SB Nation User Blog: jeepers

Should we hire Don Mattingly?

jeepers — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 00:45:48 -0000

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.

That said, Mattingly also brings something to the A's offensive approach that they lack. He was an an extremely effective hitter with runners in scoring position. He was a fantastic defensive player as well, despite not being a guy you'd look at and call "athletic." And, while I can only support this claim anecdotally, he was one of the smartest hitters I've ever had the pleasure to watch.

I have no real information about how valuable the Yankee players found his instruction the past couple of years, which is a significant defecit. But if that information is positive, I'd tend to believe in a big way, based on the way he played the game.

Mattingly, I can only assume, wants managerial experience if he wants to manage in the majors, and we can offer that to him. Why not swoop in now, and scoop him up to manage one of our minor-league teams?

Poll

Should Don Mattingly manage one of our affiliates?

Yes, Stockton

3 votes

Yes, a lower team

4 votes

No thanks, he's just discarded Yankee window dressing

27 votes

Yes, Sacramento

48 votes

Yes, Midland

2 votes

84 votes | Poll has closed

Is it "game over" for Jason Kendall?

jeepers — Sun, 06 May 2007 17:37:05 -0000

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.

The degree to which Kendall has been awful for a solid five weeks now is hard to understate. His OPS is .400. His OPS+ is 13. His current line is .170/.221/.179. It's a bad sign when a figure that's supposed to combine two figures, like OPS, is lower that what many players get out of just one of them. In 106 at-bats this year, Jason Kendall has exactly ONE extra-base hit (a double).

Let me say that again, just so it doesn't get lost--in 106 at-bats this year, Jason Kendall has exactly ONE extra-base hit.

If the A's are serious about improving their offense this year, they've got to consider the possibility that giving 12% of their at-bats to the worst offensive player in the AL is a huge reason for it.

In another diary, OaktownMagical07 expressed his frustration about Kendall's performance to date, and hoped that the A's recent acquisition of Closser was a sign that a promotion for Kurt Suzuki might be in the offing. It didn't occur to me until he said it, but why shouldn't this be a very viable option? Here, as I see it, are the possible pros and cons of such a move:

PROS

--There is no way that Suzuki could put up offensive numbers worse than Kendall's. It just simply isn't possible.
--Kendall's contract expires after this season, and it's painfully obvious, given how they have ignored Kendall's public pleas for a contract extension, that the A's have no intention of bringing Kendall back next year. May as well continue to develop his replacement against the best competition, as was done with Tejada and Chavez.
--While Kendall is a very good defensive catcher who throws out about 30% of potential base-stealers (2005 notwithstanding), Suzuki is also a good defensive catcher, and has a better arm. Speaking strictly about playing the position, we will lose little, if anything, with Suzuki behind the plate.

CONS

--Kendall calls an excellent game. He's adept at knowing when to visit the pitcher, and what to tell them to get them back on track. He has considerable knowledge of opposing hitters, and what to throw them. While it's difficult to quantify the effect a catcher has on a pitching staff's success, we have an inordinately successful pitching staff. Messing with that success is dangerous.
--Kendall is clearly respected by his teammates, and is highly competitive. The team might react very negatively to benching Kendall--and Kendall might react very negatively to it.
--Kendall is an excellent, aggressive base-runner, and can steal a base for you despite his average speed.

With Mike Piazza out injured, Kendall has some time to turn around his offensive season and make this discussion moot. However, if he's still hovering around the Mendoza line in June, I feel strongly that the A's need to do anything they can to salvage this season, and prepare for the next one. The best way for them to do that is to bring up Suzuki, DFA Melhuse, and make Kendall a backup catcher and pinch-runner.

Suzuki is clearly the A's future at catcher. While he hasn't really been spectacular in the minors, he's shown consistent ability to be an 800 OPS player at every level in the minors--first at low A, then high A, then at Midland last year. Key offensive numbers for Suzuki:

2004 Vancouver (age 20, 175 ABs): .297/.394/.440, 3 HR, 31 RBI
2005 Stockton (age 21, 441 ABs): .277/.378/.440, 12 HR, 65 RBI
2006 Midland (age 22, 376 ABs): .285/.392/.415, 7 HR, 55 RBI

Thus far at AAA Sacramento, Suzuki is hitting .303/.377/.384 with a homer and 17 RBI in 99 ABs. While these aren't numbers that overwhelm, wouldn't it be nice to have a catcher who can at least occasionally hit the ball hard?

We can't ignore the opportunity to potentially double the OPS we get from 12% of our offense, and we have that opportunity in Kurt Suzuki. While it may be worth giving Kendall a chance to right himself to avoid a messy clubhouse situation, the A's cannot avoid that situation much longer if they really want to field a competitive offense.

Poll

Should Kurt Suzuki replace Jason Kendall

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

135 votes

The A's should replace him, but with Piazza

8 votes

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

18 votes

Yes, immediately

108 votes

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

122 votes

391 votes | Poll has closed

DLD 2/21/07--Because The World Needs Dumps

jeepers — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 17:54:41 -0000

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!"

DLD 12/5/06--Young, Rich, and Left-Handed

jeepers — Tue, 05 Dec 2006 17:55:38 -0000

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.

DLD 12/4/06--Making Beane Work Harder

jeepers — Mon, 04 Dec 2006 18:54:39 -0000

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?

Yes, why wouldn't they be?

12 votes

No, they're trying to up the ante

54 votes

66 votes | Poll has closed

DLD 11/30/06--Mulder in the Sky with Diamondbacks?

jeepers — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 18:40:15 -0000

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.

DLD 11/27/06--Performance Enhancing Link Dump

jeepers — Mon, 27 Nov 2006 18:05:35 -0000

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?

No, he shouldn't

32 votes

Yes, on the first ballot

27 votes

Yes, but not on the first ballot

30 votes

89 votes | Poll has closed

So long, and thanks for all the fish sandwiches

jeepers — Tue, 14 Nov 2006 23:18:11 -0000

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.

DLD 11/13/06--Did I leave the stove on?

jeepers — Mon, 13 Nov 2006 16:34:35 -0000

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:

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;
Sign Carlos Lee, who never met a bag of White Castle Sliders he didn't like, or;
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.

DLD 11/7/06--Oakland Link Dump of Fremont

jeepers — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 17:40:31 -0000

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.