SB Nation User Blog: Masaryk

DLD 15/02/09 Valentine Hangover Edition

Masaryk — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 20:02:46 -0000

Two ladies, four bottles of wine, and copias amounts of chocolate covered strawberries.....I am tired and I'm having trouble piecing together the latter half of the evening.....suffice to say, it was a mythical holiday this year. Please share your valentine stories (PG to PG-13 only please)

So, I am finally getting my morning cup (at noon PST) and reading up on my A's news...when I run across this confusing bit of info on the 1st Power Rankings of the Year:

FOX SPORTS SAYS WE ARE #14 (eh, OK, I can see that)

Whatifsports.com has us at #30 (WHAT THE ?? LAST IN THE LEAGUE?)

Admittedly, I have not clicked over to the whatifsports.com site to educate myself yet, I came to AN first, but no news here on this little nugget.

Update: Ok, so I did click over and it takes me to the 2008 MLB Season totals...confused as heck, since I can't find the graph that is referenced on the Fox Sports site (last updated on 1/9/09)...Help?

Also, nice little piece from Peter Gammons (first since his interview with A-Rod). I like his perspective on the interview and gives us a little window into how oblivious he was to the "potential" on these dramatic confessions being placed on his lap. IMO, his follow up questions were "soft". Gammons was clearly "caught off guard". It is interesting to see the difference between a "reporter" and an "interviewer". Maybe this is why Boras and Co. wanted him to conduct the interview.

More A's related news:

Jerome is in the hunt for the #5 SP spot. Thanks Geren, no duh.

That is all from me......

OH, and on an unrelated basketball note, Rudy was robbed in the Slam Dunk contest yesterday.

FOX's Whitlock: NFL Truths

Masaryk — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 20:04:06 -0000

OK, I will not beat this dead horse anymore, but I was pleased to read this in todays article from Jason Whitlock.

1. While the Raiders and Al Davis are selling shares in their organization, they should consider giving Bill Parcells 3 to 5 percent of the organization and let Tuna fix what Al has broken.

Parcells can opt out of his deal with the Dolphins. Parcells and Davis have a longstanding, respectful admiration/friendship. Parcells is probably the only man who can single-handedly clean up Davis' mess.

Issue #1 - We NEED a G.M.

Masaryk — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 20:45:20 -0000

Look, all of this talk about who should be our next Head Coach, who we should draft in the 2009 draft, should Henderson start over Harries, etc....these are all secondary issues to:

"Who should be our next G.M.?"

The Raiders front office and scouting directors have had a really horrid track record in both Free Agent signings and Draftees recently. With few exceptions (McFadden, Asomugha, Russell, Schilens, Bush, Higgins) our failures in personel have been at the focal point of our demise these past 6 years. I will concede the point that the draft is a crapshoot, meaning, you are more likely to "miss" on a player than "hit" on one.

The main issue we have had is in OVERPAYING for old/past-their-prime Free Agents. Our most recent overpays have been well documented (Walker, Hall, Harris) and it is the front office that needs to take the blame here.

This is why we need a G.M. We need a guy to come in that UNDERSTANDS how to structure a TEAM under the salary cap. Look, with all due respect to Mr. Davis, his weakness for wanting to bleed the last remaining ounces of talent from older players is legendary. His eye for this is not what it used to be. Who in this league would have given Walker that contract? NOBODY. Mr. Davis should still have some input, but we NEED, desperately NEED a G.M.

So, who is on my list?

1. Parcells - Love him or Hate him, Parcells is a roster creating wizard. His track record in New York (2), New England, Dallas (despite Jerry's medaling), and now Miami, you can't deny this man's eye for "old" and "new" talent. He has had a good relationship with Mr. Davis over the years, maybe that friendship will help Mr. Davis make that change and hire someone who that he knows.

2. Pioli - Yes, I despise the Patriots too, but similar to Parcells, you cannot deny the absolute mastery that the Patriots front office has displayed with free agent signings and their draft choices (at least from R1-3). Have they missed at all on FA signings in the last 6 years? I couldn't think of any. Pioli and his minions could turn this ship around right quick.

3. Schottenheimer - Marty is a veteran of the AFL and NFL, this guy had our number for years as the head coach of KC and SD, so he knows the AFC West very, very well. This guy is well respected around the league and has always gotten players to play for him, he's a natural leader. His eye for talent and life as a head coach will pay dividends to whomever becomes the next Raiders coach. Can Mr. Davis put his ego aside to pull the strings on this one?

Dark Horse Raider Nation Pick

4. Madden/Gannon - This would be a two headed monster I believe. Madden is getting up there in age, he doesn't like to travel, his family is growing up all around him and are based in the East Bay. He might want to stay closer to home. A position as Sr. Executive would be fitting. We can't deny his football knowledge either. Like him or not as an analyst, he KNOWS football, and he bleeds the Silver and Black. Gannon would be the GM, the guy has the brains, savvy, and passion to succeed here. Is it a big step for him? Maybe, but I have a feeling that Gannon is a fast learner. If I were a betting man, I'd put money on him.

In the NFL, you window is short, EVERY YEAR. With the salary cap, the competitive balance is always changing, we NEED a creative front office in order to get Raider Nation back on the map, EVERY YEAR. We are too historied a franchise to wallow in 11+ loss seasons. It's unacceptable.

We have some exciting players on our roster that should make us all feel very optimistic about what "could" be. With the right GM, FIRST, a dynamic head coach and some roster reshuffling, we could turn this thing around quickly.

Mr. Davis, it is up to YOU now to make the right choice. Bring us a GM that can help you bring us back to relevance again.

I Know, I Know, No More Furcal...But...

Masaryk — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 18:44:16 -0000

I have read on many other FanPosts about our lack of "commitment" in the attempted, Furcal signing......and this comment from Rafael, confirms a bit of the attitude (perceived or actual) that Oakland displayed to Rafael and his agents.

The following quote did shock me:

Furcal also had been negotiating with the Oakland Athletics.

"They offered $32 million for four years and later raised it to $35 million and told us to take it or leave it," Furcal said.

Contract negotiations are always fluid, so has been this off seasons Free Agent Market. To offer up a take it or leave it at 4/35, seems incredibly brazen and speaks to our lack of commitment in getting this signing done.

It becomes even more puzzling when you factor in the following:

1. Claiming (through media) that the A's would be fine to open 2009 with BoCro as our starting SS, then placing him on outright waivers.

2. Talking with Giambi's agents about 2 year deal.....

I cannot imagine giving MORE money to Giambi than we offered to Furcal. Add R.J., Sheets, Penny, etc.....

SS is a Black Hole of production for us.

Link Here

OT: High Profile Jouranlist Swings at ESPN

Masaryk — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 05:15:05 -0000

Many of us have lamented over the lack of "coverage" that our teams get on ESPN. Fair and Balanced? Ah, no. We have cursed at our T.V.'s, directed at Steve Philips and John Kruk because of their uneducated, ass kissing, and boring commentary.

Joe Morgan? Enough said.

We have complained that the MLB coverage is basically, Yankees vs. Red Sox, with a splash of Mets, Braves, and Cardinals coverage.

Mr. Whitlock touches on the lack of coverage that Ball State football has gotten as well as, the short-sightedness of the most recent Heisman voting, among other topics.

While Mr. Whitlock doesn't talk about MLB much, the read was interesting and one of the first that I have read that calls out ESPN and it's "coverage". BTW, as many of you know, Mr. Whitlock worked at ESPN for many years, and yes he was fired from that job.

Follow the link for the article.

http://msn.foxsports.com/cfb/story/8853534

DLD 9/24/06 Crosby back for the ALCS?

Masaryk — Sun, 24 Sep 2006 16:47:17 -0000

OK, so my first shot at the DLD. Sorry, no fancy grey boxes.....

First, "Crash" thinks he might be make if A's make it through the first round:

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2600903

Second, Ray-Ray chimes in on "rotation" questions

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/chronicle/archive/2006/09/24/SPGCULBQ231.DTL&type=as

Oh, Alex, just leave the "A's" out of your mouth. In case you missed this yesterday, Jenkins gives his opinion on Scoot, A-Rod, Manny, and Pavano.....I think we need to write in and ask that SFgate change the title of this commentary....Drumbeat? Unless you've banged drum in the bleachers, you haven't earned this title....

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/sfgate/indexn?blogid=21

OK, let's finish this thing today....

Kenny Rogers gets 20 game suspension

Masaryk — Fri, 01 Jul 2005 20:45:56 -0000

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2098862

Hmmm, this is great news for us. Kenny is one of their best pitchers and to be out 20 games is a heavy suspension. THe Rangers as we know are not loaded with pitching, so "bring up the meat"!

When do we play the Rangers again? He always gives us fits.......our hitters will be happy.

Can you say 2nd place in the AL West?

Corvette Story

Masaryk — Fri, 01 Jul 2005 16:56:29 -0000

Caught this little nugget on the A's website today.

"Bullpen catcher Brandon Buckley was moderately successful in his attempts to ruffle Rich Harden's feathers by noting that Barry Zito will be featured in a future issue of a magazine devoted to Corvette enthusiasts. Zito is driving a loaner Corvette from a dealership for which he appeared in an ad. Harden bought his. "Z's is an automatic, and he doesn't even know how to drive it," Harden said with feigned indignation. "Me and Byrnes, we own ours, and we drive stick. We're the real Corvette guys in here, not Zito."

This is another great non-baseball story about our team. I love reading stuff like this. It gives you a more personal perspective of these guys and as a fan, it makes me love them more and more.......

Duh-Tel on the DL....

Masaryk — Fri, 20 May 2005 22:56:28 -0000

Great, another pitcher on the DL.

To make matters worse we bring up J. Clark back up.

Someone help me out here. We have about 3+ pitchers on the DL and we're bringing up a 2B/LF convert? I know that arms are short in Sac, but bring someone up from Midland and give us an arm from Sac.

Unless J.Clark has been converted into a bullpen guy without AN noticing, I'm not sure I get this call-up.

Educate me.

When Sharks Taste Blood...ESPN Article

Masaryk — Mon, 09 May 2005 21:12:12 -0000

Uh, let the "piling on" begin.
Now is the time when you get all of the A's detractors out to tee-off on our season thus far.
I'm willing to bet we will be hearing more chirppings out of Joe Morgan too...just wait.

Oh, we get a semi-plug in here too.

This time it is ESPN's Jerry Crasnick.

For the full article visit the following link:

http://insider.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=crasnick_jerry&id=2056116

NEW YORK - Oakland manager Ken Macha was assessing his team's chances against the struggling Yankees on Friday when he launched into a tale about a California prospector during the 1849 gold rush. The sudden burst of animation was uncharacteristic for Macha, who rarely opts for a colorful anecdote when a guarded platitude will do.

Let's put it this way: He's no Ozzie Guillen.

"Did you hear the story about the miner?" Macha asked reporters in the dugout. "He mined and he dug, and he mined and he dug, and nothing. Zero. So he abandoned the mine. Then the next guy came in and he only had to go two inches, and he hit the mother lode."

The story was Macha's way of reminding people that the Yankees, a team loaded with big-name, talented players, could bust loose at any moment. In reality, he could easily have applied the same lesson to his own club.

Problem is, those last two inches will be a chore. The California gold rushers had to deal with disease, poverty and a lack of social order. The Athletics have serious concerns of their own, most notably a chronic lack of power and an inability to produce with runners on base.

Skeptics figured Oakland might have difficulty competing this year after general manager Billy Beane's bold roster revamp sent Tim Hudson to Atlanta and Mark Mulder to St. Louis in trades over the winter. How could a team so reliant on starting pitching contend in a competitive AL West with such a youthful new look in the rotation?

So much for Cactus League speculation. A month into the season, Oakland's pitching is doing fine. It's the hitting that's awful.

The numbers are readily available, and they're not pretty. The Athletics are last in the majors with a .651 OPS (on-base average plus slugging percentage), last in runs scored and 27th in home runs. They've been shut out six times after being blanked only three times all last season, and their .203 average with runners in scoring position is the worst in the big leagues.

Oakland's feeble offense helps explain why Rich Harden, Barry Zito and Joe Blanton have pitched well and have a combined 3-9 record to show for it. Zito and Blanton have received a combined 4.77 runs a game worth of support, or slightly more than half the 9.07 per game that the Chicago White Sox have given Jon Garland.

Eric Chavez, Oakland's franchise player, is hitting .190 and looks lost at the plate. Jason Kendall, acquired in a trade from Pittsburgh, is batting .225 in his adjustment to a new league. And Eric Byrnes, counted on to provide power from the right side, is hitting .208 and waving at way too many sliders in the dirt.

Erubiel Durazo, Oakland's leading run producer, has 14 RBI - which ties him for 45th in the American League with Tino Martinez, Julio Lugo, Ronnie Belliard and Chone Figgins, among others.

After a 6-1 loss to Texas last week, Beane spent an hour in a closed-door meeting with the manager, and Macha emerged to tell the media that it was an "internal matter.'' Just as pitching coach Curt Young received criticism last year when the team's staff hit some bumps, hitting coach Dave Hudgens came under scrutiny in April. But the A's insist Hudgens' job isn't in jeopardy.

"With our veteran guys, it's hard to imagine the hitting coach having much difference either way,'' said David Forst, Oakland's assistant GM. "He's there to make sure their approach stays consistent and they have information going into the game. The coaches work their butts off and the only time they get press is when something bad happens. That's kind of the nature of the beast.''

While rumors persist that the A's might trade closer Octavio Dotel for a bat, that would be difficult at the moment because: a) Huston Street, Dotel's natural heir to the job, has 15 appearances in the majors; and b) setup man Kiko Calero recently missed time with elbow tendinitis and has been shelled in two of his last three outings. The new, deeper Oakland bullpen is 9-2 with a 3.24 ERA, and Beane is wary of taking a team strength and blowing a hole in it.

You can also disregard those Byrnes-for-Reggie Sanders trade rumors making the rounds on Internet chat boards. The A's profess to little or no interest in Sanders, who is 38 years old, making $4 million this season, and hitting .247.

The middle of Oakland's lineup continues to be an issue. The Athletics are exclusively left-handed with Chavez, Durazo and Scott Hatteberg in the 3-4-5 spots, which makes it easy for opposing managers to mix-and-match in the late innings.

Some bad luck with injuries has exacerbated the problem. Shortstop Bobby Crosby, who bats right-handed, and rookie outfielder Nick Swisher, a switch-hitter, are on the disabled list and might be out until early June. Their absence puts even more heat on Byrnes, and he knows it.

"I think there have definitely been periods when I was pressing,'' Byrnes said. "A lot of times the harder you try, the worse it gets.''

Chavez, Oakland's resident 30-homer, 100-RBI lock, can't seem to do anything right. When he's aggressive at the plate, he swings at too many balls. When he tries to be patient, he finds himself down 0-2 in the count. And if he actually hits the ball hard, it's usually right at someone.

Two weeks ago Chavez concluded that he was driving himself crazy with apprehension, and he vowed to quit taking every bad at-bat home from the park. At the suggestion of Hudgens, Chavez even skipped extra batting practice when the A's arrived in New York on Friday.

But a man can only do so much to defy human nature. Chavez is extraordinarily hard on himself, and every hitless day produces more tentativeness and self-doubt.

"I got to that point where I was really drilling myself,'' Chavez said. "Then it got so bad I just said, 'Forget about it. Let it go.' I'm trying to keep a cool head and hoping my numbers will be what they always are. But when you're going through your bad streak, you never know for sure. It might be one of those Pat Burrell years.''

He's referring to 2003, when Burrell slumped to .209 with 21 homers and never got it going. If that happens to Chavez, the Athletics are toast.

This much is certain: The A's aren't going to improvise their way out of this funk. They currently rank last in the majors in stolen bases with five, which leads to the old complaint about Oakland teams being unable to "manufacture'' runs.

"Their lack of power is a serious concern,'' said an AL executive. "An offense filled with guys who draw walks but don't hit for average and don't hit for power isn't going to score a lot of runs, no matter how much 'little ball' they play.''

The longer the problem persists, the more creative Macha might get. In a 6-3 victory over the Yankees on Friday, the A's determined that they could get some good jumps against Carl Pavano. So Kendall and Bobby Kielty stole bases, and Kendall also executed a perfect hit-and-run.

Oakland batted around and scored three times in the 10th inning without hitting a ball out of the infield. But just when the mood appeared to brighten, the A's dropped two games, 5-0 and 6-0, this weekend. They even lifted the spirits of Kevin Brown, who worked out of two bases-loaded jams in a span of three innings Sunday.

"Even when we get guys on base, it's so mentally tough when we don't get them in,'' Forst said. "I think it snowballs. We harped on situational hitting in spring training. Then we went into a funk the first week and I think guys start grinding the bat handle a little bit. I don't know how you get out of that cycle.''

As Macha is quick to point out, you just continue to run out players with proven track records under the assumption that they'll produce eventually. And you keep hoping, in the face of evidence to the contrary, that the mother lode is two inches away.