With Bill Neukom out as managing partner of the Giants, probably the  biggest obstacle to the A's move to San Jose is out of the way.  It's no secret that Neukom has been steadfast in resisting the A's move by invoking the Giants' territorial rights to San Jose.  Everyone likes to blame Bud Selig for the delays with the MLB commission investigating stadium options for the A's.  But the irony is that Selig clearly wants the A's to move to San Jose.  Selig got his real estate developer friend Lew Wolf installed as A's owner solely for the purpose of using Wolf's development acumen to get a new park built.  And why wouldn't Selig want a MLB team in the heart of Silicon Valley, with all the corporate wealth there?  Fremont fell through because of the lack of financing, but once the Giants demands can be met and they relinquish rights, the A's ballpark in San Jose will be an MLB priority.  Not to mention that the California legislature just passed a law fast-tracking environmental review for large projects in downtown areas (AB 900), which would benefit any new ballpark in San Jose.

The only question now for A's fans is: who will replace Neukom at the MLB bargaining table?  And can that person be talked into a deal, or talked into trying to convince the Giants ownership to deal?  By all accounts, Neukom was a tough cookie and shrewd negotiator.  My guess is that his departure will weaken the Giants' position relative to MLB.

Meanwhile, for A's fans like me who want to keep the team in Oakland, losing Neukom will probably be a blow to the cause.  He was the only Giants employee I ever liked.

Hey AN,
Some of you may remember that I posted an original A's song that I recorded last year called "Underdog Revolution."  I have since recorded a new A's song for the 2007 team (I'm pretty much ready to release an album of A's songs at this point).  The new song is called "Champions" and the A's have told me they will play it in the stadium this year.  KICU may also use it for some of their A's montages during broadcasts.  Since I currently live in A's exile in Southern California, I'm asking AN readers who hear the song at the Coliseum to please let me know if they hear it.  That would be much appreciated.

If you want to listen to the song (and download an MP3), you can check it out at my website:

http://www.ethanelkind.com/

I've also got "Underdog Revolution" available for purchase on the site as well.  So thanks A's fans for all your support.  These songs are truly for you.

Go A's!

EBT

Hey A's Nation -- I wrote and recorded a song for the A's back during the 2005 pennant drive, when I was stoked on what a comeback team we were.  The song is called "Underdog Revolution."  It seems fitting to unveil this now for all you diehard fans, as we embark with our team on the uphill climb of the postseason.

Follow this link to a downloadable version of the song, with lyrics on the webpage as well.  Unfortunately, it's not a streaming version, but you can save it and play it on any MP3 player (it's about 3 megs).  Hope you enjoy, and go A's!!!!

http://www.ethanelkind.com/downloads.shtml

From ESPN's wrap up of the Angels game:

Giambi hit a major league-best 14 homers in July, the most in a month by a Yankees player since Mickey Mantle hit 14 in July 1961. Roger Maris had 13 that month, too.

"That's the exciting part about being a Yankee," Giambi said. "Whenever you do anything special, you're joining Ruth, Gehrig, Mantle, DiMaggio. That's one of the reasons I came here."

As if I needed one more reason to boo that fat burger eating sell-out juicer.

With Melhuse out of the game for a pinch-runner and Hatteberg DHing, Macha was playing with fire.  If Kendall had gone down, Hatteberg coming in to replace him as the 3rd catcher would have forfeited our DH spot, so the pitcher would have had to bat.  Macha could've juggled it NL style for a bit and pinch-hit Ginter at least one time for the pitcher, but it could've gotten a little silly.  

Probably the best way to avoid this happening would be not to have Melhuse pinch hit at all in that situation.  I know he came through, but it seemed terribly risky to me.  Clutcharo has demonstrated 9th inning excellence time after time, and I think he earned the right to bat in that situation.  I felt the air suck out of the Coliseum, October 2003-style, when Clutcharo was called back.  Luckily it paid off for Macha, and this is obviously what he was envisioning that night in October, but it did not strike me as wise.

Meanwhile, it was a great win, and we can look forward to Kirk "The Dutch Oven" Saarloos dominating the team with the worst most classless clueless fans in baseball tonight.

10. "Hey Zito, you think you can pitch the 9th, too?"
    
9. "Way to nail him at second, Kendall!"
   
8. "Awesome break on the ball, Byrnesey!"
   
7. "Hey Kotsay, sometimes it's better to just play it off the wall."
   
6. "Cruz is just dealing tonight!"
   
5. "In checking the rulebook, I learned that it's possible to get a runner home from 3rd with less than 2 outs by hitting a ball deep enough to the outfield and having the runner tag 3rd and go home before the throw reaches the plate."
   
4. "Curt Young, you are a genius!"
   
3. "Dude, the players just love Macha -- they'd do anything for him."
   
2. "If only Mecir were still here to shut them down in the 8th."
   
1. "Once again, Chavy, you totally came through for us."

After suffering last year through all those LOBs, and now enduring this embarrassing and tormenting five weeks, I need to be put out of my misery.  Billy, please toss Byrnes, Durazo, Hatteberg and Chavez overboard.  It's at the point where I'm rooting against Chavez in the hope that he'll retire.  He looks miserable enough, and if he retires, he forfeits his contract, right?  Otherwise this guy is a franchise-killer.

Time to rebuild.  Stock the farm system with sluggers.  Hope they develop before Blanton, Harden and Haren move on to the big money teams.  But I'm tired of watching these hacks up there.

Thank God for Tivo and the double-bloop option.  That saved me these past two games against the Yank-me's.

It wouldn't be so bad if we didn't keep getting runners on base.  If we were just totally talentless, there would be no room for disappointment.

Let the dismantling come.  Let's have a team that is fresh, with no "A's Disease" (see playoffs, 2000-2003, regular season 2004, April/May 2005).