AND 1-IF.  And is it a good sign when all your position is listed as IF.  I would start to question my defensive skills but that’s just me (and I know that it means in-field before anyone gets upset. 

4.  Later round picks I hope sign and begin the minor league careers soon are:

Rashun Dixon because he is a young guy with a lot of talent,

David Thomas because of the Wendy’s guy and he went to school in NC,

James Messer because he is from NC, from a small town and could turn out big, Preston Guilmet because he simply produced in college,

Mathieu Leblanc Poirier because his name sound like he should be playing hockey, and Derek Wiley because he was the last player taken and he is the IF prospect. 

5.  If all of the players taken were on lists of players to go after in the draft them the A’s have scouts (or are we supposed to call them statisticians) that spend a lot of time looking for these young guys play.

6. This is just a thought but what if we offered Joe Blanton, Keith Foulke, and any 5 of our drafted pitchers from this year to Texas for Smoak and say another AAA prospect.  That would be right up their alley trying to trade hitting for pitching (with limited success with Josh Hamilton being the exception).  Then in 2-3 years when Texas has not developed any of them we can pick up any that are left and still have what we wanted all along.  It could work.       

and finally this has nothing to do with the draft but

7. With him no long in the AL West (and I get the he has not been there in a while now), I don’t feel bad for writing this but it was really great to see Ken Griffey Jr. go deep yesterday to reach the 600 homer mark. 

So the only problem with having so many players on the DL is that sometimes they get better (knock on wood that this is not a jinx).  So with that being said and the news that Mike Sweeney will be out the next 4-6 weeks with knee surgery and the Big Hurt out until after Interleague play, what are the A’s going to do when Little Sweeney, Santiago Casilla, and Joey Devine are ready to go, barring no setbacks with the pitchers?  And what is up with Donnie Murphy? 

With all that being said I’ll throw my thoughts into the pan and see what anyone else thinks.  Ok so from reports the start or problem date starts around June 14th so what do we do…

1.  When little Sweeney’s rehab time is up bring him back and send the sometimes human double machine Carlos González down to Sacramento for more seasoning.  This time up was good for him but he needs some more triple A time.  So that leaves the out field to start games of LF Crust, CF Sweeney, and RF Buck.  Late in the game if needed move Sweeney to LF and Davis into CF.  Not to bad defensively.  Also when Chavvy is playing third, Crust can play his natural position, DH, and Brown can play LF or a whole shift and let Davis play CF while little Sweeney mans LF.  This also works if Thomas and big Sweeney can not get back as soon as hoped. 

2.  When Casilla can go, one of the great pitchers in the pen will have to be moved and even as good as Ziggy has been (and I really hate to see it happen), he will be heading back to the Rivercats.  This move sucks because I really want Ziggy to stay with the A’s long term. 

3.  When Devine is ready to come back is when things really get tough.  So what do the A’s do?  If it’s me, I do several things, starting with moving Chad Gaudin back into the rotation.  Next send one of the rookie lefties to Sacramento.  I would send Greg Smith first and see if Dana Eveland can be the back of the rotation guy for now if not can Ziggy start?  So our rotation would be (in no order what so ever):

Rich Harden

Justin Duchscherer

Joe Blanton (until he’s traded?)

Chad Gaudin

Dana Eveland (Brad Ziegler only in dreams)

That’s a lot of righties but what else can you do.  And if Eveland struggles I’m open to any ideas of a 5th starter, unless we let the entire bullpen be our fifth starter and each pitch an inning or two.   

4. When and if Murphy ever is ready to go, Gregorio Petit winds up back in AAA.  What is wrong with Murphy anyway?

So the solves things until the DH’s are back and ready to go at which time I am out of ideas on what to do.  Or in others words cross that bridge when we get there.  Any thoughts on this or other roster moves, either needed or wanted?