Some more ways to further entertain ourselves while watching the game. You are going to watch the game, aren't you? As much as I find the whole thing increasingly irrelevant, there's really nothing else on tv either, so here we go...

1. If you were in charge, what changes would you make to the All-Star Game, if any?

2. What non-A's baseball moment was the most exciting thing you have ever seen?

3. Should teams be allowed to trade players that are on the disabled list?

4. Do former owners like Charlie Finley and Bill Veeck get a fair shake in history?

5. "No Facial Hair" team policies... good or over the line?

6. Prediction: Do you think Bob Melvin will be the A's manager in 2012?

7. If you could pick ONE player from another team, and just assign them to the A's, what player would you pick?

8. Your opinion on the Coliseum's large foul territory?

9. Where is your favorite place to sit in the Coliseum?

10. Of the three, who is the most contemptable television announcer... Ken "Hawk" Harrelson, Joe Morgan, or Tim McCarver?

Bonus (Tongue in Cheek) Question: If you saw Nancy Grace being mugged, would you help her or would you help the mugger?

Oh, why not? Some of these relate to the last round, some are new. Have fun...

1) Greatest A's (player) surprise? (Someone you never expected to do anything, and they came out of nowhere to be great)

2) Do you remember attending your first MLB game? (Doesn't have to be an A's game)

3) Do you have a 2nd favorite team? If so, what team?

4) If not for baseball, what would be your favorite sport?

5) In your opinion, what is the #1 problem plaguing MLB right now?

6) Name a former or current A's player you liked, and would always root for more than just any A's player, even though you knew they weren't a great player.

7) Tell about the worst time you've ever had at an A's game.

8) Most favorite and least favorite (non-A's) radio and/or tv announcers?

9) Are you a "fair-weather" fan of any team? (Can be in any sport)

10) Ignoring the teams involved, and the ensuing biases, for pure baseball excitement, what is the most exciting World Series you have ever watched?

We have the Bay Bridge Series this weekend against some other team whose name escapes me at the moment, but sometimes a little randomness is called for.  Especially baseball randomness.  Just for fun, pick a question (or two, or ten), and have fun with these...

1) For anyone who has been to both Wrigley Field and Fenway Park, which did you like best?

2) If you had been asked 10 years ago, would you ever have predicted that Matt Stairs would still be playing major league baseball in 2011?

3) Most useless stat... ever?

4) Was there ever a time in your life when you had a favorite baseball team other than the A's?

5) If you could play major league baseball, what would be your preferred position?

6) Other than the A's, which MLB team has the coolest uniforms?

7) Spinning off #6, what is the ugliest MLB uniform ever?

8) How would you rate Connie Mack?  Great manager and poor owner?  Great all around?  Over-rated?  Cool guy in a suit?  Old guy in a suit?

9) Greatest A's (player) disappointment?  (Someone you expected to be great, and it just didn't happen.)

10) How did the 1994-95 strike/lockout affect your fandom?

Went to Minneapolis to catch Games 2 and 3 of the weekend set against the Twins.  I have a great many thoughts and feelings regarding this weekend, but before we talk about anything else, I have to ask... Who was the A's fan who had a friend in a red hat, where said friend in red hat passed out half way through the game and had to be woke (wakened?) after the game was over?  I have to admit, it was quite humorous to watch.

Ok, back to the serious stuff, random thoughts about the experience...

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I am stunned... nay, shocked!!!... because I actually agree with and like something Scott Boras has said.  The following link will lead you to an article by Ken Rosenthal that lays out the reasons the A's need to move to San Jose.  The reasons, to me at least, are blindingly obvious.

A's need to get moving or else

I'll summarize my thoughts again...

- Emotionally, in my heart, I want the A's to stay in Oakland.

- Logically, in my head, I just don't see it happening.  Plus, even if it were to happen, I believe that the team would still be a "2nd tier" team, forever in the shadow of that other team... whatever their name is.  Oakland is simply less-than-ideal.  (I also have zero faith that the Oakland powers-that-be can actually pull it off.)

- San Jose, while still technically the same area regardless arbitrary metropolitan area boundaries, is distinct enough to give the team an identity of it's own... which it so desperately needs.

My only real quibble with Rosenthal's piece is the Expos/Nationals/Orioles comparison.  The Expos were not already in the area.  They moved from far away.  The two bay area teams, regardless of further arbitrariness in the form of MLB territories, already share the same area.  Granted, there would be some affect to both teams, but not nearly the affect that the Orioles had to endure.  This is not the apples-to-apples comparison that some like to portray.

My big question as of right now... What the hell is taking so long for a Blue Ribbon Committee decision???

Fellow ANers, we have an issue that has reared its head of late, and it should be discussed and addressed.

Background:  Recently we've had instances where the thread author has deleted the entire thread that they started.  Their reasonings are their own, but needless to say, said actions caused great debate among AN members about whether or not this was a legitimate and reasonable course of action.  The opinions were passionate and varied on both sides, though one side seemed to dominate the other in terms of numbers of people.

The Issues:  The points being against deleting threads were several.  In a nutshell, it's rude.  And inconsiderate.  And childish.  But, the biggest problem with thread deleting is that it is a virtual slap in the face to EVERYBODY who participated in the thread in good faith that their points-of-view mean something.

Just as people often put a lot of time and effort into starting a thread, people who respond also put a great deal of time and thought into their responses.  To have it wiped away as if it never existed is possibly the greatest insult one can bestow on a fellow ANer.  You've essentially told them that their time and effort and opinions are meaningless and unworthy.

The primary point for deleting threads was, well... it's mine, it no longer serves my purpose, and I can do with it what I want.

Can you tell I'm openly against thread deleting?

Anyway, another issue brought up in favor of deleting threads was that a thread will often go off-topic.  Ok, fair enough, but not often... pretty much always.  This is the internet.  It just is.

The Solution:  I would suggest that the leaders of AN remove the ability for a thread author to delete their entire thread.  While the author may have started it, it is my opinion that the thread becomes community property once others contribute, and it is not cool to have someone else arbitrarily decide what happens to other's posts and comments.

If a thread is so egregious that it needs to be deleted entirely, I would rather the AN leadership decide so as a group.

San Jose A's.  Bet on it.  It will be done.

Ok, then what?

Do we start over with brand new records and history?  Do we suddenly treat Reggie Jackson's home runs and Rickey Henderson's stolen bases and the team's 20 game winning streak as if they only existed in some long distant... and irrelevant... past as we now treat Philadelphia and Kansas City records and history?

Even more important... Do the A's start over with ZERO World Series titles as some of us are prone to do with certain other teams?  Will 1989 cease to be relevant?  We just might find ourselves down 1-0 in World Series titles in the area... after so many years of having World Series titles as our biggest "In your face!" comeback.   Do we really want to go there?

Or, do we make an exception because the move wasn't far away, and most of the fans are still the same and within driving distance?  It's easy to ignore Philadelphia and Kansas City as if they didn't exist, because the geographic separation is so extreme.  "Team" records being differentiated from "franchise" records, and all that jazz.  Thing is, if we make the exception, why only a partial exception?  Why not then include Philadelphia and Kansas City.

If we try to keep combined Oakland/San Jose stat histories, and when we appear on network television... only when we play the Yankees, of course... will the announcers and networks cooperate?  Or, will Tim McCarver tell us that Dallas Braden has the team record with 14 wins by a San Jose A's pitcher?

Personally, it has always bothered me that the team gives such scant attention to the whole past.  I don't expect going back to blue and white uniforms on a daily basis, but there should be a better happy medium.  I'd like to see Lefty Grove's and Jimmy Foxx' numbers retired, as just one example.  More visible promotion of the past.  We have NINE World Series titles, not four.  With the exeption of the Yankees, we have probably the most storied and historically interesting franchise history of any team in baseball.  It deserves more attention.

Are you a "team" person, or a "franchise" person?  I really don't think that trying to straddle parts of the two is workable.  Pick one.

Footnote: In spite of this, I still support a move to San Jose.  Not in my heart, but in my head.  It's simply the best option for the A's in order to compete.  But then, I'm a "franchise" person, so I treat all records and histories as relevant and equal (only differences being in eras and style of overall play)... all the way back to 1901.

Ok, I guess my AL picks pretty much bombed.  Got the NL correct.  It's funny how teams can be hot or cold, out-of-character, and how that affects your thoughts of them going forward.  At least right now, I'm thinking the Phillies are looking way too dominant.  Subject to change at any moment, of course.  Let's revise and update...

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The current playoff open-thread notwithstanding, who do you want to win?  On a slightly different track... who do you think actually will win despite who you want to win?

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I asked Blez and Nico a couple years ago if I could do this, and they approved, but then I never did, so I hope this is still ok. If not, I apologize.

Anyway... I have several media guides that I no longer wish to hang on to, but I would like for a true A's fan to get them and appreciate them. They are...

- 1977 Media Guide

- 1979 Media Guide

- 1980 Media Guide

- 1983 Media Guide

- 1988 Information Guide (same thing, just renamed)

- 1989 Information Guide

- 1990 Information Guide

- Topps Baseball Card Guide, published by Surf Laundry Detergent, covers Topps baseball cards from 1952 to 1986

All are in good to very good condition. The older media guides have been used and do show signs of use, but are still in solid condition. Not falling apart or ripped, etc.

I'm asking $15, PayPal'd & shipped to US48. This will cover shipping, packing, and a few bucks for myself. First come, first served. If interested please e-mail kdboard ->at<- yahoo.com. Thanks.

Went to the see our River Cats play the Iowa Cubs Wednesday night. Was a double-header due to Tuesday's game being rained out.  Each game was 7 innings instead of 9.

Warning: Lots of pics!

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I've lived in the midwest and had MLB EI for 3 seasons now.  For the most part I like it.  My big issue is with MLB and their dumb-ass over-extended media territories, but that's not DirecTV's fault, as is a subject for another thread.  For reasons that don't really involve MLB EI I am considering switching from DirecTV to cable.  Anyway...

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I guess somebody has to start a fanpost about this. It's going to come up eventually.

So, Jay McGwire... concerned brother? Sleazy opportunist? Something else?  Is he even telling the truth?

Personally, I've never heard of the guy until today. I was aware of Dan, but not this guy.

Anyway, there's not much for me to say on the subject at the moment, but this should make for interesting conversation if nothing else. Here ya go...

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3851381

The book, "The McGwire Family Secret: The Truth about Steroids, a Slugger and Ultimate Redemption," is reportedly being sent by Jay McGwire to several publishing houses in New York. Deadspin.com said that it has been turned down by "many" publishers.

For several years we've been told that a large part of the A's continued success was going to have to come from the farm system. That impact players through free agency just wasn't going to be a regular viable option, due to cost, etc. So, if that's the case, why was the farm system allowed to become so dreadfully depleted to begin with?

We're told the team's financial model is frugality, not cheapness. Ok, fine. I actually buy that to some degree, but I do wonder if cheapness still didn't creep in somewhere. It stands to reason that if more had been invested in the farm system all along (read Grover's fanpost about the investment trends the past few years), as the team has always said was their goal and policy, and as they're doing now, then maybe the team wouldn't have felt the need to go into such a deep rebuild mode for Rebuild #2 so quickly after Rebuild #1. Possibly, instead of trading Haren or Swisher or some of the others, they just might have had their own home grown players coming up now to fill the voids.

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Everybody's frustrated right now. I get it. So am I. There's a very stark contrast to the excitement and enthusiasm that was prevalent here in the early part of the season, and the despair that is common right now. That early excitement and enthusiasm wasn't unwarranted, but I do feel that it is time to take a step back and try to objectively assess what is happening and where this team is going and when.

Rebuilding - some thoughts about various aspects of this rebuilding and observations I've made of the team and the fans...

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Not literally every year, of course, but as a general concept since 1968 it has seemed to me that the Giants and A's have always fed off each other.  When one team gets good and starts drawing attention and attendance, the other team suddenly starts doing things to get better.  Maybe to keep their market share, or media attention, or whatever.  Could be any number of reasons.  I've always wondered if maybe it's a subconscious thing, but is it mere coincidence that both teams are generally pretty good or pretty bad at around the same times?

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http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?...

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How would you assess Bob Geren's performance as manager this year?  Now that the season is over (or will be over in a few hours).

First losing record in many years aside, I must say that I am pleasantly surprised that the team did as well as they did, and I give alot of the credit to Geren and his juggling of the line-ups, and in-game moves, and ability to work with what he had.  Was he perfect?  Hell no, of course not, and there is some room for growing.  But, he was working with a AAAA team most of the time, and also had a few players who couldn't get a clutch hit against a T-ball team.

It's a qualified endorsement, to be sure, but given what he had to work with, I think he did pretty damn good.  I still reserve judgement for next season, though.

Grade: B

Side question:  In your opinion, how would Ken Macha have done had he been retained?  Better?  Same?  Worse?

There are so many different things, but for me I think I'm more bummed by the losing record.  In spite of having a AAAA team most of the season, they showed some fight at times, and would have some good runs, but then would just as inexplicably fall apart for extended periods and blow everything they had gained.  I feel like they could have... should have... at least had a winning record.

Having said that, I do feel cautiously encouraged about the future.  Some dead weight was jettisoned and some good young players have gotten some experience and shown promise.

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Which player is most like Charlie Brown's hero Joe Shlabotnik from Peanuts?

This is meant in fun, but I gotta admit it's been a frustrating couple weeks watching these guys.

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Is the book "Moneyball" a curse?  I ask because it seems to me that Beane has not been able to make nearly as many meaningful trades, especially mid-season trades, since the book came out.  He's having to rely more on off-season signings and minor "gum-in-the-crack" trades.  To use two examples, I believe that both Kenny Williams and Brian Sabean feel the book portrayed them as fools, easily manipulated by Beane, so now they and most other GMs are unwilling to talk seriously with Beane for fear of being made out to be fools, also.  I think an unfortunate result of the book is that it has hindered Beane's ability to do his job.  Thoughts?