SB Nation User Blog: billyball1981

A's Fantasy camp

billyball1981 — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 02:09:53 -0000

Yes it's expensive, but if you love baseball, good at it or not. It's something you should do before you can't. You will have the time of your life. One week of being a "Major Leaguer." Not to mention hanging out with the guys you watched play for the Green and Gold.

This Sunday, my wife and I embark for Phoenix, and the A's spring training complex for a week of playing baseball. I first went four years ago, and was not expecting much; was I ever wrong. Upon arrival, they take you to Papago sports complex where the A's hold spring training. You walk into the locker room and find your locker. I set my stuff in mine, and look to see who is around me. Hmmm next to my locker is Dave Henderson's, behind me is Blue Moon Odom's, around to the side Is Campy's, Carny Lansford. WOW, how cool is this.

After a day of station to station drills we are drafted onto teams, I had Blue Moon, and Mike Davis my first year, we stunk, lost every game, but who cared it was a blast. My second year, I had to go back, I had Dave Henderson and Blue Moon as managers, we were better, but failed to win more than two. That year my wife decided to join me, she never played baseball before, and the staff of A's players helped her so much by the end of camp she was doing great. I won the camp Cy Young award in my second year, but no MLB contract, bummer.

So I keep going back, last year was the best. Campy and Shooty Babbit were our managers. I started by K in my first three AB's. After two years of .638 and .524 avgs I was stumped, until Campy, pulls me out of the dugout and changes my stance. How do you listen to a legend and pay attention? It worked, next AB Double, Campy, in the third base coach's box claps and smiles at me, wow. I finished with a .486 avg thanks to him. We went on to the championship game at Phoenix Muni, and we won a nail biter. After winning, I could see why the A's of the early 70's won, Campy wanted to win, knew how to win, and he had that fire in his eyes.

After the championship game, we play the pros, I got to pitch my only inning of the camp, I faced Dave Henderson, (pop up), Tony D, and Mike Moore, I struck him out. After the game at the awards dinner, the pros had out their autographed game jerseys to campers that they felt did a good job. Campy gave me his, that was probably the highlight of my baseball carrer. My favorite A's player growing up, said I was good.

Me catching the last out of chamiponship game

Every evening we meet at the players lounge and get to hear stories from the players that you will never read in the sports. They are the nicest group of guys, but I have to watch Blue Moon, I think he likes my wife. He gave her his jersey the first year she played. He always sits next to her at those functions!! How can I compete. We always spend the evening having drinks with them and get to know them on a personal level. I just can't wait, we packed a week ago. You can check our photos on the web site, they post new photos every day.

http://www.hendersonbaseball.com/athletics/athletics.html

Look in the left margin for photos and type Hoffmann, or Hoffman they often mispell our last name.

Rebuilding, a necessary evil

billyball1981 — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 02:33:16 -0000

Since Billy pulled the trigger on rebuilding the team, let's look to the past when perhaps the A's should have pulled the trigger and did not. The end results were dismal.

1976, the beginning of the free agency market. Charlie Finley, refusing to deal with his players, or free agents lets his star players abandon ship. Except for Billy North, and Vida Blue all new faces appear in the lineup in 1977. An empty farm system forces Finley to trade what he had, which was not much, including Manager Chuck Tanner to Pittsburg for a handful of prospects. Rick Langford, Tony Armas, Mitchell Page. Who ever heard of trading a manager and a catcher? But that trade worked well in the long run. However we were at the bottom of the division with the triple A's as they were called. The next three years were awful, leading to a 108 loss season in 1979. Soon under new management they got better, but only temporary.
Then 1987 the Bash Brother era where we hit another high spot, but as the prospects were traded away for players to get over the hump, the system was depleted. They did not pull the trigger in time, and the mid to late 90's plain stunk. As painful as it is to see favorites leave I think it is better to be pro-active than reactive as Finley was. Just being a fan, as we all are we have to take the good with the bad.

Past playoffs memory

billyball1981 — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 14:42:06 -0000

As the championship series begins, I was thinking back to the Bash Bros, era. It was a game that was on Saturday night, the A's were playing Boston (feh). I really wanted to see the game, but a nag of an old girlfriend demanded that I attend the wedding of her cousin, whom I could not stand. After he many threats I sadly said I would go. I thought since the wedding was to be held at the Claremont Resort, surley there woud be a television tuned to the game....Nope.
But being a good planner, must be how I became a CEO, I brought a Sony Watchman with me. So I slipped the 2inch wide screen TV into my suit pocket, and turned it on. The wedding started, I watched the ballgame. Man, was my girlfriedd mad, who cares? It was the freaking playoffs. Well during the ceremony, and after, I had a large crowd of guys around me watching the game on my TV. We were all so happy we got to watch the A's kick some butt..funny though there were several unhappy spouses/girlfriends that night.
Later, when I finaly married, no not her, I told this story to my wife. She laughed, and said, "If the A's were in the playoffs, we would'nt be going to any stinkin wedding" ain't love grand.

Bobby Murcer has tumor

billyball1981 — Thu, 28 Dec 2006 15:17:48 -0000

Early this morning I learned that Yankee broadcaster, and former Outfielder Bobby Mercer has a brain tumor and will be going under the knife. I met Mercer before an A's Yankee game a few years ago. He was very cordial and I enjoyed speaking with him. Even though I reminded him about ruining a 1980 game when he hit a pinch hit home run in the 9th inning off of Matt Keough to beat us 2-1 on the NBC game of the week. He remembered the blast, and thanked me. Even though he is with the hated Yankees, I am pulling for him to beat this thing, as I am sure the rest of AN will. Good luck Bobby.

Missing the old days

billyball1981 — Mon, 28 Aug 2006 22:06:35 -0000

I am a "old timer" member of AN, and recently have been longing for some of the good ol' days when....
Pitchers would have to bat, pitch deep into the game, and not worry about pitch count.
No steroids, nobody knew about "greenies", or cared.
There were just two divisions, an American league team in Washington to beat up on. Playoffs were one series, best 3 out of 5.
Music provided by an organist, not blasting tunes out of $100,000 sound systems.
No commercials between innings, and NO dot racing.
Do any others miss these things, or have I turned into Abe Simpson.

Finley Flashback

billyball1981 — Wed, 04 Jan 2006 15:55:46 -0000

Since the A's were purchased, plans for a new ballpark seems to have been thwarted by a paralytic city council unwilling to make a decision. Should we be suprised? I think not.
So for those who lived through the Charlie Finley years, it seems to be happening again.
1.)Closing of the upper deck
2.)No radio contract, leaning towards a weak end of the dial station.
3.)Relations with the city decaying.
4.)The threat of moving to another city rearing it's ugly head again.
Is this just posturing by both sides or a prelude to an excuse to move the team from Oakland? It is no secret that the "Commissioner" does not, nor ever has liked the fact that the A's were moved to Oakland.

He made this statement shortly after he stole the Pilots from Seattle, and has never changed his position. I hope that I am just having a flashback and I am wrong, but at this point, I don't think that I am.