SB Nation User Blog: Flashfire

Final tally for the ex-A's

Flashfire — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:18:06 -0000

More photos » by David J. Phillip - AP

At least another likable former Athletic won something, right?

Elsewhere an A's fan and friend once spoke of the Giambi Curse, something like "No championship, either brother, ever" after both had moved on from their time in Oakland.

What happens the year after the Yankees move on from Jason Giambi? World Series win. Hey, after failing to buy one for the better part of the decade, they finally did the inevitable again. It was only a matter of time but it's nothing I'm impressed by.

Following in the cupcakey steps of Joe Blanton and future (and maybe current already) beer-leaguer Matt Stairs last year, two more former A's can lay claim to their first World Series win: Nick Swisher and, of all people, Chad Gaudin. He did pitch an inning in the ALCS! Swisher even matched Blanton's tally last year with a World Series home run. The bad news for him is he had about as much success at the plate otherwise as Blanton would be expected to. Thanks to people named Rodriguez, Jeter, Sabathia, Posada, Matsui, Damon, Rivera and so on, there's a ring he's going to get to wear.

Here's a recap of the ex-A's in the World Series, to be followed by their overall playoff totals.

New York Yankees

Nick Swisher: 2-for-15 (.133), .316 OBP, .400 SLG, .716 OPS, 3 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 4 BB, 4 SO

Johnny Damon: 8-for-22 (.364), .440 OBP, .455 SLG, .895 OPS, 6 R, 2 2B, 4 RBI, 3 SB, 3 BB, 3 SO

Chad Gaudin: Did not pitch, did get to celebrate with the others

Philadelphia Phillies

Matt Stairs: 1-for-8 (.125), .125 OBP, .125 SLG, .250 OPS, 1 RBI, 2 SO

Joe Blanton: 0-0, 6.00 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 6 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 0 HR, 2 BB, 7 SO

And, their final totals:

New York Yankees

Nick Swisher: 6-for-47 (.128), .255 OBP, .234 SLG, .489 OPS, 5 R, 2 2B, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 7 BB, 15 SO

Johnny Damon: 18-for-64 (.281), .333 OBP, .422 SLG, .755 OPS, 10 R, 3 2B, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 3 SB, 5 BB, 9 SO

Chad Gaudin: 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 0.00 WHIP, 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 HR, 0 BB, 0 SO

Philadelphia Phillies

Matt Stairs: 1-for-10 (.100), .250 OBP, .100 SLG, .350 OPS, 1 RBI, 2 BB, 3 SO

Joe Blanton: 0-0, 5.17 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 15 2/3 IP, 15 H, 10 R, 9 ER, 2 HR, 4 BB, 10 SO

(Note: There were other, better pictures I saw of Swisher celebrating but I think most of them are Getty. This is the best I can pull up on SBN)

Another update on ex-A's in the playoffs

Flashfire — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 05:03:03 -0000

More photos » by Jae C. Hong - AP

"No Johnny, I don't want to hear about how you hit two homers in the ALCS and I didn't and blah blah blibbedy blah. Maybe I'll just be the World Series hero, okay?"

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Some are still playing, some aren't. The way the World Series schedule breaks down there won't be a game on a Tuesday so I'll drop some stats on you like I did two weeks ago. I'll do the same once we have a winner and give the full totals for everyone at that point as well.

Rumor has it Matt Holliday, Carlos Gonzalez and Huston Street were about to turn to O.J. Simpson to be their fourth golfing buddy but the Juice is busy looking for the killers from a prison cell in Nevada right now instead of on the links. They were able to find Orlando Cabrera after all with Jason Giambi playing the role of caddy.

First, the NLCS:

Los Angeles Dodgers

Andre Ethier: 5-for-19 (.263), .474 SLG, .333 OBP, .807 OPS, 2 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 2 BB, 4 SO

Philadelphia Phillies

Matt Stairs: 0-for-1 (.000), .000 SLG, .500 OBP, .500 OPS, 1 BB

Joe Blanton: 0-0, 4.50 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 6 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 2 SO, 1 HR

Now, the ALCS:

New York Yankees

Johnny Damon: 9-for-30 (.300), .533 SLG, .323 OBP, .856 OPS, 4 R, 1 2B, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 1 BB, 2 SO

Nick Swisher: 3-for-20 (.150), .150 SLG, .292 OBP, .442 OPS, 2 R, 3 BB, 7 SO

Chad Gaudin: 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 0.00 WHIP, 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 SO, 0 HR

Open Thread - ALCS Game 4

Flashfire — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 21:24:38 -0000

More photos » by Chris Pizzello - AP

Someone ought to let Jerry Hairston know there are easier ways to join the Southern California Automobile Club than this.

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I hear yesterday's game between the Yankees and Angels was pretty exciting. So was the one between the Dodgers and Phillies.

Too bad I missed both of them while in the midst of sleeping the better part of 18 hours following some dental work. Since I'm still pretty loopy from it (a combination of conscious sedation and removing three wisdom teeth will do that) there's a good chance I'll be sleeping during most of this one as well.

The National League is off today so we've just got one game on the schedule, starting at 4:57 down in Anaheim. As a sidenote, I've never understood why the start times for these playoff games are like that. Does it really make a difference?

CC Sabathia gets the start against Scott Kazmir. Sabathia is working on three days' rest after dominating in Game 1 while Kazmir's last outing was a struggle in the ALDS clincher in Boston on the 11th. A New York win puts them in control of the series while the Angels try to even it up.

Lineup

New York Yankees @ Los Angeles Angels

10/20/09 4:57 PM PDT

New York Yankees	Los Angeles Angels
Derek Jeter - SS	Chone Figgins - 3B
Johnny Damon - LF	Bobby Abreu - RF
Mark Teixeira - 1B	Torii Hunter - CF
Alex Rodriguez - 3B	Vladimir Guerrero - DH
Jorge Posada - C	Juan Rivera - LF
Hideki Matsui - DH	Howie Kendrick - 2B
Robinson Cano - 2B	Kendry Morales - 1B
Nick Swisher - RF	Mike Napoli - C
Melky Cabrera - CF	Erick Aybar - SS

Ex-A's are everywhere, both good and bad

Flashfire — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 02:05:54 -0000

More photos » by Tom Gannam - AP

"Carlos may have had this many hits but I did a pretty good job too, AND we swept our series!"

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Matt Holliday drops what would have won Game 2 for the Cardinals.

Carlos Gonzalez gets ten hits in four games.

Andre Ethier comes up big.

Jason Giambi gets a clutch pinch-hit.

Huston Street crashes and burns, twice.

These are just a few things people who have either worn the green and gold or been in the Oakland organization did in the Division Series. To recap first:

Dodgers vs. Cardinals: Dodgers in 3

Phillies vs. Rockies: Phillies in 4

Yankees vs. Twins: Yankees in 3

Angels vs. Red Sox: Angels in 3

While three of the four series ended in sweeps, most of the games were close and competitive. Of the thirteen that were played, seven were decided by one or two runs. Since each series ended before my day of the week, I'll take this time to summarize what former A's did in their performances. Read on.

New York Yankees

Nick Swisher: 1-for-12 (.083), .167 SLG, .083 OBP, .250 OPS, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 4 SO

Johnny Damon: 1-for-12 (.083), .083 SLG, .154 OBP, .237 OPS, 1 BB, 4 SO

Minnesota Twins

Orlando Cabrera: 2-for-13 (.154), .154 SLG, .267 OBP, .421 OPS, 1 R, 1 SB, 2 BB, 3 SO

Ron Mahay: 0-0, 5.40 ERA, 0.60 WHIP, 0 H, 1.2 IP, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 SO

St. Louis Cardinals

Matt Holliday: 2-for-12 (.167), .417 SLG, .231 OBP, .647 OPS, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 2 SO, 1 E

Los Angeles Dodgers

Andre Ethier: 6-for-12 (.500), 1.333 SLG, .571 OBP, 1.905 OPS, 5 R, 2 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 1 BB, 2 SO

Philadelphia Phillies

Joe Blanton: 0-0, 4.91 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 3.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO, 1 HR

Colorado Rockies

Carlos Gonzalez: 10-for-17 (.588), .882 SLG, .632 OBP, 1.514 OPS, 5 R, 2 2B, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 2 BB, 1 SO, 2 SB

Jason Giambi: 1-for-3 (.333), .333 SLG, .333 OBP, 667 OPS, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 SO

Huston Street: 0-2, 1 SV, 1 BS, 13.50 ERA, 3.38 WHIP, 2.2 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 1 SO

Of those, Swisher, Damon, Ethier and Blanton advance with their respective teams. Gonzalez had a coming out party and Ethier was the only other hitter who did a whole lot. Fortunately for the Yankees, they weren't hurt by the poor games by Swisher or Damon. Street's meltdowns were absolute killers.

A's clinch! A's clinch! Okay, so it's just for last place and under .500...

Flashfire — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 04:56:35 -0000

More photos » by Elaine Thompson - AP

Trevor Cahill tips his cap to the 2009 A's season. We're #4! We're #4! Woohoo!!

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For most of the night this game had that playing-out-the-string feeling to it. Trevor Cahill was having another one of those Houdini-like outings until Ken Griffey Jr. touched him up for a three-run homer in the fifth that gave the Mariners a comfortable 6-1 cushion behind another solid outing by Felix Hernandez, though Oakland would make it interesting late by having chances to tie the game in each of the last two innings before falling by a count of 6-4.

In doing so the A's dropped to 75-82, thus ending their unlikely but entertaining quest to somehow reach .500 by the end of the season, and it assured a last-place finish for the first time since 1998. If the current standings of LAA-TEX-SEA-OAK stays the same (TEX and SEA could still switch places), it will be the first time that has happened since going to the three-division format.

If it's any consolation, the A's DO have the best record of any last-place team and trail their division leader by the least games in comparison to the rest. Put it this way: it took them until game 157 to be assured of last place after how bad things looked earlier in the year. Hey, it's SOMEthing. In spite of that it doesn't seem as bad as that looks as they've played solid baseball in the latter half of the season. The important thing will be seeing how much of it carries over into 2010.

Cahill was unable to get through the fifth tonight, allowing five earned runs on eight hits and two walks with just one strikeout. In comparison, Hernandez threw a season-high 120 pitches and nearly got through eight innings, giving up two runs on seven hits with four walks, plus he hit two batters. He wasn't his usual overpowering self, evidenced by only four strikeouts. Sometimes he gets that in two innings. He needed Mark Lowe to bail him out of trouble in the eighth and David Aardsma gave up a couple runs in the ninth on a Kurt Suzuki double before retiring Daric Barton on a fly ball to Ichiro Suzuki that, for the briefest of moments, looked like it might just have a chance to tie things up. Somehow Eric Patterson went 3-for-3 with a walk against Hernandez. I won't try to figure that one out and I suggest you don't either.

A few more things:

* Travis Buck got into the game, had two ABs, AND singled and scored a run.

* we expect full details soon from Chez Nico. It's not Vegas, so what happens there shall be known by all.

* the game threads are not safe for anyone except those of strong composition and/or questionable mental states. Wade in at your own peril. Now, those ARE Vegas as far as we're concerned.

* we've learned what a few of the A's rookies wound up in during this year's hazing ritual. Photos must exist somewhere. They will be found by someone.

* this is my last game thread of the season. It was fun. In the words of Denis Leary, "Thank you, thank you, thank you, and..." Wait. Not the game thread. My bad. Go A's in 2010!

Open Thread: Game 157 - A's at Mariners (cont)

Flashfire — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 03:43:12 -0000

Griffey just got all of one. Kennedy has no future as a third baseman. Patterson has no future involving throwing the ball in any way.

6-1 Sea...ttle. On to the sixth.

Open Thread: Game 157 - A's at Mariners (cont)

Flashfire — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 02:59:48 -0000

1-0 M's after three and I think most of us are focused on other more interesting conversations.

Open Thread: Game 157 - A's at Mariners

Flashfire — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 23:16:36 -0000

by Tony Gutierrez - AP

Felix Hernandez doesn't actually pitch like this. If he did he'd probably only be pretty good instead of great.

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As I sit here enjoying my first homemade smoothie (okay, at least I was when I wrote this around 4:30) after buying a blender in an effort to eat a little healthier, the A’s begin their final road series of the season in Seattle with a chance to finish at .500. With a record of 75-81 they’ll have to win their last six and it starts off with a tough one: Trevor Cahill vs. Felix Hernandez.

Unless the A’s use him on Sunday this will be Cahill’s final outing of the season and to his credit he’s had a strong finish. As rough a season as he did have while gaining valuable MLB experience, his last few starts are a positive to build from and take into 2010. Against Seattle Cahill is 0-2 in three starts but he’s only allowed four earned runs in 19 innings.

King Felix is arguably in the Cy Young hunt in the most dominant season of his young career so far. The only time he faced the A’s back in his second start of the season, he allowed five runs in five innings. He stands a good chance of finishing with 18 or 19 wins but his numbers have been great across the board and he passed 200 strikeouts for the first time in a season in his last start. In the month of September he’s 4-0 with a 1.15 ERA, as well.

That’s ending on a strong note, but my favorite for the Cy remains Zack Greinke. He’s been amazing all season but is having an even better September than Hernandez. Justin Verlander and C.C. Sabathia will get some votes and even though Sabathia’s the least deserving of those four, you never know how it’ll go when he plays for the Yankees.

Tonight is also the night when dead animals are being grilled up over at Chez Nico. If you’re not already there it’s probably too late.

Lineup

Oakland Athletics @ Seattle Mariners

09/29/09 7:10 PM PDT

Oakland Athletics	Seattle Mariners
Adam Kennedy - 3B	Ichiro Suzuki - RF
Rajai Davis - CF	Franklin Gutierrez - CF
Ryan Sweeney - RF	Jose Lopez - 2B
Kurt Suzuki - C	Ken Griffey Jr. - DH
Jack Cust - DH	Adrian Beltre - 3B
Daric Barton - 1B	Mike Carp - 1B
Mark Ellis - 2B	Bill Hall - LF
Eric Patterson - LF	Rob Johnson - C
Cliff Pennington - SS	Josh Wilson - SS

Cahill, aided by double plays, earns win #10

Flashfire — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 04:03:08 -0000

More photos » by Ben Margot - AP

It was a homer, really! They just don't call them that way once you get past Little League ball.

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It was one of those outings where you figure Trevor Cahill should have given up more than just one run, the sort where he's in trouble often and just waiting for that hit or two that leads to a big inning for the other side. The thing to remember is when you're a ground ball pitcher and someone's on base you're usually only one double play away from heading back to the dugout unscathed with the odds a little more in your favor than usual. Such was the case tonight and Daric Barton provided the offense early (with a little help from the Rangers "defense") before the A's opened it up big time in the 7th, winning 9-1.

In Cahill's 5 2/3 innings tonight (he was on a pitch count) he was able to get three of them. Two were of the conventional on-the-ground variety while one was a nice catch and throw from center by Rajai Davis. His first two innings were three up, three down affairs but he got the double plays in each of the middle innings. He was also pretty efficient in throwing 51 of his 79 pitches for strikes (65%) along with inducing 11 ground ball outs compared to 4 by air.

Once again he also avoided giving up the longball, though David Murphy came very close on a run-scoring double that hit the top of the jagged edge in right-center. There was some luck on his side tonight as most of the 6 hits and 2 walks he gave up came in four innings with just 1 strikeout overall but I see it as him making some of his own by keeping the ball down, pitching to his strengths.

Things got a little interesting in the bottom of the 1st when Adam Kennedy decided he was going to have a very short night as he argued a bad called strike three enough for Eric Cooper to give him the thumb. Of note was Bob Geren taking about half an hour to get out of the dugout but while Kennedy was right to be upset he didn't look like he'd be done with it until he got sent to the showers. Mission accomplished, but we were forced to endure eight innings of Bobby Crosby.

In the bottom of the 2nd Barton stepped to the plate with two away and Jack Cust on first after a walk. In one of those plays you really just have to see to believe, he hit a sinking liner to right that Nelson Cruz charged and dove for. Instead of letting it fall and keeping it to a two-out, two-on situation the ball got under his glove. Cust motored around to score as Barton reached third on a triple, but Ian Kinsler's relay throw got past Ivan Rodriguez to the backstop and Barton raced home as well, beating Brandon McCarthy's errant toss from near the on-deck circle. Out of all that, just one error was charged to Kinsler, which was about right.

Barton would come through again with two down in the 4th, singling to plate Ryan Sweeney. Cahill gave a run back in the 6th on the Murphy double before Marlon Byrd hit a fly ball to center. Davis made the catch and Murphy raced to third only to be tagged out by Bobby Crosby. Craig Breslow finished the inning and worked an uneventful 7th, then the A's really put it out of reach.

Leading off, Eric Patterson turned on a fastball away (yes, you read it right) for a double to right. Geren played it safe by having Crosby sacrifice Patterson to third but it quickly got out of hand for Willie Eyre. Davis singled, plating Patterson. Sweeney singled as Davis went to third. Kurt Suzuki and Cust both pulled doubles down the line, Suzuki's scoring two while Cust's brought Suzuki around. Mark Ellis singled in Cust and Eyre's night was done. Barton hit another ball solidly but this time it was a sharp liner right to Hank Blalock at first for an inning-ending double play.

The A's got one more in the 8th on a Davis strikeout, though he reached first on a wild pitch as Patterson trotted home after singling and advancing to third on a couple passed balls. Jerry Blevins and Brad Ziegler wrapped up the win that put Cahill into double figures days after Brett Anderson got there. After Kurt Suzuki dropped a foul pop by Kinsler, Ziegler's next and final pitch was a soft liner right back to him that led to an easy throw to Barton at first. Game over. A's win again, their eighth in the last nine. Yay!

Oh yeah. The Rajai Watch is now at .318 after a couple more hits. He did strike out three times.

Game 151: A's vs. Rangers (cont)

Flashfire — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 03:42:10 -0000

More photos » by Ben Margot - AP

In play, run(s)!

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Cahill, presumably on a pitch count, is done and the A's take a 3-1 lead to the seventh. Barton likes September.