EDIT 3:05pm: Busy day at work for me... just getting to look back here. I agree we'll delete questions #4 since it seems to easy. amd we'll take qualified hitters or not for #7. Sorry for any confusion! --streetfan

EDIT 10:30am: These GOGs are harder than they look! After some discussion (below), I changed the Qs a bit. 

Well A's fans, it's been a bit of a disappointing week (understatement!). We did manage to sweep the Orioles the last time we saw them, so let's look forward to some winning in Baltimore! Our records are pretty even (A's 27-33, O's 26-31) so who knows what will happen.

Game time Monday is 4:05pmPT. Please post your best guesses by then.

Also, it might be hard to rally the energy after a 6-game losing streak, but go vote for the All-Star Game. At least some of our pitchers should get in, right?!

Probable Pitchers  (Sun. 9:05pm: Interesting that we have only 1 pitcher ready? When the other pitchers are listed, can someone please let us know? Thanks!)

Athletics vs Orioles coverage

The Last GOG (Red Sox)

GOG- Orioles, 6/6-6/8 in Baltimore (42 pts possible, plus bonus)

1. Series outcome (3 games, 3 pts)
2. Everyone seems to like Starz and Goatz: Pick one player from each team who will do great stuff (best series WPA) and who will have a meltdown (negative series WPA). (2 pts each, 8 total)
3. Of the A's starting pitchers (Gio Gonzalez, ?? and ??), who stays in longest (IP)? How many Ks does this stud have? Within 5, how many pitches does he throw? (1 pt, 2 pts, 2 pts)
4. What is the order of the AL West when this series is done? Are the A's above .500? (2pts for each team in current place, and 2 pts)
5. Name two players who hit homeruns, either team. (2 pts each)
6. Will we see any new players on the team, due to injuries, trades, firings, promotions, etc? Which positions change? (2 pts each, 4 total)
7. In the AL, Matt Joyce (Rays) and Jose Bautista (Jays) lead the hitters. One of the best Orioles (N. Reimold) is hitting .319. Who is the best-hitting Athletic and what is his Avg at the end of the series? (2 pts each)

BONUS (counted by "coaching visits to the mound"): How many times in the series does our fearless leader (?) Geren go on the field to talk to a player or ump (change pitchers, etc)? Does he get tossed? (guess +/- 2 for 2 pts., 2 pts)

(I wanted to think up some funny question, like "How many times do Glen & Ray talk about food?" but I couldn't think of any good way to count or score this.....)

Hey everyone! This is my first photo attempt so bear with me. This gives me new admiration for the other photogs on AN at getting great shots. On Sunday, the line was so long to get in, we pretty much missed the A's batting practice, even though we arrived early for once.

Here are some shots of the Bombers practicing (scroll down if pinstripes make you queasy!):

Here's Joe Torre chatting up Joe Morgan...grrr... do they think this game's already in the bag?!

OK, photos of our boys warming up. You can see my seats were in the second deck but I did manage to get near the field during warmups.

Blanton and Haren were doing an "autograph for charity" event down along third base, but I only saw Haren signing.

Fuzzy Haren

Then I spotted Huston signing autographs near the bullpen but alas, there were too many heads in the way to get a good shot. Here he is running by after many minutes signing for people.

And even the ESPN guys are checking out his ass!

Barry Zito, doing his pre-game bird imitation!

LF Bleachers tried valiantly all evening to get a rally going.

The game got under way, but we just didn't have it to beat the Yanks :(

A bright spot was Street in the 9th, as always.

I found this while I was checking the A's standings at yahoo.com
Can it be that there will be no baseball in the country that "invented" it (cricket) for the 2012 Olympics?! That's just too bad. Instead we might get an event of golf or squash (?)
I know the Brits are already having a bad week (my condolences, I love London!), but no Olympic baseball? Any thoughts here?

(I only posted the beginning of the article)

IOC drops baseball, softball from 2012 program
By STEPHEN WILSON, AP Sports Writer
July 8, 2005

SINGAPORE (AP) -- Baseball and softball were dropped Friday from the Olympic program for the 2012 Summer Games in London.

 Each of the 28 existing sports was put to a secret vote by the International Olympic Committee, and baseball and softball failed to receive a majority required to stay on the program. The other 26 sports were retained.

 The IOC will consider replacing them with two sports from a waiting list of five: golf, rugby, squash, karate and roller sports. That decision will be made Saturday.

Baseball and softball are the first sports cut from the Olympics since water polo in 1936. Baseball has been vulnerable because it doesn't bring top Major League players to the Olympics. Softball has been in danger because of a perceived lack of global appeal and participation.

Hi AN! I am new here and I'm glad I found you by accident. I have been reading at the official site for a few months now and I have to say, this place has a much better vibe! Clever & smart & friendlier. Plus not so many naysayers and trolls. And there are more females (I'm one) and they seem to like baseball, not just players... although I appreciate the comments on some of the, ahem, ass-ets, of certain players too :)
Anyway, I don't want to sound like too much of a whiner in my first post but WHY isn't our crazy season getting more media coverage?! I usually just check the major websites and TV channels but nobody is noticing this total turnaround. We Need More Love :)
Truly, what other baseball story is more interesting than ours right now, besides the Yanks sucking? The other teams are doing pretty much what people expected. But after we tossed 2 of the Big Three (a sad sentence, I know), who expected we'd be making this kind of comeback? Especially after Miserable May. I guess because we have a rep of being a second half team. Or because we don't have an expensive superstar (that should be a good thing!). Maybe I'm biased.
Maybe there is coverage in the Bay Area I am missing (I live just south of it).
So on to the weekend! Green socks vs. White Sox! Let's Go A's!