Barton not in Midland Line-Up Tonight

by NP15 on Aug 23, 2005 6:44 PM PDT

THE PLOT THICKENS: Barton is not in tonight's line-up for Midland, which could mean he's on the way to Detroit for tomorrow's game. Please update this thread with developments -- methinks Billy has seen enough and heard Oaktoon/blee1134 enough.

Midland is currently trailing San Antonio 4-3 in the 5th inning. Jeremy Brown is 1-2, HR, 2 RBI, his 18th of the year and continuing his torrid hitting. Although he's old for the Texas league at 25, his stroke is really coming around -- I could see him making the major league team in the next year or two if he keeps hitting like this. (Must reach 300 characters)..................

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No Kevin Melillo either...

I guess it's possible that they're both just getting off days, but it seems awfully suspicious. The impulsive side of me hopes to see a brand-new line-up tomorrow after tonight's disgusting affair.

by NP15 on Aug 23, 2005 6:57 PM PDT reply actions

I'm trying not to get my hopes up

Just to have them dashed when Barton pinch hits in the eighth.

But seriously, the fact that Ginter didn't play tonight--in the only real opportunity thats good for him to do so--makes me think hes not on the ML roster any more. Which frees up a spot.

Melillo, he's not ready. But AAA might beckon. Or it could just be a night off. Its fun to have something to speculate about though after the boring game tonight.

Come ON A's!

by Alien @ Athletics Nation on Aug 23, 2005 6:59 PM PDT reply actions

I am on the edge of my seat

The drums are beating louder and louder.

by DKNJ on Aug 23, 2005 7:03 PM PDT reply actions

Sorry.....

about that. I was just trying to get another game out of these heads.

Barry and the "Intangibles"

by Duke of left field on Aug 23, 2005 10:20 PM PDT up reply actions

Thought so...

If it's both barton and Mellilo, Hatty goes on DL; Ginter gets sent down.

It may be too late, but if this is what I think it is, kudos to Beane for not giving up.

oaktoon

by oaktoon on Aug 23, 2005 7:06 PM PDT reply actions

Amen

It is much better to go down with an unknown quanity with upside than a known quantity with no upside.

by DKNJ on Aug 23, 2005 7:10 PM PDT up reply actions

2nd that amen

hatty is a bench player at this stage of his career. Take a chance.

by oscarwdog on Aug 23, 2005 7:18 PM PDT up reply actions

hatteberg

hatty's not a bench player. i'd be happy to have hatty in the lineup but he's not 100% healthy right now so i'd love to see barton come up to see what he can do.

"you know it's way cooler to be an A's fan" - billy beane to larry krueger

by gotgreen on Aug 23, 2005 7:20 PM PDT up reply actions

he is not

a bench player for the A's, but he would be for a good team. He is NOT what a major league team needs in the full time DH position.

by oscarwdog on Aug 23, 2005 7:29 PM PDT up reply actions

DH

oh yeah, that's true though. he's definitely not a DH and we have johnson at 1B. poor hatty!

"you know it's way cooler to be an A's fan" - billy beane to larry krueger

by gotgreen on Aug 23, 2005 7:31 PM PDT up reply actions

Could they be going to Sacramento?

With Eric Chavez batting, Jason Kendall scores on defensive indifference.

by matthias on Aug 23, 2005 7:07 PM PDT reply actions

that's what I was wondering

by OaklandSi on Aug 23, 2005 7:52 PM PDT up reply actions

daric

didn't daric's dad post on AN during spring training or something? come back, mr. barton!!

"you know it's way cooler to be an A's fan" - billy beane to larry krueger

by gotgreen on Aug 23, 2005 7:09 PM PDT reply actions

I wonder if Sam from calleaguer.com is around...

Guy has contacts everywhere...

by NP15 on Aug 23, 2005 7:10 PM PDT up reply actions

Agreed

I'm so depressed right now it's not even funny. I'm stuck in an office in New York City and all I want to be doing is headed back to Palo Alto so I can go to A's games down the stretch.

For some reason, this year's offense is completely unable to be consistent -- they are either incredibly good or incredibly bad. I think it's because they're very talented but also either inexperienced (Crosby, Johnson, Swisher) or streaky (Chavez, Kotsay, Payton). And yes, Kotsay is streaky -- he started out last year terrible and then hit .400 for a couple different months; this year, he started out hitting .400 and now he's slumping. Remember, at the beginning of the year, Baseball Prospectus, Hardball Times and all the other statistically-inclined projection systems had the A's offense rated very highly. So the potential is there and over 162 games, the offense should have been above average -- however, the factors listed above have casued the variance to be extremely high as well.

Bottom line, I think a lot of this is psychological as the streaky veterans hit slumps and then the young guys start pressing and get down on themselves when trying to carry the team. Something needs to be done as a quick shake-up to snap the team out of it, and I think Barton and/or Melillo could provide just that.

by NP15 on Aug 23, 2005 7:09 PM PDT reply actions

Converted

Thank goodness I'm not the GM, but from a fan's perspective I wouldn't mind the drastic move right now, even if it doesn't work.

AFAIK, Ginter's sole value was stepping in at 3rd to rest Chavvy's arm. Scoot playing 3rd today to me means Ginter is now completely expendable.

I'd still be surprised if Barton and Melillo were brought up, over a Rivercat, but I don't follow the minors closely enough to know whether any Rivercat's been hitting well enough to be an option.

"Everyone was saying, 'Swisher, you suck!' and I was like, 'OK, we've established that.' "

by oblique on Aug 23, 2005 7:27 PM PDT reply actions

Melillo still at Midland

He just pinch hit and walked -- came around to score a run (what a novel concept!!)

So he's definitely not being called up. Still no sign of Barton, though.

by NP15 on Aug 23, 2005 7:32 PM PDT reply actions

A day off!!1

RelaX.

Sac is a possibility A's are not.

Why don't they just lick their fingers?

by novaoakland on Aug 23, 2005 7:46 PM PDT reply actions

A day off after a Day OFF?

I don't think so, Midland didn't play yesterday...

by Olijerez77 on Aug 23, 2005 9:07 PM PDT up reply actions

yup

He's coming to Detroit tomorrow.

Book it.

oaktoon

by oaktoon on Aug 23, 2005 9:09 PM PDT up reply actions

NOPE and not coming up in SEPT either

BOOK It!!!

Why don't they just lick their fingers?

by novaoakland on Aug 23, 2005 10:23 PM PDT up reply actions

re

I woudn't say the A's are not a possibility. It's not likely, but it's possible. If he is in fact on his way to Sacramento then I think you can pencil him into next years lineup.

It may or may not be a simple day off. There was no game yesterday so I'm not so sure he'd need a day off. The Hounds faced a lefty, but Jason Perry can't hit lefties at all and he's in the lineup. They needed a pinch hitter and they went with the lesser guy Melillo.

It's either he tweaked something, or he's being promoted to somewhere.

http://as-future.blogspot.com/

by blee1134 on Aug 23, 2005 7:56 PM PDT reply actions

Lesser guy Blee?

Come on. You can hardly call Melillo a lesser guy.

Adversity will be there everyday, but you quit the day you don't get up. - D Braden

by saint @ Athletics Nation on Aug 24, 2005 9:04 AM PDT up reply actions

Macha says NO

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/chronicle/archive/2005/08/24/ASREPORT.TMP&type=as

"According to Macha, Daric Barton won't be called up from Double-A Midland when rosters expand. He's only 20 and there's too big a gap between Double-A pitching and the big leagues."

With Eric Chavez batting, Jason Kendall scores on defensive indifference.

by matthias on Aug 23, 2005 9:18 PM PDT reply actions