1. Dallas' Burden. He wore clothes that fit, pitched well enough to win and our bullpen had to let it go again. I can't wait to see him as a normal rotation pitcher for 2008.

2. Didn't get to see Scut hit it out, but I was super surprised by our GS Warrior.

3. I'm getting more and more convinced that the Bradley for Brown plus change deal was worth it.

4. I never thought Tex/Mex Wrangler fans would look worse than Big rAt backers, but the whole water bottle thing was deplorable. If you think it is a bad call, as a fan you take it.

Honestly, I hope if a seat filler (no londer a fan) wearing green and gold does it at the Coli, that we ANers call it out because stuff like this is uncalled for.

Ugly win, but it beats nothing warm to come home to any day.

Just the thought of all those rats makes my skin crawl. Moreno is supposed to be one of the better owners in the game, so let's see if he really cares about the fans of his team.

• I'm not quite as much on the "Braden has deserved a better fate" bandwagon, because he keeps throwing a ton of pitches and not lasting more than 5 or 5.1 IP. You're going to lose more leads if you leave more innings to the pen.
• I didn't like the decision to have Buck sacrifice because knowing that Calero/Marshall were the only options I am NOT playing for one run! Luckily, the Rangers were dumb enough to walk Swisher to pitch to Piazza (!) and luckily there are UNICORNS!
• Mike Wood and Joaquin Benoit don't get anyone out unless they're pitching against the A's. I hate that.
• Andrew Brown has won me over. The jury's still out over the long haul, but he has been tremendous.
• Have fun tomorrow, Chad--it's all yours.

When did our baseball globe logo get installed?  I wasn't around for Original AN, but I have this vague memory of noticing the cool new logo one day.  Was that in late 2004 or so, or was I dreaming?

CoCo Crisp get run over by Mariner Moose?
Here's the video!

means we don't need the 5th starter next time around, right?

I don't remember the rules for sending guys up and down, so someone please correct me if this doesn't make sense, but couldn't we send Braden down to Sacto tomorrow morning and bring someone like Komine up to be a long man if needed? Then we skip Braden in the rotation and bring him back for the next time after that.

Or for that matter, if Komine doesn't get used later in the week, maybe give Komine the start on August 12, then bring Braden back in after that in order to give the other guys (especially Gaudin) a little more rest.

(I haven't checked when Komine last started.  If he's not fresh, then maybe the same idea but with Windsor or Halsey, or even Meyer.  Which of those guys has already used up an option for this year?)

After the first inning just a pathetic performance again by the offense (though Wood was clearly on his game).  If ever we needed the ump on our side to limp in with a win (and boy was he on our side- that called third strike on Young was something out of the twilight zone), it was last night. Bright spot of the game was certainly Brown's performance.  

Still it was fun to watch, entertaining as well as frustrating.

we beat Art Howe!

1. I was at work when the game started, and I saw the top of the 1st where Buck and Stewart struck out on a few pitches. Disgruntled and ready to leave, I got my bike, packed my Zo bag, and pulled out the radio for the ride home.  By the time I got the earphones in, three straight hits and Scutaro was at the plate.

Yesterday was also the first day in I dunno how long that I wore a hat other than an A's hat (cheap, black mesh baseball cap). I'm pretty superstitious, and will take the blame for the first two outs. As soon as I ignored the game, good things started happening.

2. Pumping my fist in the street on my bike, hearing Scutaro's first career GS, I havent seen it yet, but I'm gonna go looking for it any second.

3. Donnie Murphy goes back-to-back, holy hell, and offensive explosion.

4. Reading the highlights today, Scutaro's GS was the 2nd of the year for the A's - the first belonging to Mark Ellis. I like those two in the lineup together (*i've said that before here).

Not a lot to root for this season, it's been pretty ugly all year. Needless to say, I'm wearing the same cheap black hat today that I wore yesterday.

He's in the running to have a new candy bar named after him, too.

Every time I hear his name, I think "Will he err" ... FWIW

bores the crap out of me.  

I refuse to be enchanted by any new hr records, which IMO have been achieved  by juiced players in homer-friendly ballparks using juiced baseballs.  There really is no way to judge how great an accomplishment this is, at least in comparison with those of the players in earlier eras.

It means nothing.  The Giants still stink, and they can largely thank Bonds for bringing them down.