Okay, a cast off from the horrendous staff of the Nats, I like the signing.  The A's signed Colby Lewis to a minor league contract.  He's reporting to the Rivercats, so I don't know if its diary-worthy.  But, considering he's 6'4" and 230 and 27 years old, I think his signing points to that he's not a prospect and yet another live arm project.

Why watch baseball in HDTV?  To see a player's face when he hits a series-clinching bases loaded double with 34k screaming his name in unison.  I love to have been part of it, but equally enjoyed watching the replay at home where you can see his facial expression... A gaping mouth, pure elation.

Who's the filmmaker who featured Scutaro in the minors?  I bet his film will be in much more demand after today.

Zito's voice sounded so different in post game interviews.  I think he must have been leading the cheers.

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The A's 19-9 post ASB record is the best in the majors.  Why all the complaining?  Is it frustration that they left too many men on base last night?  What about their patience at the plate, Payton, of all batters, setting the tone.  The Nico-inspired negativity is surprising.  Where's the dissent?  Is this place turning into sports radio where callers just parrot the opinions of the sportscaster?  

I believe this last win was an example of the A's professionalism, an example of their 2nd half confidence.  They do not look overanxious at the plate, trying to crush every pitch (except for a regression by Frank, popping out on the first pitch with bases loaded after 3 walks issued).

Smack-talking Scutaro for not rushing enough to get Carl Crawford out at 1st.  Carl Crawford, the fastest guy in the majors.  Scutaro was ranging to his left and threw after he regained control.  With a 5 run lead, I'm okay with that.  I'm also okay with his plate approach.  With the consistent playing time, I finally saw the Marco we all remember from the last two seasons, a really tough out, making line drive contact.

The A's have handled themselves so well against the Devil Rays.  They're playing with a can't lose attitude, and the Tampa players seem to know they can't win here.  No let downs, one win at a time.  Players are stepping up now, just like they have this whole millenia.  This is a wonderful time to be an A's fan, and I don't want to spend it worrying about Crosby, Loaiza, Street, Chavez.  I've learned that 2nd half has all new rules.

I'm not being cynical above, but I expected the Walk Off HR on 3-0.  He took one in his 2nd AB I believe.  But after his deep fly in the 1st, I could feel his anger coming through my TV set as he stormed up to the clubhouse to review tape as  Glenn surmized.  I'm thinking, "Frank thinks he should be at 25, but for this park."  But then, he realizes that everyone else is hitting them out, and I feel he's thinking, "Damn, I need to get in on this tonight."  I don't begrudge him one bit as Kenny and Paul did back in Chicago.  I think that when Frank and Billy met in Texas during Winter Meetings the dialogue went something like this...

Frank: Stats motivate me. Is that cool with you?

Billy: Dude, I'm all about stats.  We need power, we just can't afford it.

Frank: Post-Steroid era... 500 HR is what it takes for a 1B/DH.  Don't get me wrong, I love to win, it was great to be a part of that last year, but I'm hoping to accomplish both.

Billy: What can we do to help?

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I'm at PacBell/SBC/AT&T park participating in a fantasy draft and trying to pay attention to the game. Wind is blowing in from the bay.  Very sparse crowd.  Hope no one gets hurt as its been raining all day. Top 3 of Lineup is interesting...
Ellis
Kendall
Thomas
Haren vs. Lowry
Anyone else here at the game?

I've taken it upon myself to set up a free podcasting host with switchpod for A's Nation since Blez admits to not being able to edit his mp3 files. (I'll happily show you how to do it with the freeware, Audacity, Blez)  Anyway, here's the URL to add to your aggregator. For iTunes, its under Advanced... Subscribe to Podcast URL..

http://switchpod.com/users/asnation/feed.xml

no, clicking on it won't let you hear the interview. this is for podcasting which means you can subscribe to it and automatically download it when a new audio file is available. i tested it, since its free there is a small ad inserted. subscribe, and i'll stick the mp3 files when they're posted to the site.  Keep the audio interviews coming, Blez, Nico.

Since 1968, us A's fans have enjoyed one of the most distinctive, authoritative, and charming Public Address announcers in the biz.  Like the late Bill King, Roy Steele brings a sophistication and flair to the pedestrian phrases to us A's fans.  He Update [2006-3-4 22:24:38 by eshock]:was sick in September 05 including the last home stand last season, and he was too sick to participate in the latest round of A's ads.

http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060303&content_id=1333044&vkey=spt2006n ews&fext=.jsp&c_id=oak&partnered=rss_oak

I feel sorry that the proper honors were not bestowed to Bill before his untimely passing, except for the bobblehead promotion.  And, I'm appalled at the snickering regarding his surviving daughters.  I don't know what that story is about, but its wrong.

I guess it just strikes me how important the Voice of God (coined by G-man John Miller while attending a game as a fan) is to my experience with the A's.  I sorely hope he gets well soon.  Does AN want to do something to let him know how much we appreciate him?

Wiki Entry
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broadcasters_for_the_Oakland_Athletics

Okay, Diamond Level is as good as it gets.  Sit on your butt, be on tv the whole game, and have free food brought to you all night through your VIP tunnel entrance.  I'm lucky enough to get MVP infield passed down to me every once in a while, and its a treat to have such a clear view of the plate.  Usually, when I'm buying, I opt for seats over the A's dugout.

But this year, the Wolff tactics seem to be working.  I wanna do it right.  Which is better Westside or Eastside Club?  Are there special tickets required to officially hang out there?  I've been in there countless times, but I've always noticed ushers at the door.  Who gets those sweet tables overlooking the game?  Is this connected to the luxury suites or is it first come first serve.  When you buy the plaza meal ticket, what is the meal?  Is it any good?  There's a dearth of info about this on the A's site, so I appreciate AN's advice.