This passage from Peter Gammons' latest column on espn.com perfectly epitomizes the the A's "pathetic" offense.

"I wish every player would study tapes of David Eckstein in that situation," says A's GM Billy Beane. "He will foul off a dozen pitches until he finally gets something he can get to the outfield to get the run home. It drives me crazy. Our players have heard me on this subject."

Why? Because when the A's left for their six-game swing through New York and Boston, they had come up with 42 runners on third base with less than two outs ... and 12 had scored. Pathetic.

Speaking of pathetic:

Kevin Brown has been one of the most pathetic pitchers in MLB since about the all-star break last season.

Brown lost seven straight starts, the first Yankees pitcher to do so since World War II.

His ERA at the start of today's game against the A's was 8.25.

And he flippin' shut out the A's today.

Pathetic.

Either it's time for major changes, or it's time to start moving guys like Dotel and planning for 2006.