SB Nation User Blog: Blez

American League Wins 4-3 in 15 Innings

Blez — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 05:37:45 -0000

Wow, I'm exhausted just watching this nearly five-hour extravaganza.

I'm glad that it's finally over and Michael Young is Mr. Clutch for the American League (sorry Derek Jeter). He actually had two winning plays in the game, only Dioner Navarro got gunned out at the plate in the 11th inning. Instead another close play at the plate on a sac fly wound up giving the AL the win.

And it's kind of funny, I've got to say, to see division rivals like Carlos Quentin and Justin Morneau embracing like close teammates at home plate on the winning play.

I will say that Duke had a bit of a rough outing, not looking as sharp, but then again he did pitch on Sunday. I was kind of hoping he could avoid being used, but they actually used him pretty early on. He only wound up giving up one run, but the NL guys were squaring him up pretty good.

Regardless, the American League once again has home field advantage in the World Series, so if the A's happen to get a bunch of guys back healthy and make a run at the Angels, well, the first game could be at the Coliseum in late October. I'm just saying.

Open Game Thread: All Star Game 2008 (cont.)

Blez — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 05:16:08 -0000

Yes, it's still going. 14th inning. Still 3-3.

To think it could've easily been over many times already if Dioner Navarro would've dumped that piano from his back.

Open Game Thread: All Star Game 2008 (cont.)

Blez — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 04:10:54 -0000

OK so it's 3-3 in the 11th. I was putting my daughter to bed and completely missed what happened. Are we going to have a tie again?

Open Game Thread: All Star Game 2008 (cont.)

Blez — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 01:54:01 -0000

NL leading 1-0 on a Matt Holliday home run. Wow I'd love to get that guy. It looks like Duke might be coming in next.

I'm sorry, I stand corrected. Joe Buck would tell me that it's "Duck", not "Duke".

Open Game Thread: All Star Game 2008

Blez — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 00:00:26 -0000

The National League takes on the American League in Yankee Stadium.

Ben Sheets starts for the NL and Cliff Lee starts for the AL. I'm actually kind of hoping that Duke doesn't make an appearance. I'd rather he be 100 percent healthy headed into the remainder of the 2008 season.

The NL lineup looks like this:

H Ramirez
Utley
Berkman
Pujols
C Jones
Holliday
Braun
Fukudome
Soto

The AL looks like this:

Suzuki
Jeter
Hamilton
Rodriguez
Ramirez
Bradley
Youkilis
Mauer
Pedroia

Um yeah, is it bad that I don't really like the AL team because it's mostly Yankee and Red Sox players?

The AL has won 11 games in a row. I don't really see that changing, but who knows?

Also, did Joe Buck just call Duke, "Justin Ducksher?" You've got to be kidding me.

Wii Sports: Epic Fail for the Hardcore

Blez — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 21:25:25 -0000

This week is the big video game trade show of the year. The Electronic Entertainment Expo or E3 as it's commonly referred to. So it made me think that I had to talk about something video games related on AN this week.

I recently got a Nintendo Wii. Many of you know I love gaming as a hobby. It's something I do to relax me. So I'd heard about the Wii and the only game that really interested me on that platform was Wii Sports. I thought it would be cool to have a more interactive way to get involved. Especially for sports game lovers.

So I got a Wii and it was a blast making Miis, which are essentially mini-avatars of you, your family or anyone else that you can think of (everyone from Michael Jackson to Adolf Hitler have been created using this functionality). I had fun making avatars of myself, my wife and my daughter. She also loved seeing herself in a game. But seeing herself in a game would have to wait. The Wii that I got had a Wii Sports disc that was broken. I had to call Nintendo customer service, but they quickly sent me out a new one and in no time, I was playing the game that I got a Wii for.

Wii Sports features golf, tennis, baseball, boxing, and bowling. My favorite is probably tennis, followed by bowling. I don't like baseball. At all. First of all, the harder you throw overhand doesn't necessarily make pitches go any faster. I figured out that if I throw like Chad Bradford (OK, not THAT low), I actually get a 94-95 mph fastball and an 87 mph curve. I can also throw a nasty screwball and I limp on my left leg at times because of two knee surgeries, so I felt like Jim Mecir. I'm just too much of a realist for it, I think. Balls that should be caught and are flubbed are called singles. A long shot that rattles around in right center field is only a double and a guy standing on first NEVER scores on it. Plus, the pitchers who are pitching to you throw ridiculously easy to hit stuff right over the middle of the plate. The multiplayer stuff is fun if you have a second Wiimote. I wasn't expecting Wii Sports to be an accurate representation of baseball, but you can't do a lot of simple baseball things, like field or steal bases. It wouldn't have taken much I think to include this.

That being said, I've bought a few other Wii games and Wii Sports is the best experience I've had with it so far. And the console is definitely more kid friendly than either the PS3 or the 360. My daughter loves the art for the games. She also tries to play some of the Wii Sports games, although the bowling is tough because you have to let go of trigger at the right time, otherwise the character never releases the ball.

If you have young children, a Wii is a good buy. But if you're the main one in the house using games and you want to play a realistic baseball game, go with MLB 08: The Show on PS3. MLB2K8 is not up to snuff.

What's your opinion of a good baseball game out there? And did you like Wii Sports?

Athletics Nation Interviews MLB Minor League Writer Jonathan Mayo

Blez — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 04:14:07 -0000

Well, it's the All Star break and I figured it would be a good time to check in on the progress of many of our prized minor league prospects since that's the direction our beloved green and gold are going.

Jonathan Mayo covers the minor leagues and the draft for MLB.com. I thought I would interview him regarding our A's prospects since that's his regular beat. I happened to send this interview to him before the Harden deal so I didn't get a chance to ask him about the prospects the A's got back from the Cubs. Maybe he'll stop by and offer his take.

Enjoy!

Blez: First of all, have you seen Michel Inoa? What do you think of the A's going out and beating everyone out for this guy?

Jonathan Mayo: I have not seen him. The A’s going out and getting him has to be one of the bigger surprises in recent memory, doesn’t it? I mean, the A’s just don’t do things like this. The whole process has been fascinating and it looks like Beane’s personal touch paid off. I know there are people out there who feel something odd occurred in the negotiating process, not necessarily with Oakland, mind you, but with what happened with other teams involved. Unfortunately, the whole international signing process is so difficult to monitor, there’s a lot that goes on unseen and a lot of rumors that end up being generated as a result.

Blez: How do you think he projects out? I know that's tough for a 16-year-old, but I'm wondering what you think of his upside.

Mayo: That’s the thing that’s so scary about Inoa. He’s so big already and the fact he could add an inch or two is frightening. He’ll also fill out some and how he handles that growth will determine just how good he’ll be. I think he’s got as much upside as any pitcher to enter the pro game we’ve seen in years.

Blez: How would you rank the A's top 5 pitching prospects and can you give me a short blurb about each of them?

Mayo: Trevor Cahill -- He's gone from a decent prospect to an outstanding one with his 2008 season so far. Pitching in Double-A and a recent trip to the Futures Game are some nice feathers in his cap.

Brett Anderson -- Coming out of high school, he wasn't your typical prep pitcher. Because of his father, a long-time college coach, he really knew how to pitch and looked more like a pitchability college lefty type. Showed a nifty pickoff move in the Futures Game, that's for sure. In Double-A, he's already way ahead of the curve.

Henry Rodriguez -- Created as much buzz as anyone at the Futures Game by hitting triple-digits and sitting in the upper-90s on the radar gun. He might be a short reliever when all is said and done, but I'd like to see the A's exhaust the possibilities/opportunities for him as a starter before making that move.

Gio Gonzalez -- What can I say? I still love the guy. Stuff-wise, still among the best LHP in the Minors. Still very young. It's going to click at some point -- maybe it's starting right now -- and when it does the A's will have an outstanding southpaw starter on their hands.

Michel Inoa -- I know others might rank him more highly right away based on upside/ceiling, but color me skeptical. I like to see a guy pitch in affiliated baseball at least for a little before going too nuts over him.

Honorable mention: James Simmons, Craig Italiano

Blez: There seems to be a lot of debate about Trevor Cahill and whether he's a top-line starter in the making given his incredible stats this year. Where do you fall on that and have you seen him pitch live?

Mayo: I saw him pitch live in the Futures Game and, obviously, that's just one inning of work so you can't really extrapolate too much over that. Like I mentioned above, he's made a big step forward with his 2008 season and I think opinions are changing about what his ceiling might be. That will continue to evolve if his second half continues the way his first half went. I think he probably is a No. 2 or probably more likely a No. 3 and that's nothing to sneeze at. But just what he's done this year shows how difficult -- and risky -- it can be to try and project pitching prospects, especially those who are that young.

Blez: How would you rank the A's top 5 hitting prospects and can you give me a short blurb about them?

Mayo: I'd start with Carlos Gonzalez if this were the beginning of the year, but since he's in the bigs, I won't count him...

Sean Doolittle -- Those U.Va. guys... you think they don't have power and then they turn pro. A .560 SLG isn't too shabby and he's a guy who'll hit .300 every year. Nice to see him get promoted to Double-A... and start out so well.

Chris Carter -- Yes, he swings and misses quite a bit, but he's got the most power in the system, leading the organization with 25 homers at age 21 in High-A ball. Looks like he's made some adjustments and has his average up over .260 now.

Aaron Cunningham -- Certainly doesn't seem to be fazed by switching organizations. Can hit for power, average and can run. And he'll run through a wall for you.

Matt Sulentic -- He's still only 20 and he seems to have a pretty good handle on how to swing the bat in the California League. Not sure how much power he'll develop, but there's more there, but he's going to be a guy who hits for average and gets on base.

Jesus Guzman -- I know he's "older" at age 24 and he hasn't done much in Triple-A thus far, but he is leading the organization in average and RBIs. He plays all over the infield and even has seen time in the outfield in the past, so maybe he's a super-sub with pop.

Blez: How good does the Dan Haren deal look to you since you're a guy that focuses so much on prospects?

Mayo: It was hard not to love the deal immediately and the performances of those players certainly makes it look even better. C-Gon's already producing in the big leagues, Greg Smith and Dana Eveland are contributing big-time as well, Anderson has moved up a level, Cunningham's hitting well in Double-A at a young age and Carter, as mentioned above, leads the organization in homers. Not too shabby.

Blez: Are you surprised to see Greg Smith and Dana Eveland have this much success, this soon?

Mayo: No on Smith, a little on Eveland. After seeing Smith pitch in the Arizona Fall League, I really thought he'd be a real good big-league pitcher, and soon. He kind of is what he is, you know? A lefty who commands and mixes speeds well. But he's so smart on the mound and goes right after hitters and even if he doesn't have a huge ceiling, he's plenty good right now. As for Eveland, I guess I thought it might take him a little time to settle in. He kind of had been shuttled back and forth between starting and the pen

Blez: What do you think of the A's draft this year?

Mayo: I always have a hard time evaluating a draft class this soon after the draft, especially since the signing deadline isn't for another month. They were kind of conservative up top, though Ross has the potential to provide a big arm if he's healthy and Weeks is a nice player. They did take some chances later on with some guys who slipped because of signability concerns (strong college commitments). If they actually get some of those in the system, then I'd grade it as a good draft, up from just OK.

Blez: There was much angst on AN about the Weeks selection where he went. Was it too high? What kind of player does he project to?

Mayo: I think it was a little too high, but I also know that if they were looking for a leadoff, speedy type, there weren't many other options. And Weeks would not have been there had they waited for the second round. The other college bats available were of the power, 1B/maybe corner OF variety and if the A's scouts weren't thrilled with them, then taking Weeks there might have made more sense. I think they would've taken Aaron Hicks had they been able to convince him to give pitching a try. I think Weeks can be a good leadoff hitter, maybe a No. 2 guy. He showed some surprising pop this past season, but I don't know if that'll translate to wood and the pro game. He definitely doesn't have the power his brother has, but he can run and make contact and should be a pretty good offensive-minded 2B or could possibly make a move to CF.

Blez: Javier Herrera has seemingly been in the A's system since I think he was born. He's always been regarded as a raw talent. Do you think we'll ever see him blossom?

Mayo: For as long as he's been in the system, he's still only 23. If he could stay healthy for more than 10 minutes, maybe things would start coming together. But he's never even had a 400-AB season. It's kind of hard to turn that kind of potential into performance if you can't get on the field. I think he's got the chance to still blossom if he can play consistently and the A's don't give up on him. He's still on the 40-man roster, but he's also only got another year before he could be a six-year free agent. The clock is ticking, but I think he still has a future.

Blez: How quickly do you think the A's rotation will turn over from what it is now to something more like Anderson, Cahill, Gonzalez, Rodriguez and Inoa? Are we looking at when the team moves into the new ballpark in 2012 or sooner?

Mayo: I think the first three will be in the rotation by then, barring injuries. Rodriguez still could end up a reliever, so we'll have to wait and see on that one. Inoa? Who knows -- he maybe one of the largest wild cards the game has ever seen. The good news is the A's have so many other good young arms they can afford to let him develop at the rate he needs to. No rush jobs will be needed there.

Blez: Thank you very much for your time. AN appreciates it.

About Jonathan

Mayo covers the Minor Leagues and the draft for MLB.com. He's got two blogs there, one on the Minors (minors.mlblogs.com) and one on the draft (draft.mlblogs.com). He's also the author of the book Facing Clemens, a pre-Mitchell Report look at the right-hander through the eyes of hitters who have faced him. More information on that can be found at www.jonathanmayo.net.

Home Run Derby Open Thread

Blez — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 23:06:30 -0000

The Home Run Derby just doesn't seem that interesting to me. Yes, it's got a ton of great young stars participating in it, like Utley, Hamilton, Longoria and Ryan Braun. But if I don't find the All Star Game itself very compelling, there's no reason for me to find this all that compelling. Apparently Jayson Stark doesn't either, but for different reasons than me. He's wondering where the Yankees are.

That being said, I will watch. My guess is that the righties in the lineup, Uggla, Longoria and Braun will be at a disadvantage because of Yankee Stadium.

So if I had to take a guess as to who would be the favorites, my feeling would be Josh Hamilton would be the man to watch out for (even with his zero homers in 10 ABs at Yankee Stadium). The other I like is Lance Berkman. Can never count out a savvy vet.

Who do you like? And do you like the home run derby? I would imagine I'd be a lot more into it if there was an Athletic there. Yes, I'm that much of a homer.

AN Day Absence

Blez — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 04:10:28 -0000

Folks, I wanted to first say a huge thank you to paradox and all the other generous folks who've gone out of their way to make AN Day V something special this year. But obviously more than anyone, I want to thank baseballgirl from the bottom of my heart. She truly is a gift from above.

Unfortunately, I had to cancel my plane flight and rental car tonight because I got in a pretty bad car accident this morning. Everyone involved is fine. My daughter was shaken up but we took her to the doctor and she is OK. But ultimately my car is totaled and I haven't been feeling very well since the accident.

So I'm skipping out this year. I overnighted baseballgirl all the giveaway stuff and an extra ticket (which I think will be for PaulThomas, I'm not sure). The special guest also knows and has BBG's info, so that will still be happening. I just wanted to let you know so you aren't saying, "Isn't this Blez's site? Why isn't he here?"

I'm more upset than anything because I'm missing AN Day V: The Athletics Strike Back. That just means I'll have to make sure that I'm there for AN Day VI: The Return of the Blogger.

Mark Mulder Just Left the Game

Blez — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 00:09:51 -0000

I feel bad for Mulder. He just left the Cardinals game in the first inning after facing three batters. I don't want to speculate on what it is, but Mulder has been fighting to come back from tons of shoulder issues for a while now. He had a long road back and this was his first start in almost a year.

I always loved Mulder when he was an Athletic. I'm sorry to see that happen, but best of luck to him.

This could definitely make the Cardinals buyers around the deadline and the A's have a Blanton to deal. He's a guy that never gets injured and I think Blanton would have a lot more success in the National League. We shall see.