So AN, after cheering for the A's for 25 years, I am finally going to come to Oakland to catch a series, girlfriend in tow. Looking at maybe July, the Angels or the Rays series.  The plan is something like stay in the area for 6 days or so.  3 days of baseball, 3 days of other stuff.  Now, I've never been further West than Texas, so I don't know much about the area.  This is where AN comes in.  Where the heck do I go, and what do I do?

My girlfriend is happy to go to the games with me, but I know she doesn't really care about baseball.  I'd like to have some fun stuff to do on our days off (or maybe before the game).  I will go bullet point on you to help with our likes/dislikes.

- Outdoors stuff would be fun.  I'd love to hit some of the NoCal places like the Redwoods, but I think that is too far.  Maybe similar closer stuff?

-Beach/Coast stuff is good, but neither of us is strictly a fan of sitting on the beach soaking rays.

-Nightclub/bar stuff isn't up our alley either.

-A few general ideas we had were: Golden Gate Bridge, Castro District, Fisherman's Wharf, Lombard Street, Telegraph Hill.  Is this all just tourist crap?

That's all I can come up with at 2 am.  Also, any general suggestions about hotels or good places to stay in general, transportation, etc would be helpful. 

Also, I'm coming from Texas, so I hope there will be places to park my horse.

Thanks AN!

I figured the best time to post this would be after the trading dealine has passed, as that is the time it is most relevant.  For quite some time I have had a way of looking at the Athletics that I suspect many of you don't and perhaps haven't even considered.

I don't care about a single member of the A's.  To me they are simply an employee with a specific job to do.  Their humanity is totally irrelvant to me and is just an unfortunate fact.  All I care about is how much they contribute to the A's winning.  I would trade every player on the 40-man roster for 40 different players if it meant a 1% upgrade.

I don't care what kind of horrible crimes an Athletic commits in his off-time, as long as it doesn't downgrade his ability, nor keep him from playing.  I would accept Barry Bonds, A.J. Pierzynski or Elijah Dukes if it meant our team would become better.

This deadline I was hoping they would trade every single player whose contract is up with year, without exception.  I don't care if we didn't win another game all year.  In fact, I prefer it.  If we don't make the playoffs, I would just prefer to lose as many games as possible to improve our draft picks.

I don't want to meet any of the players.  Nick Swisher, Dan Haren, whatever.  They aren't people, they are baseball players.  I don't care what they have to say about anything, I only want them to hit or pitch as well as they can.  Their opinions, charity work or whatever else that is good about them is irrelvant to me.  Help us win games or get out.

My favorite players?  Whoever contributed the most to our last win.  My least favorite?  You get the point.

Yeah, I don't have any feelings and am pretty much a bastard.  But I wouldn't have it any other way.

[EDITOR'S NOTE:  I was actually going to advocate for something similar to this in my post today.  In particular, I really want to see Suzuki and Barton get some experience with the A's right now.  I think it can only help the team both now AND in the future to get these guys some experience.  In other words, it's not really impacting the lineup greatly to be removing the guys who are there now.  You pretty much have nowhere to go but up.  - Blez]

It isn't as if Dan Johnson isn't at least adequate at first base, but Daric Barton is hitting so well in Sacramento that the A's may pretty much be forced in to making a move.

Daric Barton's June numbers are quite impressive:

82 ABs, .512 BA, 13 2B, 1 HR, 7 BB, .578 OBP, .732 SLG.

In addition, he has had at least two hits in each of his last nine games.  Over that span he has just one walk, but raised his batting average from .274 to .330.

Barton has hit .344/.425/.541 against righies vs .298/.410/.393 vs lefties.   A platoon would be nice, but Johnson also favors the righies as well.  Mike Piazza's career OPS against lefties is nearly 100 points higher than lefties, so maybe a platoon could be worked a little there.

Many people probably know he has been playing a little at third base this year, but his results haven't been too encouraging.  He has been solid at first base, but nine errors in 49 chances at third base won't displace Chavez anytime soon.

So decide for yourself.  Trade home runs for doubles and gain some OBP.  Or maybe he sucks or maybe he goes nuts and tears it up.

Hell if i know.

The A's draft Adam Klein with the 1,409th overall pick this year out of Cal State Los Angeles.  That's the 48th round.

So far the outfielder has gone 2-2 with 7 walks, 1 HBP, 4 R and 3 SB in the first two games in Rookie-level Arizona.  Yes, he has reached base 10 consecutive times (and counting) to start his professional career.

Ok so he is 23 years-old and is one of the oldest guys in the league, but the run is impressive so far.

Will he make the major leagues...mmm probably not.  A 23 year-old drafted in the 48th round would be lucky to make it to double-A, but it is fun to track.

I have a couple stories about Snelling that I had recently heard from a friend and Blez asked me to share them with AN, so here they are:

The first was when he first got signed and went to Everett (short-season).  He had just come from Australia and the scout who signed him (I think it was the scout) dropped him off at a hotel and told him he would come by the next day and take him out to lunch and later meet the manager and coaches.  So he is in his hotel room and he wants to call his folks back in Australia.  He tries to call them, but every time he does someone else picks up the phone so he just hangs up.  Eventually he gives up and goes to sleep.  The next morning he is awoken by a knock at his door.  He opens it and it is the police there to arrest him for making prank calls to 911.  Turns out he was dialing something like "0911..." which I guess was his folks number, but of course he had never heard of 911 before.  So he is there in his underwear having been asleep and he is trying to explain to cops what is going on.  He tells them he just came to the United States to play baseball, and suggests they call the team to verify if all.  The cops call the team, but the manager had never heard of him before, so they take Snelling to jail.  Eventually they get in contact with the scout and get it all sorted out, but the kid (he as 17 at the time) was just about ready to go home that night.

The other was when he first got called up to the Mariners.  They tell him that players are required to wear a suit, so the guy goes to like friggin Goodwill and buys some old used polyester leisure suit.  He shows up for the flight and of course the team thinks he is out of his mind.  They had to stop off at a store and buy the guy a real suit so he didn't look like Cousin Eddie from Nation Lampoon's Vacation.

So yeah, he should fit in with the A's just fine.

The AFL wrapped up this week.  It may not be much consolation (read: no consolation), but the Phoenix Desert Dogs won the League Championship with a 6-2 victory over Grand Canyon on Saturday, although none of our prospects had much of an impact in the game.  In the last week Kevin Melillo rebounded a little bit from a disappointing campaign.  He went 6-for-13 with a double and a home run in the last three regular season games, but ended the season with a .245 average in 94 at-bats with just six extra-base hits and nine walks.

Marcus McBeth and Michael Mitchell each pitched respectably for the Dogs this season.  McBeth had a 4.50 ERA in 10 IP, but struck out 11 with three walks against some very talented hitters.  Mitchell pitched even better, posting a 2.61 ERA with 10 Ks against three walks over 10 1/3 frames.  Mitchell's success was a little more eye-raising than McBeth's, but both will carry lofty expectations over to 2007.

Daric Barton and Jason Perry both started playing in the Dominican League at the end of last week.  I would have the exact stats, but the only place I know has them updated is "temporarily unable to service your request due to the site owner reaching his/her bandwidth limit".  Barton was playing very well in the handful of games he been in, hitting for both average and power.  2006 was supposed to be his breakout season until he broke his elbow during a freak play in Sacramento.  Next year's expectations should be no less, especially if he continues to hit well on the island.  Perry hasn't had as much success as Barton in the few games he has appeared in.

Veterans Charles Thomas and Doug Clark are both playing south of the States as well.  Clark, who played in his ninth professional season at the age of 30, hit a career high 15 home runs in 2006 and posted a .366 OBP.  He is playing well so far in the Mexican League, going 31-for-101 with six homers and 23 walks.  Thomas, who struggled to maintain an OBP over .300 in Sacramento, has hit .255 with just four extra-base hits and nine walks in 47 at-bats.  Neither figure to play a large part in the A's future, though.  Speaking of Charles Thomas, it occurred to me that trades the Braves make usually end up good for them and bad for their trading partner, especially when it comes to pitching.  With Mazzone long gone, I wonder if that pattern will continue.

Maybe bears have it right, just go to sleep when the World Series ends and wake up when Spring Training starts.   I hope my boss understands.  Err... and my dog.

Slim pickens this week.  The AFL wraps up next week and there have been an unusually small number of farmhands playing in the Latin leagues.  I've prayed every day of the last week that the GM meetings will bring some sort of action.  Since pretty much every of our manager interviewees have already been hired away, maybe we can make a decision?  Eh screw it, just rehire Macha... again.

Perhaps the only piece of news this week is the addition of Richie Robnett to the AFL roster.  He replaces Travis Buck, who underwent surgery towards the end of last week with a sports hernia.  He will return to Arizona to support his team and should be ready to go by the start of the 2007 season.

Robnett, who missed the last couple months of the regular season with a broken bone in his hand, has hit in all four games so far.  Not only that, but he has an extra-base hit in all four as well.  In his debut on Monday he went 2-for-4 with a home run and a double.  In the next three games he combined to go 4-for-10 with a double, two triples and three walks.  His first game he batted ninth, but by the end of the week he was hitting third.

His 2006 season was full of ups and downs as he struggled with injury and bounced around the system.  Stockton was his home for most of the year as he hit .266 with a .350 OBP and 11 home runs in 267 at bats.  The 22 year-old got called up to Sacramento for  a few games in late July before being sent down to Midland, where his season ended after a couple weeks with the broken bone in his hand.  

He and Buck are two of the top offensive prospects in the system, especially at the top level, and a solid 2007 could put them on Oakland's doorstep by the end of next year.

Why do you people still come here?  Aren't you sick of baseball yet?  College Football, NFL, NBA, NHL, curling, badminton, Chinese Checkers?  Or not.  

For the past couple of years it was easy to say that Michael Mitchell's success mostly occurred because he was an advanced pitcher playing against younger, less experienced hitters.  The right-hander was selected in the 35th round of the 2003 draft out of a Missouri community college, but didn't sign until November.  At 22 years old he made his debut in Vancouver by allowing just two runs in 13 1/3 innings.  The reliever split 2005 between Vancouver and Kane County with good results.  Oakland finally challenged him in 2006 after he spent the first half of the season dominating in Stockton.  Midseason he was bumped up to Sacramento to bolster a depleted bullpen and held his own for five games.  Once he was sent down to Midland he continued to pitch well out of the bullpen.

It was a little surprising to see Mitchell selected to pitch in the AFL, but he is rewarding the A's confidence with a good performance.  In fact, he is performing better than any of the other representatives.  He has given up a run in just two of his nine appearances (7 2/3 IP) and has struck out seven against just one walk.   Not much to go on, but very impressive numbers in a league loaded with offensive talent, most of which is Double-A or higher.  2007 should be an interesting season for him, especially if he starts in Sacramento.

Kevin Melillo had a nice week in Arizona, going 4-for-14 with four walks and three RBI.  All four walks came in Friday's game in which he scored a run, drove in a run and stole a base.  Marcus McBeth added to his solid winter season by tossing two scoreless innings this week, striking out two.  In Venezuela Gregorio Petit tallied a hit in four straight games, but has yet to walk in 42 at bats.

Matt Allegra, who has accumulated 2,345 at bats in the Oakland system, became a six-year free agent at the end of the 2006 season.  Selected in the 16th round of the 1999 draft as a 19 year-old, Allegra has shown flashes of a solid player but has never been able to put together a breakout season.  After hitting 20 home runs in Visalia in 2002 he struggled to compete at higher levels, compiling a .296 OBP in Midland in 2003.  He missed much of 2004 due to injury, but hit .382 in 18 games, including 10 extra-base hits.  Despite many people thinking 2005 would be the year for Allegra, he was demoted from Midland after failing to hit above .200 and showing little power.  Last season he hit 15 home runs and 27 doubles for the RockHounds, but did so as a 25 year-old.   He will likely move on to another team next season as many players do in his situation.

This week was an especially slow one for our players in the AFL.  It does mark the halfway point for the League in which Phoenix, the team of our affiliates, has the best record at 10-6.  In case you were wondering, the playoffs comprise entirely of a single game between the winners of the two divisions.  Rumor has it that the winner gets a pizza party at CiCi's after the game.  It is also rumored that the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles arcade game will be on free-play for the evening.

On Friday the AFL hosted the inaugural "Rising Stars Showcase", which is a sort of All-Star game.  Call me crazy, but I think a season that is five weeks long probably doesn't need an All-Star game.  Anyway, Travis Buck and Landon Powell combined to go 0-for-4 with a couple strikeouts, but Marcus McBeth threw a perfect ninth with two strikeouts to record the save and lock up the 3-1 win.

Shortstop Gregorio Petit has shown up in Venezuela playing for Caracas, the team which many A's farmhands have historically played for (and the team for which both Marco Scutaro and Javier Herrera are listed on, but have yet to play).  In two weeks (26 at-bats) Petit has gone 10-for-26 with a couple home runs and six RBI.  His best tool is his defense, but he has flashed a bit of power.  He hit eight home runs and 40 extra-base hits for Stockton in 519 at-bats this past full season.  His most glaring weakness is his plate discipline.  He drew just 38 free passes in 2006 and none so far in Venezuela.

With the end of the World Series came the first free agent declarations.  Of course we expect to see Zito walk, which will certainly result in a first-round pick and a first round sandwich pick. The newest labor deal, signed on Tuesday, barely made the news, but it may have some consequences for the way Beane works his magic.  The Type-C free agent compensation will be eliminated in 2007 and the number of type-A free agents will be reduced by 33%.  In addition, Type-B free agents no longer take a draft pick from the acquiring team, but instead result in a second-round sandwich pick.  In short, this means potentially fewer picks and less compensation for walking free agents.  For example Jay Payton may be a type-C free agent this year, resulting in a second-round sandwich pick, but next year we would receive no compensation.

Not the end of the world as we know it, but had it been in place in 2002, we likely wouldn't have had nearly as many first-round selections.  Whether it is good or bad for baseball I am unsure, but it certainly helps teams like the Yankees and hurts teams like Oakland.

Other provisions of the new agreement were the increase of the minimum salary from the current $327,000 to $380,000 in 2007 (and smaller increases from 2008-2011) and the increase of the luxury tax threshold to $148 million in 2007 and an increase of between $7-8 million until 2011 when the agreement expires.  Eliminated was the current provision which states that if a team does not sign their former players who became free agents by December 7th, they lose rights to the player until May 1st.  Some arbitration deadlines were also extended in the agreement.

What fun is baseball without the minute, pointless details?

Ok, so one week of the AFL doesn't give a ton to write about.  It also doesn't help if none of the players did well.  While the Desert Dogs have gone 4-1 with a team average of .288 over their last five games, the three A's farmhands hit a combined .189.  The pitching wasn't much better, as our representatives gave up nine runs over 4 2/3 innings.

The biggest blowup came from Conner Robertson on Saturday when he gave up five runs in 2/3 of an inning of relief.  He gave up three homers, including one to the first batter he faced, and two back-to-back to knock him out.  While he was obviously overmatched, two of the three players who hit home runs off him had little experience above Single-A.  Very surprising considering Robertson, who had had a 2.80 ERA in 83 2/3 Double-A innings this season, gave up just a single home run in all of the 2006 full season.  In nearly 200 previous professional innings entering the AFL, he had given up just FIVE total home runs.  Yet in 2/3 of an inning in the AFL he gave up three.

I think that says more about the Arizona Fall League than it does Robertson, though.  Certainly it isn't ordinary to see that kind of performance, it also isn't too extraordinary.  Three of the six AFL teams have a team ERA of over six and two of them over seven.  Most teams choose to send three offensive studs, while resting their most prized pitchers and sending the second-tier.  Pitchers rarely pitch more than two or three innings, including starters.

Not much movement in the Mexican/Dominican/Venezuelan/etc leagues.  Former Athletic Erubiel Durazo is off to a hot start for Hermosillo of the Mexican League, going 17-for-43 with four homers and a pair of doubles.  One of the A's top prospects, Javier Herrera, is listed on a Dominican League team's roster but has yet to play.  The Caracas Native missed time in 2005 due to a steroid suspension and all of 2006 after undergoing surgery.  His 2007 campaign will be closely watched, especially since there were so many disappointments this season.

Not to be all Chicago Cubs on you, but there's always next year.  Yes, some wounds take a long time to heal, and this is certainly one of those occasions, but we can at least start looking forward.  All we have to do is look to Arizona  where they seemingly play baseball 365 days per year.  The Arizona Fall League started on Tuesday of last week and features six of the A's top prospects.

As is typical in the AFL, the offensive talent we sent was more impressive than the pitching.   Travis Buck is certainly the most impressive name, but the other offensive players, Kevin Melillo and Landon Powell, deserve attention.  On the mound, or more specifically the bullpen, are Marcus McBeth, Connor Robertson and Michael Mitchell.  McBeth and Robertson had fine seasons in Midland, whereas Mitchell had plenty of struggles.  The AFL is a place to either build off a fine full season, or recover from a disappointing one like Shane Komine did in Arizona last fall.

Kevin Melillo started his AFL campaign off with a bang, hitting a home run in the first game of the season.  He has since added a double and a couple of singles.  A nice Fall would mean a lot to Melillo, whose 2006 season totals were less than what was to be expected.  If the second baseman can refind his power stroke he can hopefully carry it over to next season.

The player that may be the closest to Oakland is Marcus McBeth.  He is certainly a wild card having pitched not much longer than one year total in his career, but his impressive numbers in Midland (65:20 in 54 1/3 innings) show much promise.  He has two perfect innings so far this season with a pair of strikeouts.

Players typically don't get a lot of playing time in the AFL so it is difficult to make judgments, but a player who performs well usually has high expectations entering the next season.  A good example of this is the aforementioned Shane Komine.  He missed much of 2005 after undergoing surgery, but an excellent 2005 AFL season was followed by a good 2006 start and he eventually ended up in Oakland.

So as Nico and BaseballGirl have already inferred, how can you not be excited about 2007?  Besides, this is Oakland, and our off-seasons are more spectacular than the actual season.

Right?

I said at the start of the season that I wasn't an expert in any way and didn't want to pass myself off as one.  That said, I'm about to pass myself off as an expert.  If you disagree with any of the below, please consider one of two things:  a) it's quite possible that I am an idiot, and 2) it's quite possible you are an idiot.

Most Improved Player

The choices here are somewhat limited, but Jeff Baisley put up very solid numbers for Kane County this year.  It is just his first full pro season, and he was in low-A despite being 23, but Baisley was one of the few offensive highlights for the system.  After hitting .252/.362/.413 last season in Vancouver, he was considered a minor prospect at best.  For the Cougs' this season he hit .298 with 22 home runs and a very impressive 110 RBI in 466 at-bats.  

Most Improved Pitcher

I was somewhat liberal with the definition of improved on this one.  Marcus McBeth had played in nearly 300 games entering the season, but most of them were in the outfield.  After struggling at the plate for three seasons, McBeth made the transition to relief pitcher last year.  In a short 2005 stint with Kane County, the 25 year-old right-hander gave up 11 runs in 19 2/3 innings, but struck out 21.  This season for both Midland and Stockton he proved that his transition was more than an experiment.  He was the anchor of the RockHounds' bullpen for most of the season, putting up a 2.48 ERA in 54 1/3 innings with 65 strikeouts and just 20 walks.   And if he needs to bat, I guess he can't be any worse than Antonio Perez.

Most Disappointing Player

Unfortunately this category had far too many candidates.  I wanted to pick somebody who actually had a chance to let us down with his performance, not just his injuries.   That person was Cliff Pennington.  Before he had time to blame injuries, he just plain sucked.  In 21 April games he hit .103 with a double and 21 strikeouts.  He bounced back a bit in May and June before being shut down with a hamstring injury, but finished his Stockton campaign with a .203 average and nine extra-base hits in 177 at-bats.  Not what you expect from a number one draft pick and Baseball America's #3 prospect in the system.

Most Disappointing Pitcher

It's hard to call Jared Jansford disappointing, but it's honestly how I feel about it.  He had some brilliant results for Kane County, but had less than half a strikeout per inning.  When promoted to Stockton, he was torn up in his three starts, allowing at least five runs in each.  If reports that he was limited to throwing just his fastball are true, it would explain much, but until he starts putting numbers up, it's hard to endorse him.

Most Intriguing 2006 Draft Pick

There were a few intriguing players in the 2006 draft, but the one who stood out was Matt Sulentic. In 144 at-bats for Vancouver, the outfielder hit .354 with 10 doubles and 14 walks.  He struggled a bit after moving up to Stockton, but at 18 he has as much upside as any player we took in the draft.  It would be fun to see him challenged in 2007.

Most Valuable Player

The player who contributed the most to his team is Hiram Bocachica, but he missed the first two months of the season and really isn't considered a prospect.  For that reason, I go with Travis Buck.  The 22 year-old outfielder was a doubles machine in Stockton.  In his 11 games before being promoted to Midland, Buck hit 12 doubles and finished his Stockton season with a .349 average.  He picked up where he left off by hitting five doubles in his first five games for the RockHounds.  Scouting on him is that he will generate more power and should see some of his doubles turn into home runs, but we shouldn't get ahead of ourselves.  In 212 Midland at-bats he hit .302 average with 22 doubles and four home runs.

Most Valuable Pitcher

Jason Windsor went 17-2 between Midland and Stockton this season, and despite the emergence of Shane Komine, was probably the most valuable pitcher.  For Sacramento he started by going 12-0 before finally getting tagged for eight runs and a loss.  His K:BB ratio of 123:32 shows much promise for the future and even earned him some time in Oakland.  Most reports say that his ceiling isn't as high as some of the pitchers in the past for Oakland, but he will almost certainly fit into the big club's future.

Well here we are.  The Texas League ended regular season play on Sunday and most other Leagues end in the next few days.  Kane County and Midland will be our only representatives in the post-season, and if the past has been any indication, we have a good chance of taking something home.  

The Vancouver offense went bananas on Sunday, scoring 20 runs on 17 hits in their big 20-7 win.  Coming into the game having hit just 27 home runs in 73 games, The C's smashed six dingers including two each by Jermaine Mitchell and Ramiro Mendez.  Mendez is hitting just .173 with six homers in 127 at-bats this season. He hit four home runs in 2004 in the Domincan Summer League and none in 51 Arizona at-bats last season.  Mitchell's longballs were numbers two and three on the season and he is now batting .336 with a .459 OBP and .504 SLG.  

Midland had an opportunity to secure a playoff berth on Friday.  Dallas Braden, in his first game back with the club this season, gave up six runs on nine hits in 3 1/3 innings.  The offense had his back though as the `Hounds punched their post-season ticket with an 8-7 win.  Brian Stavisky and Dan Putnam each went deep the clincher.

Both Putnam and Stavisky have been on hot streaks as of late.  Putnam hit five home runs in a span of four games early in the week and has driven in 11 runs in his last 10 games.  Since rejoining the team on August 17 he has raised his average from .217 to .247 and been one of the main reasons the `Hounds have won 10 straight.  Brian Stavisky has been the offensive leader this season and has also been a big part of the recent winning streak.  Over his last 10 games the outfielder has hit .371 with eight RBI and has a .429 OBP this season for Midland.   The regular season concluded on Sunday and the playoffs will soon begin.  Dallas Braden is scheduled to start game five, if necessary.

Also wrapping up their season, albeit with no playoff hopes, is Sacramento.  Jason Windsor threw what is likely his last Triple-A this season on Sunday and picked up his 17th minor league with against two losses.  He concludes the season with 123 strikeouts against 32 walks in 118 Triple-A innings.   The right-hander has emerged as our top pitching prospect, and looks to figure into Oakland's plans for next season.

Also having a fine season in Sacramento is Scott McClain.  The 34 year-old third baseman, in his 17th season of professional baseball, smashed 27 home runs and drove in 106 RBIs and was named the Pacific Coast League MVP for 2006.   Before anyone starts calling for him to head to Oakland, consider this: McClain's OPS is under .800.   .313 OBP, .462 SLG.  While his season was solid, and he did help the River Cats win several games, it isn't realistic to think he could be of much use to the A's.

I promised myself that I wouldn't do it, but I just can't help it.  I've decided that next Monday I will do some sort of "award" thing.   Most improved, biggest disappointment and whatever else.  Fun will be had by all.  Or not.

I often forget that behind the uniforms there are real players.  They have families, lives outside their work and even non-baseball problems.  It's easy to just call them by their uniform number and judge them by their stats, but that wouldn't be the whole story.  Every once in a while something happens to remind me of that.   Last week Midland catcher Jed Morris had a nose bleed that just wouldn't stop.  After seeing a doctor, Morris was urged to immediately check himself into a hospital, where he was diagnosed with leukemia; specifically acute lymphatic leukemia.  Luckily, it was caught early and is a cancer that has a high recovery rate.  While baseball may be the furthest things from his mind, his current and former clubs are stepping up to the plate to deliver him support.  The Stockton Ports and Modesto Nuts held a silent auction on Friday to raise money for his hospital care.  The RockHounds also held a benefit to raise money.  If you wish to donate money to show support, you can send donations to the following address with checks made out to "Jed Morris Victory Fund":

Midland RockHounds
Citibank Ballpark
5514 N. Champions Drive
Midland, TX 79706

Stockton has gone 7-3 in their last 10 games as their offense has come alive.  Tom Everidge has four homers over that span, including 10 RBI.  Luis Perez, a Venezuelan in his 7th season with Oakland, has an impressive 23 hits in the 10 games, good for a .561 batting average.   Four other Port starters are hitting over .300 during their 7-3 run.  Time is running out on them though, as the are four games back with nine to play.

Landon Powell, who was called up to Midland late last week, has struggled in his first six games.  He has just four hits in those games, where he has been batting ninth, with a walk and four strikeouts.

On the other hand, Dallas Braden, who is rehabbing in Arizona, has been destroying the young hitters.  In his last two starts, 10 innings, he has struck out an impressive 20 batters.  Also playing well in Arizona is Cliff Pennington.  After going 4-for-5 with a pair of doubles on Sunday, his average is up to .464 in 28 ABs.  He has played six full games at shortstop in the past week and may be close to returning to (probably) Stockton.

With September just a stone's throw away, players in Sacramento are surely pushing for a call-up.  Charles Thomas, the "forgotten" player from the Tim Hudson trade, has been playing well lately for the River Cats.  While he is hitting just .281 with 38 walks and 19 extra-base hits in 352 ABs this season, he has hit six homers since August 15.

Meanwhile, Dan Johnson and Jason Windsor, two players who are virtual locks to be called up, have been on a cold streak.  Windsor, who hadn't lost a minor league game since opening night in Double-A, finally lost this week.  Over his past two starts he has given up 12 earned runs and 14 hits.  Johnson, who had been red hot since being sent down, has just seven hits in his last 40 ABs with no home runs and just two runs scored.

So the question is, who will be called up when the rosters expand?  Keep in mind, that despite being 16 games over .500, Tucson is running away with their division, and the Cats won't make the post-season.

Sadly, much of the talk this season has been about injuries.  As the season winds down, down down.... I will do a run down of our top prospects, giving an update on their performance this season and the injury problems they might have had.  The rankings came from Baseball America.

1.    Daric Barton - Played well in Sacramento for a month and a half (.381 OBP in 147 ABs) before fracturing his elbow.   Started Arizona rehab on Tuesday, but status remains uncertain for rest of the season.

2.    Javier Herrera - After a promising year in the Midwest League, Herrera misses all of 2006 after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

3.    Cliff Pennington - Bothered by hamstring all season, posted sub-.600 OPS in 177 at-bats for Stockton.  Currently rehabbing in Arizona.  Has missed about two and a half months with his injury.

4.    Andre Ethier - Traded to Dodgers for Bradley and Perez.  While Bradley has had injury problems, both he and Ethier are playing very well.   Ethier has been Dodger's hottest hitter over the past few months.

5.    Travis Buck - Having breakout year, but has been out since July 13 with hernia.  Was mashing doubles at alarming rate when healthy.

6.    Kevin Melillo - After leading the system in home runs last season (24), he has struggled a bit in Midland.  Second half numbers (19 extra-base hits since July 1) show improvement.

7.    Santiago Casilla - Ready for Major League action once he gets healthy.  Has missed most of 2006 with shoulder tendonitis, and after he experienced pain in his shoulder during a bullpen this season, he has been shutdown until next year.

8.    Craig Italiano - Pitched briefly in 2006, but is out for the season after undergoing shoulder surgery.  

9.    Shane Komine - Good numbers in 2006, especially in second half (4-0, 3 R in 30 1/3 innings since July 1), which got him a brief Oakland call-up.

10.    Vincent Mazzaro - Not great numbers in Kane County, but it is his first taste of professional baseball.  Has stayed healthy all season.

11.    Kurt Suzuki - Good on-base numbers in Midland with very few strikeouts and a little bit of power.  Has thrown out 47% of would-be base stealers, and allowed just six passed balls with two errors.  Missed just 10 days with a hand injury in August.  Gone for rest of season after joining US Olympic qualifying team.

12.    Jared Lansford - Odd numbers, but had good results in Kane County.  Has been blistered in his first two Stockton starts.  He has curiously given up 28 runs in the fifth inning, vs. 14 in all others combined.

13.    Richie Robnett - Posted respectable numbers in Stockton before getting bumped to Midland and breaking hand in mid-July.  Out for season.

14.    Dan Putnam - Struggled in Midland before going out with a strained PCL in late-May.  Played well in Stockton rehab and is now back in Midland.

15.    Jason Windsor - 16-1 record in the minors this season.  Last loss came in his first start of the season, April 6.  11-0 with Sacramento, 3.60 ERA and more than 9 K/9 innings.  Had a few starts in Oakland with some success.

16.    Gregorio Petit - Healthy in Stockton all season, has flashed some power, but just average statistical season.  His strength remains his defense.

17.    Justin Sellers - Respectable first full season in Kane County.  OPS just over .700, but nearly as many walks (55) as strikeouts (59).

18.    Jimmy Shull - Two impressive starts in April before having Tommy John surgery.

19.    Dallas Braden - After missing the first half with shoulder issues, Braden is on his way back.  After making a few starts in Stockton, he was called up to Midland, where he has yet to appear.

20.    Landon Powell - He has staved off the injury bug, but has yet to find his stroke.  While he has hit 15 home runs, he has just 12 doubles and an OBP below .350 for Stockton.  Thrown out 50 of 97 base stealers in Cal League.  Promoted to Midland over the weekend.

21.    Dan Meyer - Rehabbing from a shoulder injury, has missed all of 2006.

22.    Jason Ray - Pitched well for Kane County, earning a promotion in mid-June.  After struggling in Stockton, was moved to bullpen.  

23.    Brant Colamarino - The 25 year-old is hitting .289/.368/.489 for Midland and has struck out 101 times.  Uninspiring numbers from a first baseman in his third Double-A season.

24.    Connor Robertson - Nice year with Midland, posting 89 strikeouts against 22 walks in 78 2/3 innings in relief.

25.    Brian Stavisky - After struggling in Sacramento in the first two months of the season, he was sent down to Midland.     With the `Hounds he has a .439 OBP with four homers and 19 doubles in 254 at-bats.

26.    Freddie Bynum - Sent to Cubs as part of trade to get Juan Dominguez from Rangers.  Neither player has been of much use this season.

27.    John Rheinecker - Part of the above-mentioned trade.  Has 6.03 ERA for Rangers in 13 starts.

28.    Mike Madsen - Has been torched in Stockon and was even worse in his two starts with Midland.

29.    Ramon Alverado - Traded for Kazuhito Tadano.  Alverado has three home runs in 31 games in the Appy League and oddly enough, they all came in one game.  Is currently batting just .194.  Tadano is performing well in Sacramento and may prove to be useful.

30.    Jeff Baisley - Raking in Kane County, but is old for Low-A.

Yes yes, don't tell me I left people out, I know.  I'm sure some people will take that as a homework assignment.

The minor league season is winding down.   There are less than three weeks left in minor league schedules, and playoff races are shaping up.  Sacramento is the hottest team in the PCL right now, but they trail Tucson by seven games in their division.  Midland is half a game back of Frisco, and need to win the second half to make the Texas League playoffs.  Stockton is in the same situation as Midland, but are four games back of the division leader.  Kane County got second place in the first half, which is good enough to get them a playoff spot.  Vancouver is six games back in the West Division of the Northwest League, despite being six games over .500. As for Arizona, well, since a one game "playoff" decides the "winner", does it really matter?

Since being sent down from Oakland, Jason Windsor has kept at it.  He has won all three starts since rejoining Sacramento, allowing just four runs in 18 2/3 innings, striking out 21 and walking just four.   He increased his Triple-A record to 11-0.   Komine is a nice option for Oakland, but it's hard for me to accept him as a better solution, both long term and short term, than Windsor.

Kurt Suzuki has been out since August 4 with a wrist injury, but could be back soon.  Meanwhile, Vasili Spanos, who missed nine games with a hamstring injury, returned on Saturday to the Midland lineup.  Spanos has performed well with the `Hounds this season, hitting .316 with 47 walks and nine homers in 373 at-bats.  Also close to returning to Midland is Dan Putnam.  He has been beating up Cal League pitchers during rehab for the past nine games, hitting .404 with a couple doubles and a homer in 37 at-bats.

Also rehabbing is Cliff Pennington down in Arizona.  He has one hit and two walks in eight plate appearances.  There is no denying that he was awful in Stockton before his injury, but he did show signs of improvement.    After hitting .103 in April, he bounced back to hit .340 in June before sitting out. There isn't much of the season left, so it's time to look towards 2007.

Landon Powell was supposed to be a premium hitting prospect, and a catcher to boot.  Batting .262 with 15 homers isn't the end of the world, but from a 24 year-old in High-A, it is disappointing.  He was someone Oakland wanted to push, but they aren't able to until he can handle what is in front of him.  

Jared Lansford made his Stockton debut on Wednesday.  He lasted 4 2/3 innings, allowed five runs (three earned) on seven hits and a walk with two strikeouts.  It will be interesting to see if his odd ways of winning will continue in High-A.  Hitters there are obviously more mature and advanced.  In fact, he had just one home run hit against him in Kane County, and that was already matched in his first start in Stockton.  He will be in the starting rotation for the rest of the season, so we will get to see a few more starts out of him.

After Kane County starter T.J. Franco gave up six runs in 1/3 of an inning, he was pulled from the game.   Not a good start indeed, but the Cougars came back to win that game 19-10 this Sunday. At one point they scored 16 unanswered runs.  Catcher Raul Padron led the way, going 4-for-6 with a homer, a double and six RBI.  Jeff Baisley also had four hits, including a double.  Chad Boyd, Justin Sellers, and Isaac Omura each added three knocks.  Steve Kleen, who went 2-for-5 with a triple and a walk, led the team with four runs scored.  Reliever John Herrera picked up the win after tossing five solid innings for the Cougars.

Yes the season is winding down, and I will miss it, but it will allow me to focus on Oakland more.  It's funny how disconnected a person can get when you follow so many other teams.

Ok, so things aren't perfect in the system.  We have injuries, disappointments and some disappointing injuries, but it isn't all bad.  Let's look at some pitching prospects that have performed well this year and give us hope for the future.

After lasting six or more innings in just three of his first 16 starts, Ryan Webb has matched that in his last three starts.  Over that span (19 IP) he has given up three runs while walking two and striking out 21.    At 20 years old, Webb is one of the few young prospects being pushed in the system.  His command has been solid throughout the season, never giving up more than four walks in a start.  He has, however, given up 135 hits in 95 2/3 innings.  A decent K/9 (79 in 98 2/3 IP) and just nine home runs makes me believe his .335 average against may be very inflated.  Even more odd is the right-hander's 7.08 ERA against righties compared to a 2.86 ERA versus lefties.  

19 year-old Vincent Mazarro tossed one of the best games of his young career on Sunday in Kane County's 7-4 win.  Over eight innings he gave up two runs on four hits and a walk while striking out a career-high nine batters.  Last year's third round pick has a 4.86 ERA over 113 innings with the Cougars.  His strikeouts rate (76 K in 113 IP) isn't ideal, but Keith Lieppman commented at the beginning of the season that he may be the best of the pitchers drafted in 2005, and was the most impressive among them in instructs.  

Acquired at the beginning of the season for outfielding prospect Ramon Alverado, pitcher Kazuhito Tadano stumbled out of the gate for Sacramento.  He went to the disabled list after just five appearances with an injured knee.  His first four games back didn't go so well either.  Combined in his first nine appearances spanning more than two months, he gave up 25 runs in 24 1/3 innings.  Since then he has been outstanding, surrendering just four runs in 20 innings, striking out 23 and walking just four.  At 26 he isn't a prospect, but may be a useful arm if needed.  The right-hander, who came over from Japan in March of 2003, has struck out nearly a batter per inning in his minor league career while maintaining a low walk rate.

The relief duo of Connor Robertson and Marcus McBeth were lights out for Midland in July.  They combined to allow just seven earned runs in 32 innings, striking out 45 and walking 11.  Midland's closer, McBeth, started his career as an outfielder, but after posting a .233 career average, converted to a pitcher last season.  Since taking over the closer role mid-season, he has thrived.  The 26 year-old has a 2.68 ERA with Midland, striking out 45 in 40 innings while posting 13 saves.  Robertson is also a converted position player, but did so late in his college career. At the age of 24, Robertson has put up some very impressive numbers since being drafted in the 31st round of the 2004 draft.  In 109 1/3 innings coming into 2006, he struck out 171 batters and posted an ERA of 2.30.  He has nearly identical rate stats against both lefties and righties this season, striking out about 10 per 9 innings.

See?  Not so bad.  What's that?  Hitters? Uh... ask your mother.

IT'S MONDAY!!! TRADING DEADLINE!!  Bring on the trades!! Let's see some action!

Lots of things are going right in Sacramento these days.  They got back both Dan Johnson and Jason Windsor, and new signee D'Angelo Jimenez are all playing extremely well.  Between Friday and Saturday, Johnson went 6-for-9 with a pair of home runs and 10 RBI.  Since getting sent down he has driven in 25 runs for the River Cats.  Jason Windsor picked up a win in his first start back, improving his record to a nifty 9-0.  He gave up two runs over five innings, striking out seven and walking two.

D'Angelo Jimenez was signed in the middle of last month, and after a slow start in which he bottomed out at an .077 average after 12 games, he has started to come alive.  He has hit safely in his last seven games, improving his average more than .100 points in that span.  In his last 10 games he has hit .500 with 13 runs scored and three home runs.  Jimenez is a major league journeyman, playing for four different teams (most recently Cincinnati last season).  His career major league OBP is .350, although he provides no power.  The second baseman is one of many quad-A type players in Sacramento who can came up in a pinch.

Meanwhile in Midland, Kurt Suzuki is scuffling.  In his last six games he is 5-30 with just one extra-base hit.  The backstop has just one home run since June 24th and just four doubles in that span.

Teammate Kevin Melillo has started to pick it up, though.  He has 15 hits in his last 10 games and has started to walk more.   In his last 17 games he has 12 walks, and his season total has increased to 46 against 68 strikeouts.  His homerun total of eight is certainly discouraging, though.  The left-hander has seven of his eight home runs against right-handers, but his average against righties is just .268, compared to .310 against lefties.

Despite the Major League debuts of both Shane Komine and Jason Windsor, the A's lack pitching prospects.  Dallas Braden's return gives home, especially after his last start.  Pitching for Stockton on Sunday, Braden tossed five hitless innings in his team's 16-1 win.  Over his five frames he walked just two and struck out eight before being relieved.  

Also close to returning is Dan Putnam.  He has started playing in Arizona, and should be back in Midland in a week or two.  He is hitless in his five at-bats with the club.  In 43 games with the RockHounds, Putnam batted just .217 with two home runs.  He did walk 18 times against 22 strikeouts, but he need to find his power stroke.

I sometimes worry that by breaking baseball down so much, we lose track of what is important.   Do we see strikeout to walk ratios when we should see phenomenal athletes at the peak of human achievement?  Do we see argue about what pitcher should be put in the game when we should be sharing a hot dog with our friends and family?  I worry about these things from time to time, but when I see a number three hitter with a team-high in home runs lay down a sacrifice bunt, I know I have my priorities in place.

Looks like Jared Lansford is back to his old tricks.  In three of his last four starts Lansford has given up exactly zero runs.  In the fourth start he gave up three runs over seven innings.  Unfortunately, his methods of doing so are the same.  In the four game span he has 12 strikeouts against 8 walks.  Let's break down his good games and his bad games so we can try and see what's going on.

In the eight games in which he has allowed zero runs, Lansford has held batters to just a .160 BABIP, and in all other games (seven starts, 30 ER, 46 hits) hitters had a .374 BABIP.  Why the enormous disparity?  Luck?  I have no idea.  Whatever the reason, having more than half of his starts be scoreless is pretty impressive.  If anyone can suggest a reason, I'd like to hear it.

Steve Bondurant, who is returning from off-season shoulder surgery, has begun to pitch in the Arizona Fall League.  In 12 1/3 IP he has allowed six earned runs, 12 strikeouts and five walks.  The left-hander isn't considered much of a prospect, but he has put up some interesting numbers in the past, including 343 strikeouts in 387 1/3 career innings.

Since being sent down to Sacramento, Dan Johnson has been a one man wrecking crew.  He has gone 16-33 with six extra-base hits and seven walks.  It took him 30 Major League games this season to get 16 hits and even longer to get six extra-base hits.  Of course Triple-A is easier than MLB, but what I'm wondering is if he is playing well because he is simply too good for the Pacific Coast League, or if it is because his demotion has lit a fire under him.  Something else?  Heck if I know, but if he keeps hitting this way he will play himself back up pretty quick.

The rest of Sacramento is taking Johnson's lead.  As a team they are batting .303 with 17 home runs over their last 10 games.   They have given up just 28 earned runs and have gone 8-2.  Minor League journeyman Scott McClain has four home runs and 12 RBI in that span, and Nathan Espy has hit .385 with eight RBI.  Not hitting?  Jeremy Brown has just one hit in his last 13 ABs, and Charles Thomas four for his last 25.  Shane Komine has won his last two starts, allowing just one ER and striking out nine (11 2/3 IP).

I know I'm not the only one who cries at the end of the movie Rudy.

I can understand the feeling that Jason Windsor is a "grass is greener" scenario.  Saarloos hasn't been great, but who says Windsor will be better?  Well of course there is no guarantee.  He's unproven and inexperienced and has played just 12 games above Double-A.  This year between Midland and Sacramento he allowed more than two earned runs in just five of 18 starts, and struck out 74 in 66 1/3 Triple-A innings.  I guess we will find out.  The first few starts can sometimes be the easiest for a young pitcher, but the true test is the second and third times facing a team.  First thing's first though, get us a win tonight Jason.

Also down in Sacramento is Hiram Bocachica.  He missed most of last year and some of this season recovering from a broken wrist.   He is a veteran among veterans, playing for 11 minor league teams and four major league teams over his 12 year career.  This year in Sacramento he is raking, hitting .344 with 12 home runs and eight doubles in 125 at bats.  In his last 10 games he has six home runs and 19 RBI.  There isn't much room for him in Oakland, as all five outfielders (four and a half now that Johnson has gone down and Swisher will be used more at first) are useful.  He would be a nice replacement if there was an injury, though (knock on wood).

Travis Buck and Vasili Spanos are both day-to-day with injuries.  Buck is suffering from a pulled groin, while Spanos bruised his thigh in a collision at first base during Wednesday's game.  Both are expected back soon.

Starter Michael Rogers got called up to Midland this week and made his first start.  He gave up five runs in five innings while striking out just one hitter.    There wasn't much in his 18 starts at Stockton to suggest he would excel at a higher level (4.85 ERA with 16 home runs in 94 2/3 innings), but he did have 85 strikeouts in that span.

Dallas Braden is also continuing his rehab this year, striking out 12 over nine scoreless innings in his three starts with Arizona.  His last outing was his longest, tossing four innings with six strikeouts.  With Windsor going up to Oakland, the void of starting pitching prospects is becoming more apparent.  To have Braden recover would be a huge boost to the system.

I hate to end this on a sour note, so I'll instead leave it with a useless piece of information.  A regulation baseball has exactly 108 stitches.  I told you it was useless.

To start I will touch on some injury stuff.  Dan Putnam has been out since mid-May with a strained PCL, but his timetable has him returning in the next few weeks.  Richie Robnett also went on the disabled list this week, but I've been told it isn't anything to worry about.  I saw him taking batting practice a few days ago without any issues.  Dallas Braden had off-season shoulder surgery, but threw in a game for the first time on Tuesday with Arizona, tossing two shutout innings.  He will likely spend much of the remaining season getting back into playing shape.

A couple players starting to heat up are Brian Stavisky and Kevin Melillo in Midland.  I mentioned Melillo last week, but he continued to play well this week too.  After struggling in Sacramento and being sent down to Midland, Stavisky has started to put up solid numbers again.   He is hitting .333 with 21 walks and 8 doubles in 132 at-bats, and has a hit in each of his last 12 games.  Sacramento is loaded with Quad-A type players though, and it may be tough for him to get back there without an injury.

Scott Deal is pitching well in Vancouver.  The 19 year-old 2005 draftee is 4-0 in four starts, allowing just four earned runs over 22 innings. His 11:5 strikeout to walk ratio leaves something to be desired, though.  Inoel Deaza, a 20 year-old Dominican pitcher is also pitching well for the C's, putting up a 2.88 ERA in his first four starts in the States.  In 26 games over the past two seasons with the Dominican Summer League, he posted a 2.26 ERA with 86 strikeouts and just 12 walks in 103 1/3 innings.  Last season he walked just five batters in 13 games (nine starts).

The Canadians' 14-6 record wouldn't be possible without some good hitting as well.  2006 sixth-round selection Matt Sulentic has a .306 average with four doubles and a home run in 62 at-bats, but just two walks against 16 strikeouts.  Fifth rounder, Jermaine Mitchell, is batting .329 with 13 walks (.432 OBP) and nine stolen bases in 73 at-bats, and 27th-rounder Larry Cobb has eight doubles in 66 at-bats to lead the team.  

Chad Boyd, drafted out of high school in the ninth round of the 2004 draft, is playing well for Kane County but is still lacking power needed for a corner outfielder.  Now 20, Boyd has just two homers as a professional in about 400 at-bats.  In 57 games with Kane County he has produced seven doubles and has a .333/.397/.456 line.  He has shown good patience at the plate, but needs to produce a power stroke to advance deep in the system.

His teammate in Kane County, third baseman Jeff Baisley, continues to rake, but really has nowhere to go.  Above him in Stockton is former first-rounder Brian Snyder, and in Midland is Vasili Spanos, who is among the league leaders in many offensive categories in the Texas League, and is hitting .310 with 41 walks and 32 extra-base hits.  Baisley is just getting older and has nothing else to prove in the Midwest League, so the A's need to figure something out for him.

As much as I pay attention to the minors, I've  never cared about the results of the game, just who specific players did.  I know winning is important, and you hear quotes all the time from farm directors and GMs saying that you need to create a winning mentality in the minors, but I have never been able to make myself care about the outcome of games.  Sometimes I wish I could do that with Oakland.  It would make this skid so much easier...

Just when it looks like Shane Komine is down, he bounces back.  Over his last three Sacramento starts (19 2/3 innings) he has allowed just four runs (two earned) with 13 hits and 3 walks while striking out 22.  Overall he has a 5.01 ERA in 91 2/3 innings this season.

Jason Windsor increased his record to 7-0 after he struck out 10 over 5 2/3 innings on Thursday.  He is now 11-1 between Sacramento and Midland, and is making his case for a late-season call-up.  

It will be interesting to see how Mike Rouse performs after his unexpected stint with Oakland.  In his second game back he went 3-for-4 with a home run and four RBI.  Makes me wonder if there is a temporary boost in stats that follows an occasion in which a player is called up like Rouse was.  If only I was smart enough to research that...

After leading the system in home runs last season, Kevin Melillo was tagged as one of the best bats in the system.  After a poor May in which he hit .216 with six extra-base hits, he, he currently stands at .268/.334/.400.  Like Komine, Melillo is rebounding a bit, hitting three home runs in his last 10 games.   He was one of the best looking prospects in our system, but like so many this year, he has dropped off from expectations.  I have always heard him described as a "pure hitter", which is good, because there isn't too much good to say about his glove.

Someone who's name I haven't mentioned but is playing well this season is Vasili Spanos.  He can play third base, but probably is better suited for first.   In Midland this season he is hitting .313 with eight home runs and a .417 OBP.   He's a typical A's first baseman type in that he has can take a ton of walks and hit for some power.  Problem is that there are already plenty of those types in the Oakland system.   Maybe the best he can hope to be is a Olmedo Saenz type player.  Spanos is hitting .436 with 10 extra-bases hits and 13 walks in 55 ABs against lefties this season.

A little roster movement following the all-star break.  Brian Snyder, who had been struggling to keep his head above water, was sent down from Midland to Stockton.  At the time of his demotion, the third baseman was hitting just .205 with five home runs.  His 39 walks to 45 strikeouts was respectable, but showed virtually no power after missing all of last season due to a hip flexor.

Richie Robnett was sent up to Sacramento from Stockton.   There is a good chance he will be sent down when Doug Clark is done with his stint in Oakland, but Robnett at least has a chance to show his skills at a bigger stage.  So far he's gone 1-for-11 with a double for the River Cats.

Pitcher Michael Madsen was also sent down to Stockton from Midland after giving up 15 runs in his two starts there.  In his first start back with Stockton he gave up eight runs in 2 2/3 innings.

Kurt Suzuki went 3-for-5 with a home run, a double and eight RBI for Midland on the 22nd.  Not exactly a typical game for Suzuki, but it does highlight the success he has had in Midland.  With a .406 OBP and .458 slugging percentage, he has met the expectations placed on him coming into this season.  The 22 year-old catcher has struck out more than once in a game just two times this season and has a 37:34 K:BB ratio.  His defense has been solid too, allowing just four passed balls and throwing out 20 of 39 base stealers.   Known as "Clutch Kurt" throughout his college career, he is batting .342 with runners in scoring position with four of his six home runs coming in that situation this season.

Jared Lansford's first five starts produced results that young pitchers can only dream about having.  How he was doing it was certainly a little strange, though.

30 IP, 3 ER, 10 H, 13 K, 16 BB

His K:BB was simply horrible, but his results were superb.   Lansford had a stretch of three games in which he gave up just three hits over 20 innings.  In his five games since, his K:BB has actually improved, but his results have been horrible.

25.2 IP, 19 ER, 30 H, 11 K, 10 BB

The 19 earned runs and 30 hits are more in line with what you would expect from a pitcher who struck out less than four batters per nine innings.  Letting your defense work for you is good, but you need to be able to get hitters to swing and miss.

Well, we are approaching the all-star breaks for the minor leagues, which marks the halfway point in the season.  I'm not much for giving "awards" or doing rankings, so I won't be doing any of that, but I will throw out a couple names.

Certainly Jason Windsor has been one of (if not the) best pitcher this season.  He has emerged as a rotation candidate in 2007 after putting up great numbers in both Midland and Sacramento. He was baseball's first pitcher to 10 wins.

Nobody has stood head-and-shoulders above anyone else on the offensive side of things, but Jeff Baisley has certainly been a surprise.  In Kane County, the third baseman has hit 13 home runs and 15 doubles in 65 games.  He needs to be promoted soon though, as Kane County provides little challenge.

Travis Buck has also been among the best offensive players this year.  Between Midland and Stockton he has 32 doubles in 70 games, walked a bunch and even stolen 10 bases.  The outfielder may end up in Sacramento before the end of the season.

Despite no first round pick this year, the 2006 draft may need to pick up a system that has lost much of its top talent to promotion and trade.  There are still many players from the 2005 draft that may rebound, but there isn't much (besides Barton) in the way of top talent.  Speaking of the 2006 draft...

For those who don't know, there are a few short-season leagues that start after the draft.  Oakland has a team in Vancouver (Northwest League) and a Rookie league squad in Arizona.  The two teams are made up mostly of players who were either drafted in the past few years (including this year) or young Latin-American players making their transition to the States.

Rosters are out for the two teams, but they usually are spotty, with some players listed on the roster but not actually playing.  This is especially true with Arizona.  While many of the top picks haven't signed, some have and are on rosters.  Chad Lee (RHP, 4th round) and Jermaine Mitchell (OF, 5th) are both on Vancouver, while Angel Sierra (OF, 8th) is in Arizona.  Look for Vancouver to start play today, and Arizona later this week.

Jeremy Brown in Oakland is certainly a good experience for him, and the pay increase doesn't hurt either.   Problem is, he isn't getting any playing time.  Sure he's taking batting practice, getting instruction from the coaches and catching bullpen sessions, but he isn't getting any actual game time.  It's bad enough that he is losing reps, but what good is he doing on Oakland?  It made sense when Kendall was out, but what purpose is he serving now?

So should Brown he sent down and... well... anyone else sent up?

This has been an exceptional weekend for me, and the fact that the A's swept the Yankees in New York is a great topping.  It's really amazing how a good run by the A's can lift my spirits.  But hey, it's just a game, right?

A little roster shuffling this week as Ben Fritz was called up to Sacramento and Michael Madsen to Midland.

Fritz was a Moneyball draftee that never really worked out until this year.  He's been slow to progress and hasn't thrived at any level.  Now 25, Fritz has put together a nice campaign so far in 2006, posting a 3.30 ERA at Midland in 71 innings.  The right-hander has struck out 55 in that span while walking 22.  Not great numbers, but certainly good enough to give him a shot in Sacramento, especially the way their staff has been struggling.

Madsen is a bit more puzzling, but he may simply be the best among available options at Stockton.  He was a late-round 2005 pick, who dominated short-season Vancouver in his 80 innings there.  He started 2006 in Stockton and has posted a 4.47 ERA over 52 1/3 innings with 42 strikeouts and 20 walks.  He made his first double-A start on Sunday, and got tagged for six runs in the first inning.  He did recover to throw five innings, but gave up eight runs in the game.

That game itself was an interesting one.  Over nine innings both clubs scored 10 runs each, sending the game into extras.  Midland's opponent, Frisco, scored six runs in the first inning against Madsen, and Midland scored six runs in the eight inning to tie the game at 10, where it remained through the 14th inning.  In the 15th inning, Travis Buck hit a solo home run to put Midland in the lead, only to have Frisco answer back to tie it up, then score the game-winner in the 16th.  This game came the day after Midland beat Frisco 18-2.  

Obviously Mike Rouse needs some credit here.  If you have been to a river Cats game any time recently, you probably saw Rouse.  In fact, he has played in 279 games for Sacramento, second most in team history.  The 2001 draftee has been solid at all stages of his career, especially his OBP.   He has never had much power, but he has put up nice walk totals and a decent average.  2006 hasn't been an especially strong year for Rouse, posting around a .750 OPS, but Billy must have thought he could produce better than Ginter.   Certainly it isn't realistic to think Rouse will keep this pace up, but he can't be worse than the alternative.  

So here's the question.  Mike Rouse looks to EASILY be a better choice than Perez or Scutaro right now.  How long do we stick with him in the starting lineup?  If he stays hot, do we platoon him with Ellis when he returns?

I saw something last week that I thought was quite amazing.  Watching a minor league game, the home team won despite being one-hit.  Thanks to an error followed by a double plus good pitching, they came out on top 1-0.  A week later, the same team did the same thing, this time winning 2-1 thanks to just a double.   How often do we see this at the major league level?  Once a year maybe?  What are the odds that it happens to the same team twice in the same week?  I wonder if something like that has ever happened in professional baseball.

So the draft is coming up Tuesday.  I'll level with you guys - I have no clue about any of the players.  What I can tell you is that the draft is considered one of the weakest in years.  There is no standout player, no consensus number one.  How does that effect us?  Well because of the Esteban Loaiza signing, we don't pick until the second round.  66th overall to be exact.  While losing out on a first round pick isn't exactly a good thing, this may not be a bad year to have it happen in.  Many people expect the A's to draft high-risk high-reward players - in other words a bunch of high schoolers again this year.

Third baseman Jeff Baisley came into the season as nothing more than another farmhand with low expectations.  The 22 year-old was drafted last year out of the University of South Florida and spent the last half of the year in Vancouver, but didn't stand out.  This year, after starting the season slow, he has erupted in Kane County.  Over his last 10 games he has 17 hits and 21 RBI.  For the season he is hitting .333 with 12 home runs and 13 doubles.  26 walks against 34 strikeouts are solid numbers as well, but it may also indicate that he needs to see more advanced competition.

I mentioned Shane Komine at the beginning of the season as interesting to watch... but I never said it would be pretty.  Over 62 2/3 innings, Komine has a 5.89 ERA and has given up 8 home runs.  In none of his 11 starts this season has he given up less than two runs and he has given up a home run in all but four starts.  The right-hander had such a promising Arizona Fall League performance, but it is disappointing to see that it hasn't carried over to the full season.

Brant Colamarino has watched what little prospect status he had fizzle away last year and struggling in Sacramento after being hit with a demotion.  He's back in Midland this year, but on Sunday the first baseman hit for the cycle, the second in the system this season.  Somehow he managed to drive in just one run in all those hits, and somehow Midland managed to lose 8-7.

Keith Ginter is having a strong enough season so that a discussion about moving him up and Scutaro or Perez down is overdue.  Perez has an OPS below .200 and Scoots isn't a whole lot better.  Can you tell me Ginter won't AT LEAST match that?  He's hitting .290 with four home runs and 12 doubles in Sacramento, with 18 walks against 32 strikeouts.

So do we make the switch to Ginter?  Or do we stick it out with Scutaro and Perez?

I've learned a couple things this week that I'd like to pass on to the Nation.  First is that a passed ball acts the same as an error and can lead to an unearned run.  I figure many of you already knew that, but for some reason I didn't.  I also learned that if a runner tries to stretch a single into a double, overslides the bag and is tagged out, he is given a single.   If the same thing occurs, but the runner overRUNS the bag and is tagged out, he is given a double.  Who knew?

Well if you haven't heard yet, Blez killed Daric Barton.  Ok well so that isn't totally true, he just injured him.  After Barton's interview with Blez, our top offensive prospect was injured in a way that is fairly common for first baseman.  He was receiving a throw on an attempted bunt to third base, and when the throw was up the line, the baserunner ran through Barton's arm, which caused his arm to snap back.  The result was a fracture in his left forearm.  Barton should be out 6-8 weeks, which is unfortunate, but not too bad in the grand scheme of things.

Landon Powell still isn't back after suffering a sprained shoulder on the 17th.  He has been "day-to-day" for quite some time now, but it still isn't believed to be serious.

After missing two weeks with a back strain, starter Ryan Webb came off the DL this week.  The 2006 fourth rounder has had mixed results all season, and this start was no different; 3 1/3 innings, just one run, but no strikeouts and 6 hits. Overall he has a 24:11 K:BB in 39 innings with a 3.46 ERA in Stockton.

Also coming off of the DL was Cliff Pennington, who was back on the 24th after missing 15 days.  The time off apparently hasn't had a positive change on his season, as he has tallied just two hits in his 24 at-bats since.  If we look hard enough for a bright spot, we can point out the home run in his first game back, which is just the first home run of his 2006 season.  

I feel like I'm beating a dead horse here, but I'll throw out updates on Jason Windsor and Jared Lansford's recent starts.  Lansford went seven innings on the 25th and gave up just two hits on five walks and a strikeout.   Don't ask me how he is doing it, because I haven't the slightest clue.

As for Windsor, the 23 year-old right-hander had two starts in the past week, both excellent.  The combined numbers are 11 hits and just one run with two walks and 12 strikeouts in 11 innings.  His ERA in triple-A is better than it was in double-A, and his 22 Ks in 22 1/3 say that it isn't a fluke.

With the bullpen blowing up on a nightly basis, how long until people start calling for Windsor to join the rotation and Saarloos/Halsey to move back to relief?   Would it even be a wise idea?

When I saw the brawl the other night between the White Sox and the Cubs, I thought to myself, that is such a shame, yet when I was at a minor league game this weekend and there was a similar benches clearing fight, I couldn't help but cheer them on.  I KNOW that I'm not the only one doing that.  Moving on, this week we will look at, among other things, the performance of a few recent call-ups.  

Santiago Casilla (aka Identity Crisis) was called up to Oakland to fill in for whoever the heck got hurt this week.  Control and inconsistency has always been his problem in the minors; he has some nasty stuff, but can't always locate it.   Certainly he isn't a bad fill-in and deserves a look at the major league level, especially since it has come out that he is actually 38 years old.  OK fine, he's almost 26, but at the rate he has gone he may be 38 by the end of the season.

Since coming to Midland, Travis Buck has given the offense a big boost.  He hit five doubles in his first five games with the RockHounds and has a .324 average at the level.       A Baseball Prospectus article recently mentioned that scouts like his good speed, especially for an A's system typically devoid of any.  He's stolen four bases this season, but his speed is best utilized tracking balls down in the outfield.

So Jared Lansford goes five innings before giving up a hit in his first career start and seven innings without a hit in his third.  This week, in his fourth start, he went 4 2/3 before he gave up a hit.  For the game he allowed just that one hit over six innings.  I'm a big believer in the whole DIPS thing, but the kid is getting all this done with horrid numbers: 11 BB, 12 K over 23 innings.  It's hard to argue with results, but I just can't wait to see what he is going to do once he starts facing more advanced hitters.

Since Jason Perry's triple-A promotion he has gone just 1-for-26, far from his dominant numbers in Midland.  I seem to remember the same type of slump right after he first got called up to double-A... draw whatever conclusions you want, if any, from that.  Meanwhile, Jason Windsor has allowed four runs in his two triple-A starts (11 1/3 IP) with 10 strikeouts against three walks.   Scouts don't peg him as a frontline starter, but he could settle in nicely as a two or three guy.

So is Jason Windsor going to be the next pitcher to step into the rotation fulltime, or is someone else going to step up into that role?

I've recently learned a lot about what constitutes an earned run vs. an unearned run.  In the past I think I've internally mocked unearned runs and blamed the pitcher for them more than I should have.  I still do have a bit of an issue with an unearned run being given on all runs scored after the third out "should have" been made.  When a pitcher gives up seven runs - all unearned - after the third out that "should have" been, I find fault.

I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't mention Kane County's Jared Lansford at the top of the MMM.  In Lansford's professional debut back on May 1st, the 19 year-old went five full innings before allowing his first hit.  On Sunday he went all seven innings of a double-header game (minor league DHs are seven innings each) without allowing a hit, good for the third no-hitter in Kane County history.  Lansford said after the game that he threw mostly fastballs and change-ups, and because he was on a strict pitch count, he didn't try to strike guys out, but instead made hitters get themselves out.  He K'd just two and was a touch wild - five walks and a HBP - but it's hard to nitpick at a no-no.

In Jason Windsor's last three starts in Midland he gave up a total of two runs and struck out 20 against five walks.  For the year he had a 2.97 ERA with 35 strikeouts in 33 1/3 innings.  He got called up to Sacramento partly because they were strip mined of their pitchers by Oakland, but mostly because he was very deserving of more challenging hitters.   His first triple-A start was on Thursday and went quite nicely.  Over 6 1/3 Windsor allowed two runs on six hits, while striking out four and walking just one.  He earned a win for Sacramento, a team which hasn't seen many good starts lately and has fallen to a 16-20 record.

There was a little outfield shuffling this week, as Travis Buck went to double-A and Jason Perry to triple-A.  Buck was a doubles machine, but did so in the hitter friendly Cal League.  Several Oakland farmhands put up obscene offensive numbers in Stockton/Modesto, only to struggle in Midland.  Buck did what he does best and doubled in his first Midland plate appearance.  

After struggling a bit last year in Midland, Perry finally made the adjustments he needed to and has been spectacular.  He leaves Midland with a .402 average, tops in the Texas League.  His power was down a bit (8 doubles, 2 triples, 4 HR in 107 ABs), but how can you argue with a .476 OBP?  He isn't a player many scouts like, but at least he can play a passable left field as opposed to being stuck as a first base/DH type.

The opening in Sacramento that Perry filled was previously occupied by Matt Watson.  The outfielder battered PCL pitching for more than two years with Sacramento before deciding earlier this week to go play in Japan for the Chiba Lotte Marines, where Bobby Valentine manages.  Watson told the Sacramento Bee that he had wanted to do this for a while, and had grown tired of bouncing around the minors for so long.  It is a shame that Oakland couldn't find a place for Watson, who deserved better than he got.  In Japan Watson should make good money, which he has earned after putting in his time here.  He had just a small taste of the majors, but with a little luck and even more hard work, the major leagues will come calling again.

A few quick notes, Brad Sullivan was assigned to Stockton from extended spring training, but has struggled in his first outings.  Also in Stockton, Cliff Pennington pulled a hammy on Tuesday, but isn't expected to miss much time.  Maybe the time off will help him get back on track (sure couldn't hurt).  Mike Massaro (13th round, 2005) had missed a couple weeks with an injury, started playing again at the beginning of the week.  Massaro hasn't displayed much power and has an OBP over .400, but is old (22) for the Midwest League.

I don't really have a question for you this week, so I'll just make something up.  If a turtle loses its shell, is it homeless or naked?  And I won't accept `both' as an answer.  That's too easy.

Yeah, so I like butterflies.  I started to notice them last year on the baseball field.  It seemed they were always different kinds too, with different colors and sizes.  It isn't that I'm an expert by any means, it just makes me happy to see one now and again, especially against the backdrop of freshly cut outfield grass.  So anyway, I consulted an expert and he confirmed that this doesn't make me any less of a man.

Jared Lansford made his debut on May 1st with low-A Kane County and went five hitless innings before getting tagged for a couple hits.  His final tally was 5 IP, 2 H, 2 BB and 5 K.  He made his second start on Sunday and went five innings innings and gave up five runs (three earned) with a walk and a strikeout.  Not flawless, but certainly a fine beginning to his career.  The two starts were Lansford's first as a pro after being drafted out of St. Francis High School (CA) in the second round of last year's draft.

A couple of days after I say how impressive Brad Ziegler has been, he goes and gets shelled for seven runs over three innings.  Oh did I mention the six home runs?  Including three to start the game?  In case you were wondering, he got a loss.

Travis Buck (first round 2005) has been smoking hot this year, especially over the past couple weeks.  The 23 year-old outfielder has a minor league best 15 doubles to go with three home runs and three triples in high-A Stockton.   He is batting .345, has a .398 OBP and a .618 SLG.  Over his past seven games he has mashed out 15 hits, 10 of which were doubles.  Once he matures a bit more and some of those doubles turn into home runs, he could be a force to be reckoned with.

With the suspension of Jason Kendall, someone will probably come up from the minors for the duration of the four games.  Maybe they will get a start in the four games, but maybe they will just ride the pine the whole time.  Either way, let's look at the candidates.

Jeremy Brown is perhaps the best offensive choice, slugging a career high in home runs last year and having very solid 2006 campaign thus far.   The knock is of course on his defense, even though it has reportedly been much improved over the past couple of years.  If the front office has him penciled in as the backup of the future, they may take the opportunity to use this as a preview.

A recent Sacramento Bee article talked about John Baker being an option, citing his AAA experience.  Experience is nice, but a .262 average and 2 XBH  so far this year isn't so attractive.  His defense isn't all that much better than Brown's either.  Another big problem is that he isn't on the A's 40-man roster, so a move would need to be made if they wanted to move him up.

Kurt Suzuki is the other option.  He is at AA, but if they are looking for the best defensive option, he is probably their pick.  Suzuki moves better behind the plate and has a great arm.  That's not to say his offensive lacks; his OBP is top 5 in the Texas League, and average top 10.  Still, AA is a long way from the majors, so he may simply be overmatched at this stage.  Suzuki also isn't on the 40-man roster.

So keeping in mind that a roster move would need to be made if Suzuki and Baker were to come up, who will be Melhuse's backup while Kendall is serving his time?