Silver Lining Patrol

by Hegenberger Road on May 15, 2005 5:00 PM PDT

These are dark times, indeed. We've had bad Mays before, but this one seems worse.

Looking at the team now is frustrating and painful.

But in an effort to listen to my inner optimist (not blindly follow the guy, mind you, just hear what he has to say), here are some silver linings I see from today's game and other recent events:

-Danny Haren was not awful today (wow, Dave, is "not awful" the best your inner optimist can do?). He was bad, but not awful. 6 IP, 4 ER, Progress, Improvement.

-We're trying new things. New lineup. Scooter stole a base. Trying to move runners over. And the result: 4 runs when the Unit start. Not shabby.

-That Kielty for Lilly deal is starting to look really good. Kielty's been hitting, not great of course, but hitting. But Lilly's been positively awful. 10.41 ERA and 2.13 WHIP. Glad we don't have that on our hands.

-Harden's feeling better already.

Okay, my well's dry. Anything else on that silver lining?

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Watson put the ball into play

"The sun was bad, but was it any worse than it's been the last 10,000 years? I'm gonna say no." -- Eric Byrnes

by FoolshGame22 on May 15, 2005 5:08 PM PDT reply actions

It's a bird, it's a plane!

Byrnes kept alive his consecutive game streak with a weak ass, rally killing popup!!! I think it's at 2,462 now.

And he missed another cutoff man, putting that particular streak at 2,462.

He's like the Cal Ripken of Little League baseball....too bad this is the majors. Go A's!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'll try not to swear.

by Tony on May 15, 2005 5:13 PM PDT up reply actions

I thought this was...

the silver lining thread. ;-)

"The sun was bad, but was it any worse than it's been the last 10,000 years? I'm gonna say no." -- Eric Byrnes

by FoolshGame22 on May 15, 2005 9:00 PM PDT up reply actions

Huston Street...

...is still Huston Street...

Eric Chavez: The last former Huntsville Star with the A's...

by FormerHuntsvilleStar on May 15, 2005 5:10 PM PDT reply actions

I thank God for that.

by Jennifer on May 16, 2005 6:29 AM PDT up reply actions

the A's showed signs of life today

on offense, at least for the first part of the game. Haren did well. So did Cruz and Street. the game was possible to listen to (unlike last night's game).

We didn't have to listen to (or watch) Chavvy leave umpteen runners on base.

how's that?

by OaklandSi on May 15, 2005 5:10 PM PDT reply actions

Cruz and Street

Man, I forgot all about those guys.

Cruz, apparently, doesn't suck anymore. That's some serious silver lining.

And Street holding his own through this mess is commendable.

by Hegenberger Road on May 15, 2005 5:12 PM PDT up reply actions

We scored 14 runs in this series

But the Yanks scored way more.

"First of all, I'm not calm about it. Every time they lose, I freak out." - Andy Painter

by secret ASian man on May 15, 2005 5:12 PM PDT reply actions

14 runs in this series

That's 8 more than what we scored against the Skankees last weekend! Making progress.

When the world says, "Give up," Hope whispers, "Try it one more time." ~Author Unknown LET's GO OAKLAND!!!

by AsGirl on May 15, 2005 5:15 PM PDT up reply actions

We scored 4 runs off Randy J

That's FOUR more than what we scored off Mussina and Brown last weekend -- COMBINED. We're making progress, no doubt about it.

Haren made it out of the fourth inning.

Byrnes popped out ONCE.

Kendall had an extra base hit.

We got the runner home from third with less than 2 outs!

When the world says, "Give up," Hope whispers, "Try it one more time." ~Author Unknown LET's GO OAKLAND!!!

by AsGirl on May 15, 2005 5:13 PM PDT reply actions

Not only that...

Randy Johnson pitched 6 innings and the A's did not strikeout even once! Has Randy Johnson EVER pitched 6 innings without logging any strikeouts?

"The bigger the game, the better he pitched."

by Catfish27 on May 15, 2005 8:02 PM PDT up reply actions

New Motto For A's Optimists...

"Spin It"

Why does everything have to have a silver lining?! :)

by Aaron C on May 15, 2005 5:51 PM PDT reply actions

Funny

And true, this diary is a mad spin zone.

And I suppose everything doesn't have to have a silver lining, but I think this loss did.

We're all faced with the fact that our beloved team isn't playing good ball right now. We can mope about, we can joke about it, or we can be irrationally optimistic about it. I choose the last one.

And a little bit of the second one. Okay, and some of the first one sometimes. I just happened to write the diary in an optimistic mood.

by Hegenberger Road on May 15, 2005 8:39 PM PDT up reply actions

Maybe another day

We'll have diaries titled "Doom and Gloom Patrol" or "Snarky Comment Patrol" for the other sentiments.

by Hegenberger Road on May 15, 2005 9:09 PM PDT up reply actions

Silver Lining...

Byrnes made the play of the game...

At least he has a second career when he's done with this one...

by gigglingone on May 15, 2005 6:18 PM PDT reply actions

That is hilarious!!!!

Man I hope there is video of that so it can be on ESPN tonight!

Also, is that Chavy's twin brother over the fence?

Or maybe the real Chavy trying to get re-aquainted with area he hasn't visited in soooooo long?

Lord Vader... ...yesss massster? ...RISE!!!

by Force on May 15, 2005 6:26 PM PDT up reply actions

hey

that does look like chavvy. Weird. Haha that picture is hilarious!

by ChavysGrl3 on May 15, 2005 6:38 PM PDT up reply actions

my thoughts exactly!

by OaklandSi on May 15, 2005 7:17 PM PDT up reply actions

By the way:

I will pay money to anyone with a photo od "Diaper Boy" doing his diaper dandy dance on the mound.
That ISSSS Chavez with his "God's Gym" shirt on. Odd?!?!?

by saint @ Athletics Nation on May 15, 2005 7:50 PM PDT up reply actions

Not, it's not Chavy,

it's his twin brother Guavy, who is, tragically, paralyzed from the second strike down.

Nico

by Nico on May 15, 2005 7:57 PM PDT up reply actions

Please, somebody!

Anybody at the game today please give us a full account of how this went down. Classic Byrnesy!

Lord Vader... ...yesss massster? ...RISE!!!

by Force on May 15, 2005 6:28 PM PDT up reply actions

I think it was the 3rd or 4th inning.....

Yanks were batting. Giambi had walked when out of the corner of my eye, I see Ben Johnson's lesser known cousin in a full sprint from the left field foul line across the outfield. Charles Thomas and Kotsay just stood there and watched, however Byrnesie looked ready to make an open field tackle. The dude got to the outfield wall only to be peeled off by Byrnes and another security guard.
Thought this debacle was over BUT then another guy (probably his buddy) comes from the same spot in left field but he is shirtless and wearing an adult diaper over his best boxer shorts. You kind of got the feeling that this guy was going to be a bit harder to catch. After about 2 minutes of putting juke moves on like 12 security guards, he is finally tackled in front of Kotsay. Byrnes then walks over and was either congratulating him on a nice run or reprimanding him for his actions.
At first I was a bit pissed off at these idiots, but then the adult diaper changed my mind.

by dontparkthere on May 15, 2005 7:02 PM PDT up reply actions

My brush with stupidity

That guy was sitting next to me! Really. The full story:
I was in section 129, Row 5 (which, because of the angle of the wall, is actually only 3 rows back at that point), some of the best seats I've ever had for a game, with some friends on my left, and three yankees fans on my right (and a woman in an AN t-shirt in the row behind me). In the top of the fourth inning, just after my friend to my immediate left leaves to get a beer, this guy shows up with the ticket for seat 10 (the one to my right). He gets the yankees fans to move down a seat, and sits down, but seems to have no interest at all in the game. Instead, he's turned to the left, away from the action, with his knee halfway into my seat, looking into the outfield with frequent glances back into the stands, as if looking for a friend. Finally, he decides the time is right, says something like "Now?" to his friend who I guess was a few rows behind us (I didn't see the other guy until they were both on the field), walks back past us to the edge of the wall, climbs over, and runs on to the field. He made it all the way to the opposite side of the field without security even getting close to him, and might have made it over the wall had Byrnes not intervened. The second guy, in the diaper, waited until all four security guards were pursuing the first guy before making his own dash, and managed to avoid them for a couple of minutes even afterwards. He came close to a couple of other A's fielders, but unlike Byrnes the rest of the team just sort of pretended to ignore him. I don't want to encourage this sort of behavior, but I have to say: this was pretty damn funny. It was also well planned; not only did they use the first guy as a distraction, but I think they also waited until the closest security guard to the fence was on his break. When that guard came back in the next inning, some of the regulars in that section were kidding him about it.

by andeux on May 15, 2005 8:00 PM PDT up reply actions

brilliant...

it was an amazingly smart move to have two people running at once....when the first guy went, and all the security guys went after him, the second guy had free reign to run wherever he want (even onto the sacred pitching mound, which is an impossible feat!)

I had fun watching from my seat in 228... :)

by gigglingone on May 15, 2005 8:10 PM PDT up reply actions

Most of the A's players

were ignoring these guys? What did they think it was, a two strike pitch down the middle?

Nico

by Nico on May 15, 2005 8:14 PM PDT up reply actions

Or a....

First pitch strike, take your pick

by dontparkthere on May 15, 2005 9:36 PM PDT up reply actions

You have to ignore the first streaker

So you'll get a good streaker to tackle later.

Plus, it wears down the starting streakers and puts the relief streakers in the game.

by floyd on May 15, 2005 10:04 PM PDT up reply actions

it was "foolsh" of byrnes

to do that. that's what they pay security guards peanuts to do, not outfielders millions. What if that guy kicked him and broke his rib? Byrnes... stick to baseball.

by Brian in 317 on May 15, 2005 6:57 PM PDT up reply actions

I agree.....

however, it will be the #1 play on baseball tonight. Somehow they will find a way to make it a "Web Gem."

by dontparkthere on May 15, 2005 7:03 PM PDT up reply actions

of course, it was Byrnsie...

no one on AN would expect any of the other gutless wonders on this team to step up.

"The sun was bad, but was it any worse than it's been the last 10,000 years? I'm gonna say no." -- Eric Byrnes

by FoolshGame22 on May 15, 2005 10:09 PM PDT up reply actions

Yet you would fully expect

Chavy to be caught looking. : - )

Nico

by Nico on May 15, 2005 10:16 PM PDT up reply actions

or to lunge and pop out in his next at bat

(foul too... nice extra touch).

by Brian in 317 on May 15, 2005 10:24 PM PDT up reply actions

Byrnes, that is...

... and was.

by Brian in 317 on May 16, 2005 6:24 AM PDT up reply actions

All I could think of...

watching Byrnes chase that dude down was how hopped up on amphetamines he must have been. He saw a moving body and he was so amped to hit him. Did anyone see him when the second guy was running? He wanted a piece of him too! Nuts.

by David Owen on May 16, 2005 10:40 AM PDT up reply actions

This picture shows the only time

an Oakland A has hit anything near the fence in weeks !!

by HerbWashington on May 15, 2005 7:21 PM PDT up reply actions

Video?

Is there video of this anywhere?

by limecat on May 15, 2005 11:42 PM PDT up reply actions

kendall heating up at the plate

but once again, our pitchers gave him NO CHANCE to throw any attempted stealers out. Haren was pretty good, I thought, with just a couple of mistakes to a super hot lefty. Subtract those two pitches, and I think he would have gotten a win today. Also, just opening up a game with some hits and runs was a nice change.

by Brian in 317 on May 15, 2005 6:53 PM PDT reply actions

More silver lining:

With Durazo, we found a new, creative way to try to get injured.

Nico

by Nico on May 15, 2005 7:38 PM PDT reply actions

Huston, the bright spark of a dreary day

Street got out of a really tough jam. The kid looks better and better each time he goes out there. The diaper dips came on at a terrible time for Haren. The break in the action broke up his concentration. Haren was pretty good other than giving it up to Tino. The Unit was not so hot today. He looks like he's about 62 when he walks off the mound--those stilts he uses need some grease.

by mihijitoZito on May 15, 2005 8:08 PM PDT reply actions

Next time Street comes in with runners on,

someone needs to yell, "Problem, we have a Huston!"

Nico

by Nico on May 15, 2005 8:15 PM PDT up reply actions

that should be a sign

maybe when he's the closer.

by xbhaskarx on May 15, 2005 11:35 PM PDT up reply actions

Clever!

I like it. I think you should do the honors.

by Melody on May 16, 2005 1:09 AM PDT up reply actions

more silver lining

because rincon was used 2 days in a row, maybe we dont have to see him for the next couple of games.

by nycfan @ Athletics Nation on May 15, 2005 8:22 PM PDT reply actions

You know,

coming into the game today, lefties were hitting .214 against Rincon, and righties were hitting .182. Just FYI.

Plus he's been healthy all season (unlike Calero, Duke, or Bradford), and he's near the league lead in appearances. Today was his 5th appearance in the A's last 7 games--which might have something to do with his not being in top form.

Hasn't he been the LEAST of the A's problems?

Nico

by Nico on May 15, 2005 8:26 PM PDT up reply actions

No, he's not the source of our problems...

I like Rincon, and am actually surprised to see how many detractors he has.

"Put a Milo on him."
-Billy Beane

by kaweahkaweah on May 15, 2005 8:29 PM PDT up reply actions

My feeling is that

Rincon used to be great and now he's only decent--limited utility, helps you more often than he hurts you, slightly above average overall.

The one to be frustrated with is Cruz--a major league arm with a minor league head. The A's NEED to get him going, yet I think HE was the guy the A's were "snookered" into taking, if anyone (not Meyer). I was always most concerned about Cruz of all 6 of the Huddy/Mulder acquisitions.

I thought Beane had acquired Cruz to turn around and deal him (we had Dotel, Calero, Bradford, and Duke all in the mix at the time) as a classic "overvalued" player coming off an up year. I kept waiting for Cruz and Byrnesy to be dealt for that coveted RH hitter. Oh well.

Nico

by Nico on May 15, 2005 8:36 PM PDT reply actions

perhaps i'm being too harsh

in light of the loss. i can't help but wonder why with rincon i always feel like he's going to mess up. duke, street, yabu, and yes, even dotel, i generally think will get the job done (though in dotel's case, not without a heart attack). but with rincon, i just don't have the same confidence in him, nor do i value him as highly.

with cruz, i do think time will tell. he was terrible to start with and then sat collecting dust for ages. couldn't have done much to improve that minor league head. there's something to be said for knowing that people have confidence in you to get important outs, and I think he's only now starting to get the job done and work his way back.

by nycfan @ Athletics Nation on May 15, 2005 8:41 PM PDT up reply actions

You know what I think it is?

I think it's that the way Rincon nibbles and throws so many sliders, it looks like HE doesn't have confidence in his stuff; so how can we?

I agree on Cruz--as thin as the bullpen has suddenly become, throw him out there as originally intended (3rd guy out of the pen, 7th inning) and find out what you've got. He certainly has the arm.

Nico

by Nico on May 15, 2005 8:46 PM PDT up reply actions

you're right, of course,

with the rincon comment. while he hasn't necessarily had an inordinate amount of walks, it seems like he's constantly falling behind in the count and giving me mild heart spasms. say what you want about dotel (and people say plenty) but when he's on he throws strikes, which is why i can't bring myself to crucify him like others do. it's especially frustrating when rincon is called in often for just one (or two) batters, and to see him nibble and get into hitter's counts is aggravating.

of course, we're low on options and, you're right. there are much, MUCH bigger problems to worry about on this team. but with the pitching suddenly becoming more suspect and duke/yabu still questionable for tomorrow at least, makes you think we're going to keep having to hand rincon the ball even against righties. i wish that wasn't so.

by nycfan @ Athletics Nation on May 15, 2005 9:34 PM PDT up reply actions

Remember the days

when the bullpen was tired but it didn't matter so much because the next two starters were Hudson and Mulder? Seems like just last year.

Nico

by Nico on May 15, 2005 9:45 PM PDT reply actions

some more silver lining...

after this next series with the sox, then the hard games are pretty much over for a while

kendall is starting to look better at the plate

the yankees wont be back here till 06

street's making a case for ROY

by stabino on May 15, 2005 9:56 PM PDT reply actions

The Yanks WILL Return This Year

First weekend in September, me thinks.

by Aaron C on May 15, 2005 10:08 PM PDT up reply actions

A few more...

Catching the Giants for 6 games sans Bonds AND Schmidt.
Knowing that in baseball, whatever you think you know is wrong, and so you could sweep the RedSox just because "there's no way".
Realizing that if the A's gain 3 games between now and soon, they'll be 4 games out with a truckload to play. Somehow.

Nico

by Nico on May 15, 2005 10:09 PM PDT reply actions