Marco Scutaro Traded

by baseballgirl on Nov 18, 2007 1:40 PM PST in News

The diary discussion is here:

http://www.athleticsnation.com/story...

But I would like to leave you with this:

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tear

THIS MAKE ME SO SAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!

by gotgreen on Nov 18, 2007 1:31 PM PST 0 recs

I can't say that I'm surprised...

...but I am definitely NOT happy about it.

by UncleLeo on Nov 18, 2007 1:47 PM PST 0 recs

The game started at one, and I was there with my best friend. It was overcast and gloomy, but we were all feeling a win. We downed Coronas in the parking lot and headed in. Right away, you could feel the difference between that day and year’s past. It was our day, our time.

In the first inning, I got the first of two premonitions. The Twins had first and second with only one out, when I envisioned a ground ball to Chavez. Sure enough, the next pitch was hit his way, and Chavy turned it into a 5-4-3 double play.
In the bottom of the second, I got another one. Again it involved Chavez, and the much-maligned slugger made it come true with a rope into the right-field seats for a 1-0 lead. Scutaro, who was unbelievable in this series, doubled home Payton for our second run of the inning. In the third, Kotsay reached on an error and scored on Bradley’s two-run homer. That made it 4-0, and the beer kept on flowing. I had been through too much and had waited too damn long for this day to come, and I was going to enjoy it. The Twins cut it to 4-2, but in the bottom of the seventh, our Venezuelan shortstop turned out the lights.

With two outs and no men on, Big Hurt was intentionally walked. Then Chavez walked, and Payton reached first on an error to load the bases. After Swisher walked to "drive" in Thomas, Scutaro stepped up to the plate. With more than 35,000 fans screaming "Marco! Scutaro!" over and over, Marco Scutaro gave A’s fans one last thrill in a season full of them. His ringing double down the right-field line drove home all three base runners, and I celebrated the 8-2 lead with a bear hug that nearly knocked over my best friend of more than twenty-five years. We have seen hundreds of games together, but that moment right there may have topped them all. Scutaro himself got caught up in it, squatting down near second base as if to say, "What have I done?" What he had done was something that the Big Three, or Giambi, or Miggy could not do. He had gotten us past the first round, and I’ll never forget the way we chanted his name or how he came through for us.

"Baseball- like movies, newspapers, and magazines- has fallen into the hands of rich, vulgar people who neither love or understand it." - Hal Crowther

by 67MARQUEZ on Nov 18, 2007 1:50 PM PST 0 recs

Great Recollection of the Events.

It's eerie how similar your experience of that day was to mine. Everything you seemed to do and feel that day (except for the Coronas...they were Sierra Nevadas in my case) was exactly how I remember it happening to me. What a great day!

That's definitely the best A's-related memory for me so far in my young life.

by Taj Adib on Nov 18, 2007 3:03 PM PST up 0 recs

I was in left field bleachers

when Marco got that hit and knocked in those runs, that's when I knew the A's were going to make it past the first round -- what a feeling!

Gracias, Marco, te voy a hacer falta...

by OaklandSi on Nov 18, 2007 5:33 PM PST up 0 recs

I was there,too!

Magic Marco, you will be missed....

by luvsmrZ on Nov 18, 2007 9:02 PM PST up 0 recs

We'll Miss Our VMC...

We were there this year when he hit the home run off Rivera, and there last year when he hit the bases-clearing double off the Twins.

Some more Marco:

A's Scutaro Hits Walk-Off To Doom Angels
http://www.louisgray.com/live/2006/0...

Marco, Marco, Marco
http://www.louisgray.com/live/2006/0...

A's Deliver a Day Of Celebration
http://www.louisgray.com/live/2006/1...

More than just ANtics: http://www.louisgray.com/live/

by louismg on Nov 18, 2007 2:44 PM PST 0 recs

I know it's a business...

but this one hurts. Scutaro was the epitome of a class guy. I hope he gets everything he wants out of baseball with this move. It's going to suck not seeing him in an A's uniform.

"You may glory in a team triumphant, but you fall in love with a team in defeat."--The Boys of Summer

by alox on Nov 18, 2007 2:45 PM PST 0 recs

I hear you

He wasn't the best player--or anywhere close to being the best player--but damn, I sure loved watching him play.

I love you, k^2. -Poppy*

by kaweahkaweah on Nov 18, 2007 8:40 PM PST up 0 recs

This Sucks!

This really, really sucks! Thank You Scutaro, I was there for game three of the ALDS and replay it on my computer when ever I am feeling blue. You gave me one of the happiest memories of my baseball fan life.

I wont reveal whether I shed a tear or not, but lets just say this is one of the saddest days Ive had in a long long while.

DiNardo: Hey Kurt, do you eat babies? Suzuki: Yes.

by Amnesiac727 on Nov 18, 2007 2:45 PM PST 0 recs

So are we Blue Jays fans now?

I really like Frank Thomas, Matt Stairs and Marco Scutaro. In the AL East, there's no other team to get behind, obviously.

More than just ANtics: http://www.louisgray.com/live/

by louismg on Nov 18, 2007 2:56 PM PST 0 recs

I'm on board.

Though I'm not sure this trade is going to be the tilting the balance much.

by Rocktopus on Nov 18, 2007 4:49 PM PST up 0 recs

Hmm...Yankees...Red Sox...Blue Jays...

Not hard to decide who to root for!

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 Nov 18, 2007 7:10 PM PST up 0 recs

the blue jays and royals:

where a's players go after we're done with them.

A's v Giants "is kind of like the difference between going to see the Ramones and going to see the Bee Gees. A's fans will go see the Ramones." -BB 07/27/05

by xbhaskarx on Nov 18, 2007 3:07 PM PST 0 recs

scutaro had so many game-winning shots

his blast off of rivera on jackie robinson day was truly great, really probably my only classic memory of this season.

under .500 for the next 3 years even more guaranteed now. donnie murphy looks about as exciting as the prospects for new real estate development in fremont.

by notah8er on Nov 18, 2007 3:45 PM PST 0 recs

however the a's do over the next three seasons

good or bad, having or not having scutaro will have absolutely nothing to do with it.

A's v Giants "is kind of like the difference between going to see the Ramones and going to see the Bee Gees. A's fans will go see the Ramones." -BB 07/27/05

by xbhaskarx on Nov 18, 2007 6:22 PM PST up 0 recs

the same could be said for swisher, harden, etc

this team is determined to lose out of spite. losing great players who got us to the alcs like scutaro is just part of that larger pattern.

by notah8er on Nov 18, 2007 10:59 PM PST up 0 recs

okay

i fail to understand the comparison of scutaro and swisher.

i'll now go back to interacting with people who know what the hell they're talking about...

A's v Giants "is kind of like the difference between going to see the Ramones and going to see the Bee Gees. A's fans will go see the Ramones." -BB 07/27/05

by xbhaskarx on Nov 18, 2007 11:27 PM PST up 0 recs

Quote of the day

I'll now go back to interacting with people who know what the hell they're talking about...

I fixed the capitalization, but that's now on my office wall. With your permission, may I use it for a signature?

by Bronx A's Fan on Nov 19, 2007 7:24 AM PST up 0 recs

nice. i'd do it here but i am on thin

enough ice as it is.

count-down to ST.

by ak_A on Nov 19, 2007 8:07 AM PST up 0 recs

Thin ice

Is that due to global warming up in your neighborhood?

"Evidently, a large number of people said, 'We really need more vermin at the ballpark, Artie.'" - Nick, 10/7/07

by doctorK on Nov 19, 2007 9:28 AM PST up 0 recs

I think it has something to do

with my attitude.

count-down to ST.

by ak_A on Nov 19, 2007 7:02 PM PST up 0 recs

Bye, Scooty; thanks for the ride!

by Fungo on Nov 18, 2007 3:45 PM PST 0 recs

This hurts bad

Wasn't it great to see him grin or smile broadly? What sheer kidlike joy Scoot brought to the A's uniform! Maybe he can get his career fully untracked in Toronto. I'm sure glad he can't take away our memories of ALDS 3 and the FoulPole Shot off Rivera. Wow. My wife and I were there for both. These are the moments when time stands still, when you can't even speak the words: "I can't believe I'm here seeing this but I'm here seeing this!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Frankly, Scoot deserves a much better shot than the A's gave him. I envy the Jays fans very much.

Do You Know the Way to East Bay A's?

by FanSinceKC on Nov 18, 2007 4:30 PM PST 0 recs

Aargh

It's "on track". Not "untracked."

As in, the train got back on track after the near-derailing.

Or, the player got back on track after the trade to Toronto.

"Untracked" makes no logical sense. It's like "could care less." Reading either of them makes me want to shove a ballpoint pen through my pupils.

cardinalprecepts.blogspot.com

by PaulThomas on Nov 18, 2007 9:54 PM PST up 0 recs

PUT DOWN THE PEN!

I apologize. You're right. On track. Got it. On track.

Do You Know the Way to East Bay A's?

by FanSinceKC on Nov 19, 2007 4:59 AM PST up 0 recs

I'm gonna miss Marco

But I wish we had either signed him to a several year deal at the league minimum a year or so ago, or traded him at the league deadline last season.

by connie mack on Nov 18, 2007 5:14 PM PST 0 recs

Bummer

for seriously

by jasonh on Nov 18, 2007 5:56 PM PST 0 recs

For anyone hassn't already seen

the DVD "Player to be Named Later", you need to go out and buy it / rent it now. You'll love Marco even more after watching it. I miss him already.

Fremont is more than just a parking lot!

by Midori1967 on Nov 18, 2007 6:27 PM PST 0 recs

This is one of the saddest days I've had...

For me, the A's record has never been what captured my imagination. It was the heart with which they played. And Scoot was the epitome of that heart. Whenever I'd run into fans of other teams, and they ask me why the A's? Usually I end up talking about a certain second baseman who came back from a horrendous injury, and the magical utility infielder who defined clutch play.

I remember when the A's came to Coors Field last year, and in a scene more reminiscent of the game which spawned it, calling out "Marco!" and hearing a single cheerful reply of "SCUTARO!" from somewhere down the third base line. Oddly one of my favorite baseball memories.

I feel like we've traded a bit of our heart for an arm. Maybe we have.

<sigh>

Vaya con dios Marco.

"Good hunting weather" - Todd Helton

by 510inDenver on Nov 18, 2007 7:14 PM PST 0 recs

I'll miss you Marco

But on the brightside. The 2.5 mil you get from the Blue Jays would be like $2.7m US thanks to exchange rates.

by buddahead9 on Nov 18, 2007 7:53 PM PST 0 recs

Tired of Beane Doing Favors

Is it just me or does Beane seem to be doing every other GM a favor when he slides one of our players over to them? Correct me if I am wrong, but the last trade we did with the Blue Jays involved Ted Lilly. That didn't work out so well.
Marco deserves every kind word said about him. It's too bad you can't match Marco's heart & mental toughness with the physical attributes of our current starting shortstop.
I coached a kid named Marco on a minors little league team. He reminded me of why I like to coach. He hustled around & never quit. He would look a little startled, every time I would yell out Marco. My son would finish with Scutaro. We would both laugh out loud, but the poor kid never knew what for. Marco, Thanks for the Memories.

What Bobby Crosby said after getting hit by a pitch on the head. "They took an x-ray & didn't find nuttin".

by alpine26 on Nov 18, 2007 8:11 PM PST 0 recs

Actually, the last trade Beane did

with the Blue Jays involved Chad Gaudin and has worked out very well for the A's.

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 Nov 18, 2007 8:30 PM PST up 0 recs

I Stand Corrected,

Thanks Nico. I also need to stop being so harsh on Crosby. For all I know, he could be everything but the Tinman. Why is it, that players develop reputations concerning any facet of their game that may or may not be true? Fans seize upon this reputation & make assumptions. Crosby is easy to pick on. We all know Marco was a true gamer.

by alpine26 on Nov 18, 2007 8:42 PM PST up 0 recs

A true gamer with a .704 career OPS

Look, I liked Scutaro. Super nice guy, had a few big hits that were really memorable... I was leading the "Marco" chant after the bases clearing double.

The simple fact is he's nothing special at the plate and his defense isn't anything to write home about either. He's a very, very replaceable player that would have been costing more than Murphy and Hannahan combined - several times over.

It was the right move to make. I had actually half expected him to be nontendered, so to me getting a couple low level guys back for him isn't a bad deal at all.

by mikev on Nov 18, 2007 8:50 PM PST up 0 recs

Point / Counterpoint

mikev: Points well taken. My point is Scoot was consistent in maintaining a high 690's to low to mid 700's OPS over the past 3 years. He was a proven commodity. Maybe not a valuable commodity, but a consistent commodity none the less. You could plug Marco in. He had intangibles that help define & makeup a team.
Beane obviously didn't want to pay 2.5 Million for a proven, average utility player. You can use Hanrahan & Murphy for the league minimum & everyone will be saying Marco who? I understand this. What I am surprised at, is Beane not asking for a dozen baseballs. The two players he got appear to be bottom feeders.

The bottom line is the end of the year 2007 A's Payroll is currently sitting at appx. 36 Million, sans expected salary increases & Arby eligible players. Compare that to the beginning 2007 payroll which was 79 Million. Will the 2008 A's payroll reach 50 Million?
The A's are definitely in a salary dump.
How could I forget the 12/06/2005 trade which brought us Chad Gaudin. Definitely a big, heaping favor served to us on a silver platter.

by alpine26 on Nov 18, 2007 9:46 PM PST up 0 recs

the phrase is 'systematically dismantled'

another phrase that comes to mind is 'loss leader'. and what happens to loss leaders when the product they are 'leading' for (new housing, in this case) suddenly becomes a bad business?

by notah8er on Nov 18, 2007 11:02 PM PST up 0 recs

Right, systematically dismantled

That's what everyone calls it when you trade away your 3rd-string infielder and... um... uh... let your #15 pitcher get claimed on waivers.

cardinalprecepts.blogspot.com

by PaulThomas on Nov 19, 2007 9:20 AM PST up 0 recs

he didn't say it was an efficient system ...

The administration will punish those who have broken the rules. @('.')@

by monkeyball on Nov 19, 2007 9:51 AM PST up 0 recs

Now hang on, hang on, let's not

go overboard here, alpine26 - you do need ot keep being so harsh on Crosby!

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 Nov 18, 2007 9:10 PM PST up 0 recs

I concur

by Scooter on Nov 18, 2007 9:14 PM PST up 0 recs

Gaudin for Majewski

I'm pretty sure that worked out in our favor.

by mikev on Nov 18, 2007 8:44 PM PST up 0 recs

I'm speechless number 19

My favorite player is gone. The one who gave me the greatest moments of victory, the one who made it possible not to miss useless Crosby. Scoot will always be one of my favorite all-time A's. I'll never forget the playoffs and the defeat of the yankees on a beautiful Sunday afternoon.

Thanks Scoot for all of those glorious moments when so many of us left the game chanting your name. Number 19 is retired in my book.

by Scooter on Nov 18, 2007 9:00 PM PST 0 recs

Marco Scutaro

Marco..... Scutaro
Marco..... Scutaro
Marco..... Scutaro

I can still hear us after one of his clutch at bats

by Scooter on Nov 18, 2007 9:04 PM PST 0 recs

I wish him well

I agree, he was (statistically speaking) no great shakes, but he's something special all the same.

by Ray of Lite on Nov 18, 2007 10:56 PM PST 0 recs

Thank you, Marco.

You helped make a lot of people happy.

Just read the post-game thread.

Rhesus Peanut Butter Cup

by Ice Cream on Nov 18, 2007 11:03 PM PST 0 recs

Thanks Marco!

count-down to ST.

by ak_A on Nov 19, 2007 8:05 AM PST 0 recs

blue jay fans not happy

Over in BJ land the feeling there is they gave up to much for a back up. Isn't it funny how A's fans say they didn't get enough. Of the 2 minor leaguers 1 has good stats the other not so good but they do throw in the 90s. this is another 1 of those deals that will take 3 years to see who comes out on top. Hopefully it will be like the texas trade when we traded them a 2b fogot the mname for Justin Ducherer. I do predict that scutaro will be their starting ss by mid season.

by Arcman on Nov 19, 2007 8:12 AM PST 0 recs

I like Marco AND this was the right thing 2 do.

As A's fans, we have to accept that our guys become too expensive. Marco was a great deal for us, he improved our team and his future, and now it's time. It's supposed to twinge your heart a little -- that's part of the passion of fandom, esp. ours.

Beane does not do favors for competitors.

The meaning of life is not so much 'found,' as it is 'made.' --Opus

by The Dogfather on Nov 19, 2007 9:13 AM PST 0 recs

Can't find my favorite Marco pic --

-- the one where he's in a crouch, with both hands up and out, so this one will just have to do:

The meaning of life is not so much 'found,' as it is 'made.' --Opus

by The Dogfather on Nov 19, 2007 9:20 AM PST 0 recs

like saying farewell to a Dodge Dart

We bought the car used for pennies on the dollar. When we bought it, we knew about the slight oil leak, the slight wet-dog smell in the back seat, the inefficient mileage, and lack of power in the drivetrain, and the fact that it was manufactured before mandatory lap belts. But it was a solid, reliable little beater, it had the smoothest clutch we've ever driven, and it was the car in which we drove our wife to the hospital for the delivery of our first two kids. We had some great moment in that car (including scoring with my wife before she became my wife ... and after). It was never our primary vehicle, but the expensive late models we bought kept breaking down, and it was always there.

But when it got too expensive to maintain, we took our cousin up on his offer to swap it for a couple of "project cars," which, though they don't run right now, we could fix up on the cheap and ultimately have two functioning vehicles for less operational cost than the one.

The administration will punish those who have broken the rules. @('.')@

by monkeyball on Nov 19, 2007 10:01 AM PST 0 recs

that's a good description of scutaro:

solid, reliable little beater with a smooth clutch.

A's v Giants "is kind of like the difference between going to see the Ramones and going to see the Bee Gees. A's fans will go see the Ramones." -BB 07/27/05

by xbhaskarx on Nov 19, 2007 10:52 AM PST up 0 recs

Cold Hard Reality Camp vs. Sentimental Defenders

Monkeyball,
Your analogy is appreciated by the Scoot sentimentalists. There seems to be a great divide between the Sentimentalists & the corporate type Gordon Gekko's who inhabit this great blog. I realize Scoot was only a utility player & an average one at that. I did appreciate Scoot's past contributions to the A's. As you stated, Scoot's time is over & it's time to move on.
We have already jettisoned over 20% of our 2007 roster. I just hope Beane's Roster tinkering works out for the long haul. We obviously have the payroll flexibility.

by alpine26 on Nov 19, 2007 11:36 AM PST up 0 recs