This isn't going to be able to long enough to satisfy some of the FanPost police, but to be honest, I'm more than a little taken aback by how the passing of one of the most iconic figures in the history of OAKLAND sports hasn't merited more than a FanShot yet.  This is going to be short and sweet, but I'll be damned if the passing of Al Davis is ignored.

Mr. Davis, while in recent years the fact that football had passed you by a bit due to age is not forgotten, I will always remember that you were--and are--one of the most important figures in the history of professional football.  You knew more football than most people have forgotten in their lifetimes, including your peers, which is evidenced by the signs we're seeing in what you've recently rebuilt.  Beyond being wildly successful at winning championships and football games, you advanced the cause of minorities and women in football unlike any other owner. 

You may have had a checkered history with the city of Oakland, but there is no denying one elemental fact--you truly were committed to excellence, even if you didn't know how to do it all the time.  Raider fans will miss you more than you can ever know.

Just rest in peace, baby.  You won.

This idea has been fomenting in my head all day, and the more I think about it, the more I like it.  I haven't quite yet figured out where he fits best (AA or AAA, or lower), but I'm fairly close to convinced he would be a great hire for the A's.

There are lots of reasons why this idea doesn't make sense.  For one, we're probably going to have to compete for him, and the A's are famously unwilling to compete for coaching resources.  For another, Don Mattingly's remarkable offensive career was anything but an approach which represented the A's offensive philosophies.  Despite a .307 career average, Mattingly only managed a .358 OBP, and was an extremely aggressive (if impossible to strike out) hitter.

Poll

Should Don Mattingly manage one of our affiliates?

4%

Yes, a lower team

4 votes

32%

No thanks, he's just discarded Yankee window dressing

27 votes

57%

Yes, Sacramento

48 votes

2%

Yes, Midland

2 votes

3%

Yes, Stockton

3 votes

84 votes | Poll has closed

Continue reading this post »

Unless you've been living under a rock, you're acutely aware of how awful the A's offense has been this year.  Only the Chicago White Sox have scored fewer runs in the American League.  Oakland's team OPS of .667 is the worst such figure in the AL, and way off the league average of .734.  

When your offense is that bad, it makes sense to evaluate every possible way in which one might improve it.  One idea that leaps to mind for me is ensuring that the worst offensive player in the AL isn't third on your team in at-bats...and that player is none other than Jason Kendall.

Poll

Should Kurt Suzuki replace Jason Kendall

2%

The A's should replace him, but with Piazza

8 votes

4%

The A's should replace him, but with someone else

18 votes

27%

Yes, immediately

108 votes

31%

Yes, if Kendall hasn't improved by the time Piazza's back

122 votes

34%

No, we need to ride out Kendall's last year for the clubhouse's sake

135 votes

391 votes | Poll has closed

Continue reading this post »

As the Beatles once sang,

Because
The World
Needs DUUUUUUUUUHHHHHUHUHHMMPS.

Well, they would have sang that if they read AN.  Trust me.

Anyhow, I'm starting to get a little scared at how well things are going for the A's this spring.  Susan Slusser has a nice article today about Rule 5 draftee Ryan Goleski.  While initial reports indicated that Goleski would be unavailable for an indefinite period of time due to wrist surgery, he's already fulled healed and ready to compete for a roster spot.  Perhaps it's because the surgery occurred while he was an Indian, rather than an Athletic, so they didn't cut off the hand.

Unfortunately, only in Oakland can unexpected health actually be a problem.  Goleski's sudden return to health creates a roster logjam that might not be easy to solve, especially if a scorned former A's hitting coach has anything to do with it:

It's less likely that Goleski can win a roster spot now that the A's have signed Shannon Stewart; still, the team could move a more expensive fifth-outfielder type, such as Bobby Kielty, if they like what they see of Goleski. Or it's possible that the Indians, with their abundance of outfield talent, might be convinced to work out something so that A's can keep him, especially after the miscommunication about his surgery.

Or maybe not.

Former A's hitting coach Dave Hudgens, now the Indians minor-league coordinator, said, "We hated to lose Ryan.''

Goleski said that Hudgens was instrumental in helping him rebound from a tough 2005 season. After hitting .212 that year, he batted .331 at Kinston and .296 at Double-A Akron in 2006. He hit 27 homers between the two stops, and his 106 RBIs were sixth most among all minor-league players.

"Dave was awesome,'' Goleski said. "He was kind of what I needed at the time. It clicked right away. Some of the stuff he taught me was a turning point for me -- he put things in a way I'd never heard before and some light bulbs went off.''

Said Hudgens, "You could tell he was a talented guy with a great swing. Ryan just needed to get re-focused, get back to what worked for him before by being disciplined at the plate.''

One thought that immediately occurs to me is sending the Indians Jay Marshall (or really, any reliever not named Street, Duke, or Calero) to retain Goleski.  The Indians primary goal this offseason was to repair their distastrous bullpen, and while they have done so to some degree already, they recently suffered a setback with Keith Foulke's unexpected retirement.

Adding further to my unease about the A's good fortune to date are the encouraging reports about Bobby Crosby.  The Merc reports that Crosby felt great after swinging the bat for the first time since August:

He cleared a huge hurdle in his mind Tuesday when he took about 30 pain-free swings off a tee at the A's Papago Park complex. It was the first time the shortstop swung a bat since going on the disabled list Aug. 25 and missing the rest of the 2006 season because of what was eventually diagnosed as a fractured vertebra.

Crosby said he swung at about 60 percent intensity and that he would consult with trainer Larry Davis about how much to step up his participation in the near future.

``I didn't feel it at all,'' Crosby said. ``I haven't felt it fielding, I haven't felt it throwing. That was kind of in the back of my mind -- swinging, would I feel OK? So I'm very optimistic.''

Not only that, but it's possible that Crosby's BRAIN has healed, too:

Crosby also is considering shortening the mighty swing he takes at the plate, both to ease the stress on his back and to make him a better hitter. Although power is one of his biggest strengths, Crosby said a more compact swing could improve the .244 average he has for three-plus seasons.

``Sometimes I see the ball and I just want to crush it,'' he said.

``You see some of these guys with nice smooth swings, you can adjust to pitches better. I think it would help me definitely in my approach.''

While I'm surprised it took Crosby until age 27 to notice that people with nice smooth swings are good hitters, I'm glad he noticed eventually.

I'm afraid to look for any more A's-related news, in the event I find something that isn't good.  So I leave you with the saga of the AFLAC duck, who as Bill King might have said, "has risen, like Lazarus, from the dead!"

Naturally, this diary is about our pitching coach, and the incredible effect he will have on the maturation of Rich Harden and Joe Kennedy into the quality starters we'll need to compete next year.

In other young, rich, and left-handed news, Barry Zito is rapidly becoming the belle of the ball at this year's winter meetings.  As we all know by now, the Rangers are very serious about landing Tony Danza's worst nightmare.  They are rumored to have made an incredibly rich offer of six years and $102M, which would be hard for any other team to match.  Other teams are still very interested, nonetheless--the Mariners are rumored to have also entered the Zito sweepstakes:

"How could we not be interested in a guy like that?" a club insider asked Monday at the outset of baseball's winter meetings. "When you look at the ages, if the money is equal, you'd want to go with the younger guy."

Of course, the money isn't going to be equal. Schmidt is looking for about $15 million and a four-year deal. The deal agent Scott Boras is trying to get for Zito is for more money and for as many as six years.

Boras and Zito met Thursday in Arlington, Texas, with the Rangers brass. Zito hasn't come to pay a similar call in Seattle -- yet. But he could.

Boras reportedly told the Rangers that the Mariners were strong players in the Zito derby. That's unquestionably a negotiating ploy -- Boras is famous for those.

Late last night, Boras also met with the Mets to discuss Zito.  According to this Rotoworld note, specific dollars were not discussed.  Money-wise, Seattle and Texas have a distinct advantage over the Mets--the lack of a state income tax.  Just for fun, let's assume that the baseline for Zito is 6 years and $90M, rumored to be his asking price.  If the Rangers really overbid to the tune of $2M per year, and Seattle and the Mets meet the baseline, this is what he actually gets:

Seattle: 6/90 = $15M per
New York: 6/90 less 6.85% = $13.9725M per
Texas: 6/102 = $17M per

Zito would be leaving an awful lot of money on the table compared to Texas, and more than a million per year compared to Seattle, if he signed with the Mets.  I don't think this can be dismissed out-of-hand when your agent is Scott Boras.

I hope the Mets step up their offer, so we don't have to see our direct competition strengthened by the addition of Zito, even if it weakens them financially.

Meanwhile, Anaheim is rumored to be targeting Braves' first-baseman Adam LaRoche in a potential deal that could include Chone Figgins and a pitcher.  It looks like the Angels are more likely to upgrade at the corner infield through trade than the free-agent market--Arizona wants to talk to them about a Chad Tracy for Joe Saunders deal as well.  I trust Bill Stonewall to hem and haw, and eventually pull no triggers, like he always does.  I don't know why the D-Backs are down on Tracy, but I wouldn't mind Beane making a phone call on that guy.

In case you hadn't yet heard, three-way Manny Ramirez trades are being discussed.  The Sox want a closer.  One permutation involves the Giants and the Nationals (with Chad Cordero involved), and the other involves the Giants and Mariners, which is predictably inciting vigorous discussion at Lookout Landing.

Oh yeah--this is an A's blog, isn't it?  Well, there's nothing new; they're still likely to get Piazza and Embree.

Who will make Barry Zito rich?  How good are th Rangers, Angels, and Mariners going to make themselves for next year?  Will the A's do anything?  Stay tuned for updates as they become available.

The Hot Stove Season is into full swing with the start of this week's winter GM meetings.  For updates on events as they happen, tune into ESPN's live coverage, as well as Rotoworld's.

One update from Jayson Stark in the aforementioned ESPN coverage that's worth noting--the Angels are now also "kicking the tires" on Mike Piazza:

While the A's and Rangers are still Mike Piazza's chief pursuers, there were rumblings Monday that the Angels had also kicked the tires on Piazza, who is expected to sign with one of those clubs sometime this week.

Since the start of this offseason, the Rangers appear to have realized that getting in on players that interest the A's is a good idea, because driving up their price exacerbates the A's competitive weakness in the market--the ability to pay big bucks.  Not surprisingly, it appears the Angels might now be figuring this out as well.  Really, it's a bit surprising our competition has taken this long to figure this out.  I wouldn't be surprised if we hear chatter from the Mariners, Angels or Rangers about Cliff Floyd as well as the week progresses.

Beane says the A's don't really need much anyway:

``The good thing, as anyone who follows our team closely or anybody who is a close fan of our team should realize, is that we don't have much to do,'' Beane said. ``Most of our team is already in place.''

Well, I agree it would take a fan to realize that replacing Frank Thomas, Jay Payton, and Barry Zito "isn't much to do."  If we can take what he's saying at face value, it looks like just one free-agent signing is in out future this offseason, and we should expect Dan Johnson and Daric Barton to be non-Gintered this offseason.

In former Athletic hot stove news, Jose Guillen's deal with the Mariners has been finalized.  It's not quite as attractive as previously reported, since he gets a little more money than previously thought ($5.5M), and a lot more if he has a typical Jose Guillen season ($3M in incentives).  Also, there is a $9M mutual option for next year, with a $500K buyout.  That said, I'm impressed with this move by the Mariners.  When you think about the money the A's are rumored to be offered for aging/damaged players on a one-year basis, Guillen at slightly less money looks awfully attractive.

Meanwhile, the Red Sox may end up with a bullpen that could be called the Oakland A's Closer Alumni Association, as both Keith Foulke and Octavio Dotel could wind up in the Sox's pen next year.  

I've said this before, but I'll say it again--Huston Street could potentially have enormous trade value in a market like these, where set-up men are commanding three-year deals at $6M/per.  What about giving the Devil Rays a call?  They have a surplus of outfielders, and we need outfielders.  They also don't have anything that resembles a closer, and lost an awful lot of games last year because of their bullpen.  This article speculates on a Baldelli for Blanton and Windsor trade; I don't know if Baldelli is the spare outfielder they have that I'd want, but Tampa's deep farm system and OF talent seem like a very good trading match for the A's.

There are still two, um, interesting free-agents out there that want to play next year, and might have a shot if Nathaniel Hawthorne were resurrected and given an expansion franchise.  In an interview on "Outside The Lines," Sammy Sosa expressed his desire to play next year, and offered up his opinions on Mark McGwire's HOF chances:

"I love Mark McGwire. Everybody knows that I have so much respect for Mark. But I'm not gonna speak for Mark McGwire. I'm nobody," Sosa said. "I have so much problems in my life to try and think about somebody else, but my opinion I think there was a few questions they [Congress] was asking Mark that [McGwire] should have answered a different way. That's my opinion now. On the other side, the Hall of Fame is a Hall of Fame for me regardless, no matter what happened."

I was going to point out that Sosa was also criticized for his handling of those proceedings because he hired an interpreter, but the quote above pretty much explains that choice.

Rafael Palmeiro also wants to play next year.  If either of them really think they have a chance, I'm surprised they're not playing winter ball for someone.  They both need to prove they can still play.

That's plenty of links to dump for now.  I hope to see some A's-related news added later...

Poll

Are Texas/Anaheim REALLY interested in Piazza?

81%

No, they're trying to up the ante

54 votes

18%

Yes, why wouldn't they be?

12 votes

66 votes | Poll has closed

Here's your update on all the hot stove events, brought to you by the Beatles (Paul McCartney can use the money right now)!

Mark Mulder and his agents toured Chase Field yesterday, and it looks like a contract proposal from the D-Backs may be forthcoming:

"(The meeting) was really just, 'Hey, this is what we're about. This is what we're doing moving forward. We want you to be a part of it,' " Bross said. "I would definitely say that Mark would like to see a (contract) proposal."

Mulder has some ties to the club. He and new bench coach Kirk Gibson, both Michigan State products, know each other well, and A.J. Hinch, the team's director of player development, played with Mulder in Oakland.

And then there's the fact that Mulder lives in Scottsdale.

In case you were wondering about what A.J. Hinch was doing...

Back on the East coast, Curt Schilling, self-appointed authority on everything, has told the Boston media that Manny in fact wants to be traded, making it seem likely that he would waive his no-trade rights to facilitate a deal:

Wednesday night at an event in Warwick, Rhode Island, Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling confirmed the rumors - he said Manny wants out of Boston.

"I think Manny is less than comfortable playing in Boston for whatever reason, that's his right. I think it's gotten to the point now where there's some thought that even though Manny might stay, he might not be here if he does. And I think the belief is that trading Manny and bringing somebody in would be more valuable than having a Manny here that didn't play. I don't know that to be a fact. That is pure speculation on my part" Schilling said.

Pure speculation on your part, Curt?  Maybe you should call up a radio show and tell us more about this.  

In hot stove news that more directly affects Oakland, there are updates available on some players that have been discussed as possibilities for the A's next year.  There is good news on Mike Piazza--contrary to previous reports, it looks like we won't be competing with the Phillies for his services.  On the other hand, we may face some competition for Cliff Floyd, as the Orioles, despite the fact that they aren't one, seem determined to act like a low-payroll team:

Cliff Floyd is coming off offseason surgery and turns 34 next week. Trot Nixon is dogged by health and home run concerns. Jay Payton had three fewer home runs than Orioles designated hitter Jay Gibbons last season in 214 more at-bats. Aubrey Huff and Jose Guillen face questions about their character, and Luis Gonzalez is 39 and hit just 15 homers last season, his lowest total since 1997.

Orioles executives expressed some interest with all their agents, knowing that each player carries a significant risk. At this point, it appears Gonzalez and Floyd are at the top of the wish list, even though each would give the Orioles an all left-handed-hitting starting outfield, something Duquette said the club is not especially concerned about.

Finally, Ryan Klesko, another possibility that's been floated on this site, is also drawing interest from the Orioles, as well as another team.  I could tell you the other team, but it really isn't that hard to figure out.  Like everyone else they're targeting, he's 35 years old.

In the only piece of A's-related news, the team has addressed its critical need for a bench coach, hiring noted coacher of benches Bob Schaefer.  This will be Schaefer's sixth tour of duty as bench coach, making him the Billy Martin of bench coaching.  I look forward to his tearful resignation when he drunkenly opines to the media that, "Mark Kotsay and Lew Wolff were made for each other.  One's a born liar, and the other's convicted."

There's been a little discussion of why Schaefer was hired for this position, instead of successful RiverCats manager Tony DeFrancesco, so I guess I'll add my take on this.  I think that our AAA manager actually serves a more valuable role to the organization than our bench coach does, so if he's good at working with young players, the big club is actually served better by continuing that relationship.  It also avoids putting Geren in the uncomfortable position of having a legitimate candidate for his replacement sitting at his side.  I think it's safe to say that there's no way Bob Schaefer will ever manage the A's.

That's all I've got for now.  When the A's actually do something with the ROSTER this off-season that merits discussion, someone please wake me up.  Like Bob Geren, I just switched to Sanka, so have a heart, people.

This link dump admits to using ANdro, but generally, is not here to talk about the past.

The 2007 ballot for induction to the Baseball Hall of Fame has been released.  The notable first-time inclusions on the ballot are Tony Gwynn, Cal Ripken, and Mark McGwire.  Gwynn and Ripken may as well make their plane reservations today.  

The interesting one, of course, is McGwire, who represents the first HOF litmus test for how perceived steroid users will be treated by voters.  Frank Robinson thinks that McGwire does not belong, and an anonymous voting writer with whom Robinson discusses the issue at a card show agrees:

"Why aren't you voting for McGwire?" Robinson asked.

"Steroids," the writer answered. "McGwire admitted he was taking andro back in the 1990s. It's the same thing as steroids - the steroids he won't admit to taking. Andro turned McGwire into something he wasn't created to be."

"That's exactly right," said Robinson. "Who else?"

"I'm not going to vote for (Sammy) Sosa after that, or (Barry) Bonds after that," the writer said.

"Good, good," said Robinson, nodding.

A woman standing nearby chimed in: "Once it's proven they were on steroids, their records should be stricken."

The rules for voting make it pretty clear that you're obliged to at least consider this issue:

Listed as No. 5 on the Hall's guidelines for voters -- but it might as well be the cardinal rule -- is the phrase that defines the qualifications of a Hall of Famer. It reads: "Voting shall be based upon the player's record, playing ability, integrity, sportsmanship, character and contributions to the team(s) on which the player played."

It's not an easy call, especially since no proof is available unless the player has admitted taking steroids (Caminiti, Canseco), or has tested positive (Palmeiro).  He is 7th all-time in home runs, and 13th in OPS, which are pretty compelling numbers.  On the other hand, he was also a career .263 hitter and a pretty one-dimensional player.  I strongly suspect that he won't make it this time, but will make it on a subsequent ballot.  

In hot stove news, the Orioles and Danys Baez have agreed to terms on a 3-year, $19MM contract.  I wonder what affect, if any, this will have on the kind of money Kiko Calero gets in arbitration.  If $6MM+/per is the going rate for set-up men, Kiko is going to be well paid, and could be a very valuable trade asset this offseason.  

The Brewers and D-Backs completed the biggest trade of the offseason to date, swapping LHP Doug Davis, LHP Dana Eveland, and OF Dave Krynzel for C Johnny "CHiPs" Estrada, RHP Claudio Vargas, and RHP Greg Aquino.  I like how the D-Backs made out in this one.  Doug Davis is a big upgrade for their rotation, and Eveland is young and talented.  I don't see how this helps the Brewers a lot, since they already had Damian Miller.  Sure, Estrada is better, but Miller isn't bad.

Across the Bay, we have a signal that the Barry Bonds era in San Francisco may indeed be over, as the Giants have had "serious discussions" with the Red Sox about acquiring Manny Ramirez.  At 34, Ramirez almost makes their minimum age requirement, but the article rightly wonders what the Red Sox would want from the Giants:

Another obstacle is the talent Boston would seek in return. The Red Sox are seeking relief help (so are the Giants), a shortstop (Omar Vizquel is staying put) and prospects (the Giants' best hope).

The Giants' farm system is pretty weak, so unless they would part with Jonathan Sanchez and Vizquel, I don't see how they could do it without involving a third team--and even that's a stretch.  I also don't know if Manny would want to go there.  Does he think they're going to win games when their plan is to sign 35-year-old Dave Roberts, 35-year-old Gregg Zaun, 35-year-old Rich Aurilia, and 35-year-old Mark Loretta to multi-year deals?  That's one osteoporitic offense.

No news on the A's hot-stove front, and I am starting to think we shouldn't expect any.  We might see one late-season OF signing (like Trot Nixon, Jose Guillen, or David Dellucci), but the more I think about it, the more I think that Daric Barton is going to be given a chance to win a job in spring training.  The A's brought up Miguel Tejada (3 AAA ABs) and Eric Chavez (194 AAA ABs) before you could accurately call them "ready," because both were supremely talented, and the A's thought they would both benefit from developing in the majors.  I wouldn't be at all surprised if they do the same thing with Barton.  I'll be shocked if we don't see him next year, if not on the opening-day roster.

That's all the links I have to dump.  Have a great day, AN!

Poll

Should Mark McGwire be in the Hall of Fame?

30%

Yes, on the first ballot

27 votes

33%

Yes, but not on the first ballot

30 votes

35%

No, he shouldn't

32 votes

89 votes | Poll has closed

There has been a lot of spirited discussion about the A's move out of Oakland on this site in the past few days, and for good reason.  While the move to Fremont has the potential to do all sorts of good things for the future of the franchise, it also signals a real loss--the loss of baseball at the Coliseum.

While I couldn't be more excited for the Athletics, I'm having a hard time letting go of baseball in Oakland.  And since when loved ones pass on, we memorialize them to help the living move on, it seems only appropriate that baseball in Oakland is given a proper wake.

It all began here:

The pre-Mt. Davis days at the Oakland Coliseum were momentous ones, which included, but were not limited to:

--four World Championships
--the craziest owner in the history of baseball, Charlie O. Finley (sorry, George)
--two of the most gifted athletes to ever talk about themselves in the first person, Reggie Jackson and Rickey Henderson
--the "Swingin' A's," who in a sense, were like a more combative version of the current A's clubhouse
--"Billy Ball" (v 1.0)
--the Bash Brothers
--Dave "Who the f$%^ you lookin' at?" Stewart, one of the most underrecognized dominant pitchers of the last 20 years
--Dennis Eckersley, who at the direction of Tony LaRussa (and paired with set-up men like Rick Honeycutt), changed the way the bullpen is used in the modern game
--the Haas family, who returned the franchise to glory and helped it recoved from Finley's lunacy

No wake is complete without a few eulogies.  For starters, if you haven't read devo's excellent diary on baseball in Oakland, you should do so.

I also just read a excellent post by 66th Hegenberger, and I want to excerpt from it here, because I think it's a beautiful expression of what Oakland baseball meant to many:

(This) team has always represented Oakland to me.  They go hand in hand.  My team, like my city, was scrappy, tough, and thumbed its nose not only at the team across the bay, but at the accepted norms of baseball itself.  We fought, had weird moustaches, encouraged fans to wear hot pants, had weird ideas about orange baseballs, threw a bat at an opposing pitcher, paraded a real mule around the stadium, kicked dirt on umpires' shoes, stole a shitload of bases, had taco eating contests, a Black Muslim bakery, an Everett & Jones BBQ, a center fielder who would go to dinner with his TWO fan clubs, stopped stealing shitloads of bases, and found new ways to win that weren't rooted in the conventional wisdom of baseball.  Like Oakland itself, the team had personality and it had soul.

That provides a nice transition to the post-Mt.Davis days, with which many of us (myself included) are more familiar:

I moved to the Bay area in 1998, and settled in Oakland, where I lived until moving to Sacramento in 2004, necessitated by my desire to buy a house before I die.  I have never enjoyed living anywhere more than I did in Oakland, and I doubt I ever will.  Its independent spirit, unique neighborhoods, great diversity and cultural richness, and "keepin' it real" attitude in comparison to its cross-bay neighbor completely captivated me.  

But having a team nearby that was as exciting to watch, in an environment as intense (if not always populous) as the Coliseum was what really sealed the deal.  I will never forget:

--munching on tasty fish sandwiches from the controversial Black Muslim bakery
--watching the team make the transition from pretty bad in '98 to pretty damn good in '99, and marveling at how many young players like Tejada, Chavez, and Giambi were making the difference.
--the rise to stardom of three dudes named Hudson, Mulder, and Zito
--my bachelor party in a luxury box at the Coliseum in 2000, second-to-last game of the year against the Rangers, with an opportunity to clinch if the Mariners lost.  My friends decided a should take a shot for every run the A's scored.  How did they know that the A's were going to score nine runs in the first inning, and win 23-2?  I'm glad my friends didn't hold me to it (well, to all 23, anyway).
--watching Izzy drop the hammer on Yankee batters to seal a Game 1 win in 2000
--20 wins in a row
--watching Pedro Martinez strike out 15 from behind home plate (not a happy memory, exactly, but probably the best pitching I've ever seen live)
--Nearly jumping out of 314 when Ramon Hernandez dropped a perfect bunt on Derek Lowe to win Game 1 in 2003
--AN Day 3.0, and the pandemonium that ensued when Milton Bradley stepped all aboard the walk-off train

What was common to all of these experiences is how A's fans created an atmosphere that exceeded the physical quality of its surroundings.  I've been to baseball games at sold-out Phone Company Park, and the atmosphere can't hold a candle to it.  For that atmosphere, I uniquely credit Oakland.  They made all of those great experiences listed above seem fed, as through a kick-ass Fender amp, directly into my heart and mind.

The A's will live on, and prosper, and I look forward to watching that happen.  But I am going to savor these last few years in the Coliseum, because even though Cisco Field will be a great experience in its own right, I doubt it will ever have electricity the Coliseum possessed.  For that unique, thrilling experience, I say, "Thanks, Oakland," and invite you to share remembrances of your own.

The hot stove season is ON!  Regrettably, the exclusive negotiating window available to teams to re-sign their own free agents has passed, and it has not included new contracts for Frank Thomas and/or Jay Payton, the A's two free agents of note.  One hopes this is just a procedural matter, but the rest of the league will get the chance to at least kick the tires on these two (please kick Frank's gently).

The Chicago Cubs did take advantage of their exclusive negotiating window, signing Kerry Wood to a one-year, $1.75M deal.  Oh, and they also gave Aramis Ramirez a 5-year, $73M contract to remain in the Windy City.  Perhaps the 99th time is the charm?

It's great news for A's fans, in my opinion.  The Angels are bitterly disappointed that he's gone, and for him to be off the market before they got a chance means that if the Angels want a bat, they will need to either:

1.  Get into a bidding war for Alfonso Soriano (coveted by the Cubs and the Phillies), who never met a slider he didn't like, or;
   
2.  Sign Carlos Lee, who never met a bag of White Castle Sliders he didn't like, or;
   
3.  Trade from their deep farm system to acquire a bat.  Only two possibilities here:  the Angels pitching staff and/or farm system is weakened, or Bill Stonewall lives up to his name.

The Orioles have traded for Jaret Wright, and I for one think they were wise to do so.  I floated this idea a week and a half ago in a DLD, and it seemed to be met with interest.  It's a low risk, high reward deal, because the Yankees will be picking up $4M of his $7M salary anyway (the same amount they would have paid to buy out his contract).  The Orioles only needed to give up reliever Chris Britton, so we probably could have gotten him for Calero, or maybe Gaudin.  I think he would have been a stronger option as our fifth starter than our current menage of has-beens and not-yets.  

There's very little thus far in the way of new local articles today.  That said, Ray Ratto is trying to bring sexy back, which is sort of like Darwin bringing creationism back:

This is, you see, a moderately sexy job that will be filled by a profoundly non-sexy name because sexy costs more, and Beane believes that his manager doesn't need to be sexy as much as he needs to handle a bullpen and keep the players from wishing he got lost on the way to the park.

Plus, non-sexy is cheaper, if we hadn't mentioned it.

One last bit of hot-stove related news--it turns out that Barry Bonds won't be going to Texas after all, as Tom Hicks apparently needed to respond to an alarmed fan base.

Hopefully the GM meetings this week will light the pilot for the A's hot stove.  And snuff Ratto's desire to talk about sexiness.  He ought to know that talking sexy is Kyli's domain, anyway.  Until then, go forth and dump links.

It's never a dull offseason for the green and gold.  Soon, we will be watching the hot stove season unfold, but in the meantime, we have a new A's ballpark to chew on, where you could presumably be watching A's games as soon as 2011.

Predictably, there is lots of reaction, both on this site and in the media about the likely move.

The Oakland Tribune's Dave Newhouse says that if the A's move to Fremont, they have no one to blame but themselves:

Make no mistake, Jerry Brown is ringing the funeral bells you're hearing. Former city manager Robert Bobb had the downtown ballpark in motion. HOK, the reputable ballpark architects from Kansas City, was hired. Brown then dumped Bobb faster than Rickey Henderson could steal second base.

Brown's deal is housing, and there are condos rising in Oakland by the second. That's wonderful, mayor, but just remember the A's left town on your watch. They are your legacy as much as Oakland's.

But did Wolff deliberately pick that "ballpark village" site directly across 66th Avenue from the Coliseum knowing the small business owners situated there weren't about to move, thus freeing him to leave?

"A lot of people think that way; my colleagues think that way," Oakland City Council president Ignacio De La Fuente said. "As usual (regarding the latest Fremont news), we've received no contact whatsoever (from Wolff). Maybe that's one of the problems."

Communication definitely broke down between Wolff and the politicos, leaving both sides at fault to some degree. But with Bobb out of the picture and Brown out of touch, Wolff's one-year ultimatum to Oakland to find him a ballpark site or else passed by without any resoution.

This is pretty close to how I feel on the subject, although other posters such as FreeSeatUpgrade have argued eloquently to the contrary.  Wolff determined in two years, first in an advisory role, then as owner, that Oakland was never going to happen.

In other ballpark-related linkage, Jimmy Cliff of the Merc points out that there's many rivers to cross before the ballpark can actually be built:

A final decision about a stadium would take at least two years after an application is filed. To date, Wolff has been seeking information from Fremont officials but has presented no proposal to the city. Wolff follows former owner Steve Schott, who long wanted to move the team to Santa Clara County, in seeking a location that would be accessible and appealing to Silicon Valley companies.

Pacific Commons is isolated from other residential portions of the city, meaning a shift to housing would require a vast array of new services, including police, fire, libraries, parks and schools. The property is five miles from the existing Fremont BART station, and about two miles from a planned new BART station in Warm Springs, whose construction is not yet guaranteed.

I am very curious to see how well the process actually goes.

There is also the issue of what to call the new team, which is speculated upon in salb918's article for the Merc:

The Silicon Valley designation could be popular with Cisco Systems, the San Jose-based maker of computer-networking equipment that holds the rights to the land Wolff would use for his stadium.

Baseball historian John Thorn, however, said it was a bad idea to consider labeling the team the Silicon Valley A's because that honors an industry, not a community.

``It's terrible because the region, 20 years from now, may no longer be known as Silicon Valley,'' said Thorn, who lives in upstate New York. ``What you're talking about is something that's very present-centric. What if they called it Slide Rule Park in 1962?''

Regardless of how this all works out, I'm just happy that a new ballpark in the Bay area is being accomplished.  Getting a project like this done is a enormous accomplishment.  Don't believe me?  Ask Sacramento Kings fans, who despite 311 consecutive home sellouts, are unlikely to get a new facility constructed in Sacramento.

Finally, a little bit of roster-related news that might otherwise get lost in the ballpark hubhub.  It looks like keeping Jay Payton and Frank Thomas, like pimping, might not be easy:

Along with hiring a manager, the A's have other business, including trying to re-sign Frank Thomas. Like many other free agents, the DH is waiting until Sunday, when other teams can make offers, before weighing his options. Four other teams have expressed interest in Thomas, according to agent Arn Tellem. Outfielder Jay Payton also wants to see what the market will bear. His agent, Craig Landis, said seven teams have called about Payton.

There's an awful lot of interest out there in those guys, and I hope that the A's can keep at least one of them.  The bigger one of them.

Vote Quimby.

Stuck on Two
Get a feeling deep down in my soul when the A's go and lose
But we're on our way
Rich Harden's pitching today.

So, awesome ballgame last night, huh?  We scored nine runs!  Milton Bradley hit a two-run homer!  Huston Street still wears number 20!

With so many negatives available to focus on, let's start with something positive and off-topic.  The New Orleans Saints blasted the Atlanta Falcons in the first game played at the Superdome since Hurricane Katrina.  It's really nice to see an icon of the city of New Orleans up and running again.  And sure, it's just football, but it's nice that they have a 3-0 football team to root for.

Before we start talking about baseball, I recommend that everyone read this reminder, courtesy of Eric Chavez, that baseball is still in fact just a game.

Now, on to the carnage.  For those of you that thought Huston Street was hurt last night, he disagrees with you:

"I felt great," Street said, noting he'd had two days off. "No excuses. I felt my stuff was good. Everything felt fine. I just made bad pitches today, one after the other. It happens sometimes. I wish it didn't happen tonight. We played so well tonight, that's what's so disappointing to me. The guys played well enough to win the game and I came out and made bad pitches."

Macha said that catcher Jason Kendall was putting his glove "in one area and (Street) was throwing it to another area."

In the same article, Macha shows that he is pissed that we're angering the woofing gods:

"Everyone is saying this is over. That's absolutely wrong," A's manager Ken Macha said. "We've got people from our organization coming up here to celebrate. That's wrong. We've got to win these games. This was a winnable game if we make our pitches."

By the way, he's referring to the fact that Lew Wolff and John Fisher flew up for the party.  He must be pretty pissed to throw the bosses under the bus (try saying that quickly three times).

Is Billy Beane right when he says that winning creates clubhouse chemistry?  Mark Kotsay is not happy about being in a platoon situation:

"It is a platoon," he said. "If I'm not in the lineup against left-handers, it's a platoon situation, no ifs, ands or buts. (Macha) has made it clear I'm not playing against left-handed pitchers, especially tonight. He's putting a lineup out there he feels is the best to help us win, and I'm not in it."

My opinion is that if you're a .750 OPS hitter, platoons happen.  And that you've captured what Macha is doing perfectly in your last sentence, Mr. Kotsay.  It's not that you can't hit lefties, it's that Klown Power can eviscerate them.

Barry Zito wants to go to Japan, according to Urban's A's Notes, but Scott Boras won't let him:

Eager for a look at the baseball and culture of the Far East, Zito on Monday approached Bobby Bonilla, a former longtime big-leaguer who now works as a special assistant for the MLB Players' Association, to express his interest.

The rosters and other details have yet to be announced, but sorry, Zito was told. No free agents allowed.

Thankfully, Zito's familiarity with fabric softener may open a door for him:

"You know, in some sort of ambassador role or something," Zito said. "I'd love to just be there and represent the league in some way. I could still make the public appearances with the team and stuff like that, and could give me some chores or something, like doing the other guys' laundry, to justify having me there.

"I just think that experience would be really cool."

Also in Urban's notes, Milton Bradley is Ken Macha's new bff:

After the A's came up empty in two chances to clinch the American League West title over the weekend, outfielder Milton Bradley suggested that the team might have grown a little too occupied with the idea of clinching.

Asked about Bradley's comments Monday, A's manager Ken Macha was quick to agree.

"I agree with him a whole lot," Macha said. "I felt we played hard [Saturday and Sunday], but you could be concentrating on one thing and still have something else in the back of your mind. ... Clear your mind. Go have a good at-bat, make a good pitch."

I think we could all learn a little maturity and humility from Milton, kids.

That's all the links I have to dump.  I'm sure you crafty people will find more.  Take heart in the fact that Rich Harden is starting today, and that we still control our own destiny.  We may be currently "Stuck on Two," but one good pitching performance from Rich Harden, combined with one cataclysmic defensive implosion by the Angels, and we're gonna party...

ALL NIGHT LONG!!

FIESTA!!!  FOREVER!!!!

Yesterday was not a good day for our intrepid elephants, as we were taken to the woodshed by the Texas Rangers.  As has already been discussed at some length in Blez's post-game wrap, Jay Payton took exception to being booed by Oakland fans for the bad plays he made in the Coliseum's horrendous day-game sunfield.  

My motto on this is "Don't Boston Oakland."  One of the things I like so much better about West coast sports, having grown up on the East coast, is that it's a lot more positive out here.

But I digress--the real entity to boo for yesterday's loss is Miss Cleo, at least according to Barry Zito:

In Zito's previous start against the Rangers, Aug. 25 in Arlington, he carried a no-hitter into the eighth inning, and after the game he playfully gave credit for his 11-1 record in Texas to a "Far-Eastern psychic" who sits behind the plate at Ameriquest Field and signals him what the hitters are thinking.

Given Zito's 9.53 ERA and 0-3 record against Texas in Oakland this year, it might be time to start sending the psychic some transportation money. Here, it's the Rangers who look like they know what's coming.

"I asked him if he'd come out for this one," said Zito, who fell to 15-9 on the year. "But he just saw 'Snakes on a Plane,' so he's all scared to fly now."

You asked him if he'd come out?  Sure, Barry.

I thought AN would be interested in this little, ah, tidbit from today's JoeChat:

Fred in Jamestown, Maryland: Billy Beane said in Moneyball that playoff baseball is no different from regular season baseball. As we come down the strech, from a player's perspective how is September and October baseball different from the dog days of summer?

Joe Morgan: (11:20 AM ET ) That is why they have never won a playoff series if he feels that way. The intensity level is turned up in the short stretch. In the regular season you can relax just a bit. But in the playoffs the intensity level is turned up both offensively and defensively. Anyone who says a playoff game is just like a regular season game hasn't won anything. You would never hear Joe Torre or someone like that say that.

I'm not sure that Fred has the Beane quote exactly right.  Regardless, Joe isn't going to pull any punches where the team/philosophy/man he proudly knows nothing about is concerned.  Actually, I've talked to Joe Torre about what's been critical to his post-season success, and he had the following to say:

"I have arthritis in my fingers, and picking my nose helps stretch the finger joints and keep them flexible. Oftentimes I switch fingers -- even hands -- mid-pick." (Regarding his habit of picking his nose during games, February 29, 2001.)

So, clearly, the real reason we have not had playoff success is that we've yet to make Barry Zito player-manager.  

I can't resist two more JoeQuotes, because they're just so darn vintage:

zoomer, detroit: joe, why were you so mad about the radar gun in detroit the other night?

Joe Morgan: (11:39 AM ET ) It wasn't accurate. No one throws a 102 MPH sinker. When a ball is straight that is when you get the most accurate reading. When Nenn was pitching in the WS, it has him going 102-103 and the right handed batter was pulling it foul. You don't do that with a 103 MPH pitch. Zumaya throws hard and might throw 100 MPH but he doesn't throw a 102 MPH sinker. I didn't believe the gun. I've seen enough pitches to know what a 102 MPH pitch looks like.

There go those infernal computers again!

Jenny (WVa): Then what is Jeter's weakness? Also, Why would Willie Randolph win Manager of the Year when he is more or less a caretaker of an already stacked team?

Joe Morgan: (11:50 AM ET ) How is the team stacked when they were without Cliff Floyd and all those injuries! I can't argue with people who don't understand the game. Just because you have talent doesn't mean you will win. The manager has to put that talent to good use. Has Joe Torre been a caretaker his whole career? Of course not.

Anyone care to take a guess at why Joe thinks this person doesn't understand the game?  BTW, the Jeter comment was in response to Joe telling someone that Jeter isn't a perfect players, because perfect players have no weaknesses, and that's impossible.

On to A's news.  In Susan Slusser's A's notebook, Ken Macha discusses Jason Kendall's second-half resurgence:

Since the All-Star break, Kendall is batting .342, the ninth-best mark in the league. He began batting leadoff after the break, and he has scored 36 runs in 47 games.

"He's hitting line drive after line drive,'' manager Ken Macha said. "(Hitting coach) Gerald Perry said he gets better as the year goes on.''

Last year, his first in Oakland after nine years in Pittsburgh, Kendall hit .271, 35 points lower than his career average. Macha thinks the difference is that Kendall has leveled his swing, which is producing more line drives and fewer pop-ups.

Also in this notebook are some injury/roster updates.  Kotsay's back is still bothering him, and he won't play tonight, giving Dan "Band Camp" Johnson his third straight start.  The A's plan to call up either D'Angelo Jimenez or Mike Rouse today to make sure that Antonio Perez is no longer our backup shortstop.

The A's will play Texas again tonight, a 7:05 start for Frank Thomas bobblehead night at the Coliseum.  Kirk Saarloos (7-6, 4.47 ERA) goes against Adam Eaton (4-4, 4.71 ERA).  While there were a lot of people who contributed to the A's great August, Saarloos may have been one of the more underappreciated:

Kirk Saarloos went 4-0 (three starts) in August with a 2.01 ERA, and he will make his 14th start of the season on Tuesday against the Rangers. The 27-year-old is known for having great movement, and he has been fooling hitters with his diving fastball.

Let's hope he keeps it up!

Poll

Should you boo your own player?

13%

I bought a ticket--that's my right as a fan

18 votes

37%

Don't Boston Oakland

50 votes

2%

No--that's why it's OK to boo Santa Claus

3 votes

38%

Only if he's Joe Morgan

52 votes

5%

FIRE MACHA NOW!

8 votes

2%

It's not in the cards, babies!

3 votes

134 votes | Poll has closed

Since Apricot thinks that letting me start the link dump is like is like letting Jeffrey Dahmer pick the cafeteria menu....

Isn't it great to wake up with a 3.5 game lead?   The Angels got blown out in Cleveland, and suffered a big scare when rookie pitcher and resident A's killer Ervin Santana (1.88 ERA in 43 career IP against the green and gold) was struck on the inside of the knee by a line drive in the first inning.  The worst was feared, but nothing was broken, and Santana is day-to-day:

"It was very bad," Santana said. "I thought it was broken or something. I told Mike I wanted to stay in, but he said, 'No, no, you're done.' It was hit too hard. Tomorrow I know it will hurt, but that's OK. I'll be ready for my next start."

Scioscia wasn't as sure.

"It hit about as square as a ball can hit someone," he said. "There's no structural damage. It's a deep bruise. It could have been worse, but it still could be bad. We're optimistic, but won't know for a couple days."

Leave it to Scioscia to figure out a way to turn the situation into an argument.

Kind of a slow news day, otherwise.  Miggy is sorry for flipping fans in Toronto the bird.  Did Blue Jay fans get more vocal when I wasn't looking?  What he did seems akin to flipping off everyone in the library because you can't find the proper citation for your research paper.

Susan Slusser has a nice writeup on Dan Johnson in the Chronicle today.  Seems like it didn't take much to get him back on track:

It didn't take much to get Johnson going again. Brian McArn, the Sacramento hitting coach, has worked with Johnson for five years, and Johnson said that McArn immediately spotted the problems with his swing.

"He knows me forward and back, and he said, 'What are you doing?' " Johnson said. "We worked on my hand position, and legs and head position, and it was unbelievable. He put my hands back where they had been, opened up my stance. Then we did some old drills I used to do for a day and a half, and I felt like I was back where I needed to be."

Seems like maybe it would have been cheaper and more effective to send McArn up for a day-and-a-half, rather than have DJ languish in the minors until the rosters expand, but I guess that's why they don't pay me the big bucks.  Instead, DJ gets to have his ego served up with liver beans and a nice chianti:

Johnson is ready to come back, though. He was still with Sacramento last week for "Dan Johnson Bobblehead Night" and that was not fun -- the bobbleheads are issued for former Sacramento players who have moved on to the big leagues.

"Having to play in your own bobblehead game is terrible," said Johnson, who was the Pacific Coast League player of the year in 2004. "I might be the first one ever to have to do that."

Johnson also had to spend his birthday in the minors; he turned 27 on Thursday.

Good news for those of you coming to the Coliseum this weekend--NO TARPS!.  They need to come off for the beginning of Raider football.  This should soften the bad news, which is that centerfield should look like the parking lot at a Grateful Dead concert for the rest of the season:

On Thursday morning at 7 a.m., the A's will begin the long and labor-intensive task of taking down the 53 tarps that cover the third deck, because the Raiders play exhibition games on Aug. 20 and Aug. 25. The process will require a crew of 25, working eight- to nine-hour shifts, two days to remove the tarps, which weigh between 100 and 150 pounds. With so much manpower, the effort is expected be costly, although David Rinetti, the director of stadium operations, does not yet have an estimate.

Finally, Daniel Brown of the Merc has a long article on the resurgence of Frank Thomas.  In case you weren't aware, Frank likes to swing a 36 in, 64 oz. piece of rebar in lieu of a bat in the on-deck circle:

Before his only career at-bat, on June 29, A's reliever Ron Flores saw a gnarled metal rod lying in the on-deck circle. As he tried to pick it up, Flores quickly realized he was overmatched.

``My rotator cuff can only take so much,'' Flores said.

Outfielder Nick Swisher, a tad braver, went so far as to swing it once. ``And right away I said, `What am I doing? I'm going to hurt myself.' ''

Tonight will mark the return of Scott Kazmir (10-7, 3.36ERA) from the disabled list, as he and the Devil Rays square off against Dan Haren (9-9, 3.67ERA) and your Oakland Athletics at the Coliseum.  Kazmir is a linchpin of my world-beating fantasy team (named Holy Toledo!), so I'm quite familiar with him.  He sometimes tends to struggle with command and walk guys, so let's hope the layoff isn't good for him.

Keep on dumpin'!  Just don't let it get too kRaZeE...

For those of you who missed yesterday's link dump, which went on and on, there is a nice Reader's Digest version available, courtesy of Rubin Sierra.  Hilarity ensued.

Indeed, it was a banner day all around at AN, as we were fortunate enough to be visited by both Justin Duchscherer AND Jay Witasick.  For some reason, Mr. Witasick was determined to prove that he is not in fact a journeyman middle reliever, but a teenaged mad fly hunnie.  We're still all skeptical.

Anyway, onto today's links.  As Susan Slusser writes, yesterday was a wild night at the (throw a) Cell (at Carl Everett) in Chicago.  Frank Thomas hit two homers in his return, a mad fly sqwirl was ejected for arguing with an umpire, and Ozzie Guillen ran around the field for a full five minutes before he hid behind the tarp like a coward.

In the end, and as Josh Suchon notes, our battered bullpen was not up to the task of stopping the White Sox.  For the doom and gloomers out there, I think the first paragraph of Suchon's article is worth noting:

Of the seven pitchers now in the A's bullpen, five started the year in the minors. The A's have weathered their numerous injuries for the most part, but Monday's 5-4 loss in 10 innings was an example of the short-handed bullpen getting exposed.

Wow.  Two relievers left with which we intended to start the season.  It's really a minor miracle we're a game out of first place.  

In other news, Giants fans still continue to breathe without the benefit of respirators.  It's too bad when they make comments like these.  

Lastly, for those of you who would blame Barry Zito for last night's loss, you would do well to take a look at what happened in San Diego last night.  Sometimes, even your best isn't good enough.  

I hope we will be able to maintain a modicum of decency and self-control today, folks.  If everyone is on their best behavior, I promise cookies for everyone!

If you figure a 11-man staff is our optimal number of pitchers, currently 45.5% of our pitching staff is on the disabled list.  Wow.

Anyway, within the Chronicle's A'S NOTEBOOK, we learn that Rich Harden is medically cleared, threw from the mound Sunday, and may be able to throw a simulated game on Tuesday in Chicago.  No word on whether throwing at AJ Pierzynski will be simulated.

We also learn in the same article that Joe Kennedy has been officially placed on the DL, which, of course, means he is dead/day-to-day.  Jairiago Garsilla was called up to take his place.  The good news is that an MRI on Kennedy revealed no structural damage, so it's just a muscle issue.

Just a muscle issue...sound familiar?  Harden, Loaiza, Kennedy, Street, Crosby, Bradley...the list of muscle issues goes on.  At some point, one has to wonder why we're the only team in the league who has had 25% of its roster (25%!) suffer from muscle strains.  What's different about our training regimen in comparison to other teams?  Urban or Slusser need to have a fireside chat with Larry Davis.  Or we need to FIRE LARRY DAVIS NOW!

Take heart, though--things could always be worse.  You could be the the Yankees, who are aggressively recruiting A's retreads like Terrence Long, Erubial Durazo, and Carlos Pena to fill roster spots; Long has already been called up to the big show.  They're also primed to pluck Richard Hidalgo off the "can't play anymore" heap.  Omar Olivares, you're next.

In other news, the total meltdown of The Angels Angels continues.  I think the following snippet (emphasis mine) sums it up nicely:

It was the Angels' fifth loss in a row, and they're 5-14 in May. They're also off to their slowest start since 1998, when they also started the season 17-27. Only the lowly Kansas City Royals have a worse record in the American League than the Angels.

The Angels travel to Texas to play the Rangers--perhaps the only negative here, since the Rangers look increasingly like the only other team that matters in the division, and stand to get fat off the lowly Angel offense.

Thus concludes the initial small sampling of daily links--go forth and dump your own!

It's so nice to have a multitude of A's links to dump again.  Joe Roderick of the Contra Costa Times writes that Kirk Saarloos is ready to contribute in any way he can, and that his mother has completely recovered from her bout with breast cancer:

http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/sports/14016996.htm

A Bill King tribute is planned for opening night at the Coliseum.  For the six or seven of you that get 1550AM, tune in today at 10:30AM PST for a tribute and retrospective on King's career.  Korach talks about what his first broadcast without the King today will be like:

"It's going to be emotional, no question about it," Korach said. "All the years I lived in the Bay Area, just hearing Bill's voice alone, that was the signal that baseball was here again."

Also of note in the article--Hiram Bocachica Wow-Wow will be having wrist surgery again :-(.

http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/sports/14016997.htm

"Rich Harden, Canadian for F&*&ing Awesome":

http://www.insidebayarea.com/sports/ci_3568910

"The hardest thing in baseball is, 'How do you get that anger out?' The adrenaline works against you. In the minor leagues, I went through that."

Shortstop Bobby Crosby remembers well.

"I saw him head-butt a water cooler once," Crosby said. "I think Rich won the battle. He acted like nothing happened. That was back in Double-A. I think he was crazier back then."

Unfortunately, Susan Slusser writes that he will have to wait a few days to display his awesomenessitude, as his first start will be pushed back four days because of his bout with food poisoning:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/03/04/SPGJBHIL1V1.DTL

Also of note in the this article is that the upper deck closure seems to be having its intended consequences:

David Alioto, the A's vice president of sales and marketing, said that the team has a 90 percent renewal rate of season tickets, the best percentage he can recall. In addition, new season-ticket sales are up about 40 percent.

The A's commercials are mentioned again here, and one I don't recall reading about is mentioned.  This should have Adam Melhuse pricing weather machines:

Among the best commercials is one in which Macha tries to fool Jason Kendall into taking a day off by using a hose to shower the runway to the field, hoping Kendall will think it's raining.

In other baseball news, the sun rose at 6:53AM MST today, prompting Kerry Wood to need surgery again:

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2352970  

Joe Roderick of the Contra Costa Times brings up the very real possibility that tomorrow will be Ron Washington's last game in the green and gold:

http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/sports/12791791.htm

Call me crazy, but I think Wash means more to this team than Macha.  I'd rather make Wash our manager and ship Macha off to Pittsburgh, but I'm aware that isn't happening.  Apparently the media in Pittsburgh doesn't think it's happening, either.  The chatter is about their third-base coach, John Russell, and (believe it or not) Kevin Kennedy:

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-review/sports//s_379738.html

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-review/sports/pirateslive/s_379307.html

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-review/sports/s_378939.html

Susan Slusser writes about Kendall's off-year this year.  Kendall says "he stunk."  Thank you, Captain Obvious:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/10/01/SPGN7F02VQ1.DTL

Cutthemullet and I were talking about this in another thread--why won't this guy hold a bat like a normal human being?  Choke up with two strikes, sure.  But you should be trying to drive the ball early in the count.  Not necessarily over the fence, but into the gaps and down the lines.

Anyone see Kendall much when he was with Pittsburgh?  What made him a different hitter than he was this year?  Was his stance different?  Swing different?

According to mlb.com, Lloyd McClendon was dismissed as manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates today.  This move has significant implications for the A's, as Pittsburgh native Ken Macha would be an obvious choice to succeed him:

http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20050906&content_id=1198875&vkey=news_mlb &fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb

No mention is made in the article of possible candidates to replace McClendon.  

However, since Macha doesn't have a contract next year, and the A's don't do bidding wars for managers, the question of who our manager should be next year is now legitimately on the table.  

I personally would like to see Ron Washington manage the A's.  He doesn't fit the meek "I'm BB's mouthpiece" profile, but he clearly has the respect of the roster, as well as a dynamic personality.  I really think the A's could use a manager that shows more emotion than a turtle on Valium.

That said, I think it's more likely a guy they can underpay, and who will do what BB says (like Bob Geren) will be our manager next year.  

Possible candidates:  Bob Geren, current bench coach; Joe Torre (if the Yankees miss the playoffs, he's gone), Tony DeFrancesco (highly successful RiverCats skipper).

Vote on who you think the next A's manager should be, and let AN know what you want to happen, as well as what you think SHOULD happen.

Poll

Who should manage the A's next year?

12%

Geren: He'll tow the company line

10 votes

3%

Torre: We haven't had an A-list manager in too long

3 votes

9%

DeFrancesco: Reward success from within

8 votes

13%

Macha: Do what it takes to keep him out of Pittsburgh

11 votes

61%

Wash: He's just the kick in the a@$ this team needs

51 votes

83 votes | Poll has closed

With all that's gone on today, I thought it was time to focus on the good things in life--namely, the resurgence of your Oakland Athletics.  Hopefully, this diary can be a forum for A's fans to point out what they think has been most critical to this startling return to success.

Poll

What's been the key to the A's resurgence?

12%

Good thing we didn't FIRE MACHA THEN!

7 votes

22%

Barry Zito--Fearless in the Zone

13 votes

5%

Nick Swisher--Swisher Sweet!

3 votes

6%

Rich Harden--Canadian for F$%#ing Awesome!

4 votes

53%

Bobby Crosby--High Socks Meet Shortstop

31 votes

58 votes | Poll has closed

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One of the most significant components of Oakland's success the last five years has been getting unparalleled contributions from their #4 and #5 starters.  While Blanton has been great in all except one of his starts, it stands to reason that a few more teams are going to catch up with him as a rookie, and Saarloos has been just adequate.  

Duchscherer has outstanding command, control, and also the ability to strike people out (more so than Blanton and Saarloos, perhaps).  While he serves a valuable role in the bullpen, if he could come close to repeating what he does there in the starting rotation, he would be much more valuable.  

Why not put him there, and let Saarloos fill the long relief role?  When you look at both of them, they have pretty similar MOs--average to below average velocity, but excellent movement and mix of pitches.

BUT, Duchscherer consistenty displays more polish and command on the mound.  Bullpen pitchers are to a great degree pitchers that can't start--Duchscherer has shown nothing to suggest he can't start in his career.  Why not put him in the rotation for Saarloos?