Shame On You

by OaktownIn06 on Jul 9, 2006 11:46 PM PDT Comment 30 comments

WARNING: You may find this diary offensive if you have jumped on the "The A's are awful/Billy Beane is a failure" bandwagon. Do not read if you will feel the need to state this in my thread. This diary may be flamable. Keep out of reach from small children.

I am ashamed of all of these diaries stating that our Oakland Athletics are done for the season. Seriously, you are walking ass backwards if you think our team is a "failure". You have got to be kidding me. First we get swept by Zona, and we are "terrible". Then we take 2/3 from the best team in baseball, and we are "confusing", but at the same time, "clutch".

Now we lose another series, and Beane is a failure? That's fucking disgusting. I really am ashamed to read these diaries. BOOOOO

Look at our lineup. Here is what we got after the break:

Kots
Swish
Chavvy
Frank
Bradley
Payton
Crosby
Kendall
Ellis

That is a solid lineup. We will score runs. Slumps don't last forever.

As for arms, we have the third best pitching staff in the league, including an above average pen. It actually looks pretty good to me.

We play in the "worst" division in baseball, and we are a second half team. WE'RE IN FIRST PLACE!! TOAST WITH ME! Cmon AN. You guys are reminding me of Yankee fans right now.

These are OUR OAKLAND ATHLETICS. Nobody elses. I don't care if the future looks bad now, because it is really our emotions speaking for us at this time. THIS IS OUR TEAM. Stand by them, root for them, and do not doubt them until you really have to. Slumps are what they are, but don't forget, so are streaks. We are deffinetly a streaky ballclub.

"IN BEANE I TRUST"

Please AN, jump off the bandwagon.

0 recs | Comment 30 comments

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

well

you need small ball.

Lets go Oakland! Check out my blog:http://sportsrus33.blogspot.com/

by bballfanr33 on Jul 9, 2006 11:52 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Maybe I'm not embroiled in WinExp,

but NO YOU DON'T, except in tie/1-run games in late innings.

"The hard... is what makes it great."

by Jjjsixsix on Jul 11, 2006 9:33 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I dont think anyone called them failures

Just stated that things where not good right now, which they arent, and to counter that some come along and say that those who point this out are pessimists, and have let our team down by saying so. No one is giving up on anyone here, and saying so is a complete exageration on your part. No one here has vowed to tune out for the rest of the season, no one has said that they are now becoming Angels fans as a direct result of oaklands woes. You cant stand blindly behind something and chastise those who feel that we need work.

"Who needs a significant other when you've got baseball highlights on ESPN?"

by Amnesiac727 on Jul 10, 2006 12:00 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Haha

What a joke.
The A's havnt been very good all year.
Even during their win streak i wasnt feelin it.
This is probably the least impressive A's team since 1998.

BRING BACK MIGGY!

by sublimeguyjohn on Jul 10, 2006 12:22 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

it's more

like people post things out of pure spur of the moment emotion (such as frustration). i know i'm frustrated about the team because it is, as that Lit song would say, that We "are our own worst enenmy". i feel you though. it's just a loss (or 3 in row in this case) but baseball is a grind. sports are just the embodiment of streaks... for example, the heat went on a streak in the playoffs, got beat 2 in a row, and started a new streak and eventually became the world champs..
anyway back to baseball, the grind is still going on, it's not time to panic, but it is time to asset our cards and ways to make the road to the series "easier" for a lack of a better word. it's not the off-season or "let a rookie grow" period. there are still games to be played and the last i looked we are still first. this team is good (ranked 3 overall in the video game mlb: the show) and there is still time to justify the video game ranking and hopefully exceed that.
but things will have to be addressed (i.e. why our hitters aren't hitting; who will eat up/give a solid outing)
this is a forum of baseball and some of the best written diaries are written by emotion... but if it's not well-thought out and translated well, it becomes crap... also, it is a free forum, in that if you don't wanna read a diary, don't click on it. i do that for most of the diaries that either blame macha or have pestimistic rheotorical question that was posted RIGHT after a game.
baseball is a grind...

"my swagger is mick jagger" - ghostface

by ucla kid on Jul 10, 2006 12:31 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Wake up call

I understand that a lot of this is written out of emotion, my diary was written out of emotion. I didn't really mean to make it sound like AN was turning on the A's, I meant it more of a wake up call. Of course I know you are all great fans, but I think we need some positive talk too. I wrote the diary to grab your attention, and I think it worked.

by OaktownIn06 on Jul 10, 2006 12:38 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I am jumping on YOUR bandwagon!!

Thank you! Seriously, all this negativity needs to go!! I don't understand it all. Ok, so we aren't living up to the perfect potential that was lined up for us during Spring Training, but we are still in first place and that is great! I agree with everything you said! Thanks!

"This is the best hug in the major leagues, right here!" - Swisher Pics

by BobbyCrosbysGirl on Jul 10, 2006 12:46 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

here here

yeah, this season has been a struggle so far, but you know what?!?! We are in first. We are better off at this point this year than we were last year. Things will be ok.

"Mommy and Daddy are going to take a nap before the baseball game starts..."

by Athletics fan and runner on Jul 10, 2006 8:04 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I agree 110%

Sort of like Tammy Wynette said in her aged Country hit decades ago- Stand by your team!

Go A's!

The greenmachine

by greenmachine on Jul 10, 2006 5:58 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Also

"Stand by your Man-Team"

"Belliard is a pain in the ass" ~ Blez

by eamb on Jul 11, 2006 3:40 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Right now

I don't know what to make of this team. They can either keep on keeping on like they have been doing or get healthy, fire on all cylinders like they did in the middle of last month, and play .650 ball for the rest of the season.

But at this point I'm trying to keep my expectations and hopes in check.

"VORP? Not a clue what that is. But if it's good, I'll take it!"

-Nick Swisher

by kaweahkaweah on Jul 10, 2006 9:49 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I love your tag line

Cracks me up every time I see it.

by easyraider on Jul 10, 2006 1:46 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Thanks!

Gotta love Swish!

"VORP? Not a clue what that is. But if it's good, I'll take it!"

-Nick Swisher

by kaweahkaweah on Jul 10, 2006 2:28 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I don't think I've called these guys failures

<checks comments> I think I just said I was frustrated with all the injuries and the offensive woes. I'm not saying the season is over with, (if I did, it was in the heat of the moment kind of thing) just that if the A's intend to hold onto first place, they kind of need to work some issues out, get a little more consistent, and get some players healthy and keep them that way. That's all.

"I've heard the hangovers are worse." -Zito on high altitude

by Squeaky on Jul 10, 2006 9:53 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Cirquegirl, You are a traitor!

How dare you be so unpatriotic!! I bet you work for Al Qaeda! Im sure youre nothing but a frikin commie! How dare you question our goverment...err..I mean Baseball team.

Sound familiar?

"Who needs a significant other when you've got baseball highlights on ESPN?"

by Amnesiac727 on Jul 10, 2006 10:02 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Why do you hate our freedoms?

"The first night, we were right there," Bradley said. "All we needed was a couple of touchdowns, and we would have had them."

by jeepers on Jul 10, 2006 10:25 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Gzuh?

"I've heard the hangovers are worse." -Zito on high altitude

by Squeaky on Jul 10, 2006 11:50 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

When Is A Slump Permanent?

The A's are last in the AL in runs scored, last in the ML in OPS. Last in batting average. .243! You know, .243 as a team is amazing - I look at Kotsay's .240 average this year and I marvel at how AWFUL he has been all year long. And then I realize ... hey, that's pretty much average for the whole team.

And they have already played 30 games.

No, wait, they've already played 60 games.

Well, actually, they've played 88 games.

88 games is not a streak. 88 games is not a slump. It's more than half a season. That "solid" lineup, listed above, sucks.

The A's have terrific pitching, and they play strong defense. So even with their awful hitting, they may stay competitive. But as a whole it's not a very good club, and certainly the weakest (and absolutely the dullest) club they've had in a long, long time.

by solotar on Jul 10, 2006 10:50 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Preach it

Its not being a bad fan...its called being realistic.

BRING BACK MIGGY!

by sublimeguyjohn on Jul 10, 2006 10:57 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Step away from the edge

The offense is not playing well. But they will.

OPS 2006 Career OPS diff
C 653 last in AL 789 -136
1B 699 last in AL 806 -107
2B 609 last in AL 759 -150
3B 785 6th in AL 846 -61
SS 651 last in AL 757 -106
LF 888 3rd in AL 766 +122
CF 657 last in AL 765 -108
RF 768 last in AL 773 -5
DH 890 4th in AL 995 -105

What this tells me is that our team is playing far below expectations. Outside of Thomas and Kendall, who are on the downside of their careers, the rest of the team should be maintaining or improving. It is reasonable to expect them to end the season close to, or even above, their career avg.

In order to do so we should see some fantastic offense in the weeks ahead. It will be a joy to watch.

by Hang Man on Jul 10, 2006 11:16 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

wow

that is the best piece of tangible good news I've read in months. Splash of reality. If this second half brings these guys back to their averages, even Oaktoon will have to jump back aboard.

by Schinto on Jul 10, 2006 10:40 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

dude i totally agree with you

i was getting really pissed off looking at this site last night after the loss... all the negativity was making me want to cry... LOOK AN YOU MADE A GIRL CRY!! but im over it now.. it was all probably just fustrauation building up inside of everyone and it just happend to all come out at the same time...

When Crosby was asked after the game if the collision was fun, the 26-year-old responded with a wide-eyed "Yeah!"

by TrizzleNizzle510 on Jul 10, 2006 2:03 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

All that frustration buildin up and coming at once

sounds kinda messy.

by Rickeyfan on Jul 10, 2006 2:16 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I couldn't agree more......

The negativity thing has just been sucking. It's okay to be realisitic, but looking at the pages of the same "We're screwed, we suck, fire Macha, Fire Beane, Fire everyone" diaries really wear on me. I think it wears on all of us. I think it's been driven into the freakin' ground. I'm sick of hearing about it. I understand. I get it's being realistic, but it doesn't need to stated again and again in pages and pages of diaries

"You're welcome sweetie." Nick Swisher to me in KC :)

by athleticsgirl24 on Jul 10, 2006 7:53 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

minus the profanity and

verbal whipping of other ANers, I agree completely.

by Apricot on Jul 11, 2006 8:04 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

commentary

Here's my NSFW or kids reaction to that comment (political content):

http://www.whitehouse.org/initiatives/posters/images/cheney-fuck.jpg

by MrIncognito on Jul 11, 2006 9:19 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Let's Go Oakland!!

I am reminded of how fun it is to go to a ball game win or lose and root for your team.

I was at game in 1998 when we were sitting in Sec 122 about row 30 and Eric Chavez turned around to aknowledge my dad when he hollered "Nice catch, kid!"

There were about 3500 people there.

Let's have fun. It's baseball. It is a child's game.

Lighten up, and enjoy the summer. Win or Lose.

2nd favorite team: WHOEVER IS PLAYING THE GIANTS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

by ConcordFanSince1968 on Jul 11, 2006 10:47 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I'm with you, Oaktownin06

This is a fun team and we'll be around all fall.

Proudly celebrating my 20th year as an A's fan.

by bzn5150 on Jul 11, 2006 12:10 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

LETS GO OAK-LAND

BUM BUM BA BA BA

by OaktownIn06 on Jul 11, 2006 2:27 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

No, shame on YOU!

Now we got that out of the way, let's screw this stupid All-Star Game and let's go kick some AL ass. The boys have been playing like a bunch of 10 yr old girls.

It's time to step up.

"The Matt Watson/Chiba Lotte Marines Fan Club"-The Committee is accepting new memberships (please pay in Yen). "Raking" numbers soon to be posted.

by bigelephant on Jul 11, 2006 2:50 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs