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Phew <wipes profusely sweating brow>

Oakland_tiny by Blez on in News

Man, wasn't the bullpen supposed to be the unquestioned strength of this team?  Alan Embree surrenders a three-run bomb whereas he was lights out at the beginning of the year.  Huston Street wobbled, but thanks to Melvin Mora bunting for who knows what reason, Street was able to get out of it.

I was most definitely holding my breath at the end when Tejada was there with the bases loaded.  How many times did we see him come through for the A's in that very situation?  But the A's are obviously pretty confident in knowing that they understand how to get Tejada out, despite the fact that Street couldn't walk Miggy or the game would've been tied.

I'm the happiest tonight for Danny Haren (sorry, Putnam), who must've been sweating out the end of that game, wondering if his gem was going to be wasted just like Gaudin's was a night earlier.  And thank goodness that Swisher unloaded on that pitch and wound up with long homers from both sides of the plate.  Am I mistaken, or didn't Swisher do the same exact thing before in Baltimore?  Maybe I'm not remembering it properly, but I could've sworn that's a yard he appears to like.  A lot.  The A's need Swisher to be a quality hitter right now more than ever with all the of injury issues they are dealing with.

Congratulations to Danny Putnam, who collected his first major league hit tonight.  Welcome to the show.

One other note...as I told many of you before the season started, moving to Southern California was going to have its advantages.  I've been able to see every single A's game so far this year, either live or on Tivo.  Last year at this time, I'd probably seen less than half of the A's games.  That is both good and bad.  Good in that I feel a lot more in touch with my favorite team than ever.  Bad because I have often had to listen to the worst announcers in baseball.  I've been subjected to the Angels guys six times already.  The White Sox guys three times and the Yankees' Michael Kay twice.  But it has also been a pleasure to hear TV teams like the Rangers ones and the Orioles ones (Gary Thorne is a class act and one of the all-time best hockey announcers as well).  Not all of the announcers are idiots who utter things like, "You know, Hud (Angels announcer Rex Hudler), Vlad Guerrero is like the Angels' A-Rod."  Uh, what exactly was Steve Physioc trying to say with that?  Was it just that Vlad is the Angels best player?  Um, the sky is also blue, dude.

Any way, it's nice to get a win for Haren so he won't have to hear anything about "wearing it" in the clubhouse tonight...

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happy for both Danny boys

especially Haren. Held down a strong O's lineup
through 7. He's the ace on our staff.

by oak1 on Apr 23, 2007 7:34 PM PDT   0 recs

Hawk Harrelson, Rex Hudler - you've suffered!

.. poor guy! ...

.. the Athletics may be small-market but they have BIG-heart! ..

by Randy Bell on Apr 23, 2007 7:34 PM PDT   0 recs

Hawk was in Boston...

...privately annoying people.

The public annoyance was being served up by rock musician and sometime pitcher Black Jack McDowell.

"There is one word in America that says it all, and that one word is, 'You never know.'"--Joaquin Andujar

by GreenNGoldSooner on Apr 23, 2007 7:38 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

meanwhile gay-rod continues to hit

non-game-winning home runs.  not a true yankee!

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 Apr 23, 2007 7:35 PM PDT   0 recs

It's his porn name.
"Kotsay is 31... Kotsay's back is 127." - Jeepers

by Ozzz on Apr 23, 2007 9:31 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

i said the same thing to my friend!

"I'M SO HAPPY THEY DIDN'T BLOW THE WIN FOR HAREN!"

by gotgreen on Apr 23, 2007 7:35 PM PDT   0 recs

A-Rod hit HR number 14!

God damn! But the Yanks are still down by 2 cuz they don't have pitching...

With the Oakland A's, the intravenous drip is always half full!

by Oaktownmagical07 on Apr 23, 2007 7:36 PM PDT   0 recs

It still A-Rod's fault

The guy's so terrible that he manages to cancel out all the grit and intangibles that are generated by Jeter.

"There is one word in America that says it all, and that one word is, 'You never know.'"--Joaquin Andujar

by GreenNGoldSooner on Apr 23, 2007 7:39 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

A Rod grows in Brooklyn

Let him hit 1000 homers...as long as the evil empire falls, bring it on.

I would rather endure a season-long rash on the back of my knees than see the Yankees win

"We got all kinds of leadership" Nick Swisher

by since72 on Apr 23, 2007 7:43 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

*golf clap* on the title.
"The hard... is what makes it great."

by Jjjsixsix on Apr 23, 2007 11:17 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

announcers

Blez, I am in the so cal area as well and I get to hear all these announcers, you already got it down, but I do enjoy Michael Kay, I think he is pretty solid, but the sox and hud got to go. Worse thing is never getting to hear the oakland team call games against the angels, always Hud and Physioc and I cannot stand it!

by tonyeee on Apr 23, 2007 7:37 PM PDT   0 recs

Try on the internet:

http://www.kyouradio.com

This is the AM station.  The FM station, 106.9,
or "FreeFM1069" on the internet, is a CBS affiliate and there seems to be "signup" convolutions to go through, to sign up.

KYOU radio on the internet even has a profile of the A's announcers, so it seems they would be usable for streaming audio.

I'm gonna try it today on my laptop.

"- J. Duchscherer relieved J. Duchscherer" per Yahoo! Sports Box Score

by One won lost won on Apr 24, 2007 11:00 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Reversal of Fortune

And while the movie that bears the name is horrid, I for one am quite relieved (pun intended) that the starters are faring better than expected and the bullpen struggles. You have to KNOW that Duke and Street will come around. Kiko is Kapable of Kollapse and domination. It's Embree and Witasick that are pedestrian at best and we should never expect more from them. Remember, my boy Go-Dan the Barbarian was projected in that "unbeatable" bullpen and now he is unbeatable in the starting rotation, so there is one less cog in la machine.

I will take dominate starters any day of the week. Geez, if we could only get Loaiza and Harden healthy at the same time, Go-Dan back in the pen....wow, if you are going to dream, go big!

ps...as a bay area fan, never thought I would say this...EVER!...But GO DALLAS!!!

"We got all kinds of leadership" Nick Swisher

by since72 on Apr 23, 2007 7:41 PM PDT   0 recs

Agreed: hope to get E-Lo and Harden back in ..

.. the starting rotation ..

.. the Athletics may be small-market but they have BIG-heart! ..

by Randy Bell on Apr 23, 2007 7:42 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

My two cents...
- I think what Mora was trying to do was to push a bunt towards Ellis, thereby guaranteeing a tie game, getting the winning run to second, and trying to beat it out for good measure. Not really a horrible idea, except that Mora is too good a hitter to resort to that and it was a lousy bunt. A good idea if you're John MacDonald, basically.

- Embree is simply being overused. Stop pitching him.

- Walking Markakis...Not sure I'm board with that one. Pitch him on your terms and be willing to walk him, sure. Give up when the count's 2-0 and face Tejada? I wouldn't do that again, Bobby.

- Thank you, Corey Patterson, for refusing to score the tying run. As soon as the ball was by Street, Patterson should have been on his way to third, in which case he would have scored easily. Again, thanks.

- Gak.

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 Apr 23, 2007 7:42 PM PDT   0 recs

Ugly Win but like the fish you're lucky to catch

.. you certainly won't throw it back! ...

.. the Athletics may be small-market but they have BIG-heart! ..

by Randy Bell on Apr 23, 2007 7:44 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

&*%$ the Orioles

Payton...Tejada...LET THEM EAT MOREKAKIS!

"We got all kinds of leadership" Nick Swisher

by since72 on Apr 23, 2007 7:45 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

HUGS
Corey Patterson and Melvin Mora.
LET'S go OAKland!!!!

by emperor nobody on Apr 23, 2007 7:42 PM PDT   0 recs

Surely Corey Patterson should be mentioned...

...in the summary, especially for running back toward second on the single that should have scored him.

In the old days, that mistake would now be referred to as "Patterson's Boner."

This is worth mentioning just because it involves the word "boner."

I said "boner."  

Hehehehe...

"There is one word in America that says it all, and that one word is, 'You never know.'"--Joaquin Andujar

by GreenNGoldSooner on Apr 23, 2007 7:42 PM PDT   0 recs

You said boner
"We got all kinds of leadership" Nick Swisher

by since72 on Apr 23, 2007 7:45 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Patterson's boner

That'll really stick in his craw.

"And Julio Franco is batting right-handed!" -- Wayne Hagin, A's radio play-by-play, mid-80s

by Nick on Apr 23, 2007 7:53 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Another bulging dick?
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 Apr 23, 2007 7:58 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Glad that my subtle penis humor

didn't go over every AN member's head.

"And Julio Franco is batting right-handed!" -- Wayne Hagin, A's radio play-by-play, mid-80s

by Nick on Apr 23, 2007 8:00 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Hey, it's no big thing
Wouldn't want you to get the shaft.
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 Apr 23, 2007 8:32 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Both teams said the correct play

was made by Patterson.

He could not tell where Crosby was playing.  If the ball was "right to" Crosby, be would have been dead.

As it was he would not have scored if the ball was hit harder.  Since it was a slow ground ball, he had to check on Crosby.  Both teams said it was the correct play.  What was not anticipated was the slow grass in left field, and Shannon Stewart going a long way to get it.

No "boner" whatsoever.  Simply a zucchini in the pants.

"- J. Duchscherer relieved J. Duchscherer" per Yahoo! Sports Box Score

by One won lost won on Apr 24, 2007 11:05 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Vlad "the Angels A-Rod"

Does this mean Vlad isn't clutch?

by IndianaAsfan on Apr 23, 2007 7:44 PM PDT   0 recs

Or that he gets booed by morons?
"Kotsay is 31... Kotsay's back is 127." - Jeepers

by Ozzz on Apr 23, 2007 9:34 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Germain Clark compliments

Robert Buan well.... (read: improves).

AN dharma, where suffering is optional, except with kendall.

by ak_A on Apr 23, 2007 7:46 PM PDT   0 recs

all you "love the quick hook!" types

this is why it's nice to occasionally get an extra inning or even an extra out, from the starting pitchers.  
the relief pitchers (or 3-5 of them) are being used too much, and it's starting to backfire.

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 Apr 23, 2007 7:47 PM PDT   0 recs

YOU ARE BRILLIANT!

Well, only because I wholeheartedly agree with you. There is a reason, besides good pitching, that we have such a low era...and that is because we are yanking our starters too soon. Rookie manager mistakes! That is how you manager the pitchers in the minors! Let's start seeing 7+ at least out of our starters....I like our chances better than Lenny and Co.

"We got all kinds of leadership" Nick Swisher

by since72 on Apr 23, 2007 7:50 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Agree

I would like to see Geren stretch the starters a bit more given the large number of innings thrown by our relievers.  What is scary is that we are having our best relievers throw a lot of innings when our starters have been so dominant.  What happens when some of those starters get shelled and leave early in games?  Hopefully Geren will let the starters go a little longer.

I'd like to eat my lunch, but Billy just kicked me out of my office.

by BlameChannel53 on Apr 23, 2007 7:51 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

You may be right

as I've mentioned several times here on AN, Marty Lurie has been expressing the same concern about the possible overuse of the pen ..

the relief pitchers (or 3-5 of them) are being used too much, and it's starting to backfire.

But it's easy to 2nd-guess, yet I do hope we avoid injuries to the pen.

.. the Athletics may be small-market but they have BIG-heart! ..

by Randy Bell on Apr 23, 2007 7:51 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Some of this is protecting starters

Harden is constantly up on blocks and was taken out early against the Yankees with a bad shoulder.  Haren pitched on short rest tonight as a result of Harden's absence, so I understand Geren wanting to take it easy with him.  Gaudin was essentially an emergency starter who's having to build up his stamina after spending a long time as a reliever.  And his absence from the pen isn't helping, either.  Kennedy is Kennedy -- I think it speaks well of Geren that he evidently doesn't sit in the dugout thinking, "How can I get another inning out of JoKe?"  Blanton's the only one I can't remember having a specific reason for an earlyish hook.

"And Julio Franco is batting right-handed!" -- Wayne Hagin, A's radio play-by-play, mid-80s

by Nick on Apr 23, 2007 7:58 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

well, you may be right

but then that gets to my other point, about dinardo and witasick.

the only thing that will change is haren not pitching on short rest, so we need to be using more than five relief pitchers otherwise embree/street/marshall will get worn out and calero/duke will probably end up on the DL.

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 Apr 23, 2007 8:04 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

an injured pen is what caused us ..

.. such a bad month of May last year - we had guys like Randy Keisler, Ron Flores et al - a RiverCats pen - and we lost several games due to that.

.. the Athletics may be small-market but they have BIG-heart! ..

by Randy Bell on Apr 23, 2007 8:10 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Haren pitched

on the 18th, so isn't he on regular rest?

"We are a complete freak show." -- Billy Beane

by day-to-day on Apr 23, 2007 8:12 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Like the Angels A-Rod?

You mean he gets booed by his own lousy fairweather fans and makes more money than should be humanly possible?

"We got all kinds of leadership" Nick Swisher

by since72 on Apr 23, 2007 7:48 PM PDT   0 recs

and either dinardo and witasick

need to be used more, or they need to be replaced with relievers who WILL be used.  
the embree-marshall-calero-duke-street only thing is NOT going to work for 162 games.

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 Apr 23, 2007 7:49 PM PDT   0 recs

agree on that one too
I'd like to eat my lunch, but Billy just kicked me out of my office.

by BlameChannel53 on Apr 23, 2007 7:52 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

me too
.. the Athletics may be small-market but they have BIG-heart! ..

by Randy Bell on Apr 23, 2007 7:53 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

On the lousy announcers issue...

I mentioned that as it applies to NRAFs at the end of my DelayPlay diary.  Since you already have Tivo, if you get DelayPlay and get XM (and I love XM, not just for the baseball but also for the music), you will always have a second choice of announcers.  For games in Oakland you can select Ken and Vince; for A's road games you can go with the home team's radio announcers (most of them are OK, just don't do it with a White Sox game in Chicago).

by Soaker on Apr 23, 2007 7:51 PM PDT   0 recs

Even if you don't get DelayPlay & XM...

...mute the TV and play the radio if you're in L.A.  The Angels' radio guys are actually quite good -- even before you consider the horrific alternative of listening to Rex & Phys.

(Visiting Cubs fan)

by Loon from Left on Apr 23, 2007 9:12 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Still, try KYOUradio.com

and see if you can hear on one browser and watch on TV, or see on MLB.com on one browser and radio on another (gotta have some horsepower on you CPU).

"- J. Duchscherer relieved J. Duchscherer" per Yahoo! Sports Box Score

by One won lost won on Apr 24, 2007 11:10 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

That was fun.
Stat Wonk Futurist

by salb918 on Apr 23, 2007 7:51 PM PDT   0 recs

I don't like your definition of fun.
"Of all the things he does well, that's like second-to-last on the list, just above deer hunting." Jeff, LL

by Jennifer on Apr 23, 2007 7:56 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

{passes fork}
Put this in your eye.
Stat Wonk Futurist

by salb918 on Apr 23, 2007 8:38 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Weaver to the DL?

that would make my day...

With the Oakland A's, the intravenous drip is always half full!

by Oaktownmagical07 on Apr 23, 2007 7:53 PM PDT   0 recs

What ????
.. the Athletics may be small-market but they have BIG-heart! ..

by Randy Bell on Apr 23, 2007 7:54 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Well, he's get knocked around by the Tigers..
With the Oakland A's, the intravenous drip is always half full!

by Oaktownmagical07 on Apr 23, 2007 7:55 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Carrasco is in relief now
.. the Athletics may be small-market but they have BIG-heart! ..

by Randy Bell on Apr 23, 2007 7:56 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Not anymore

70 pitches in 1-2/3 innings and he's outta there.

by Soaker on Apr 23, 2007 7:56 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Guys going to the DL makes your day?

That's just brutal.

Bring back Hammer.

by OaktownPower on Apr 23, 2007 8:51 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

No, sending guys to the DL would be brutal.

Pleasure from your division opponents misfortune makes you a sick and twisted fan.  Someone for whom I would gladly purchase a beer.

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

by alox on Apr 23, 2007 8:59 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Potential Relievers...

McBeth or Mitchell, those are the only two that come to mind.

With the Oakland A's, the intravenous drip is always half full!

by Oaktownmagical07 on Apr 23, 2007 7:54 PM PDT   0 recs

we have plenty of relievers

mitchell, mcbeth, flores, robertson, komine, shafer casilla...

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 Apr 23, 2007 8:14 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Shafer has to prove himself...

you can't give up a Saarloos for nothin...

With the Oakland A's, the intravenous drip is always half full!

by Oaktownmagical07 on Apr 23, 2007 8:21 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Weaver getting pounded

5-0 Tigers after 1.5.

by mikeA on Apr 23, 2007 7:56 PM PDT   0 recs

they're finally playing a good team in Anaheim!

.. apart from the A's that is ...

.. the Athletics may be small-market but they have BIG-heart! ..

by Randy Bell on Apr 23, 2007 7:58 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

YEah! We get the Chi Sox and the Yanks...

they got Seattle and Tex!!

With the Oakland A's, the intravenous drip is always half full!

by Oaktownmagical07 on Apr 23, 2007 8:23 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I really feel bad for Gerald Weever. Poor guy!

HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

by LAXile on Apr 23, 2007 7:58 PM PDT   0 recs

just like his big brother ??
.. the Athletics may be small-market but they have BIG-heart! ..

by Randy Bell on Apr 23, 2007 7:59 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Pardon me

7-0 now still in the top of the second. Weaver gone, responsible for all 7.

by mikeA on Apr 23, 2007 8:00 PM PDT   0 recs

I really don't understand Polanco...

he hits .500 against the A's, no matter who is pitching, but he's just average against everybody else...

With the Oakland A's, the intravenous drip is always half full!

by Oaktownmagical07 on Apr 23, 2007 8:26 PM PDT   0 recs

yes that is strange, he's an A's killer

.. he didn't do squat in the W.S. last year ...

.. the Athletics may be small-market but they have BIG-heart! ..

by Randy Bell on Apr 23, 2007 8:28 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Haha, yeah that was funny...
With the Oakland A's, the intravenous drip is always half full!

by Oaktownmagical07 on Apr 23, 2007 8:43 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Just average?

The guy is hitting around .350, and they haven't played the A's yet this year.  He beat the White Sox yesterday in extra innings.
He's a professional hitter, who is widely regarded as one of the best contact hitters in all of baseball.

by IndianaAsfan on Apr 23, 2007 8:52 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Correction

he's hitting .367.

by IndianaAsfan on Apr 23, 2007 8:54 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

its only April...
With the Oakland A's, the intravenous drip is always half full!

by Oaktownmagical07 on Apr 23, 2007 11:03 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Rex Hudler makes me want

to dig in my ears with a spoon just to stop the sound of his voice.  

But the score makes it all better.

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

by alox on Apr 23, 2007 8:34 PM PDT   0 recs

God damn!...

the Tigers have such a consistent offense. They don't stop trying to add on like some team I know...

With the Oakland A's, the intravenous drip is always half full!

by Oaktownmagical07 on Apr 23, 2007 8:46 PM PDT   0 recs

I'm gonna go out on a limb
and say the A's do try to add on. They just don't succeed often enough. Which reminds me to say: Thank you, Swishee, for that 6th run.
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 Apr 23, 2007 8:50 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Angels have yet to show they can beat good teams
  • lost 2-1 to Cleveland, series on the road
  • swept 3-0 by Boston, series on the road
  • split 2-2 series with A's at home
  • losing to the Tigers at home
.. the Athletics may be small-market but they have BIG-heart! ..

by Randy Bell on Apr 23, 2007 8:57 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Randy, do I detect the hint of unsolicited

criticism?  They split a series with the A's....are you implying that the A's aren't a good team?  An explanation is certainly in order.  ;)

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

by alox on Apr 23, 2007 9:02 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Nope, I meant Angels have not yet won a series ..

.. against a good team - and they got royally clobbered {outscored 25-3} by Boston ...

.. the Athletics may be small-market but they have BIG-heart! ..

by Randy Bell on Apr 23, 2007 9:14 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

A beautiful thing to behold it was.
"You may glory in a team triumphant, but you fall in love with a team in defeat."--The Boys of Summer

by alox on Apr 23, 2007 9:27 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Yeah, I guess I forgot to include
  • lost 2-0 series with A's on the road

Their road record so far is 1-7, but of course it's still very early in the season ..

.. the Athletics may be small-market but they have BIG-heart! ..

by Randy Bell on Apr 23, 2007 9:36 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs