SB Nation User Blog: Mantecan As Fan

Rule 5 Protection?

Mantecan As Fan — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 01:11:58 -0000

Howdy All

Well i am not sure about anyone else but somehow the postseason does not seem alluring without the A's involved, so i thought i would embark on my own little rosterbation attempt. ( My first! Dad would be so proud!)

However before i can complete it i would like to know how i would find out which of our prospects need Rule 5 protection this year as i am not familiar with the rules exactly. Could someone please direct me to the right place that i can access this info?

Appreciate it

Cut Price way to see the Stockton Ports

Mantecan As Fan — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 16:14:21 -0000

sunofawhatthestuarrghhhh.... i hate this stuff.... all my typing got lost when i tried to preview so lets try a shorter version

OK, so basically a local radio station (KJOY 99.3) has this deal today at 10am and its limited to 100. For a total of $28.75 ($25 plus $3.75 S&H) you get a certificate good for 4 MVP seats and a mini bat souvie. The tickets are usually 10-11 each so its a pretty decent deal and a great way to take your family out to the ball park. When your certificate arrives in the mail all you have to do is exchange it at the box office for the game you want to see. If you have never been to Banner Island before then this is a great chance to catch a real Minor League Gem of a ball park at a real nice discount.

I have used some of these deals in the past through this radio station and i have never had a problem with any of them.

Anyway i will let you all decide but i hope this is useful to someone

Ports Ticket Offer

Have a great weekend one and all and GO A'S!!!!!!!!!

Guest Services

Mantecan As Fan — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 02:04:11 -0000

Ok so i will let you know that this is part rant before it gets started then if you dont want to carry on reading stop right here...

I ask this because i have only be able to attend one game so far this year and that was on wednesday, but has anyone noticed if there has been a lack of guest services staff ? Now i understand that if you are figuring on less fans in seats then you will not need as mnay people to 'help' them but you should still have enough to keep an eye on things happening in the stands. Either way, on a night that you have $ dogs you should expect to have a few people show up.

My wife broke her foot over last weekend, but she still insisted that we go to the game. (she really wanted that blanket) Now we like to sit in the LF bleachers, i mean hey who doesnt, and with the fact my wife is in a wheelchair we use one of the platforms they have about halfway up. They have railings on one side to stop people coming back and forth in front of the wheelchairs etc. Usually (at least every game we attended last year) they have always had at least one staff member out in the bleachers just keeping on eye on things. They had none on Wednesday and so people didnt care about going the long way around, they would just climb over the railings. After a couple of near misses the inevitable happened, as some idiot climbed over and stepped down straight on my wifes bad leg and actually catapulted her forward out of her chair. i exchanged some words with him but was more concerned about getting her out and to the first aid station, get some ice that sort of thing. Trying to find a rep was rediculous and when we finally encountered a service rep, she directed us to a first aid station that was closed. We then saw a supervisor who instead of offering to help us in any kind of way, told us we had to go to the other one on the other side of the stadium. As we all know, its hard to walk around the concourse at times, you try doing it with a wheelchair!!! After finally making it around and with my wife in tears, we walked in to two people bickering back and forth about whose job it was to be where and to answer what call. We sat there for 5 minutes before my wife got upset and told me to take her home. Then they decided to acknowledge us and oh did we need help? Yeah but too late now we are going home. We could have used an escort to the first aid station or better we could have used someone getting us some basic items like an icepack and bringing them to us rather than being forced to navigate our way around the stadium.

Going back around we saw one security and one guest services member in the 20 or so sections we covered. I dont know if i am worried by that or appalled. i dread to think what would happen if anything serious happened on the concourse or in the seats

It was not until we were leaving up on the bart plaza, that two ladies at the door noticed something was wrong and asked what happened. i was so pissed off by then i couldnt speak very well and said we were just going home. They stopped us and insisted that our problem whatever it was get sorted out before we left or at least make a complaint. Has anyone ever made a complaint at the coliseum that has actually elicted a response? i am curious because i am not really expecting to hear back from anyone. Anyhow they did call their boss, who i guess called the Stadium Operations Director whose name was David Avila. He talked to my wife a bit and the supervisor pulled me aside and asked me what happened and to write a statement. Do you know what his response was to me? He asked me why didnt i hit the guy that fell on my wife? I mean seriously, what kind of response is that? Sure it might have given me some satisfaction but it wouldnt have helped as i would have been the one getting thrown out!!! i could not believe he said that to me, as he confided that this is what he would have done! Is this for real? is this the attitude that the people working their have? Oh they will sort out their own problems we dont need to interfere? Crazy...

Whats even more crazy is we are actually going back tomorrow!!! I will be taking a lot more precautions tomorrow and i hope we make the whole game this time. If anyone who was sitting in the rows in front of us reads here, i want to say thanks for the offers of help and suggest that maybe the A's should be giving you guys and gals jobs and firing who they got now. To everyone else here, if you want to stop by and say hi please do so, you cant miss us. I'm the big loudmouth lunk sitting beside the lady in the wheechair and we will hopefully be on the second or third platform in from the flag poles.

There will never be anything happens that will make me hate the team on the field, but damn i cant wait for fremont and a modern stadium...

Night all

My Last post about fantasy baseball

Mantecan As Fan — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 05:00:45 -0000

The League i created that i tried to base on the A's style of play, drafts tomorrow (saturday) at 10am. I am still short a number of players, as of now we have 5. If anyone else is interested in trying this format here are your details. Also set to be a full 25 man roster exactly per a real team. I think it could be fun and i hope you guys and gals will too

Yahoo League Id: 103600

Password: athletics

Hope to see some of you there

MAF

Fantasy Baseball A's Style

Mantecan As Fan — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 05:03:55 -0000

I am sure everyones sick of the fantasy baseball posts by now.... however.... (you saw it coming huh?) I have or am trying to create a league based on the A's style of play. So the stats for example include on base, walks, but not SB or average. If anyone is interested in playing or giving me some help in maybe tweaking the stat categories here are the details

Yahoo League ID 103600

Password athletics

Draft is set for next Saturday at 10am.

Hear from you all soon

PCL Play Off Game. Bees Vs Rivercats

Mantecan As Fan — Sun, 09 Sep 2007 05:18:35 -0000

Well this was definetly a much more exciting game than the A's game!!! Bees took the early 3-0 lead in the top of the 3rd, helped by a wild pitch from Tadano. However his teammates picked him back up in the bottom half courtesy of a 2R HR from Putnam and then Blasi following up with a dinger to the same part of the yard to tie the game.
After a lead off double in the fourth, Tadano did not allow another baserunner until the 8th, retiring 13 straight.
In the 5th Blasi connected with his second Hr of the day to give the Cats their first lead of the game. They should have added another in the 6th but Putnam was cut down at home by a throw from the left fielder, although the call was hotly contested by Putnam and The Cats manager.

The Cats had another chance to add on in the 7th but Petit flied out with two on... Sounds like the big boys huh??
Tadano finally had a runner reach on an error in the 8th with one out and then a wild pitch moved him to second, before Kaz was removed in favour of Ron Flores.
Flores promptly gives up a bloop single to center and with another play at the plate going against us, the Bees tied it up. Tadano really deserved the victory in the game but it was not to be.
Now its a man we have come to know well coming into pitch, as Ziggy made his way to the mound charged with getting the cats out the inning without further damage.
Well... he walked the first guy he faced, got the next guy to chop to third with the only play to first for the out with the runners moving up. The instead of issuing the free pass to load the bases to one of their hottest hitters he.......

STRIKES HIM OUT!!! Yeah i know what you thought was coming!
He then followed it up with a scoreless ninth, leaving it up to the bats to win the game for him. They Didnt so he comes out and pitches a scoreless 10th, can they do it for him this time?
YES!!!! With two on.. .Danny Putnam with the Walk off Jack... His second of the night and the Cats force the game 5, winning 7-4 in ten innings!!! Bring on those Bees tomorrow!!!

Minor League Write Up Blaze 7 Ports 4

Mantecan As Fan — Sat, 19 May 2007 19:29:11 -0000

So I thought it woud be a nice way to spend a Friday evening with my wife by watching the Ports take on the Bakersfield Blaze last night. It was a lefty-lefty matchup with Brad Davis going for the Ports and Glenn Swanson taking the mound for the Blaze. It was warm, dry, with a decent breeze blowing out to center field and this bode well to seeing a few balls leave the park tonight.

Davis started off well in the 1st picking off a runner on first base and then getting a K to end the inning. The 2nd? well... that didnt quite go according to plan... got behind to the first batter who ripped a 3-1 fastball for a double. A strikeout then another double to give the Blaze a 1-0 lead. Gave up a RBI single to the #8 batter for a 2-0 lead before he got out of trouble. So ok its only two runs... no problem, the Ports can hit and its early. This would be fine except tonight the Ports could not put the ball in play. The Blaze pitcher Swanson was just lights out. Recently promoted from low A ball with a 6-1 record, he took looks like he belongs at the higher level, dazzling the helpless Ports with a defasting fastball that just seemed like a blur. I could hardly even see it, so I dont know how they did! He proceeded to no hit the Ports through 6 2/3 innings in his first high A start

Davis hit his first batter in the 3rd before striking out the side and hope was raised before being dashed in the 4th. A double, a Sac-bunt and then a 2 run homer to right field made the score 4-0 and with the way Swanson was pitching you just knew this was not going to be a good night. In the home half of the fourth Tommy Everidge worked a 2 out walk and on a 1-2 count to Pineda, stole second... At least everyone else in the ground knew he took second, however the Ump called him out and the boos and cat-calls echoed around the stadium. It just seemd nothing was going to go the Ports way.
Davis left after the 5th after three fly ball outs and it was a good call by the Skip as the Blaze were making solid contact to everything he threw at that point. His final line 5IP 6 H 5K 0BB 4ER. I feel he has a lot better in him than that line suggests, the lack of walks certainly indicates good control. Indeed he has only given up 7BB in 33 1/3 IP this year and with 30K thats a ratio i will take any day. From his splits this year he is much more effective relieving, than starting though. A good setup man, maybe a closer is probably his future.

Booby Cramer took over in the 6th and struck out the side and K'd another 2 in the 7th.
The Ports FINALLY got through on Swanson in the bottom of the 7th. Swanson retired the first two before walking Pineda which brought Anthony Recker to the plate. He got ahead 2-0, got the fastball he was waiting on and just slashed it over the left field wall. A line drive that didnt have much height but it just kept on going, right over the Blaze bullpen to finally put the Ports on the board. 4-2. Hey, maybe another late-game, come from behind rally from the Ports? Maybe not... Swanson struck out Kleen to end the inning and finished with a very impressive line 7IP 1H 5K 4BB 2ER
Having gotten on the board we needed another shut down inning from Cramer and we almost got it... almost. He retired the first two and then inexplicably lost his control. Walked the next batter and got a visit from the Coach. We've got someone up in the pen and i am PLEADING with the coach to pull him... no, Coach keeps him in and he promptly hits the next batter with his first pitch. OK now time to pull him right? WRONG... Next batter hits a 2 run double down the right field line and the lead is back to 4. A flyball from the next batter to short right field and that should have been it, but neither Sellers or Kleen could figure out who makes the play and it ends up bouncing off Kleen's glove for an Error and another run. Damn it, these guys are supposed to be Pros. OK they are still kids learning but still... Cramer then gives up a single before finally being yanked in favour on Jeff Muessig... at least 4 batters too late. The Blaze sent 8 men to the Plate in the 8th and scored 3 runs. 7-2
Bottom of the 8th, back to back 2 out singles from Pennington and Sellers followed by a double down the line that was just fair by Luke Appert made the score 7-4. However Everidge struck out to end the inning. A double play in the ninth killed off any hope that was left and the fans left despairingly, wondering what could and should have been.

Anthony Recker was my Ports player of the game, not just for the home run but for two great defensive plays. The first was a sublime sliding catch on his knees right into the backstop to end the 4th and then in the 9th, he noticed that Matt Smith had strayed off first and threw a bullet to Everidge to tag him out. Smith was also the runner that Davis picked off in the first so thats at least one player that needs to improve his awareness on the bases!
I dont know what the conventional thinking is on Recker, nor do I really care. To me he looks like a very solid Catcher. Good defense and some legit power. I've seen Powell and Recker and to me Reck is a much better player. Thats just my opinion.

Well you all have a great day and I will be back soon on the next Ports homestand in two weeks time.

MAF

Rivercats 3, Ports 4 !!!

Mantecan As Fan — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 06:01:30 -0000

Yes you read that right, our AAA affiliate lost to our High A outfit. It was actually a really good game between the two teams although it was a little confusing with Sac having 2 DH's at the same time (Suzuki and Barton)
The game started off lightning fast with Vince Mazzaro pitching for the Ports having a little control problem. He walked Mellilo and then a passed ball had mellilo at second. A single to center followed but no run as Mellio was nailed at the plate by a great throw for Herrera.. That guy has a cannon of an arm!!! However Barton made up for it with a 2 run shot to left field in the top of the first. The Ports replied in the bottom of the first with Lloyd Turner hit a towering solo shot to center field out over the 389 mark and then Herrera followed up a couple of batters later with a RBI single to tie the game.

The game settled down with some good pitching on both sides, with Mellilo's solo HR to left field in the 3rd the only scoring for a while.
The Ports finally got more runs with a 2 run HR in the bottom of the sixth to take the lead. Unfortunately i do not have his name only his number #31, as he was a pinch hitter and the PA system is not the greatest. It did give the lead back to the ports at 4-3 and that was the final score at the end of the game. Brad Davis came in and pitched the last 2 innings for the save. (wow a two inning save, wouldnt that be nice?)
The only other notable higlight came from Jason Perry in the 8th inning. With 2 on and 2 out, Tommy Everidge hit a slicing shot deep down the right field line with Perry chasing after it running sideways and backwards. He caught the ball and promptly slammed straight into the wall. He kind of bounced off and collapsed to the ground... incredibly he hung on to the ball to end the inning. He was seriously shaken up so i was happy that he was able to get back up and half walk, half jog back to the dugout...
It was an excellent game, a lot of fun and the biggest disappointment to me was the fact that the stadium was nearly empty. i doubt if there were a 1000 people in attendace which was really sad. Banner Island has a great atmosphere when its full and its in a really pleasant setting right on the water. I am still waiting to hear about the first splash hit, it would have to be a monster to get it though...
Barton looked good, especially on his home run to opposite field, Suzuki had a good game with a couple of good at bats, worked an 0-2 count for a walk and laced a double late in the game.
Something else i noted was about the much vaunted and crticised SS Cliff Pennington... it appears he has been moved to 2nd base although i am not sure yet if this is permanent. Still waiting for more info.
On a personal note i was pretty darn happy to meet Jared Lansford, real nice kid. I got his autograph along with Mellilo and Suzuki all on the same ball, so one day when they are all in the HoF i should be rich...(Hey I can Dream... of the HoF not the money!!!)
So if you like this i will do some more updates from games when i do attend them. i know it was discussed in the offseason about some of us covering the minor league teams but i never did hear anything more about it.
And damn it was great to get home and find out We blanked the mariners!!! That was just a perfect end to the evening..
Have a good one all.

Stockton Ports V Sacramento Rivercats

Mantecan As Fan — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 03:11:51 -0000

Hi All

Just wanted to let you know that the Cats will be taking on the Ports tomorrow (Wednesday) evening at Banner Island Ball Park in Stockton. Tickets are only $5 each general admission. I was there buying tickets today for me and my wife and i found out that they have hundreds of tickets left. The guy i talked to said that he thinks no one knows about it as they have not advertised it very well. So come on all you guys and gals who want to see some future A's stars and get on down to the park tomorrow. First pitch is 7.05 with gates open at 6. Also if any of you want to stop and say hi i will be in section 117 front row next to the Ports dugout. Cant miss me, i am huge (6'6) and will be wearing an A's Jacket
Hope to see some of you there and its a great excuse to check out the ports new stadium if you have not seen it yet

Another Fantasy League

Mantecan As Fan — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 17:07:50 -0000

As the Fantasy leagues posted so far are all full I thought that I would create another one. So for anyone interested (and I hope that SOMEONE is) here are the details

League ID 71215
League Name The Drum Beats Slow
Password lfbleachersrock
Draft Time: Fri March 9th 7:15pm

My tribute to our drummers who make our games a great experience. I dont know all their names but I thank them heartily

Good Luck one and all and I can not wait for April, I NEED TO SEE SOME BASEBALL!!!