Bring out the (mini) brooms!
by baseballgirl on Apr 18, 2007 2:58 PM PDT
in News
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PrintWell, it was awfully considerate of Vlad and Howie Kendrick to watch the game from Los Angeles, instead of being in the lineup. Even with our missing Milton Bradley, I think that still worked out to our advantage. From a throwaway line by one of our announcers, it seems as if Bradley could indeed play in Texas on Friday, and I imagine the eternal A’s question: ‘To DL or not to DL?’ will be answered right about then.
It must be said: I continue to be simply amazed at the A’s pitching. Haren was ridiculously good today, even against a ‘less-than’ Angels’ offense, racking up a pitching line of 7.0, 4 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 SO, while lowering his ERA to 1.44. That’s ace stuff, right there. Duchscherer and Street closed the game out with no drama, which is just how we like wins; when they are never in question.
The Angels did help us out a bit, mostly by continuing to be terrible at base-running; this is nothing new. I don’t think I have ever seen a team (with the possible exception of an especially Ozzie-rific White Sox game) that is so consistently awful on the bases. The Angels get runners thrown out at second all the time, runners thrown out at third for the first and third out, and their-third-base-coach-with-the-best-name-in-baseball certainly helps the other team’s ‘outfield assists/throwing runners out at home’ category. Couple that with the Angels’ error column from last year, and they sure seem to give away a lot of outs. I’m all for our new approach to running, and stealing the occasional base, but I can do without patented ‘Angels Baseball’.
The pitching lines have really been the story lately; it wasn’t like our offense was anything special today, but they did rack up 8 hits, with Stewart and Chavez delivering three runs’ worth of RBIs in two different innings! I am a wee bit concerned about Swisher, though. Even against a good pitcher, he did not look good at the plate today, but then again, neither did Piazza or Crosby.
In other A’s news, Rich Harden is officially missing his start this weekend, and the soonest he will take the mound is Tuesday. His MRI came back negative, which is obviously good news; yet still a little concerning, since we really don’t know what is wrong. I hate to be pessimistic about Harden, but we’ve been trained well by this pattern in the past. First Harden misses one start due to what sounds like an innocuous injury, and that’s the last we see of him until September. Of course, without being preconditioned to the worst, the news sounds positive, although I’m sure that the A’s medical staff is probably just taking the ‘wait-and-see’ approach with this injury. The bad news is that Harden is already set to miss a start, and I don’t think I’ll feel much better until he actually is one the mound, pitching without pain.
The A’s have an off-day tomorrow as they head into Texas for a three-game series this weekend. Survey says: They should score some runs against Texas pitching.
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I still hope bradley can play friday
.. don't want to see him on the DL ...
by Randy Bell on Apr 18, 2007 2:59 PM PDT reply actions
if the cold weather has been a factor...
in the anemic offense, then that factor should reverse in the texas. it's 70/80's there, so that excuse will be gone.
swisher told buan (last tuesday, not yesterday) that he's a little lost at the plate right now. not sure if he meant left handed or right handed, but he did look a little lost left handed today.
crosby - good to have the regular guy back.
I can get Sac Radio 1140 KDHK on
my commute to work in Palo Alto. Swisher was on the 'Rise Guys' show this morning and admitted to being a bit off. I'll take it if he's going to put up that OBP.
He also stated that '[he] really doesn't do the news." I love it.
by SwisherSweet33 on Apr 18, 2007 4:02 PM PDT up reply actions
rangers might score some too
blanton
kennedy
gaudin
that's who's pitching right?
by J Rod @ Athletics Nation on Apr 18, 2007 3:02 PM PDT reply actions
Yep.
And...Yep.
by baseballgirl on Apr 18, 2007 3:07 PM PDT up reply actions
May I request a standings update?
Sure
<hollers>
LOUIS!!!!!!
by baseballgirl on Apr 18, 2007 3:10 PM PDT up reply actions
Ouch. My freakin' ears!
I've been in San Diego and unconnected all week. I read your request via Blackberry while standing in line after the latest trade show du jour. I got it, I got it. Wait for the M's game to be over, and we'll update.
In the meantime
Seattle 5-4
Oakland 8-7
Texas 6-7
LA Angels 6-9
It still hard to believe Seattle's only played 9 games so far...(10th tonight vs. Minnesota).
by FormerHuntsvilleStar on Apr 18, 2007 3:11 PM PDT up reply actions
emendation
The Lose Angeles Angels of Last Place
However....
Blanton vs McCarthy (7.07 ERA)
Kennedy vs Loe (5.40 ERA)
Gaudin vs Tejeda (3.32 ERA)
I like our chances, especially Fri and Sun.
Those coming to the game, I'll be in sec 3, row 7 on Fri nite and sec 50 row 2 on Sunday.
Go A's!!!!!!!!!!!
The Weekend
I'll be in Section 44 row 8 seat 22- Fri
44 row 8 seat 16- Sat
44 row 1 seat 15- Sun
I'll wave in your general direction. :)
Here's the AP writeup / recap
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/recap;_y...
by Randy Bell on Apr 18, 2007 3:09 PM PDT reply actions
Yankees pitching is just what our offense needed.
Hopefully they can ride this hot streak for a little while.
First post of the new season
by Athletics Fan In London on Apr 18, 2007 3:15 PM PDT reply actions
The (rear)end result
pun intended. Damn my slow shutter speed!
by luvsthecurveball on Apr 18, 2007 10:14 PM PDT up reply actions
This three game set in Texas
is where we need to see if our offense can hit mediocre/bad pitching or if we are going to struggle against all pitching.
McCarthy, Loe and Tejeda are not exactly world-beaters and we miss both of the Texas "aces" in Millwood and Padilla.
We really, really need to score some runs this series to get the offense some confidence and let AN find a new more positive topic of discussion (i.e. Wow, maybe our offense is not so bad after all!)
To paraphrase my good friend Count von Count:
Pitching is wonderful,
Pitching is marvelous,
Pitching's the best thing to do.
Pitching is happiness,
Pitching is ecstasy,
I love to pitch, don't you?
---
Still...crossing my fingers on Harden. But geesh, it's hard to be too optimistic.
by FormerHuntsvilleStar on Apr 18, 2007 3:18 PM PDT reply actions
The Harden thing
has me holding my breath every time he throws a pitch. The Fragile Canadian.
It's nice to have Chavez hitting pretty well through the start of the year. Let's just hope he doesn't suddenly become fragile.
by Tyler Bleszinski on Apr 18, 2007 3:21 PM PDT up reply actions
I am a horrible fan.
This is the second time this season that I've come to AN in the late afternoon, after classes, only to find that the day's game has already happened. And what's with this whole 2-game series thing? Wacky schedule makers.
Hey they won when you were gone today!
Hmmmmm... ;-)
by baseballgirl on Apr 18, 2007 3:21 PM PDT up reply actions
I can take a hint.
[schedules meetings during all future A's games]
by whiteshoes40 on Apr 18, 2007 3:26 PM PDT up reply actions
I'm sorry, but as melodic as Dino Ebel is
He doesn't even win the "best name for a 3rd base coach in the AL" award.
By unanimous acclimation, that prize goes to the White Sox' Razor Shines.
by FreeSeatUpgrade on Apr 18, 2007 3:20 PM PDT reply actions
Dino Ebel is SO great...
...you can call him SeeNoEvil and everything!
Razor Shines? Sounds like a porn star.
Hey....
by baseballgirl on Apr 18, 2007 3:21 PM PDT up reply actions
You make a good point
Though I see "Razor Shines" more as the name of a blues harmonic virtuoso who learned his stuff while pulling an 8 year stretch in Joliet for slashing the face of his wife's lover.
But there is truly fertile ground in the Dino Ebel universe:
For the punsters, invoking Dino's brothers HearNo and SpeakNo.
Or when bizarro-world Halos Heaven (the erudite one) realizes this base running is killing them, and they cry out "Deliver us from Ebel!"
Or gnash teeth about "the Ebel that men do."
This gets kinda fun.
by FreeSeatUpgrade on Apr 18, 2007 5:44 PM PDT up reply actions
When he waves runners home
his arm spins on the axis of Ebel.
Thus justifying an invasion of Anaheim
to overthrow the dictator and change his Ebel ways.
by FreeSeatUpgrade on Apr 18, 2007 7:06 PM PDT up reply actions
But if that happens there will be ..
.. Quick Success that brings a surge of popularity for Beane in Oaktown, followed by a precipitous fall in the polls when the NorCal citizens discover that Anaheim is an ungovernable wasteland driven by fundamentalist baseball terrorists and sectarian strife due to the violent zeal of the religious Monkey Reddite Sect who are reveling in their newfound liberation from their Ebel Oppressor ..
by Randy Bell on Apr 18, 2007 7:13 PM PDT up reply actions
on the other hand ...
... if the Angels sign Carl Everett, he'll run through every sign around third, because Carl doesn't believe in Dinos ...
And those sons-of-a-monkey scientists
who say different are just plain Ebel.
by FreeSeatUpgrade on Apr 18, 2007 6:47 PM PDT up reply actions
What's up with Piazza ?
2 for his last 20, starting with the Yankees series.
by green star oakland on Apr 18, 2007 3:22 PM PDT reply actions
He's a Stochastic Process who ...
.. will reach his equilibrium over time .. {g} ..
by Randy Bell on Apr 18, 2007 3:36 PM PDT up reply actions
Randy Bell
breakin' out the big brain...
Even after I Wiki'd "Stochastic Process", I still didn't understand it.
by fridaynightfan on Apr 18, 2007 5:24 PM PDT up reply actions
Vibrational node problem...
Aren't you supposed to say
"New AN can kiss my vibrational node."
It was intended as humor - suggesting that ..
Hitting is a statistical process, which if observed over too small an interval will probably appear completely random - so you have to get a large sample size in order to make any sense out of it. Piazza is hitting in a new league, with a new role (DH), and still trying to find his stride or statistical equilibrium. Let's hope such an equilibrium will end up with, oh, 30+ dingers and 100+ RBIs - hehe - that might be too optimistic but we'll see. Hoping for a big year out of The StairMaster! :)
by Randy Bell on Apr 18, 2007 6:04 PM PDT up reply actions
Moderate win
I felt we held our own against Lackey as he usually shuts the A's down and the runs scored today were just enough. Hopefully Bradley returns soon and puts up some numbers, cheers.
I don't want to watch the Rangers Games...
I spend all game yelling at the TV, "Hey Wash! WTF are you doing? Get over by Third Base!"
=(
I don't want to watch it
because Kennedy is pitching.
by Tyler Bleszinski on Apr 18, 2007 3:38 PM PDT up reply actions
Where's your faith blez? j/k
by Randy Bell on Apr 18, 2007 3:39 PM PDT up reply actions
Always a treat to go lurk in HaloHeaven...
...after a game/series like this. They started the day with "Let it Be".
They should end it with "Let it Bleed"--you know,
--All My Swings in Vain
--Gimme Shelter
--You Can't Always Hit What You Want
--title tune (We All Need, Someone, We Can Score-on)
but not
--Rally Monkey Man
definitely some funny reading...
I almost spit water all over my keyboard when I read this rant...
http://www.halosheaven.com/comments/...
man they are some bitter bitter people
they have an "I hate the F@@*^@ A's" diary. Good reading ... http://www.halosheaven.com/story/200...
by rolliedigits on Apr 18, 2007 4:43 PM PDT up reply actions
Ha.
In that poll of most hated teams, the A's are currently fourth, behind the dreaded "Other."
Strange they seem to think that ..
.. Gaudin hit Howie Kendrick on purpose .. anyone watching Gaudin should know that his ball moves all over the place - it wasn't intentional .. I don't think Beckett was throwing at Vlad either - those things happen. ;-(
by Randy Bell on Apr 18, 2007 6:39 PM PDT up reply actions
That's good
I especially like:
"GA is dog shit and is turning into a liability (BTW he is my favorite player)"
and
"Willits is Murphy and vice versa"
Am I the only one who hears the "Hallelujiah
Chorus" when I see pix and read comments like that on HH? Not just music to my ears, but glorious, joyful, thundering choirs of fallen angels writing in torment in one of the lower circles of HHell.
writing while writhing...
A guy I know who's a psychologist
has studied color therapy, and the effect of colors on human psychology.
He told me that red and black are strongly associated with anger and anti-social behavior. They've discovered that prisons with lots of red and black painted on the interiors have more incidents of violence among inmates. Psychologists have also found that patients with sociopathic disorders tend to pick designs with lots of red and black when given a choice.
I think of that whenever I follow one of those Halos Heaven links.
A note on Haren
These are Dan Haren's career pitching splits by month (through 2006):
Dan Haren
APR 3.87
MAY 3.92
JUN 3.70
JUL 4.45
AUG 4.24
SEP 4.07
He is really strong until the weather starts warming up, but has tended to fade a bit in the summer. Maybe this is the year that he becomes a true A's Ace.
by Athletic Supporter on Apr 18, 2007 4:00 PM PDT reply actions
Are you the same "athletic supporter" who calls
in to Buan all the time on 'Extra Innings?' I love that guy's calls.
by SwisherSweet33 on Apr 18, 2007 4:05 PM PDT up reply actions
Not ME
You mean there's another 'Athletic Supporter' out there? Aw shucks!
by Athletic Supporter on Apr 19, 2007 12:52 PM PDT up reply actions
Don't most pitchers weaken in the summer?
{i thought} generally, the pitchers start out ahead of the bats, but the bats catch up to the arms as the season progresses into the dog days of summer and the pitchers begin to tire during the long season. At least that is the way Marty Lurie describes the season - the latter being the part where the "Grinders", as the A's tend to be, kick in ..
by Randy Bell on Apr 18, 2007 4:10 PM PDT up reply actions
Not necessarily
I made a post on my fantasy sports blog Roto Journal listing many of the AL starting pitchers' monthly splits. Scroll down the main page a bit and you can find the post.
I believe May and September were the top months for pitchers doing well. I believe September is a good month for many pitchers because of the minor league callups diluting the hitting talent somewhat.
There were also some guys who performed better in July and August. Take a look...it's pretty interesting.
by Athletic Supporter on Apr 19, 2007 12:56 PM PDT up reply actions
Harden, Haren et al.
I'm going to try something new for me, and be optimistic about this injury. How's this - he really isn't missing a start. Rather his start is just being pushed back to Tuesday.
On an even more positive note, apparently Haren's hip wasn't bothering him much today. And it's nice to see Stewart follow up last night's double with a couple more hits and a walk today.
O.K., I can't really overdo the positiveness in one post, so I feel the need to mention Swisher and Crosby. Swisher, IMO, hasn't looked very good at the plate for a while now. He seems to be back to trying to hit homers every time up, like he was doing last year when Blanton and Macha got on him. I was also hoping to see Crosby turn a page and have two good hitting games in a row. Obviously not.
However, any negatives are most definitely outweighed by sending Lackey home a loser. I hope he enjoys the flight home.
by IndianaAsfan on Apr 18, 2007 4:11 PM PDT reply actions
That's the way I see it until proven otherwise ..
.. no need to jump to {pessimistic} conclusions ..
I'm going to try something new for me, and be optimistic about this injury. How's this - he really isn't missing a start. Rather his start is just being pushed back to Tuesday.
by Randy Bell on Apr 18, 2007 4:16 PM PDT up reply actions
As awesome
as moments like Marco's walk-off are, I am so down with the non-dramatic wins.
Vladdy As MVP
Man, more great pitching from the starters and Chavvy got a two out RISP hit! Rockin'
The game makes the further case that Vladdy has got to be the real A.L. MVP. Look at what happens to that already weak L.A. lineup when he's out of there...
{grin} MVP usually not awarded to last place team
by Randy Bell on Apr 18, 2007 4:18 PM PDT up reply actions
Vladdy as MVP
agree, and i wasn't suggesting that vladdy would actually get the nod. most of the east coast writers are asleep by the time he plays anyway. but when that guy is out of that line-up it's a totally different ball club. he's not a hole he's a cavern.
Yeah - let's hope he doesn't have THAT good of ..
.. a year ... neither he nor the angels ...
by Randy Bell on Apr 18, 2007 5:23 PM PDT up reply actions
East Coast Fan
It sure feels great this afternoon, think how awesome it would be if we could function at the plate. Please help me out, I can't keep up with the
injuries at all, and I know information is scarce even on the home front. I am scared to death to view the lineup each day, and not know why people are sitting out. Is Ellis day to day, or on his death bed after being hit again?
My Guess, without official word, would be ..
Ellis, still tender after getting hit in the back, sat out a day game after a night game - a la bonds. But I don't really know, yet that makes sense. :)
Is Ellis day to day, or on his death bed after being hit again?
by Randy Bell on Apr 18, 2007 4:21 PM PDT up reply actions
Chavy is starting to get it going a little
He is taking some really nice AB's and playing superstar defense
by 3Chavy3 on Apr 18, 2007 4:16 PM PDT reply actions
Swisher in CF
It's not unusual for a player to slump when he has to play a new position, especially one that's a lot more demanding than he's used to, or when he's moved around from position to position. I'd bet that playing CF has made it tougher on Swisher at the plate.
I should say
I know that CF isn't completely new to Swish -- he was drafted as a 1B/CF, IIRC, but he hasn't played there for a long time, so it's still gotta be stressful to have to take over for a long stretch like this.
Hasn't been all that long
that's where he played pretty much full-time in Sac.
by LawDaddy on Apr 18, 2007 7:06 PM PDT up reply actions
Thanks Tony
Now I can shut down the browser.
by fridaynightfan on Apr 18, 2007 5:35 PM PDT up reply actions
back from sec 111
Another quick one, gosh our starters look tasty. What was the game time, like 2:10 or so?? I didn't even have time to get my customary pretzel.
I just pray Rich "stayin' off the DL is" Harden is OK. I ran into some very likable Angels fans (!!!) afterwards and they told me they hate the name and want it changed back to Anaheim.
{{sends healing vibes to MB so he can get a piece of the all-you-can-eat buffet that is Texas' pitching this weekend}}
You didn't miss much
the pretzels seem really stale and hard this year. I bet the starters are much tastier.
by luvsthecurveball on Apr 18, 2007 9:42 PM PDT up reply actions
The Los Angeles Anaheims??!!!
They want it changed back to Anaheim??
There has to be a better name than "Angels of The Angels". How about the "Cypress Surf Dogs"?
by One won lost won on Apr 19, 2007 8:39 PM PDT up reply actions
I don't see the pushing back of Harden
Agreed: Nico hits nail on head again
.. I'd be willing to bet, despite all the pessimists on AN, that's all it is - a prudent, precautionary move ..
by Randy Bell on Apr 18, 2007 7:05 PM PDT up reply actions
If you continue to offer wagers
we're gonna have to put you in touch with FoolshGame22, who has shown a penchant for betting against prudent propositions.
by FreeSeatUpgrade on Apr 18, 2007 7:08 PM PDT up reply actions
Just back from left field bleachers
lots-o-love for GA today from the bleacher creatures.
by LawDaddy on Apr 18, 2007 7:08 PM PDT reply actions
OT - Buerhle just pitched a No-No against Texas
by Randy Bell on Apr 18, 2007 7:17 PM PDT reply actions
Also OT - King Felix leaves with apparent injury
Threw 24 pitches in the 1st, then asked for Hargrove and the trainer to come out and get him. Hard to say what the injury might have been; a groin or leg problem appeared to be the best guess.
Felix....pulled in first inning.
something wrong. don't know what.
re Buehrle and "King Felix":
I'm really bummed if Felix H. is hurt. He's so talented, he's pitching incredibly well, and he's even on a team I happen to like. I hope he's back soon.
Yep, I agree
Watching the game on live TV FSNW and following LLanding, those guys' reactions reminded me of the many times Harden walked off the mound hurt or some other key A's player and how the posts flowed out on AN.
hard to imagine
an A's fan who lived within reach of Fox NW and the blathering Mariners announcers (minus Hendu) not hating the M's. It is kind of fun to watch them now that they're so consistently mediocre.
Been exposed to them
long enough over the years and particular before getting internet in the remote places I lived.. scratchy radio reception of M's games was only live connection to A's when they played them....and of course cable tv when I could get it, covering M's games.
I like the Mariners
hard to argue with Ichiro
Moyer, and Edgar. But the broadcasts are excruciating (perhaps worse than FSN West and Bay Area [Giants] broadcasts, though clearly not as bad as White Sox games). They were especially bad during the "Mojo" era, and the fan base that built up in those years were hard to take. Around here, Seattle-ites are pretty jumped up as it is--tack on a good baseball team...
The one guy who did annoy me
you got a problem
with bat flipping? or steroids?
Neither--it was the
A friend of mine
Whose husband worked with the team, says Bret Boone was the only player on the Ms to do pushups before team photo shoots.
(A silly topic for my first post on AN, but I didn't think I'd ever have a chance to share this again).
Indeed
I lived in that area for a two-and-a-half seasons, and it was pretty miserable. One Mariners announcer, Rick Rizz (sp) is a toupee-wearing stalker who says "good bye baseball" on the rare occasions when they hit one out. He calls Frankie Rodriguez "F-Rod" and doesn't seem to appreciate much about the game other than runs are involved somehow. The color guy is Dave Henderson, a fine illustration that baseball playing and baseball announcing are games with different skill sets.
They have two crews who alternate between radio and TV each game, and the other crew isn't that bad.
As an A's fan, it's hard not to like a team that's been so generous to us over the last few years.
Hendu gone
Blowers in.
The M's broadcast is still pretty bad, but they have a new team this year. It's no longer up there with the ChiSox and Angels on the horribleness scale.
oh he'll be fine
that only happens in Oakland.
And if Harden is out
for a long time, then we have Kennedy, Gaudin, Halsey, Komine etc to fill in. I am SO glad I am not a Mariners fan. Ouch! Felix is out and they have NO OTHER PITCHING! We are so deep! Haren is the Ace, no doubt! Go A's!
by A'sfansince1970 on Apr 18, 2007 10:00 PM PDT reply actions
Granted, when your ace is
On first, looking into Chavez' Homer
Just watched the MLB Highlight videos:
1.) Haren is a nasty, nasty pitcher.
2.) Chavez's hits were highlights because... I forget. Why?
3.) Chavez is an amazing fielder, but at least the rest of the league recognizes that (doom and gloom: this year and next, and that's in, 'cause he'll be worth a metric buttload of money)
4.) Chavez is looking more and more like Tony LaRussa. I'm quite sure that this is NOT a good thing, as he will soon begin to refuse to play with anyone on the field under the age of 32.
5.) First place. Ummm, love the sound of that. I'll have to ask my friends and coworkers if the Yankee's are in first place (my poor little west coast head can't really contemplate). Hmmm, Actually, I think that if the Yank's had managed to take two from us.. they'd be tied with Boston right now. Pity, that, no?
And while we're at it...
With the payroll being as low as it goes, maybe hiring cavemen can help us save 15% in just 20 minutes?
by Bronx A's Fan on Apr 18, 2007 10:43 PM PDT up reply actions
Best Name in Baseball
Dino's got a good name, I'll give you that, but best name in baseball?
It's not even the best name of a third-base coach in baseball!
For that, I vote for the White Sox.
by scoutingbook on Apr 19, 2007 5:30 AM PDT reply actions
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