Phew <wipes profusely sweating brow>
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...
0 recs |
118
comments
Read Related
Comments
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! ...
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.
by GreenNGoldSooner on
Apr 23, 2007 7:38 PM PDT
up
0 recs
meanwhile gay-rod continues to hit
non-game-winning home runs. not a true yankee!
by xbhaskarx on Apr 23, 2007 7:35 PM PDT 0 recs
It's his porn name.
by Ozzz on
Apr 23, 2007 9:31 PM PDT
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...
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.
by GreenNGoldSooner on
Apr 23, 2007 7:39 PM PDT
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
by since72 on
Apr 23, 2007 7:43 PM PDT
up
0 recs
*golf clap* on the title.
by Jjjsixsix on
Apr 23, 2007 11:17 PM PDT
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:
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.
by One won lost won on
Apr 24, 2007 11:00 AM PDT
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!!!
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 ..
by Randy Bell on
Apr 23, 2007 7:42 PM PDT
up
0 recs
My two cents...
- 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.
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! ...
by Randy Bell on
Apr 23, 2007 7:44 PM PDT
up
0 recs
&*%$ the Orioles
Payton...Tejada...LET THEM EAT MOREKAKIS!
by since72 on
Apr 23, 2007 7:45 PM PDT
up
0 recs
HUGS
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...
by GreenNGoldSooner on Apr 23, 2007 7:42 PM PDT 0 recs
You said boner
by since72 on
Apr 23, 2007 7:45 PM PDT
up
0 recs
Patterson's boner
That'll really stick in his craw.
by Nick on
Apr 23, 2007 7:53 PM PDT
up
0 recs
Another bulging dick?
by Nico on
Apr 23, 2007 7:58 PM PDT
up
0 recs
Glad that my subtle penis humor
didn't go over every AN member's head.
by Nick on
Apr 23, 2007 8:00 PM PDT
up
0 recs
Hey, it's no big thing
by Nico on
Apr 23, 2007 8:32 PM PDT
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.
by One won lost won on
Apr 24, 2007 11:05 AM PDT
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?
by Ozzz on
Apr 23, 2007 9:34 PM PDT
up
0 recs
Germain Clark compliments
Robert Buan well.... (read: improves).
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.
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.
by since72 on
Apr 23, 2007 7:50 PM PDT
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.
by BlameChannel53 on
Apr 23, 2007 7:51 PM PDT
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.
by Randy Bell on
Apr 23, 2007 7:51 PM PDT
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.
by Nick on
Apr 23, 2007 7:58 PM PDT
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.
by xbhaskarx on
Apr 23, 2007 8:04 PM PDT
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.
by Randy Bell on
Apr 23, 2007 8:10 PM PDT
up
0 recs
Haren pitched
on the 18th, so isn't he on regular rest?
by day-to-day on
Apr 23, 2007 8:12 PM PDT
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?
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.
by xbhaskarx on Apr 23, 2007 7:49 PM PDT 0 recs
agree on that one too
by BlameChannel53 on
Apr 23, 2007 7:52 PM PDT
up
0 recs
me too
by Randy Bell on
Apr 23, 2007 7:53 PM PDT
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.
by Loon from Left on
Apr 23, 2007 9:12 PM PDT
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).
by One won lost won on
Apr 24, 2007 11:10 AM PDT
up
0 recs
I don't like your definition of fun.
by Jennifer on
Apr 23, 2007 7:56 PM PDT
up
0 recs
{passes fork}
by salb918 on
Apr 23, 2007 8:38 PM PDT
up
0 recs
Weaver to the DL?
that would make my day...
by Oaktownmagical07 on Apr 23, 2007 7:53 PM PDT 0 recs
What ????
by Randy Bell on
Apr 23, 2007 7:54 PM PDT
up
0 recs
Well, he's get knocked around by the Tigers..
by Oaktownmagical07 on
Apr 23, 2007 7:55 PM PDT
up
0 recs
Carrasco is in relief now
by Randy Bell on
Apr 23, 2007 7:56 PM PDT
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
up
0 recs
Guys going to the DL makes your day?
That's just brutal.
by OaktownPower on
Apr 23, 2007 8:51 PM PDT
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.
by alox on
Apr 23, 2007 8:59 PM PDT
up
0 recs
Potential Relievers...
McBeth or Mitchell, those are the only two that come to mind.
by Oaktownmagical07 on Apr 23, 2007 7:54 PM PDT 0 recs
we have plenty of relievers
mitchell, mcbeth, flores, robertson, komine, shafer casilla...
by xbhaskarx on
Apr 23, 2007 8:14 PM PDT
up
0 recs
Shafer has to prove himself...
you can't give up a Saarloos for nothin...
by Oaktownmagical07 on
Apr 23, 2007 8:21 PM PDT
up
0 recs
they're finally playing a good team in Anaheim!
.. apart from the A's that is ...
by Randy Bell on
Apr 23, 2007 7:58 PM PDT
up
0 recs
YEah! We get the Chi Sox and the Yanks...
they got Seattle and Tex!!
by Oaktownmagical07 on
Apr 23, 2007 8:23 PM PDT
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 ??
by Randy Bell on
Apr 23, 2007 7:59 PM PDT
up
0 recs
seems like it, eh? great stuff, but
by LAXile on
Apr 23, 2007 8:01 PM PDT
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...
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 ...
by Randy Bell on
Apr 23, 2007 8:28 PM PDT
up
0 recs
Haha, yeah that was funny...
by Oaktownmagical07 on
Apr 23, 2007 8:43 PM PDT
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
up
0 recs
its only April...
by Oaktownmagical07 on
Apr 23, 2007 11:03 PM PDT
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.
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...
by Oaktownmagical07 on Apr 23, 2007 8:46 PM PDT 0 recs
I'm gonna go out on a limb
by Nico on
Apr 23, 2007 8:50 PM PDT
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
by Randy Bell on
Apr 23, 2007 8:57 PM PDT
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. ;)
by alox on
Apr 23, 2007 9:02 PM PDT
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 ...
by Randy Bell on
Apr 23, 2007 9:14 PM PDT
up
0 recs
A beautiful thing to behold it was.
by alox on
Apr 23, 2007 9:27 PM PDT
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 ..
by Randy Bell on
Apr 23, 2007 9:36 PM PDT
up
0 recs


