For the record, I am not Dan, from Big Soccer

http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1708729

I am happy to report that the much-publicized 1906 Ultras protest is resolved. Today I had a very productive meeting with San Jose Earthquakes President Dave Kaval, whom I thank for his graciousness in meeting me in the East Bay. We have mutually decided to move forward in collaborative fashion by improving communication and focusing on working together for the well being of the Earthquakes organization and its entire fanbase. 

Two of the sanctions imposed on the 1906 Ultras have been modified. A “red card” received by a non-member of the 1906 Ultras was removed from the group's record, while the period of probation for the Charlie Sheen tifo was reduced to three games inclusive of the one just played, with the further clarification that the probation does not prevent the 1906 Ultras from displaying appropriate tifo during the course of the probation. 

As importantly, the 1906 Ultras and the Earthquakes have agreed that moving forward both parties will do our best to avoid repeating mistakes made in the past and to take a proactive approach to avoid further miscommunications. The San Jose Earthquakes' history and tradition obliges us to give them our full and unreserved support and we intend to continue do so as we have over the past eight years. The 1906 Ultras would like to thank the numerous fans who showed solidarity with us during our recent protest, and we would like to invite ALL Earthquakes fans join in our songs and chants so as to turn Buckshaw Stadium into the loudest in the league.

Logging in from work
Nico's diary greets me
Murphy over Croz?

Long stressful work week
Watching the A's, not so much
Bring on the Royals

Continue reading this post »

In the interest of not jinxing a certain sporting event in which a team from Oakland will compete with another team from Boston I'm going to start this DLD a little bit off topic.

I sure hope you are having a whale of a time so far in this beautiful (but windy) month of June.

Do you remember that dead whale that washed ashore on a private beach at Point Richmond?  Well, it looks like they're finally going to do something about it. (SF Chronicle)

Be sure to read all the way to the end.  Thankfully the authorities have chosen a sane approach to deal with this situation.

In previous cases of stranded dead whales, officials have tried burying them, but animals or the weather can uncover the animals. In one notorious case that was captured on video, officials detonated one whale on-site. But pieces of the whale rained down on onlookers and cars, turning one big mess into many small ones.

Continue reading this post »

Inspired by an actual comment from a post game thread!

Continue reading this post »

My blood pressure is 149/92.

Yikes, and I'm only 25.

Granted, I just came back from Grand Opening of the Hooters in Fremont and devoured a lot of wings and french fries but my blood pressure should not be anywhere near where it is now.  In fact, I only became aware of this problem after I went to the doctors because I was suffering from whiplash due to a recent auto accident.  My doctor thinks that my blood pressure is high from the stress of the pain and things should get better as I feel better.

I'm not taking any chances and I'm not waiting for the doctors to tell me I have a problem.  I've been going to the gym again, I made a Chinese New Year's Resolution (didn't make a Regular New Year's Resolution, the gyms would be too packed in January), but now there is a sense of urgency and I'm doing at least an hour of cardio at least three times a week.  In fact, cardio is the only thing I can do since my back and neck is still a little bit messed up.  Starting next week, I'll be a workweek vegetarian, I will not consume meat between showing up for work on Monday and leaving work on Friday.  I might even go on a 48 hour juice fast before the All Star Break.

So what does this have to do with the A's?  I'll tell you why after the flip.

Continue reading this post »

A good friend of mine says that he is giving Crosby one last chance and that he should, be the all star break, bat his weight (215) with five home runs.  My standards are not set so low.  Crosby's show last night was promising but as I said in a comment on last night's wrapup thread, one night of non-suckness doesn't not necessitate a comeback without a positive trend.  His performance today seems to be a return to form with an o-fer with 2 K's and no walks.

If Crosby gets the message and starts making adjustments an improving, I think he can and will be a 30/30 guy.  With Geren being very smart on the basepaths, I do think 30/30 is possible for Crosby.  Until then, he's just going to suck.

So what will it take for me to eat crow?  I wanna see the following stats from Crosby by the all star break:

.240 AVG and a less than 2:1 K/BB ratio and I don't give a rat's ass how many jacks he hits.

.240 is attainable for Crosby and is better than his "ROY" numbers and his K/BB ratio was better than 2:1 in the 2005 season.  2005 was year of hope, he batted in the .270's and was pretty good until he got hurt.  He has sucked ever since.

So, what will it take for you to eat crow when it comes to the Croz?

Continue reading this post »

Today's game was one of those games that remind me of how much I hate Yankees fans.

Instead of my usual seat in the cheap seats, today I had a special treat from my mom's boss; field level, section 106.  Unfortunately, section 106 is also Yankees central.  You had all types of Yanks fans there.  You know, your bandwagoners who've never been to New York, some über-trendy types that look like they're dressed for Killers concert rather than a ball game (one guy even had a murse).  I don't have anything against the Killers per se, they're alright, but wearing torn up acid wash jeans, $70+ t-shirt and a blazer?  You're at the Oakland Coliseum, not at some club.  This is a place to see a ball game, if you want to go to a place to be seen, go to AT&T Park.

The person who got under my skin was your "real Yankee fan."  This was the guy who really was from New York, you could tell by the way he talked.  I can't duplicate a New York accent unless if I'm singing a number from West Side Story.  This guy was legit New York, I can respect a guy like that...but...

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Dear My Truck,

You are a 2001 Toyota Tacoma 4X2 PreRunner.  Like me, you look Asian but you are really made in America with foreign components and call Fremont your place of origin.  You have served me faithfully for almost 94,000 miles.  We've been through a lot; roadtrips to Chico, Fresno, SLO, SoCal, camping, 24 hour gambling trips to Reno and Cache Creek where I squandered a few financial aid checks when I was in college.  We shared a lot of accomplishements, I drove you to my first paid gig and my college graduation.  We've also shared some dubious accomplishments that I'd rather not share in a public forum.

When baseball season rolls around I am reminded of all the good times we've shared in the Oakland Coliseum parking lot.  Playoff games, opening days, lazy summer Sundays where I zoom off to Oakland right after church.  We've had some parties in that parking lot.  I remember a few fireworks games where our spout turned into party central during the fireworks, mainly because we had lots of beer on hand. A lot of good memories stem from showing up early for a game and just wasting time sitting on your tailgate, eating food and drinking beer while listening in on the A's pregame show.

I fear that A's Home Opener 2007 may be our last hurrah.

Continue reading this post »

Happy 2007 everybody!  Haven't seen you guys in awhile.  It's me secret asian man, remember me?  I'm sorry for not being around.  Starting a new job, going on an extended business trip to Minnesota (I bought game 5 ALDS tickets, but never used them) and performing in a few shows back to back kinda ruins your life.  Even my offline friends have trouble remembering I exist.  Trust me, it's not just the job, it's everything.  When I'm rehearsing for a show I can pull 18+ hour days.  Online pursuits or even offline social pursuits seen to fall by the wayside when you wake up at 6 to go to work, work a full day, then go to the City and rehearse or perform until you get home at around midnight.

Continue reading this post »

Friday night's game was a perfect example of why I pay an extra five bucks a month getting the internet on my cell phone.

You see, I was performing in an opera last night.  Il Trovatore (you know, the one with the "Anvil Chorus") at the San Francisco Lyric Opera.  And yes, there was a fat lady singing and she was awesome.

I played the part of Ruiz, the sidekick of Manrico, the good guy.  My part pretty much consists of running on stage with some recit, leaving and then closing out the scene when I return with the chorus serving as the cavalry to save the day.  The opera has four acts and is about three hours long.

Out of those three hours, I'm probably only have about 30 minutes of actual stage time which leaves me with plenty of time to follow the game on my phone.

If you think MLB Gameday sucks, following a baseball game on a cell phone is way worse.  I was probably a sight to see.  I was wandering backstage in costume pacing back and forth.  I was either muttering in a low voice or doing a Eckersley-esque fist pump to display of dissapointment or joy of the games progress.  Between refreshes on my cell phone's browser I was always shifting my position searching for a stronger signal, we were in the basement of the California Palace of the Legion of Honor in Lincoln Park.

I probably looked like Star Trek character scanning for lifeforms.

After singing my small bit ("Siam giunti, ecco la torre.  Ove di stato ge'monoi prigioneri.  Ah! L'infelice, i vi futratto") to open the fourth and final act I picked up my cell phone to follow the game.  By this time it was the top of the tenth.  I knew I had plenty of time.  This was the act where most of the characters die and since it was opera, it would take a looong time.

Let's just if real life was like opera and somebody was shot in the head.  That person would have about five minutes to sing an aria saying goodbye to the world and belt out a few high Bb's and C's before expiring.  Yes, I had a lot of time.

But, as we all know, the game wouldn't end that quickly.

I breifly considered going to my bows with my glasses on and cell phone in hand, but I didn't; it wouldn't have been professional.

After changing out of the costume, it was the bottom of the twelfth.  Swisher had just been walked, it was time for Marco Scutaro.  I was still refreshing my cell phone browser.

I thought to myself "Why the hell am I still on the phone, Marco's going to do something.  I need to listen to the game in my truck."  I bolted for my truck and turned on the radio.  I made it just in time to listen to the hit live.

The next minute or so I was screaming in the cab of my pickup truck.  It was a mad garble of "YEAAAAHHH!"  "LET'S GO OAKLAND!" and "BI-ATCH!"  I haven't felt like this since Jason Kendall hit that home run.  I then calmly collect myself and drove off to a tapas bar to have some drinks with the cast.

It was a good night.

Fremont's favorite son came home today in a part of a celebration of Fremont's 50 years as a city.  And I got my giveaway Eck jersey signed.  Need I say more?

The Photo

The Jersey

The Sig

Need I say more?

Apparently, I do, because I have to meet the 300 characrter min.  I'll add one more photo, it's not A's related, but it's awesome.

Me at the 50 yard line, Neyland Stadium.

Too bad the game next day was horrible, I had fun in Tennesee nonetheless.

Wow, this is my first AN diary since... a long time ago.  Lately I have been severely overworked; spending my evenings rehearsing after completing a full work day.  Now that the show has opened I can finally sleep more than five hours a night and not sleep through my alarm for work.  Pulling 18+ hour days for almost three weeks in a row would also explain my absence from AN.  Ahh, the joys of being a musician with a day job.

baseballgirl did a great job on the front page counting our blessings as A's fans today with a win and series win over the Red Sox.  But I have something that I think she missed.

I glad because I belive that the A's taking a series against one of the most potent offenses in the League will squelch the "mega-trade/fire sale" threads.  For the last few weeks, my last moments before going to bed always involved checking in on AN and perusing its diaries, I was really incensed by grover's "nuclear option" trade thread, I wanted to toss in my opinion but my better judgement told me that sleep would be beneficial and I went to bed.

My problem with grover's analysis is that we're talking about real baseball here, not fantasy baseball.  We are also dealing with real people here, not a string of numbers and stats on Yahoo fantasy baseball.  My problem was that such a big disruption to the A's roster would spell doom for any chances of winning for the forseeable future.  Why?  The answer is simple, it's chemistry.

I personally believe that chemistry is a very important part in any human endeavor; whether it is playing baseball in the big leagues, shooting a movie or running a business.  Without chemistry, more often than not these ventures will fail.

Although baseball is just a game the people who play it are professionals, that means it is their job to play baseball.  Let's talk about other people who are professionals, say the rest of us with jobs that unfortunately do not involve playing a game a few months out of the year.  How would you feel if you went to work one day and discovered that half of your office was relocated or laid off and was replaced with people you don't know?  Would you feel that your job security is being threatened?  I would and I would start planning an exit strategy into a new job.

Am I the only one who think that clubhouse chemistry was adversely affected when Beane and Macha imposed the 21st Amendment on the A's clubhouse and charter flights?  Perhaps this was one of the several factors including Chavez playing hurt and slumping players that caused a malaise just before the All Star Break?

Now I'm not saying I'm satisfied with the A's as they are.  I think this series is like our season in microcosm:

Game 1: Late inning heroics win the game
Game 2: A blowout
Game 3: A's get shutout
Game 4: Another blowout

As I said before, this is like our season, one moment the A's are the hottest team in all of baseball, then they swept by a bunch of scrubs.  This manic-depressive offense is seriously driving me nuts.  The stress of being an A's fan coupled with my erratic schedule is probably destined to leave me with a Chairman Mao bald spot by the time I'm 33.

Yes, I am not satisfied with the A's as they stand.  I know injuries have affected the team's performance as a whole and there are hopeful signs with the return of Bradley.  Still, I have doubts that the team can be consistently good for a long stretch and just expecting the A's to turn it up in the second half on the sole basis that they have done so in recent years is not really rational.

Yeah, I wouldn't mind a trade to bolster the A's position.  We have some bargaining chips in Barry Zito a glut of outfielders and possibly another glut in bullpen arms.  But a wholesale dismantling of the Oakland A's to create a Florida Marlins West is not cool.  What some were proposing would have been disastrous to the team.  It would have been bigger than letting Giambi or Tejada go.  It would have been bigger than the dismantling of the Big Three.  I really don't think the fabled Oakland clubhouse chemistry could handle something like that.

No matter how bad things get for our A's just remember a few things:

1. The A's will be fine once our injured players return from the DL, or one of those Billy Beane trades or something of the sort.
2. The AL West doesn't seem so strong as it has been in recent years.  One prolonged hot streak should set things right.
3. At least we're not Angels fans.
4.  At least you're not getting your wisdom teeth extracted tomorrow.  Unlike me.

To tell you the truth, I'm more pissed off about the wisdom teeth thing than I am about the performance of the A's right now.  So please look up, it's only May.

Before we get drunk
Remember the history
Battle of Puebla

Hosted by Roman
This blog endorses the phrase
FIRE MACHA NOW!!!

The "Kendall Fast" worked
This blogger hails from A-Town
Score Bard alias?

Pitcher and blogger?
And he's a big Lost fan too
Daniel James Haren

For all things ballpark
Vertig0's blog has it all
One of my must-reads

Alas, I must go
A voice lesson awaits me
Please add to this thread

Tigers win series
I am tired of losing
The A's need mojo

To ensure a win
I will wear my Dontrelle shirt
The A's will win tonight

Despite bad losses
A's meet my expectations
May is the true test

Some off topic stuff
Has anybody seen this
Wierd stuff on the 'net

Any poets here
Got better haikus than me
Post them in this thread

This breaking AP report says that the A's and Cisco Systems are nearing a deal for the Pacific Commons land:

The Oakland A's are in the final stages of negotiating to build a new ballpark in Fremont on land leased by Cisco Systems Inc., a city official said.

The team's co-owner Lew Wolff wants to build a ballpark village including thousands of homes and a retail center on a 143-acre parcel of land, City Manager Fred Diaz said.

Weeks ago, the Tracy Press wrote an article about Fred Diaz, Fremont's city manager who was Tracy's city mamager before taking up the Fremont job (hat tip vertig0/new ballpark blog):

What the A's and Fremont people are talking about is locating the new A's stadium on a 143-acre parcel now owned by Cisco Systems Inc. The site, called Pacific Commons, is located just west of Interstate 880 -- and across the freeway from the NUMMI auto-assembly plant -- south of Auto Mall Parkway.

Wolff is interested in building a ballpark along with 2,000 homes and a major retail complex, moving money from the sale of the homes into the stadium to avoid any public financing.

Wolff is now talking to Cisco, which has a long-term lease on the property and an option to buy it between 2007 and 2010.

So is the AP report a rehash of what we already know, or is it reporting progress?

In other news, AN's favorite Berkeleyite (Berkelian?  Berkeleyan? Berkeleyese?) reztips has apparently found a new online home, the SF Chronicle A's blog, posting a comment of which I can only characterize as "reztips being reztips."

When the A's move to Fremont, they should emphatically lose the name "Oakland." That decrepit burg never merited the team and despite low ticket prices, its populace has failed to support a winner over the past five excellent seasons. Yes, it's time to turn the page and rename the team either "The NorCal A's" or "The Golden State A's."

Don't you just love his use of big words like "empahtically," "decrepit" and "populace."  I just felt as if my IQ just dropped 20 points or so.  I wouldn't be surprised if it did, it took me seven years to get my Bachelor's degree.

On a more serious note, I am still amazed at how somebody from Berkeley can have such a hostile attitude against Oakland.  Fremont, Pleasanton, anywhere in the Peninsula, I can understand, but Berkeley? That's close to self loathing.

Some Wikipedia love:

I've added some photos to the Mount Davis article and the McAfee Coliseum article.  Look for the pics with the tarps.

Also...

AN has its own article.  I wrote it one night not unlike this one where I was suffering a bout of insomnia.  Originally, it was Tyler Bleszinski because Blez's brother Cliff has his own article.  So I wrote an article about Blez but it was up for deletion.  In a compromise, the article was kept the the emphasis was changed from Blez to AN.  So I did a quick rewrite, I'm satisfied with the quality, it is much better article than the Blez article was.  Feel free to add stuff to it, just make sure it's not overtly biased or anything.

last friday, no thread
Oakland lost in Seattle
will thread change their luck?

rain rain go away
I'm really tired of it
IT'S BASEBALL SEASON!

think haikus are dumb?
then this thread is not for you
ignorance is bliss

number thrity three
does Nick Swisher lack paitence?
who cares, three home runs

must go to class now
here's to an A's win tonight
please add to this thread

It's time to put on those tin foil hats and talk conspiracy theories.

In the season before the Anaheim Angels became the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, the Halos seem to wear their red tops frequently on the road.  The red tops said "Angels" while the greys said "Anaheim."  A few Angels fans had noticed that the Angels had de-emphasized Anaheim in all of their marketing.

Once the name change was made, it seemed that the Angels wore their road greys more often now that it reads "Angels."

Ladies and gentlemen, it's now our turn.  In this young campaign, the A's have yet to wear their road greys with "Oakland" on it.  Here's some photoghraphic proof:

Today

Yesterday

Friday

Thursday

Is this due to an uncertainty of a future in Oakland for A's?

A caller asked Robert Buan why is it that the A's have yet to wear their road greys, Buan gave an answer that sounded a little too defensive for me to believe.

He ended his answer with "NO CONSPIRACY THEORY HERE."  Instead of easing my suspicions he actually made them deeper.

Buan countered that jersey choice has always been the perogative of the starting pitcher he even said it could have been a superstition of some sort.  But the mojo theory doesn't hold water with the A's losing with the green tops on thursday.

Although it is the starting pitcher's choice, isn't it possible for Lew Wolff to hang out with the team in the clubhouse one day and say, "hey guys, I'd really like it for you to wear the green tops on the road more often this year."  With Wolff being the one signing the paychecks that suggestion would carry a lot more weight.

Still, Buan's response to the question didn't sit well with me, I think he's bad at lying.

I just heard this on KCBS, but it seems that Wolff met with Fremont city officials and has expressed an official intrest in the Pacific Commons site, not NUMMI.  Wolff has also given Oakland the original deadline of Opening Day to get plans for an Oakland ballpark rolling.  I really can't believe Fremont's "case" would advance this quickly, I believed the ballpark issue would remiain in limbo for a bit until San Jose does something big.

link

This is big, folks.

This is a cross-post from my blog  I think it's some of the best stuff I've written and I'm sharing it with AN for an appreciation from a wider audience...and I'm promoting my own blog, sorry, but I think this is warranted.

This turned out to be five pages (holy crap) on MSWord, single spaced, it's a hell of a rant.  Without further ado...

Continue reading this post »

Just like to know when people are going to be in the Phoenix Area for some Cactus League action.  Let's see if we can get together for a mini-AN day at the Phoenix Muni.

I'll be in Phoenix from 3/19-22  I'll most definitely catch the monday and tuesday games in Phoenix and Scottsdale.

Also is anybody just down to hang out in the Phoenix area?  I'm staying with a relative but I don't know if I want to rent a car just yet.

A entire major league team has decided to go high socks.

Unfortunately, it's the Devil Rays:

Devil Rays manager Hal McRae has implemented a new dress code, banning earrings on the field and requiring players to wear solid green stirrups and keep their pant legs high enough to show at least 4 inches of the sock. In response, many are now wearing their pants in the old-fashioned style with the socks exposed to knee length.

"I'm not a big fan, but Hal makes the rules," veteran catcher John Flaherty said. "Instead of one or two guys looking like idiots, now we'll all look like idiots together."

From USA Today

Yeah, I'm finally doing a DLD.

Oakland Ballet disbanding (SF Chronicle)

So what does this have to do with the A's?

Simple, remember this? (I don't do those fancy blockquotes)

Also gone with the closure is the All-Star Nutcracker, the one-night gala that kicked off the holiday season from 1986 to 2003 and featured such sports celebrities as Tony La Russa and Dave Stewart.

The esteemed reporters over at the Chronicle forgot Barry Zito.  Yes it's that ballet that Zito danced in as mentioned in this link from ESPN Page2 column.  Here's some photographic proof:

They also forgot the late, great Bill King.  And I know somebody has a photo of him in the ballet.  After his passing I saw a picture of him rehearsing the ballet with Tony LaRussa as one of the soldiers.

So let's take this time to mourn the passing of a Bay Area cultural institution.

Remember those Korean Baseball cartoons that were all the rage last year?

Out of boredom, I discovered that Choi Hoon penned another A's strip towards the end of the regular season last year.

Problem is, there's a whole lot of Korean in this one and I can't read Korean.

This is what I gather so far.

1. A's don't get as much love as the Giants or Dodgers
   
2. Bash Brothers steroid joke with Giambi and Tejada
   
3. Erubiel Durazo and Mark Kotsay carrying an obscene huge bat

Continue reading this post »

I'm planning a 24 hour trip to see the A's on the road.  I'm thinking for a game against the White Sox in May.  Here's my itenerary:

Morning:  Fly out of Oakland to Chicago Midway
Afternoon: Do some touristy things in Chicago (Grant Park, Magnificent Mile...)
Night:  Go to ballgame.
After ballgame: Go to bars till' closing time.  Closing time is 4 AM, it won't be hard for us, because we're still adjusted to California time so it would be like going to the City and staying at the bars till' 2 AM.
4 AM next day: Go to airport, catch first flight to Oakland and sleep.

We won't even need to pack a change of clothes.

Why the White Sox?  Well:

It's the Midwest, not the East, flying time will be shorter and airfare will be less expensive.

Unlike the Yankees and Red Sox, I don't think the White Sox will sell out every game, even with a World Series championship.

Bars don't close till' 4AM, so we can go straight to the airport, so we negate any need to stay in a hotel.

This will be a 21+ trip.

Also feel free to use this thread to discuss spring training plans.

I have been talking with a few ANers offline and I would like to see if it possible for us to make a trip to Phoenix en masse for Spring Training.  It wouldn't be an AN Day, more like an AN Getaway/Road Trip.

Even if we decide to stay at different places, just knowing fellow ANers are in town can mean a few things.

1. An organized tailgate (or few)
   
2. A sharing of a car rental (Phoenix has a wierd "tourist tax" that jack up rental fees
   
3. And just a group to hang out with.
   
4. or even just a sharing of travellers tips and such.

I would like to see a group of us mob down to Phoenix next spring.

it's fall in Oakland
summer has truly ended
it's football season

these threads will come back
at the top of the next season
spring training won't count

left field bleacher crew
helped make perfect baseball day
even if A's lost

a Giants fan yelled
"let's go Angels!" in left field
that guy is stupid

stupid Giants fan
he forgot two thousand two
and it's champions

college football time
I'm off to root for the Bears
but still an A's fan

thanks for all your posts
two thousand five has been fun
please add to this thread

Hi everybody!
I'm back to write those haikus
we need the mojo

I hate the Rangers
lost two games the should have won
did they throw the games?

ESPN sucks
pushed back start time for Sunday
now, I cannot go

Kenneth Scott Rogers
hard to beat when in Oakland
should have pitched last night

we're at season's end
we really need the mojo
please add to this thread

(crossposted at my blog, sorry about the blog-pimping)

I miss Bill King.  I seriously love the way he does the play-by-play for the Oakland A's.

In his place Steve Bitker, sports editor of KCBS 710AM and husband of Alameda County Supervisor Alice Lai-Bitker has taken his place as part of the Oakland A's radio play-by-play duo on away series.

Bitker's not bad, he's...well, adequate, but he sure ain't Bill King.

Before I continue I should say the one problem with this medium is you really don't hear the person's voice and how they put different nuances in their speech.  I could italicise, embolden or even SHOUT WITH ALL CAPS all I want, but there's a disconnect between the writer and his words.  There's a disconnect because you the reader do not actually hear the voice of me, the writer.

Being back on topic, I can put Bill King quotes on this post ad infinitum but it won't do Bill any justice, because I can't truly notate how he stresses and un-stresses the different syllables in every phrase he utters.

Bitker's delivery is clear and calm.  His diction is clean and crisp.  He describes the game in detail and that's good.  But the way he says everything is just a bit off.  It feels like he's reading story a half-heartedly without truly going into the plot.  His delivery, while fully appropriate for the sports updates on the :15 and :45 at KCBS, is just not right for a play-by-play.

When doing a play-by-play you have to feel some kind of emotional attachment to the game, not necessarily the team (like being a homer), but you must invest some of your energy into the energy of the game.  Your voice must rise and fall with the ebbs and flows of the game.  Bitker doesn't do this.  He just describes the game.

There a difference between this:

"Breaking ball strike three on the outside corner and so and so is retired on strikes."

and this (and I'll try my best to notate this and make it "sound" like speech):

"(crescendo)Ring him up STRIKE THREE CALLED! (decrescendo)Breaking ball, outside corner (crescendo) and that was just NAS-ty, big pitch by so-and-so to end the inning."

The difference is, one has feeling, the other is just an apt descrpition.  It's like comparing a melody to true music that moves people.

Bill King can express the emotions of the game over the radio, so does Ken Korach, that's why I believe they're one of the best radio tandems in baseball.  Through them I can feel like I'm right there with the A's even though they're halfway across the country.

Bitker, while nothing really against him, describes the game well but describing the game is only adequate and is not enough.