Can we not have a banner advertisement for the friggin Red Sox on Athletics Nation.  I really dont give a crap if idiots in New England want "Goosebumps  OnDemand".  And I know the blog needs revenue, etc.  but come on...do we have to do this?  If so, Capitalism is truly evil.....

If there is any more over-hyped franchise in all of sportsdom, it HAS to be the Red Sox.  Any goosebumps I get from that team, its players, and especially its fans are from sheer disgust.

Why is it that we need to be subjected to a marketing campaign for Boston on this blog?...I'm sure there is very good answer, but I will still not accept it.  I CANNOT see Curt Schilling (overhyped), D Pedroia (sic), or J Papelbon (again, overhyped) for one moment before I vomit in my mouth.

Allright, I guess i feel a little better now....

but I was wondering if anyone else around here is extremely frustrated with the world series.  I know we could've beaten Detroit...whats happening to them now happened to us.  And everyone knows that an 83-79 club should not win the World Series...crap shoot, schmap shoot...hot club or not St. Louis is an awful team from an awful division (although I'll always like LaRussa, Dunc et al).
This diary entry in no way proposes any solutions to fixing a playoff scenario where the worst team wins the championship...and I dont dislike the Wild Card.  
But I think we are all pretty astute baseball fans around here and we may be looking at another year of the WS being won by a vastly inferior team, with many other teams grossly more talented and just plain better.  Is this what fans want?  I know I dont.
Maybe the Tigers, a legitimate team, will get rolling and win this thing as they deserve...but i will certainly have a bad taste in my mouth if the Cards win with their record, and thats nothing against St. Louis...

against the tribe?  i am alternately ecstatic and worried...will he or wont he remain healthy and pitch this team to a Championship?  Or should we leave well enough alnoe?  I suppose you can never have enough starting pitching.
I suppose they wouldnt be starting him if he wasnt ready, but it seems as a releiver might work as well...
I just hope he isnt our version of Liriano, who got very lucky even though he got injured again.  Something tells me if Rich gets hurt again, it could be more serious...like TJ surgery.

Last week I attended my first Oakland game (actually two of them) in quite sometime as I have been living out of the Bay Area for a few years now.  I was able to take my 17-month old son to his first game ever.  Now, I live in Boston and could've taken him to the fabled den of Fenway, but why would I do that to my first born son?  or anybody's child?
Anyway, as my sense of nostalgia grew when I entered the Coliseum last week, I got to thinking about those games way back in the 70's and 80's and how many, many fans, usually Boosters and old-timers, used to bring cowbells and the like to the games and ring them when Rickey would steal a base, or Campy would put one into the hole, or Lansford would wiggle his bat at the plate, etc.  All that bell-ringing made for a great atmosphere, especially at a night game.  So much so, that upon my arrival back home, I put my recently purchased Oakland Athletics World Series DVD in and watched with pride as our fans rang those bells and made some historic runs at winning the Championship.  
I ended up talking to one of these old-time Boosters at one of the games last week and she was hilarious and quirky...a total A's novelty!  I asked her about bringing the cowbell tradition  back, and we both agreed it was time!!  I would think those of you who have been around for awhile know what I'm talking about.  It is a unique and quirky Oakland tradition.
Now I know some of you might be thinking "don't mess with the mojo now, for godssakes!!"...and I am down with that by all means.  And I certainly dont want to cause any rift with any drummers in the bleachers, either.  I just was wondering if anyone else out there felt the need to start bringing cowbells, handbells, etc out the the games and start ringing them to drum up some of that old Coliseum magic.  I know the place is old and everyone dismisses it and the A's are a stepchild, etc.  All the more reason to keep this team ours and ours alone by honoring our weird ways a la Finley, mules, mustaches, white shoes and Hot Pants.  
I suppose this is just basically a musing on the atmoshphere created by all the great fans at the Coliseum, bolstered largely by the need to see and hear that atmosphere from a long distance via TV and the internet.  I just thought that with the all the weird stuff that this season has brought (King passing, Steele missing, injuries, Larry Davis, abysmal play followed by win after win...again) it would perhaps be fitting to bring forth some additional quirks.  
This team looks pretty solid right now and is really just beginning to gel...it would be something to win it all this year of all years.  This is baseball after all, and stranger things have happened.
 I'll be listening and watching to see if bells begin showing up slowly but surely as this club becomes more solid , makes the playoffs and wins its 5th Oakland Championship.

I say we band together and just randomly beat up red sox fans all during the game.  I know this will get me banned on here, and I;m really only kidding,but....I just hate this team and their idiotic fans.  I used to like the Red Sox organization and respected the fans' love of their team.  But now having lived in this stinkhole called Boston for a few years, I really see that the blind love for the team is actually a mask for just hating every other team, and by extension other cities and regions.  These fucking yankees here think they are better citizens than other Americans, when they are actually the most ignorant and bumbling of all the major metro areas.  Man, can you tell I miss the Bay Area?  Hopefully we just kick these bush-league pansies asses today and win this series..maybe then see them in playoffs and kick some ass then as well.  Man, am I ranting.

I am coming home to see my team in early August and was wondering if anyone on this site has any sage advice on getting tickets.  I only have time for one game:  either Mon or Tues nite v. Texas 8.07 or 8.09.  Can I just walk up and get a decent ticket (two actually...I'm bringing my son to his first game ever)...or is it recommended to purchase in advance.  I feel rally weird not even knowing this kind of thing anymore...sound advice appreciated.  Thanks.

ESPN is running a promo where baseball fans can vote for what they think is the best WS Champion in history.  While our Athleticos are represented several times, they fail to even mention what many consider the outright best team of all time:  the 1974 Oakland A's.  They mention '72 and '29 (which were both better than any Yankee club has ever been!!!)...but why leave out the best club of all?  ESPN is lame...again.

They are wailing on Physioc and its a hoot....I know this isnt really a diary entry, but I thought some on here would be entertained by the lambasting this boob deserves...he and Hudler are truly awful, in that Hawk & DJ sort of way...Although this is pretty funny, it also brings up memories of Bill and how much I miss his voice...there just was no one better:  his descrption of ANY sports game was awesome.  I miss him.

does anyone know the status of roy steele?  I live on the East Coast and can only hear home games via the MLB pkg. and havent heard his voice in a long time.  I know it was previously discussed that he was ailing, but was expected to return, but I heard his stand-in today against anaheim.  This guys voice takes me way back and losing him and Bill in the same year would be tough.  I know everyone on here is a brilliant A's fan, so I just wanted to get caught up.  Any updates would be greatly appreciated, as I have not heard a home game live in way too long.  thanks.

Is there any information out there re: Rich's session he was scheduled to throw on thusrday? Any news on how he feels?  I know Oakland is pretty tight-lipped about this stuff, and this injury has been a pain (pun?), but I know some in AN have their sources.  
Also, SJ Merc report that Crosby may start in Minn series?  Anymore info on that?

I live in Somerville , MA (originally from SF and a die-hard A's fan since 1972, so its especially hard to live in New England and stomach all the Red Sox-Yankee garbage!!).  
ANYWAY, I was walking in my neighboorhood tonite and noticed a white car with CA plates and get this:  Oakland A's Fuzzy Dice around the rear view mirror.  Its just a nice feeling to know we (A's fans) are out there.  They try and tell us we are few and disloyal, but we know better.
To the person from Cal w/the fuzzy dice parked on Albion Street in Somerville....way to show your colors.  Are you going to the upcomoing series at Fenway?  If so, post a response on here and we can cheer our Athletics into the playoffs together.

Front page of Boston Herald
today...

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/

I love it!!!
Mr. "I faked bleeding in the WS to be a fake hero" got his ass handed to him last night in his first stint as a reliever.  The only down side was the Yankees won...if only both of these teams could lose to each other on the same nite...a dream come true.

I read on here awhile back that TorontoAsFan and perhaps some others were organizing AN day at the Skydome in early July.  I live in Boston (kill me!!) and would definitely be interested in donning my AN gear and attending that series.  Anybody have an update to these plans?  Firm date for AN Day?  Blez, we'll be trying to get out to the Coliseum on the fabled AN day as well..as soon as a firm date is set.  BTW, yesterdays game vs. Angels was terrific...the team has flashes of that greatness we know they are.  If they can get going on all cylinders, and Chavez starts looking like a Major Lleguer, this team will not only compete, but win.  Man, I am psyched for the rest of this season.