Who's our next Scutaro?

He'll come out of retirement and shock the world with his hitting, fielding, and moustache.

Or, maybe Hannahan (and her sisters) will continue his hard hitting ways in pinch-hitting glory and mild day-off infield relief.

Every time he succeeds it's a chance that he could knock Crosby out of the starting line-up!

Out of curiosity: When was the first time you heard the "Marco!" chant?

I think there was a May 2004 game vs. the Yankees when we first started it. New York fans started their own "Lets go Yankees" garbage out in the Right Field bleachers and I told them to "Go Home and Watch it on YES." Thankfully they quit. It was Miller time in more ways than one when Marco came up to bat. Our little clan started it up and we heard a few join us. Just a smattering of schoolyard voices back then, nothing like Game 3 of the ALCS last year.

Good times. Anyway, when was your first Marco chant?

How about Daric Barton?

Instead of another Scutaro, why not just hope for somebody who is actually pretty good at baseball? Scutaro suffered from Luis Sojo disease, and though it did make for a few exciting moments over the years I'd still much rather have a guy who wasn't a below average player.

To hold this lofty position, an erstwhile Marco must not only have many tools, none of them exceptional, but he must also owe his very spot on the 25 man roster to a freak combination of circumstances.  The Marco twitches incessantly throughout February and March, ready for the tap on the shoulder and the bus ticket to  Sacramento.  Only through his versatility, others' injuries, and an oddball assortment of early season matchups does the Marco even break camp with the big club.  And then the Marco strikes, parlaying fluke playing time into one early moment so memorable that it makes one forget the other 15 ABs which made up the rest of his .063 start.  But oh, what a hit it was!

I'm thinking Japan and the balky backs left at home will create the chance for the Marco.  Javier Herrera perhaps?

There's a whole HEAP of guys out there with a career OPS+ of 86, so...

An outfielder can become a spark plug and that kid had heart too.

Jeff Gray.  Not based on any special knowledge or evidence.

A few days ago I'd never even heard of him. He's a 27-year-old AAA relief pitcher whom no one seems to be touting at all, but he's on the 40-man roster.  Maybe there are some injuries and he gets brought to Oakland for lack of any better ideas, and then by some fluke he turns into super-closer.

Hey, it could happen.

He has to make the roster, and when Harden goes down with Street and Duke to follow, and then Gaudin's recovery is slower than anticipated, before you know it Rodriguez is in the starting rotation, coming in out of the bullpen to save his own win in the 9th inning. And his HR provides the game's only run in a 1-0 victory, made possible by his outstanding diving catch in the SS hole. Yes, he's also at SS by this point.

nobody