SB Nation User Blog: oaklandfan40

Worth a Gamble?

oaklandfan40 — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 23:56:38 -0000

Here’s something I’ve been a little puzzled about as I check in on AN: Why isn’t anyone willing to mention signing Kenny Rogers? The guy can’t lose at the McAfee and it’s not like we’d have to sign him for five years or pay him more than what Billy had originally set aside for Esteban Why-Didn’t-We-Get-Anyone-In-Return?

If we do end up trading Blanton to get younger and more talented offensively, we’d definitely need to fill a rotation hole. If we do end up keeping Big Joe, the idea of Justin and Chad starting 50 or more games can’t help but make even the most devout Athletic fan more than a little nervous.

It is really his age? Because with our history (Milton, etc) it can’t be his attitude and last time I checked our rotation was a little lefty thin.

Poll

What pitcher would you most be willing to give a shot?

There Should Be An “A”-Rod in Oakland

oaklandfan40 — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 17:23:51 -0000

It will never happen, but after reading yesterday's defenses of A-Rod, I thought it’d be good to finally throw out a crazy idea that AN might actually help make an argument for, you know, even if it will NEVER happen.

Here’s my reasons why it’d be worth it (and by it, I mean 10 years @ $30M with an Ichiro-type pay out) for Wolff and co to give the baseball world a heart attack and sign one of baseball's all time best.

1) No line up in baseball NEEDS A-Rod more than the Oakland A’s
Chavez and Swisher have had 30/100 seasons and Cust is capable. All are lefties and with the exception of Cust, all had career seasons with a right-handed power bat aiding or protecting them.

By inserting A-Rod into the three hole, you instantly make Barton in the two slot ROY and Cust in the four spot a major league level legend. Add Swisher at five and Chavez at six and you have the potential of your 3-6 hitters to average .270/30/100 seasons among them with Barton and Buck at the top of the order, both capable of 400 OBP type of seasons.

Hunter, Jones or Rowand can’t do that. They’re upgrades of current players, but in themselves do not upgrade the team the way A-Rod would. No one’s going to pitch around Hunter to get to Cust, throw fastballs to Barton because Jones is on deck or fear a line up where Rowand bats third.

A-Rod’s presence also makes a Kotsay/Denorfia CF easier to take in the eight hole, allows Billy to find a way to keep Ellis or transfer Crosby to 2B and places Suzuki in a position (9th) where he can focus on the pitching staff first and foremost.

2) No Market NEEDS A-Rod more than the Oakland A’s
Barry is bye-bye and San Fran doesn’t have anyone capable of filling his shoes. A-Rod is a superstar among superstars in the Canseco-McGwire-Henderson tradition who will transform the morally questionable Bonds followers and resurrect the fabled Bash Brothers followers into Oaktown fans.

Rodriguez’s arrival will do for Oakland (and f*cking Fremont) what Bonds arrival did for SF and with the length he’s looking for, will give the Oakland fans and franchise the All Time HR King (sticking it yet again to SF!) The only difference, really, would be with us A-Rod would win a championship where Bonds and the ‘Aints didn’t.

I can see the green and gold foam "A"-Rods being waved around now as A-Rod steps up and hits a walk off K-Rod to win the division.

3) A-Rod NEEDS no team more than the Oakland A’s

With the exception of the Tigers, no team is ready to turn there season around quicker than the 2008 Athletics. One true superstar player (there’s only about eight in the league) could come in and right this ship all the way to a World Series Title.

The major markets will always hound A-Rod. Oakland won’t. Oakland can’t. Bay Area press can and will only make A-Rod a West Coast god ala Bonds, Giambi, Tejada (none of whom could capture that glory in bigger markets)

An A-Rod lead A’s team, with stronger seasons from Chavez, Cust, Swisher, Buck and a pitching staff of Haren, Harden and Blanton could easily go into NY, Boston, Cleveland, Los Angeles or Detroit and win it all, giving A-Rod his Elway championships.

4) No Team can AFFORD A-Rod more than the Oakland A’s

Crazy talk? Even at $30M a season A-Rod would keep us under the $100M mark (behind Seattle and Los Angeles). We’ve already started creeping up the list (Colorado, Arizona, Cleveland, San Diego, Milwaukee and Minnesota are already doing more with less) and by 2010 over half the league will be at the century mark. We get there a little sooner and reap the rewards now.

The three to four year run we could put together with A-Rod starting next year (4/5ths of the pitching staff, Street, Buck, Swisher, Cust, Chavez, Barton and Suzuki are all under club control until 2010) could be one for the books.

5) Boras vs. Beane

Need I say more?

6) Karma

Giambi, Tejada, Hudson, Mulder, Zito, Damon, Dye. We’ve lost our share of MVPs and superstars. Karma would demand that we go out and get one!

In closing, yes we could get a few good players for the cost of A-Rod and it is easy to spend someone else's money. I happen to like and think we've got a lot of good player we're paying $60M for and of course it's easy to spend someone else's money--that's what America is build on. So bring me some new arguements why this is a bad idea or tell Wolff and co some more reasons why signing Alex would be a win-win situation for us all.

2007 Oakland Athletics WTFs

oaklandfan40 — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 19:56:43 -0000

As Hollywood enters the awards season, I just wanted to throw out some nominations for the WTF? Award, an award I am creating for AN this year and will become known for throughout AN over the next few years should I be able to stomach the way my favorite baseball team is managed off the field (I swear, whether we’re first or worst, our customer service has always been horrible!)

Moving along, this year’s WTF? Award Nominees:

Dan Johnson

You’re averaging a homerun every 23 AB’s this year. The same as Nick Swisher. Overall you’re fourth on the team in HRs, RBIs, OBP and fifth in Hits, Total Bases and SLG among players with comparable AB’s (which, in it self is saying something—you’re 396 AB’s are fourth on the team). Yet, you’re BA of .235 is ahead of only Crosby and Kendall for this year’s starters. AND, you’ve been rightfully replaced at 1B and DH. WTF? One of the top offensive guys on the team and I’m not even going to argue to try and keep you (maybe see if you can learn to play RF or something) because you’re basically a more healthy Bobby Crosby.

Bobby Crosby

The words of Karl Ravech from early this season still ring loudly in my mind, causing both broken blood vessels and uncontrollable laughter. They were something to the effect of "If healthy, this guy is an MVP candidate, right?" And yes, he was talking about you, Bobby Brittle Bones Crosby.

Hey, what do you want me to say? This season you’ve got 15 less HRs than Cust in 12 less AB’s and you went into this season as a "franchise" player. I mean, let’s face it, when healthy this year you couldn’t even put up DJ type numbers and DJ’s been replaced by a career minor leaguer and a rookie out of the minor leagues; neither of whom will be making close to the $9M you’re set to cash in over the next two years.

I mean, WTF. Four seasons after Miggy left and I can remember him playing the field and standing in the box more vividly than you. Freak accidents or just plain old bad luck aside, what have you ever done besides hit a few long balls your rookie year? Your career BA is .240 and HR to AB ratio is 1:33 over 1600 AB’s (a pretty good sample size).

Rich Harden

You are my AN namesake. The last of the Fearsome Foursome. And yet you and Bobby Crosby have played so few games for this team that my 9 year old brother forgets your even on the team.

I’ve seen you dominate in person and on television. I’ve believed in your hype so much I refer to Haren as "the ace until Rich returns." Look at how you started the season (1-1, 1.42 ERA with 20Ks in 19IP your first three games). Look at what the A’s record is in games you start (21-7 coming into this year). WTF!

Tell you what, I’ll make you a deal. You make 10 conscecative starts next season and we’ll win a World Series, if you can’t or don’t, you have to give up playing baseball and help me coach my Little League team and my little brother – he’s small like you, but without the fastball. Of course, he’s never missed a game, either.

Nick Swisher (late entry)

Nick, I like you. You’re good for the kids and the fans and while your tackling needs work (come on man, square up and lower your shoulder into his gut, not his ankles), I’ve little doubt you’re going to be a star in this league.

However, you’ve got to make the list because this season has been a down one for you offensively. Last year you learned to hit the long ball and at the start of the season it seemed like you were understanding how to hit for average too as you hovered around .300 for a while.

So WTF happened? You’re trailing late call up Cust in HRs, you’re average is more Chavey like than Miggy and you’re way off my predictions of a Canseco ’88 type season. Granted, you’re probably clean, but, was a .300/30/100 season really too much to ask? Are you an All-Star or a supporting player?

Billy Beane

Billy, I don’t worship you like the (blind) majority, but I do think you’re the best GM in all of baseball. A part of me wanted you to go to Boston just to see what you could do with that payroll, but I’m glad you stayed. I think.

My WTF with you is two things. 1) How is it someone as intelligent and knowledgeable about baseball as you obviously are, be so naïve and ignorant to think that the goal of the season should be to make the play offs. Yes, only eight teams make the play off and mathematically by making the playoffs you have a one in eight chance of winning the world series. Yeah, and at the beginning of every season every team has a 1 in 30 shot at winning the series too! Come on, just as everyone knows Pittsburg and the Giants don’t have a chance at winning it all, everyone knows that simply making the playoffs doesn’t give you a fair chance.

The goal is to win. Not compete. Win. If you’re not doing everything you can (which, if I am to believe your quote about Wolff willing to spend more money to win) and you’re not doing it, then, well, genius or not, you’re not any good to me as a fan. You’ve proven you can make the play offs. Now prove you can win them.

My second WTF with you is this: what’s with continuously picking role players over stars? Eric Chavez, role player to Miggy and Jason. Nick Swisher, sadly, role player to Thomas/Bradley. Zito, role player to Hudson. Don’t get me wrong, Chavez was kick ass when he didn’t have to do the heavy lifting, Swisher was great last season with Frank carrying the load and Zito won a Cy following Hudson, but, these guys aren’t Batman—they’re Robin.

Without Batman, we’ll always be stuck playing side kicks to the likes of the Angels, Yanks and Indians.

Who you voting for? Who's missing from the list?

Poll

Who Should Win the 2007 Oakland Athletic WTF

D’s, O’s and Don’t It Just Make Sense

oaklandfan40 — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 19:22:23 -0000

You’ll have to forgive me because I started to write this at work last Friday when I thought we’d take 3 of 4 from Seattle and before we scored 10 runs (and STILL lost!). Though I was pleased to see that the A’s did send out a somewhat more offensive minded line up (DJ, Cust, Swisher and Piazza all in one line up) and it paid off with some runs....

So aside from a small prospect trade here or there is doesn’t look like (surprise, surprise) our offense can expect any Teixerias, Dyes or Tejadas coming to help anytime soon (and we may even lose a Piazza/Stewart in the process), so it appears this is the team we’re going to need to make work (ie. play way above their pay grade in August and September to make things interesting).

If my addition is correct, our boys have played in 32 One Run Games this year. And since I’m not like most ANers and can’t find out where to look up how many extra inning games we’ve played this year, I’m going go with 5 because I don’t think we’ve played more than that.

All of which you need to keep in mind when I make the statement (that all of major league baseball thinks is absolutely ridiculous) of the A’s need to start playing like it’s little league or pre-"this time it counts" All-Star Game baseball and get everyone in the game.

The truly biggest problem with this team is we’ve got two guys in DJ and Cust who are much better offensively than five guys (Kotsay, Suzuki, Murphy, Scutaro, and Ellis), who are superior defensively and in positions that the first two guys can’t play. You know, kind of like little league. So it just seems natural to me that since we play a hell of a lot more close games than extra inning games to use EVERYONE at your disposal during a nine inning game.

Facing a #1 or #2 where offensive is going to be a premium? Save your heavy hitters for later in the game and send out your best defense to keep it close. Facing a #4 or #5, go with the thunder and left your defensive guys come in later to protect the lead.

For example, start Cust in RF, Swisher in CF, Stewart in LF with DJ at first for a better offensive chance and replace them after the 7th or 8th if it doesn’t look like they’ll get another shot up with Kotsay in CF, Buck in RF (he can pinch run for Cust too or pinch hit for Ellis, Murphy, Suzuki, etc) Swisher at 1B and whoever Buck pinch hit for with whatever IF was on the bench.

Or, if you’ve gone Defense first, pinch hit a Cust/DJ for a Kotsay/Suzuki/Murphy/Scutaro/Ellis and use the other guy on your bench as a defensive replacement. Suzuki should be catching, but who says he’s got to play 9 innings every game? What’s wrong with 3 ABs and 6-7 innings, a pinch hitter in a key spot and a back up catcher (you know, who’s been in the bullpen warming up the reliever coming in) for 2-3 innings?

Oh, that’s right, because what if the back up catcher gets hurt of you’ve used all your guys and the game is tied? Hmmm, isn’t part of being an Oakland Athletic playing the numbers and likelihoods (ie. 32 one run games where a pinch hitter may have changed the game vs. 5 extra inning games)...

Just a thought for AN and Oakland Management to consider for the rest of the season and maybe into next season since I can’t see any of our guys suddenly become offensive studs or us going out a getting a true 3-4-5 guy. Though it would be nice to at least add some speed (which seems to be cheaper) to next year’s roster.

Let’s Keep Bashing A’s

oaklandfan40 — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 19:23:01 -0000

I haven’t read of any Chavez-on-a-bus-speeches taking place, so I’m assuming that our current win streak (yes, for us, two games is a streak) is due to all the negativity that’s been coming from AN. We’ve actually been sounding like Mariner fans from years past...granted, for good reason. So, let’s all just keep bashing the A’s and see if this run at the right time can continue to make us buyers and not cellar dwellers.

Our Line Up
How is our best line up (for offensive and trade purposes) not DJ at 1B, Swisher in CF or Swisher at 1B, Buck in CF and Cust in RF? What’s late inning defensive replacement Kotsay doing in the line up?

Last Night’s "Win"
Oh, oh, and how is it Mark Ellis is swinging away in a one run game with a runner on first and no outs in the top of the 9th? Why is Kotsay batting in the 9th when you’ve got Jack Cust on the bench? And what kind of veteran gets doubled up on an obvious line out to LF? It’s simply amazing we won last night. A’s suck!

Bobby I Hurt Myself Crosby
First, I have no idea how a guy who is so far off the plate can get hit in the hand. Second, does this breakable fool not know that you can basically go to bat in an armor suit in today’s game? And lastly, if he’s not going to be doing anything for the next 15 days, can the A’s please send him to a professional hitting instructor’s house for two weeks to learn how to hit at a major league level? What’s the point in having a guy who needs to learn so much ride pine?

Could’ve, Should’ve, Won’t Recent Rumor to Piss Me Off
CC Sabathia is rumored to be looking to come West, which means he’ll most likely be joining Zito instead of forming a new big three (Haren, Sabathia and Harden would get us a title) in Oakland.

Trade that We Aren’t Even Going to Consider
Injured Tejada (still hoping for a return to Oakland) for injured Crosby, DJ and Meyer. The O’s want to lose some money and go younger, we’ve got two major league ready (at least as far as the O’s are concerned) guys in positions they need and a possible major league pitcher in exchange for a guy they’ve been shopping for the last two or three years. And since we CAN throw money away on guys like Piazza, Kendall, Kotsay and Loaiza.

Okay, that should be good for wins today and tomorrow. I expect the rest of you to do your part now. I’ve got post season rights this year damn it!

2008 A New Hope

oaklandfan40 — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 00:09:45 -0000

Before I start, I just wanted to mention that a little 20-game win streak would put us 14 games over five hundred and 11 of those 20 games would be against the Angels and Mariners. I’m just, you know, smoking something!

Anyways, since none of the players I want to trade for or buy are ever going to come to the A’s (though I do see the Fremont A’s signing a 42 years Albert Pujols in the very distant future), I was thinking about the current team we have and how they could make it work next season with a little old thing we call...hope.

So here’s my Top Ten Hopes for 2008:

Bobby Crosby has an Eric Byrnes/Carlos Pena type year for US next season. You know what I mean, guys that weren’t that great with us, but then got traded and went on to have one or two seasons we could only wish they’d had in the green and gold.

Larry Davis is shown the door. This would have been my number one hope, but the A’s offense is so bad, I’d rather take another year of 100 injuries in exchange for a career year from any of our could-should-would have been offensive stars.

Eric Chavez, just a couple of years late, finally fills the Tejada shadow. Sure, Miggy did it right after Balco, er, Jason left, but Eric’s younger so it took him a few more seasons.

Travis Buck has a 2006 Nick Swisher season, not a 2007 Nick Swisher season. So much for my rather strong pre-season belief Nick’s third year was going to be like Canseco’s MVP third year!

Nick Swisher has an MVP type season and not a whatever the hell you call this season. Oh, and Nick, stop making friends with good hitters on the team...everytime you do they leave/get traded! Make Kotsay or Kennedy you’re new homerun buddy.

Jack Cust does what he’s done this season over the course of all of next season. You know, walk, strike out, hit a bomb, and then strike out looking. And still be considered the biggest offensive threat on our team.

When any athletic leads off an inning with a double, the next guy automatically bunts him over. Not that we lead off with a lot of doubles or do so well with RISP, but this isn’t a line up that puts up crooked numbers so let’s just take what we can get and leave it up to the pitching.

Barton has a McGwire/Canseco type ROY season and not a Walt Weiss type.

Rich Harden pitches like everyone thinks he can for a whole season. Perhaps this was covered under hope number 2, but it’s important enough to be mentioned twice. Would have been mentioned sooner had the offense not needed all my hopes and, kick me for saying this, how many times can one guy possibly get hurt?

The last one I save for me, an A’s fan. May I get to watch this team win it all in Oakland, where I can still afford the price of admission and where I’m not surrounded by groups of business men talking business instead of baseball like the Barriods across the bay. Beautiful park and ugly ball players.

So AN, what’s you’re hopes for 2008?

FYI: Two of my Hopes for 2007 have now been met with our new Jasonless/Kieltyless A's team

What Will Change?

oaklandfan40 — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 17:39:55 -0000

So, yeah, this is the first season I became an official season ticket holder (you know, cause buying 20-40 games a year at full or craigslist prices don’t count) and this was the first year since I found AN that I didn’t post a comment during the first half because, well, I was just waiting for that annual second half surge begin and I wanted to avoid as many foot-in-mouth statements as possible. Maybe this season is MY FAULT!

Well, I was working on a fairy tale post about how the A’s should trade away Chavez and Gaudin for Mark Teixeira because Wash loves Eric, Blalock could play first and we need to find someone who could put up big numbers for us next season. Of course, I know we’d only have Teixeira for a year and he’d be too expensive for us, even with the money Eric’s due and with Kendall gone, but it’d just be nice.

Then I was going to suggest we sell off the farm system (Barton, Meyer, whoever) to see if Florida really is dumb enough to trade Miguel Cabrera because, let’s face it, the kid is awesome and with him we’d actually have a legitimate number 3 hitter in the lineup. Add a Dye/Dunn for a season and there’s the middle of the line up our pitching staff has always needed to win the World Series.

Of course, none of the above will happen and not just because we don’t have the right pieces to pull off such trades, but also because we don’t have the right owners to pay the players. So, basically, this diary is now an open question to AN (those of you more knowledgeable about the subject): what exactly is going to change?

I mean, I know that the new stadium is going to bring in more fans regularly and at A LOT higher prices, but, if the A’s don’t have the star player attractions and if they therefore continue to start out slow in May, fade in October...what’s the point of costing working class fans like myself the joy of going to 20-40 games a year for a team that still can’t win it all, even at a double the admission price? Will moving from Oakland to FREMONT really make these owners stop playing the "small market" card or are we always going to have a team of small-ball-hitters-without-the-speed?

I grew up with teams of Jose Canseco, Mark McGwire and Ricky Henderson and at the time that was your A-Rod, Pujols and Ichiro. And honestly, the only thing I see that I’ve seen really change is that instead of cold aluminum benches we’ve got this god awful Mt. Davis. Maybe, BEFORE, the Oakland Athletics become the Fremont Athletics formerly known as the Oakland Athletics, this ownership can go out this off season and give this pitching staff some bombers. I even wouldn’t mind giving A-Rod a ungodly amount of money to stick it to the Giants when he passes Barriod as the all-time HR King.

Obviously this will just sound like another rant because we’re losing, but the fact is, we lose because of our peanut budgeted offense, but our crackerjack budgeted pitching.

An A's Line Up from a Little League Coach's POV

oaklandfan40 — Fri, 09 Feb 2007 20:26:02 -0000

So my little league coaching season is about to begin and I think I might have the 2001 A's team! I've got a lot of big kids taking big swings.

Anyways, as I always do after a first practice, I started thinking of my line up and how positioning each kid into a certain spot will help those around him. This is something I think recent A's teams have forgotten about line ups--that each position in the order should be designed to help the next position.

I've seen a few people post their line up ideas and I thought I'd throw mine into the mix. Also, it should be noted that I do not have Stewart starting (you can plug him into my line up where Bradley and Kotsay play as those are the players I'd have him spell from time to time).

So, based on the understanding that each hitting position should help the next and the players we have, this would be my line up for 2007:

S Bradley RF 276/370/447
L Johnson 1B 234/323/381
S Swisher LF 254/372/493
R Piazza DH 283/342/501
L Chavez 3B 241/351/435
R Crosby SS 229/298/338
L Kotsay CF 275/332/386
R Ellis 2B 249/319/385
R Kendall C 295/367/342

Bradley had the 3rd highest OBP last season. He's got speed, can hit for average and while he's got some power, he's not the 3-4-5 guy that we're trying to make him, which is why he bats lead off for me -- more AB's with the chance of doing more damage with his bat and legs.

Johnson can rip a fastball, but can't hit an off speed pitch to save his major league career. EVERYONE KNOWS the two hole is your typical fastball at-bat (especially if Bradley can get on, we actually run a bit and Swisher, with his HR power, bats behind him).

Swisher is the best (switch) hitter we've got (OBP/SLG) and while he does strike out a lot, he'll be the perfect protection for Johnson to get fastballs, which if Johnson gets on base will lead to Nick getting pitches to hit, which means more chances for runs. And I feel a break out year from him coming.

Add a the right handed power bat in Piazza (the best protection we've got for Swish), who himself can get on base (AVG/OBP) and you've got some men on for

Chavez, who everyone should now know is a good second fiddle player. Put some men on base and force a pitcher to throw him something to hit, and you should see a 30-100 season from him again.

Which brings Crosby to the plate, a right hander who if healthy you have to believe can get some gap shots in there to drive Chavez around, thus upping his RBI total and confidence.

Kotsay is, when healthy, a good average hitter who will put the ball in play, which is what you need in a number 7 hitter.

Ellis, who does well every other year (look it up) is another bottom of the line up hitter like Kotsay with some pop and the ability to put the ball in play.

Kendall ALWAYS bats last in my line up. He's got no power, but will work a count and find a way to get on base, which is what you want from the bottom of your order and by batting last, one would think he'd be in less opportunities for his usual 4-6-3 double play.

Okay, NOW we HAVE to get Brad Penny

oaklandfan40 — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 02:06:06 -0000

This diary was going to be a statistical marvel as to why we should trade for LA's Brad Penny. It was going to show you how we could him, why we need him and all that great stuff because I just learned that Penny is dating one Eliza Dushku and I wanted to opportunity to find myself sitting next to Ms. Dushku during a home game and thus giving her the opportunity to play Notting Hill with me.

However, I couldn't find any of that information as Penny is too expensive for our budget and will only get more expensive when free agency rolls around. Plus, honestly, he's not that good a pitcher (can someone pass that along to Ms. Dushku?)

So, my diary is now an inquiry of what my fellow ANers feel about sports and celebrity?

Do you think the two should mix? Is to good for the game, the team? We haven't really had any celebrity players since Canseco, which oddly was when we had one of the largest payrolls in baseball. In fact, one could argue that is was his celebrity (and not just homeruns) that brought people into the stands, thus allowing that large payroll.

So, what's your take? And if you're okay with it, who, if anyone from our team, has the best chance of reaching that cross over appeal? Swisher? Chavez? Crosby?

Fire Michael Urban Now!

oaklandfan40 — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 00:59:49 -0000

Okay, so maybe I'm a little upset that he NEVER takes my questions for his mailbag or a little jealous that he gets PAID to follow my team around all season and all the other things that make his life (basebally speaking) better than mine!

But, I have noticed that, I only find myself agreeing with what he says, oh, I don't know, about 10% of the time!

For example, in his latest MB over at www.oaklathathletics.com he's for Erstad ("I think he'd fit in beautifully") and I'm against him. Not a big deal, given how rarely we agree, but I bring it up because I find it funny that he would print a question in favor of Erstad when I'd say the loud majority of us A's fans are against Erstad coming to the club.

The other mailbag question that killed me is Urban's usage of Jason Kendall as a comparison to Kurt Suzuki! Ouch! That's just down right mean! And he meant it to be a good thing!!!! Again, a stance I would submit to be against the majority of A's fans.

Then there was the whole Ken Macha vs Kotsay mess he says he knew about and keep quite and the fact that that I don't think I've ever read an article/opinion from him that's not right in line with Wolff and co. Hey, and now that I think about it, Mr. Urban's book, which I bought and read (things I rarely do both of) seemed a little too alright with the whole breaking up of the Big Three for my taste. Hmmm...could Mr. Urban be Wolff's own Fox News? I think so!

Therefore, without further adieu, I am calling for Michael Urban's firing. And, my subsequent hiring. All in favor, reply, those against...I think there's a great diary by a crackbaby you should read.

Seriously, is it just me or wouldn't every A's fan rather have a mlb source with a little more independent thought? I know he's speaks with you guys fromt time to time, what's the deal?