SB Nation User Blog: Vacafan

What defines a true "choke job"?

Vacafan — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 22:38:02 -0000

After watching Memphis completely fall apart in the last two minutes of last night's NCAA championship game, several of us got into a water cooler discussion today about what it means to truly "choke." Too often, that word is thrown out there simply because someone is mad a game or series of games ends differently than they'd hoped. However, when a team and/or athlete loses a game or series they were favored to win, this doesn't necessarily qualify as a choke job. In other words, the Patriots did not choke in the Super Bowl this year -- they were simply beaten that day by a team that outplayed them ... had they played again, the result might very well have been different, but alas ....

Anyway, I was wondering if you all had an opinion as what qualified as "choking" ... we decided to today on one rule -- for it to be a true choke job, one team had to have the game or series completely in hand and the only way to lose would be a colossal blunder or series of blunders that allowed the other team to come back. (By the way, not to take anything away from Kansas, but we all agreed that last night's game qualified as a monumental choke job by Memphis ... and it wasn't just the missed free throws. The inbounds pass stolen by Kansas and converted into a 3; Dorsey's unbelievably boneheaded foul; and the cherry on top -- not fouling Kansas before they could get off a desperation 3 at the end of regulation.)

Do you think that any of the A's early 00's playoff failures qualify?? Hard to say ... comments???

Cry me a River

Vacafan — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 22:38:12 -0000

I rarely start a new thread, but I just have to rant a bit and get this off my chest amidst all of the "world is falling" nonsense ...

The A's were not going to be very good next year with Dan Haren and Nick Swisher. They were going to be about where they ended up this season ... 10 games under .500. Only the most optimistic Polly-Ana A's fans on this site could/would ever think this team had a chance next season.
That being said, why not start from scratch and gather players that give this team a legitimate chance to compete 2-3 seasons down the road??? I just don't understand the angst.
Please spare me all of this "he was such a nice guy" bull****! Who gives a rip how nice he is?! Yup, Swisher is a nice guy. Now tell me how many wins it adds to the ledger. Cause if it doesn't equate to about 10 of 'em, I don't care how nice a guy he is.
We robbed the White Sox blind today people ... I'm no Billy Beane apologist, but it reminded me of the "old days." This team is beginning to load up for the future and it's being met with hand-wringing and woe-is-me nonsense from many fans who haven't a clue what they're talking about. (Please notice I said "many," so if this offends you, consider yourself in the other group.)
We were going to suck next year anyway!!! Why all the whining about it now? So we'll suck with players no one's ever heard of, instead of sucking with Haren and Swisher. Deal with it. Great, great day to be an A's fan ... if you're bummed, you need to pick up a prospectus and educate yourself.

Situational Hitting Meeting

Vacafan — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 17:31:22 -0000

So glad that Ty Van Burkleo called a meeting yesterday in order to go over the team's horrific performance with RISP. Not only are our beloved A's last in the majors in batting avg. with RISP, I'm assuming we've got to be one of the worst (if not the worst) teams when it comes to driving in runners from third with less than two outs.
Van Burkleo said, "We talked about situational hitting, the approach to it, the mentality you take to the plate."
Yes!! Contrary to what some AN'ers think, it's nice to hear a coach recognize that at-bats must be approached differently from time to time!!!!! It is a mistake to enter the batter's box with the same approach and philosophy each time ... different situations require different adjustments!

I've seen AN'ers claim that each at-bat ought to be approached the same way ... well,that's true I guess if you're talking about taking outside pitches to the opposite field and other such "fundamentals," but when a hitter comes up with a man on third and less than two outs, he needs to approach the at-bat with a different mind-set than, say, an at-bat with the bases empty and two outs.
For example, a hitter needs to look for a pitch "up" in order to drive it to the outfield -- if the infield is back, he simply needs to select a pitch he can make contact with ... he doesn't need to swing from his a** in other words -- if a man is on second and nobody out, the hitter needs to concentrate on simply hitting a groundball to the right side in order to advance the baserunner. All of these things need to take priority in a hitter's mind in certain situations -- he wouldn't necessarily need to focus on these things in other at-bats.
Glad to see the hitting coach recognize that different at-bats require different approaches. Glad to see the team responded as well. Sometimes the coach needs to make it very, very, very clear -- and I don't care how he does it ... yelling, whispering, whatever -- but he needs to make it clear that certain things won't be tolerated. Not bringing in a man from third with less than two outs is inexcusable. A professional baseball club ought to be able to do this 80% of the time, at least. Good job coach!

Chavez, just keep your mouth shut

Vacafan — Wed, 23 May 2007 00:55:00 -0000

So Chavez sinks to new lows offensively last night, and now I hear "his forearms are hurting."
I'm sorry, but that's crap. Plain and simple. Maybe not the claim that he's hurting -- that may very well be true -- but the timing of it leaves much to be desired.
If Chavez is injured, than he should have "mentioned" this some time ago. Don't wait until you manage to even embarass yourself (finally) at the plate before you "reveal an injury." I just find the timing of the announcement awfully convenient. I'd have a lot more respect for him if he simply said the truth, something like,
"You know what? I'm not getting the job done ... and I haven't gotten the job done for quite some time now. I've gotten better defensively, but I've digressed ... BIG TIME ...offensively. Now I'm a liability and I need to get better."
That's the kind of "honesty" I need to hear ... but please, don't strand seven baserunners (in one game !? That is HARD to do) and "oh, by the way, my forearms are hurting." That is such garbage.

Base-running Blunders

Vacafan — Sun, 08 Apr 2007 13:57:37 -0000

I would have included this in last night's game recap, but since I haven't seen one yet, I just needed to get this off my chest.
Look, I'm all for the A's being more aggressive on the base-paths. Like several of the players said, I think it will serve us well in the long-run. Put the pressure on the other team's D and make them throw you out once or twice a game -- sometimes you'll get burned, but more often than not, you'll manufacture a win or two a week this way.
But, for goodness sakes, don't stop being aggressive when you're being aggressive!! When Chavez got caught in that rundown last night, (bad mistake, but they happen) what the *&%$ was Swisher doing??!! I was listening to the game on satellite radio, and when Chavez got thrown out, I said to myself, "Well, at least Swish got over to second, and he can score on a hit, now." Then, when Buck singled, I figured "tie game," only to then discover, of course, that for some unbelievably ridiculous reason, Swisher never advanced!!!!
Is there something I'm missing?! What the heck was our first-base coach doing?! Like I said, if we're gonna be more aggressive, great ... but everyone has to take their heads out and stop acting like you've never been taught fundamentals, or it will never work.

Hey Nico, kaweah, etc. (re: Chavez)

Vacafan — Thu, 05 Oct 2006 00:25:55 -0000

I need some Chavez "love." PLEASE tell me this was just a couple bad games. PLEASE tell me this was an abberation (you know, like the 10 pitches I've seen him swing at in the dirt or above his head.) PLEASE tell me this "oh no, here we go again" feeling is just my "anti-Chavez" bias. PLEASE tell me that he will begin to at least make contact, for cryin out loud. PLEASE.
And I'm writing this with a smile, by the way, in spite of the Ellis news, etc. Chavez is gonna show up for this thing, right? .... right?

Another Macha/"No fire, no heart"/is it time to panic ?

Vacafan — Sun, 14 May 2006 13:39:12 -0000

Athletics Nation has always been pretty split when it comes to "Does the team show enough fire" opinion . . . half of us wish Macha/Chavez/whomever would throw a tantrum after every failed at-bat, while the other half seems to think it ok to see someone smile while the A's lose 10 in a row, the team plane loses an engine, and the hotel goes up in flames.
In other words, it's hard for us to find a happy medium. My ? is this -- is it time for Macha to rally the troops in a meeting, especially if the A's get swept today? Or do they just write the slump off to injuries, and say "What's the use?"
I loved it that Leyland ripped into the Tigers barely 2 weeks into the season -- and I'd love to claim it's the reason they're playing so well -- but then, I definitely fall into the "pitch a fit" every time something goes wrong side of the spectrum.
Then again, expecting someone (Macha) to do something outside of his character is probably unrealistic. Sure would love to see someone "go off" right about now, however -- always makes me feel better when I see at least one guy on the team cares as much as we do.

For Nico ... wanted to be sure to respond ...

Vacafan — Mon, 08 May 2006 20:11:15 -0000

I know, I know, this shouldn't be a separate thread, please forgive me . . . but I wanted to respond to your question regarding Chavez . . .
Yes, by all means, credit/kudos/applause for Eric's hot start! He is hitting like I always thought he was capable of -- you must remember, I never claimed that Chavez "sucked," or any other such nonsense.
I got on his case because these are the type of numbers he should put up on a regular basis. Beginning of season, mid-season, late season, whatever. With Giambi, with Tejada, with Matt Stairs, whomever.
It was interesting that Suchon today mentioned he thought Chavez is feeling less "mental pressure" this season with some other hitters in the lineup. I agree. I know this makes some AN'ers angry, but I have always thought Chavez' biggest problem was mental. He slumped because he pressed too often -- he has always had -- I repeat, he has always had the ability. What he lacks from time to time is the mental fortitude to suck it up and do the job regardless of the circumstances. To be honest with you Nico, I don't think he's one of those "win at all costs" competitors.
Now, please hear what I'm saying. I'm NOT saying he doesn't want to win, or that he doesn't care. I'm saying it may not be that important to him ... and you know what? He's probably got his priorities right. I don't know ...
But again, my frustrations with Chavez were because this current kind of production is what I expect of him -- right or wrong -- it was never because I thought he was lazy.
On a more personal note, I stayed away for awhile as well, because I hated squabbling with other passionate A's fans like you ... so, I'm done with that. I now reserve my "hatred" for Red Sox Nation, the Giants, and our division rivals. :-) You guys do a great job on this site, I appreciate your hard work, and I know the A's will bust out of this slump with Chavez leading the way! Go A's!

Negative posts

Vacafan — Thu, 15 Sep 2005 01:49:50 -0000

I'm having a great time watching the game and watching the posts ... both positive AND negative. But you know what's just as bad as listening to people bitch and moan about the A's? People who bitch and moan about the people who bitch and moan.
It's currently 3-3, by the way. But you "positive thinkers" need to relax a bit as well. Some people show their emotion by getting angry and saying things they don't really mean. You, on the other hand, choose to stay positive. That's great ... but don't get upset because everyone's not like you. Your positive "vibes" and all that other stuff doesn't effect the game one bit .. just like the negativity doesn't. This is a forum for everyone, like it or not. So stop crying about it. People express their passion in many different forms. Some get excited, some (like a certain 3B I know,) choose to stay calm. Whatever. But it makes it fun, so lighten up.
Remember one thing ... guys like Oaktoon and the rest LOVE THE A'S JUST AS MUCH AS YOU DO.
So whining about the whining is every bit as chicken-s#$%! Go A's!

Giambi

Vacafan — Mon, 05 Sep 2005 01:16:03 -0000

I must admit I'm writing this while incredibly frustrated by the 4-1 start to tonight's game .... but I have to laugh at some of your short memories regarding Jason Giambi.

Before I say anything else, let me agree that Giambi's $$ gesture towards Ron Washington is very classy .... I don't think Giambi is a horrible guy by any stretch. But please stop with the "he never wanted to leave ... stop booing" nonsense.

Giambi stood in front of his locker after every game in 2001 and swore over and over again how desparately ... how vehemently ... how passionately he wanted to remain an Athletic. Once the A's offered a very fair deal, oops, now "all I need is a no-trade clause." Once the A's capitulated and offered the no-trade clause ... oops, "now it's too late." Once midnight rang on the night other teams could offer a deal, the Yankees called and a deal was in place the next morning.

All of the above is fact, there is no opinion or conjecture there. Giambi wanted to be a Yankee all along ... should he be villified for this? No, I've got no problem with that, really. What he should be booed for is lieing to A's fans over and over and over again instead of just admitting he would be leaving once the season was over.

Now, maybe the booing should stop .. I don't know and frankly I don't care. But please stop trying to paint him as some sympathetic figure that deserves "some love." He gets exactly what he deserves.