Why is this a hollow win for me?

by eshock on Jul 7, 2006 12:05 AM PDT Comment 25 comments

I'm not being cynical above, but I expected the Walk Off HR on 3-0. He took one in his 2nd AB I believe. But after his deep fly in the 1st, I could feel his anger coming through my TV set as he stormed up to the clubhouse to review tape as Glenn surmized. I'm thinking, "Frank thinks he should be at 25, but for this park." But then, he realizes that everyone else is hitting them out, and I feel he's thinking, "Damn, I need to get in on this tonight." I don't begrudge him one bit as Kenny and Paul did back in Chicago. I think that when Frank and Billy met in Texas during Winter Meetings the dialogue went something like this...

Frank: Stats motivate me. Is that cool with you?

Billy: Dude, I'm all about stats. We need power, we just can't afford it.

Frank: Post-Steroid era... 500 HR is what it takes for a 1B/DH. Don't get me wrong, I love to win, it was great to be a part of that last year, but I'm hoping to accomplish both.

Billy: What can we do to help?

So, for a truly un-selfish, under-market contract, we have a guy pursuing an individual goal. I'm glad he's doing it here and not Arlington. While most of our offensive performance will fluctuate greatly, we are now realizing what having a future HOF power hitter means to the lineup.

19HR/206AB. You don't have to pay salb's tuition to marvel at better than a 1:11 ratio. But, back to the hollow feeling. I didn't jump for joy when he hit the HR, I expected it. And, I think that is the best news for us A's fans. We played to win tonight. We're growing up. AN has been frustrated over our lack of production with this roster because we had such high expectations this Spring. Tonight's game had all the elements to prove that we are ready to expect great things from this team in 2006. Of course, we were all high on the GS Warriors last preseason too.

In summary, Frank actually expects to hit a HR every AB. And, I expect to win games like this. I expect this team to defeat the two Sox clubs come October. Hell, even our fans are worth 2 RBI. That's way better than a chair in the noggin.

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So why _is_ this a hollow win for you?

by rubin sierra on Jul 7, 2006 1:41 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Matter of expectations

He expected it.

Hopefully he expects losses too, because I don't see how someone with such high expectations doesn't flush themselves down the toilet after every loss. At a Thai restaurant.

by znk916 on Jul 7, 2006 1:48 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

You "expected" a walk off HR

on a 3-0 pitch?

Hahahahaha...Ok.

Bring back Hammer.

by OaktownPower on Jul 7, 2006 1:46 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

You cover my tuition?

I didn't know you were the federal government.

Can intangibles exist? Only the ones you can touch.

by salb918 on Jul 7, 2006 7:14 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

This is a hollow diary for me,

because I expected it.

I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal

by Nico on Jul 7, 2006 8:41 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

That was a hollow comment for me.

"I think some mental has creeped in there." ~ Ron Washington

by Poppy on Jul 7, 2006 8:49 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

What if it had been a surprise?

Or if you had thought I made comments for their own sake, not because Blez pays me 12 cents per comment?

I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal

by Nico on Jul 7, 2006 8:56 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Wait... you get 12 cents a comment?!

Hey, Blez! Remember you saying I was just about ready for Front Page Assignment? Dude! I'm so ready! I'm hitting them outta the park, man! Bring me up. Yeah, we can talk about that signing bonus after while.

Really?! I can? Yeah, baby! Gonna prove them all wrong. I can do do this! Alrighty! Ready for my first front page post.

Ow. Damn. Pulled an oblique. Crud....

I wanna Californiagirl bobblehead!

by marklodi on Jul 7, 2006 3:09 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

If these are the comments

My point is obscured by the title, I guess. Sorry for trying something original. Now, back to regularly scheduled AN banter.

"If you think there's a solution, you're part of the problem." -George Carlin

by eshock on Jul 7, 2006 9:23 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Title aside, I think your point

is that you feel Frank Thomas signed mostly to further individual goals. I certainly don't agree with that. I'm sorry if your belief that he's a selfish prima-donna soured a great win for the A's--personally, I enjoyed the walk-off greatly.

I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal

by Nico on Jul 7, 2006 9:32 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I enjoyed it too.

I'm sure FT is motivated by personal goals. It doesn't bother me. Athletes need something to get them out of bed every morning and go to work, just like I do. I happen to think he also cares about getting another World Series ring, but whether he does or not I don't care as long as he gets his job done.

FT is on the team because his skills and goals matched the A's needs. BB wanted somebody who would hit home runs. FT does that. So they made a deal. It has worked out very nicely. Last night was a particularly sweet payoff.

by matthias on Jul 7, 2006 9:45 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

That's the ticket

Kenny Williams went ballistic on Frank. Why? This whole deal is Moneyball 2.0 I heard that Frank sought out Billy in Texas to find out if he practiced what Michael Lewis preached. After the meeting, Billy came home. The storyline is poetic. Conventional Wisdom be damned. Oh yeah, wouldn't most ballclubs want their hitter to make contact in that situation, not swing for the fences??

"If you think there's a solution, you're part of the problem." -George Carlin

by eshock on Jul 7, 2006 9:52 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

cw

Uh ... tie game, bottom 9, man on first, two outs -- it takes at minimum a double (in 1 PA) or two singles (in 2 PA) to get that winning run home. Frank ... is among the top tier of power hitters in the history of the game.

You name me a team that would be counselling Frank Thomas to "make contact" in that situation.

He's an intelligent man to talk to, but he smells like rat urine @('.')@

by monkeyball on Jul 7, 2006 10:09 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Ozzie Guillen

berates Thome, Konerko and Dye every time they hit a homerun .... it's true.

Another project of Devo's

by devo on Jul 7, 2006 10:10 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Swisher on 1st

oops, memory did not serve.

"If you think there's a solution, you're part of the problem." -George Carlin

by eshock on Jul 7, 2006 10:13 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

make contact/swing for the fences ...

For the Big Hurt, there is no difference. If he makes solid contact it goes out, period. He's not swinging for the fences, he's just swinging.

Another project of Devo's

by devo on Jul 7, 2006 10:09 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I didn't express myself clearly

Its a symbiotic relationship, much as in nature. That's the interesting wrinkle in this drama. Why didn't I jump for joy like I did when Kielty or Scutaro have done the same for us the past two seasons? I wanted to explore the complexities of the mature "deal" I believe was struck by Billy and Frank. And, how we fans, amidst all this hyper-negativity and panic over the last week, may realize that we belong in the post season. This is something A's fans have not felt for over a decade, right? We're not an excuse me, take the baseball world by surprise team anymore. We are not going to let nerves or mental errors piss away our post season this year. We are a complete team that can finally do it without smoke and mirrors. I want to be friends with you Nico; you challenged me to write an interesting diary. Can't fault me for trying.

"If you think there's a solution, you're part of the problem." -George Carlin

by eshock on Jul 7, 2006 9:46 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

A complete team?

Wow, you think so? I dont see that right now at all. Without Harden and maybe a big bat, I dont see us as complete at all. Now that doesnt mean the playoffs and a run there isnt possible. But I cant imagine anyone thinking this team is complete right now...hell, flip through the order and look at that production...the O is far from "complete". Doesnt make the wins any less fun though.

Bring back Hammer.

by OaktownPower on Jul 7, 2006 9:55 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Aww...olive branch returned--

Sorry, eshock, sometimes my sardonic "wit" (notice the carefully included quotation marks) gets the best of me.

But maybe, by accident, you got a point I was trying to make in the earlier thread. Isn't it obnoxious to try to write the best thing you can, only to have it picked apart by every Monday-morning quarterback who is just waiting to point out every misplaced comma?

Sorry, though, for participating in it--mea culpa for that!

I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal

by Nico on Jul 7, 2006 3:20 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I resent that

I'm a monkey-morning quarterback.

He's an intelligent man to talk to, but he smells like rat urine @('.')@

by monkeyball on Jul 7, 2006 4:14 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Give me 25 cents and drop dead,

and soon you'll get a Monkey mourning quarter back.

I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal

by Nico on Jul 7, 2006 4:52 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Really Nico?

Because I thought that you should have titled your post Looking for #5 and not Looking out for number 5. <g>

by IM4Oakgal on Jul 7, 2006 5:05 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

But then it wouldn't have had

the "looking out for #1" reference-symmetry. Though frankly, in neighborhoods frequented by dogs it makes more sense to look out for #2.

I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal

by Nico on Jul 7, 2006 6:05 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs