SB Nation User Blog: OaktownIn06

Kotsay, Duke, DJ, and this crazy market

OaktownIn06 — Wed, 22 Nov 2006 22:18:37 -0000

The market has exploded. Teams have the money, and they are willing to spend it. So far, our Oakland Athletics are laying low, waiting for the prime opportunity to pounce on an undervalued commodity. Many ANers are speculating this crazy markets' effect on Oaktown. This is what I would do if I was Billy Beane, keeping the market in mind:

1. Keep Mark Kotsay
Gary Matthews: 5 years, 50 million. Alfonso Soriano: 8 years, 136 million. Juan Pierre: 5 years 45 million. The market for center fielders is at an alltime high. Mark Kotsay's 7 million looks like a bargain, and the A's would be able to "shed" his contract in a trade; however, the A's will then have to aquire another cf IN THE SAME MARKET. No way you can convince me that anyone on the roster can play center other than Kotsay. The A's will overpay for a center fielder in this market, just like another team would overpay for Kotsay. You think Kotsay's value has been climbing? Adam Dunn's is through the roof. In a perfect world the A's aquire a young cheep alternative, but I don't see that happening.

2. Trade Duke and DJ
Now here's a market that we can exploit. Duke is great, but so are Calero, Street, and Gaudin. Justin Speier is the best FA reliever, and he is no longer available. I have heard wispers about a Duke/DJ to Boston deal (don't ask me where, I won't tell you). In this market, I believe that Duke, DJ, and say, Jason Windsor nets Kevin Youkilis and Wily Mo Pena. Boston signs JD Drew and boasts a ManRam, Crisp, Drew OF with DJ at 1b. Oakland revieves an affordable 1b and DH, both of whom are locked up for years. Everyone is happy.

3. Sign Randy Wolf
The pitching market is yet to explode, and Wolf would be a great #5. Give him 2 years 13 million.

4. Sign Craig Wilson
Wilson will be the new Jay Payton. He will fill in at 1b, lf, rf, and even catcher. Melhuse gets nontendered and is finally free to get some playing time. Oakland brings up Jeremy Brown as an emergency catcher. 2 years 8 million.

C.Kendall
1b.Youk
Rf.Bradley
3b.Chavvy
Lf.Swisher
DH.Pena
2b.Ellis
SS.Crosby
Cf.Kotsay

Bench
1.Wilson (Will play at least 125 games)
2.Keilty
3.MARCO
4.Perez

1.Harden
2.Haren
3.Loaiza
4.Blanton
5.Wolf

1.Street
2.Calero
3.Gaudin
4.Macbeth
5.Halsey

Looks good to me. Our payroll stays in a more than realistic range, our offense is revamped, and we get Randy Wolf! What a wonderful world it would be.

David Justice?

OaktownIn06 — Wed, 08 Nov 2006 15:57:23 -0000

Gerald Perry is expected to leave Oakland to join Lou Piniella's Cubs staff.

From rotoworld:
Perry served as Piniella's hitting coach in Seattle for three seasons before performing the same job with Pittsburgh for three years and, for the past season, with the A's. If he departs, David Justice is expected to be a top candidate to replace him.

This would be a great move and I am on the "Justice for hitting coach" band wagon. I don't think Perry will succeed in Chicago, but best of luck to him.

There's a kid in all of us

OaktownIn06 — Tue, 03 Oct 2006 03:12:30 -0000

Today has been kind of weird for me. I think back to the very start of the season, when we took two out of three from the yanks. I remember back when I thought Antonio Perez would snap out of his mini-slump, and replace scoot for good. Then there were the "dark ages". We dropped ten out of eleven, including two awful losses to KC. After that, we lost two out of three from Arizona: the series that set AN in flames. Complete chaos. Everyone feeling down except a handful of hopefuls. Remember how we were in first place at the time? Ridiculous. Look back and laugh on it now. Remember when Frank hit that three run bomb to win the first game of the LAA series? We shouldn't have won that game. We lost the next three. The rest of the season was kind of a blur. The trade deadline approached. Thank god Billy stood pat. Most of us knew he would, though some wished for Sean Casey. We started winning. A lot. I think we had the most wins after the trade deadline of all time. Frank started mashing. 50 Rbi later, whispers of MVP ran across athletics nation. (OK, maybe really quiet type strokes). Frank's curtain call Vs the Chi sox was my favorite memory of the season. MVP! MVP! That took me back to Tejada, and the 20 game streak. That was cool. Really cool.Then we won the first game vs LAA. In the back of my mind I did not think we would clinch at home. Then that first loss of the season to Seattle. Admit it, you were nervous. And now, I am so nervous it hurts. When I started this diary, I was going to talk about how nervous I was for the series, but now I have a list of my memories from the 2006 season. I realize this is what being a fan is all about: The memories. This is why I go on AN waaay more than I should. I have that giddy feeling in the pit of my stomach. That feeling I used to get on the night before my birthday, right before I went to sleep. I feel like a kid again. Tomorrow, when you go to work, or go to school, you will be scheming on the best way to watch the ballgame. You will watch gameday, and cruise AN if you can. While you watch the game, the last thing on your mind will be work. Just like a kid. Whether the A's win or lose the series, suck it up. You will have great memories regardless (see: game winning bunts). Root for the A's like you always have, and always will. Even a kid could not ask for much more. Cheers to 2006.

10/2: Rally Monday

OaktownIn06 — Sat, 30 Sep 2006 22:50:05 -0000

The A's are throwing a party, and you're invited.
From the A's website:

"Monday, October 2 at 5 p.m.@ Oakland City Center for Rally Monday with the A's
Presented by Bank of America Hosted by the A's TV announcer Glen Kuiper
Festivities begin at 5 p.m. with live entertainment from Wonderbread 5, Q & A session with former A's players, and a beer garden at Max's Bar and Diner. By attending the event, you'll receive a 2006 postseason rally towel and have the chance to enter a raffle drawing with prizes including ALDS tickets, game-used memorabilia, and autographed items from current & former players."

http://oakland.athletics.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/oak/fan_forum/rally_monday.jsp

Looks like a blast. Who's going?

Shame On You

OaktownIn06 — Mon, 10 Jul 2006 06:46:18 -0000

WARNING: You may find this diary offensive if you have jumped on the "The A's are awful/Billy Beane is a failure" bandwagon. Do not read if you will feel the need to state this in my thread. This diary may be flamable. Keep out of reach from small children.

I am ashamed of all of these diaries stating that our Oakland Athletics are done for the season. Seriously, you are walking ass backwards if you think our team is a "failure". You have got to be kidding me. First we get swept by Zona, and we are "terrible". Then we take 2/3 from the best team in baseball, and we are "confusing", but at the same time, "clutch".

Now we lose another series, and Beane is a failure? That's fucking disgusting. I really am ashamed to read these diaries. BOOOOO

Look at our lineup. Here is what we got after the break:

Kots
Swish
Chavvy
Frank
Bradley
Payton
Crosby
Kendall
Ellis

That is a solid lineup. We will score runs. Slumps don't last forever.

As for arms, we have the third best pitching staff in the league, including an above average pen. It actually looks pretty good to me.

We play in the "worst" division in baseball, and we are a second half team. WE'RE IN FIRST PLACE!! TOAST WITH ME! Cmon AN. You guys are reminding me of Yankee fans right now.

These are OUR OAKLAND ATHLETICS. Nobody elses. I don't care if the future looks bad now, because it is really our emotions speaking for us at this time. THIS IS OUR TEAM. Stand by them, root for them, and do not doubt them until you really have to. Slumps are what they are, but don't forget, so are streaks. We are deffinetly a streaky ballclub.

"IN BEANE I TRUST"

Please AN, jump off the bandwagon.

Just A Question....

OaktownIn06 — Sat, 08 Jul 2006 05:42:29 -0000

Usually when I go to the A's games, I get to the park about ten minutes before the game. Sometimes I go for BP, but it has been a while. I have only gotten a promotional give away item once, and I went to the park early on purpose to snag a T-Shirt.

This sunday, I am going to the game, and I am again going to go early on purpose to snag a T shirt (more specifically, a Huston Street "jersy"). I do not really have any one to ask so here is my question AN: How early do I have to get to the game to get my huston shirt? This is an extremely important matter ;).

No Good, Very Bad, Horrible News

OaktownIn06 — Tue, 04 Jul 2006 08:56:28 -0000

I am sorry to be the one to report, but Rich Harden suffered a setback today in his 25 pitch side session.

From Rotoworld:
'Harden is recovering from a sprained ligament in his right elbow, and threw on the side to test it. "He hurt himself 25 days ago and that's the short edge of ligament healing," trainer Larry Davis said. "It was indication he was not ready to start a throwing program. We'll wait even longer and see what happens." A return in July is now highly unlikely. Harden might require Tommy John surgery at some point."'

http://www.rotoworld.com/content/playerpages/player_main.asp?sport=MLB&lastline=183852&id=37 19

This is horrible, horrible news. That blurb just gets worse and worse every time I read over it. Surgery? Cmon. Not good. I do not even know what to say. I can not form words together to make a thoughtful, witty, or even just meaningful statement.
<insert obsene word, phrase, gesture, or action here>.

My day at AT&T: A Sweeping Generalization

OaktownIn06 — Tue, 27 Jun 2006 04:51:02 -0000

I try not to dislike the Giants. I try not to disagree with Giants fans. When I am offered to go to a Giants game, I wish I had a team to root for, and I wish that the games were more about baseball and less about cell phones. As a baseball fan, I wish that I could watch an entire Giants game without spacing out and gazing to the bay, or getting bored and leaving the game early. I really do. Unfortunatley I can not. Unless the Giants are playing my A's, it is simply a different brand of baseball. These differences became clear in many ways yesterday.

I get to the park early for batting practice, and decide to go to that little cage area in the right field wall, simply because I never had before. The moment I get "in the wall", I see Haren, Halsey, and Saarloos fielding BP. The view is actually pretty good, and since it is on field level, you are pretty close the players. Haren decides to have a little fun, and throws a BP ball over the fence into the bay. I turn and watch a fan rip off his clothes, jump off his boat, and swim 20 feet to retrieve the ball. Saarloos thought this was hillarious and comes over to the wall to ask the fans exactly what happened. Halsey and Haren follow. It is amazing to engage in a conversation with all three pitchers. Saarloos dares Haren to throw another ball, and I am actually in charge of directing his throw. There is an A in amazing... Saarloos is the man.

After they leave, I spend five minutes explaining to the Giants "fans" who Haren, Saarloos, and Halsey are, and what position they play. One guy, decked out in Giants gear, tells me that Halsey has a good arm, and should move from 1b to 3b. WHAT?! He is actually serious, so I tell him that the Giants could do the same Accardo. He agrees and we go our separate ways. I guess he doesn't really know his "team" all that well.

After I get to my seat, the awards show begins. This was pretty much absurd. I can understand honering Finley for 300/300, and Bonds for 716, but they hand out an award for Schmidt striking out 16, and Alou hitting 300 HR's. Cmon, is this really worth a pregame award? How many Hr's/Sb's did Alou/Finley actually hit/steal with the Giants? And yeah, I heart Slashes! I guess the Giants just need something to fill up that empty trophy case.

Right before the game begins, a drunk Giants fan in a wife beater tells the surroundomg A's fans to fuck off and to have fun in Las Vegas. I respond by telling him that maybe if his team moved to Las Vegas, they could win a world series, cause they sure as hell were not doing anything worth while in SF. He tells me to get out of the first round of the playoffs for once, blah blah blah. I then put him to the test and ask what he thinks of Alfonzo catching, since Matheny is out, and he just sits there, baffled. I tell him that it's too bad Barry can not catch and play left, and then sit back down. I guess this fan doesn't know anyone not named Barry Bonds. LET'S GO GIGANTES!!

The game begins and I am pretty excited. The Giants fans boo Loaiza on every ball he throws to Barry, which is rediculous since there are no outs in the 2nd inning. Once Barry walks, a couple of Giants fans get up to food in the middle of the inning. I had never really seen this before, but if Barry is not batting, then whats the point of watching, right?
In about the fourth inning the Giants fans in the bleachers start a "Whats the matter with Swisher, he's a bumb" chant. I do not care who Swisher plays for. He is god. Anyone that makes fun of Swisher is either uneducated or just plain stupid.

The rest of the game goes by smoothly, we win, and I am swelling with pride. As I make my way back to the bart station I overhear a conversation among 4 or 5 Giants fans:

Lady 1: "Wow that stadium is amazing, I have never been down to the lower levels before"
Lady 2: "Yeah, isn't that great? You can just eat and drink and hang out the whole time"
Guy 1:"Yeah, a great place to meet new people"
Lady 1:"It's is almost like there is not a baseball game going on at all!"

Excuse me, but give me a moment to swallow the vomit in my mouth. If you wanna go to a bar, then go to a damn bar, not a baseball game. Thank god it is a different story in Oakland.

In conclusion, A's fans are just plain better fans than our cross bay rivals'. We don't go to games soley for the social aspect, and we know our team. We bleed green and gold, and I wouldn't have it any other way. I can't wait to see my A's play in Oakland again!

I HAVE 8 TICKETS FOR TONIGHT!!!

OaktownIn06 — Sat, 17 Jun 2006 23:30:42 -0000

Don't mean to waste a diary but I have a bunch

of tickets. They are $10 seats will sell for

less. Post info if interested.

This is kind of a crapshoot but I don't wanna

waste these guys.

All the seats are together but i will sell in smaller groups than 8

I need to use more space..............................................

He Could Do It In Oakland

OaktownIn06 — Mon, 15 May 2006 01:19:12 -0000

He is a controversial figure, to say the least. Amidst numerous steroid allegations, a "Book of Shadows", and Babe Ruth's Home Run Record, is Barry Bonds. The saga continued Saturday, as Barry went 0-2 with 2 base on balls. A record almost as big as this mans forehead has ellipsed the baseball world. Felipe Alou says that Barry will sit tomorrow's game in Houston, and then play the last two games of the series. Most likely, Barry will come to Oakland on Friday and DH all three games. Also very likely, Barry comes to Oakland stuck one home run shy of The Babe Himself. Could you imagine Mr. Bonds breaking the record in our McAfee Stadium? A packed house of Bonds haters: There couldn't be a better scenario. I, as most of you, do not want him to break the record at all; however, I would enjoy booing the shit out of the most hated man in sport. Would it be a negative or a positive to see him break the record in Oakland? There is definitely a huge point counterpoint to this argument. Fellow ANers, to Bonds, or not to Bonds? It definitely would be a story to tell the grandkids...