Dearest A's fans,

You may remember me as the fantasy baseball nube that was seeking advice a few weeks ago. Humbly, I ask for more.

So, Matt Holliday...uhm...is there any reason to keep him on my team? Do people think he's going to start going nuts anytime soon? He's definitely the weakest link of my outfield, which also includes: Curtis Granderson, Carlos Beltran, Vernon Wells and Shane Victorino.

Offensive categories are H/AB, GP, AB, R, H, 2B, 3B, HR, RBI, SB, BB, K, E, OPS, AVG. Yes, the categories are redundant. I didn't pick them.

I like Holliday, want to believe in him, love the kind of ballplayer he was before this year apparently. But as many AN posters have pointed out, the body language does not look good. Not sure how much to read into that.

I could just drop him and pick up Mike Cameron, Brad Hawpe or Chris Duncan -- all of whom are raking in comparison to Holliday.

Anyway, thank you for your help. I profoundly wish I didn't have to ask such a question. But Holliday is just not taking to the white shoes the way we all had hoped.

Trotter

Dearest AN folks,

I could use a little fantasy baseball help. My heart wants to grab Nomar for my fantasy baseball team, The Carney Lansfords. He qualifies for three positions and I just have a gut feeling with him. But then again, my heart would also like to grab Chavez, Cust and Sweeney. Clearly, the heart ain't going to win any fantasy trophies.

What do you guys think? As objectively as possible, which A's players are legit fantasy ballers? I have Holliday and Ziggy already. Help me out here.

Also, anyone who read my last post...I want to come clean. I did not share a Skoal Mint dip with any of the A's during Spring Training. But I did have a great time -- Arizona in the spring is just amazing. And I at least took a fake deuce on the Angels logo on their dugout, after the A's stomped them. Observe the photo evidence by following the link.

DeuceonAngels

Sorry, after multiple attempts, I discovered I was not savvy enough to embed the photo into the blog post.

But I digress...which A's players have legit fantasy value...Who are the sleepers?

I should probably also throw out there that I'm a complete nube when it comes to fantasy baseball. First season.

Thanks,

Trotter

via lh3.ggpht.com

'Twas two years ago that I last went to Spring Training and held Nick Swisher in a gentle man-embrace. It was, dare I say, glorious.

He was just coming off the field after some BP. The small crowd of fans was jocking Mike Piazza, hence providing opportunity to say whassup to the Swish.

It went pretty much like this:

Trotter: Swish! Whassup, man. I'm a big fan. Can I get a picture?

Swisher: Sure, man.

Yep. That was pretty much it.

I had all sort of things I wanted to say but I will readily admit I was tongue-tied in the presence of a modern-day hero. While it was indeed glorious -- it was also an opportunity lost.

See, I had a can of Skoal mint in my pocket. It was my dream to get Swish to have a dip with me. Just a quick pinch between the cheek and gum. But alas, I never even pulled the can from my pocket. It was a dream deferred.

Though Swisher is no longer with us, my dream lives on. I will travel to Arizona on Wednesday and be there for five days.

My questions for you, dear readers: Which A's player should I pursue to have a dip with me? Who is most likely to share a quiet tobacco ritual with me? What should my strategy be?

Damn it, I don't care if it's Gregorio Petit, I'm going to see this thing through.

I'm new to AN, so please forgive me if this has been blogged about recently. But I really, really want Big Mac to come clean.

I was a kid in the nascent stages of my fan-dom when McGwire and Canseco were the golden gods of the Coliseum. The A's of the late 1980s were an incredible team, with or without steroids. I'm pretty sure Gags or Carney never partook in the juice.

But we have learned that some of our heroes from that time were helped by the 'roids. Canseco is a bone-head but he was maybe the greatest player in the world for a few years. McGwire himself was a leviathan at the plate.

So they were both great, both aided by steroids to some extent. And though Canseco evolved into a circus act, I would say that McGwire has fallen the farthest from grace. His performance in the Congressional hearing was incriminating, to say the least.

But, damn it, I want the Big Mac to just come clean. He's working with A's hitters now. He has coach written all over him. I want him to admit he did it, he made a mistake. If for no other reason, so A's fans can make peace with him for cheating.

We have seen this work. Giambi admitted it and he has largely been excused in the public eye. A's fans may not forgive him for leaving Oakland for the dog-ass Yankees -- but most probably are not holding a grudge over his 'roid use.

What is harder to ignore is Big Mac's silence. Now, his wretched brother wants to write a book, putting it all in ink (that's a whole other issue -- what the hell kind of brother would do that?).

Come clean, Big Mac. If you did it -- say so. We remember you in your glory days, muscling towering shots out of the park. Let us again say your name with pride.