Whatever happened to Josh Lindblom, the phenom of the spring?  I noticed that he was used in relief yesterday (the 12th) and pitched 2/3 of an inning and gave up some runs.  His ERA right now is over 4.00.  I think the kid has got something----but maybe he's lost it or he's hurt. Does anybody know what his status is?  Has he fallen out of favor?  I certainly hope not.  He certainly looked good in the spring.  Any insights?

At the end of last season, Manny, romantic soul that he is, stated that he wanted to come back to the Dodgers, that the first uniform he ever wore, when he was a little tyke, was a Dodger uniform, that he loved the fans and his teammates, etc.  All of which he seems to have forgotten---or maybe he didn't mean all that soppy, treacly stuff in the first place.  The more interesting question is, why won't other teams touch him?  Can it be that the word is out that, when he doesn't get the love he thinks he deserves, when he, for whatever reason, has a slump, when he decides that he won't play hard in the outfield, he becomes the proverbial spoiled brat?  Of course he was awesome for us last year, but all this back and forth, with spring training already started, means that the bloom is off the rose of love that Manny himself created.  If he had just been straight and told us that he was looking for a lucrative deal, well, ok---that's baseball 2009.  But all his sickeningly sweet love for the Dodgers proves to be false.  He's made tens of millions of dollars in baseball, he's 37 years old, for God's sake---what does he want.  I say we should have gotten Abreu---that guy is a ballplayer---and I think we might take a look at Anderson, but Manny?  Enough with the violin music.  Sign with us or move on.

Ellis, who was looking worn down before he got three hits yesterday (Sunday), came up with a strained hamstring in the 9th.  I think we need another infielder to spell Ellis.  He is smooth and he looks like he plays effortlessly, but only having Murphy as a sub really limits our option in the infield.  At the very least, Murphy should be playing a little bit more to keep him fresh, and Hannahan and Ellis should be playing a little bit less.  Is there anybody in the minors who could help us in the infield?

Meanwhile, something quite nice has surfaced on MLB-TV.  Usually, I do the Gameday thing to find out what is happening.  They have upgraded the thing so that it has all kinds of information about the pitch (speed, angle, etc.)....

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I don't understand this.   Why are we holding on to Johnson when he has, uh, petered out.  Sweeney hasn't shown much, and Denorfia is obviously rusty.  What we need, you should pardon the expression, is Linden.  We are woefully thin in the outfield and player-heavy in the infield.  Is Cust now considered an actual outfielder?  What did they decide to do with Linden, anyway?  This is a head-scratcher for me.  He rightfully vents, continues to hit and he's on a one way ticket to Palookaville.  A mistake.

OK, so the guy is a whining loudmouth---but he did hit almost .600 during ST, and the observant BBG sez that he hit the ball hard.  Meanwhile, Denorfia has been virtually invisible.  I say, give Linden a shot.  Give him two weeks to show he belongs---meanwhile, Denorfia plays every day at Sacto, getting rid of that year-long dusting of rust, and Carlos Gonzalez gets healthy.  So, after two weeks, we have some solid options.  Best case:  Linden proves he belongs.  Worst case:  Adios, Mr. BigStuff (who do you think you are).  Buck can play some CF in a pinch.  So can Emil Brown. Meanwhile, Denorfia looks better or we call up Gonzalez, who is definitely our CF of the (near) future.  From all I hear, he's the most excting player to come our way in a long time.  Is this a silly idea?  Well, maybe.  Let the games begin!

Here's a guy I've heard nobody talk about for months.  He had a very bad year for Sacto (5-12?) and has certainly slipped way down the list of pitching prospects.  A few questions:  Is he still listed on Sacramento's roster? Did anyone see him pitch last year?  Can anybody answer just why he had such a bad year?  Was he hurt?  Did he lose velocity?  Is there any chance at all that he will be part of the A's organization this coming season?  OK---the reason I ask is that he had one very good start in the majors two years ago, and one bad one.  Then he was shipped to Sacramento where he had a bad year.  But while he was up, I got his autograph (just after his good start) and he was a nice guy and actually had a conversation with me.  I'm pulling for the (not so much anymore) kid. He is, I'm sorry to say---the kind of pitcher I like---little and (because in today's baseball, size matters) an underdog.

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One of the great things about A's Nation is the creative use of nicknames for many of our beloved boys. Since we are always getting new players (especially this year), it calls for new nicknames.  Any ideas for the new guys?  I'm not so thrilled about the fact that we signed Emil Brown, but I do think he could be called "Jannings" or "Und the Detectives."  Too arcane?  Any other ideas for him or anybody else?

I won't bother to go into the storm that may be the A's bullpen, but, for the life of me, I can't figure out who our starters will be.  I looks to me like Blanton (since no one is beating down our door for him), Harden (although this is a bad decision---his body can't take the violence of his delivery), Duke (recovering from hip problems), Gaudin (ditto---but even more recent) and....Meyer?  Komine? (yeah, I still like him)   DiNardo?  Of course, all this blows up if Harden can't pitch...and I don't think he will be able to.  So---A'sophiles, what is your best guess as to what our starting rotation will be on opening day?

Although my colleagues on AN have used such models as Shakespeare and T.S Eliot for their interludes, I am made of baser clay, and so I here present an Interlude based on an old pop song.  I would think that you would have to be of a certain age to "hear" the song, but perhaps some of you will recognize it...the others can have their grampas sing it to them....

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Macha was too aloof, too cold, too Machanical.  Geren is too friendly, too positive.  Our clubhouse is "fractured."  Our boys certainly are not afraid to air their views---just afraid to attach their names to them.  What a farce!  We are losing because we just don't have the players, and the players we did have have either moved on or been traded away.

One thing is clear, however.  Beane committed one of the great cardinal sins in any organization.  You NEVER hire a good friend to fit into a position of power.  First, if the good friend messes up, it's hard to call him on it.  Second, if you do call him on it, or fire him, you lose the friend.  Third, if you don't call him on it, it looks like cronyism, and your employees are all pissed off.  Pissed off employees take out their pique by cutting down their production.  They don't want to get fired, exactly, but they certainly don't want to make the boss (the friend) look good.

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