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Good News, Bad News, and Country Music

Well, let’s get the bad news out of the way. After making a dazzling catch to open the game, Carlos Gonzalez was taken out unexpectedly in the second inning, later diagnosed with a strained right hamstring, proving that he fits right in on this team.

 

The A’s should just forgo a team name, stamp ‘FRAGILE’ on all the uniforms instead and trade the elephant mascot for a band aid.

 

*Ahem*

 

The good news (and it’s pretty great) is that Dana Eveland flat-out dealt today; throwing less than 50 pitches through five innings, allowing zero runs, four hits, and striking out seven. One might wonder if it’s enough to earn a chance to start a real game.

 

We got a blast from the past when Keith Fouke came in to pitch the sixth, and after a shaky start (including a double by Byrnes--who got a nice ovation from both sides of the crowd today), he settled down after only allowing a single run.

 

Embree, Blevins, and Saarloos followed with a brilliant 7th, 8th, and 9th, allowing no hits and no runs.

 

The A’s offense struggled mightily to scratch out a couple of runs on a sac fly by Emil Brown and a two-out hit by Mike Sweeney, but on the strength of their excellent pitching, it was enough to win.

 

I am hoping to post soon about the Spring Training games I attended last weekend, but I thought I’d start by mentioning Robert Buan's new radio show, backed by Tim Hudson. Buan seems really excited about it, and I thought I would share some highlights.

 

It's called "Country Fastball presented by Bank of America," it's in its second year, and it's syndicated on 10 stations nationwide, including several in California and Nevada. Every Sunday night at 9 p.m. ET (6 p.m. PT) from San Francisco -- and streaming live online at www.countryfastball.com -- Buan comes across the airwaves with two hours of programming featuring different players talking country music and more.

 

With a bold idea, support from A's president Mike Crowley and Major League Baseball's Vice President of Western Operations, Laurel Prieb, plus backing from country-loving Georgia native and star pitcher Tim Hudson, that show now exists.

 

The response has been great and, as Buan says he's discovered, more and more players love listening to country music and love talking about it even more.

"I've listened to country for a long time," Buan says. "And being around the A's as long as I have, I got a chance to meet a bunch of guys who are country music fans. My regular gig is the postgame show, where we're breaking down, critiquing and analyzing, and there's not a lot of positive stuff in that.

"And honestly, I kind of got tired of seeing all the steroids stories and all the stuff that was dominating TV and radio to the point where for every one of these guys that's being talked about for something negative, I know 10 or 15 guys who are doing something good."

 

Just thought I’d mention it; we’re bound to have some country music fans here! Has anyone heard of it, or listened to a show?

 

The A’s have a day-off tomorrow, but will resume their quest for winning the spring on Friday against the White Sox (and yes, the return of Nick Swisher).

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Something tells me

Nick Swisher will be a regular on this radio show...and for this I might actually listen.

Nature's first green is gold...

by prana160 on Mar 12, 2008 3:44 PM PDT reply actions  

I was thinking the same thing

Hopefully it won't be totally Corporate New Country, and hopefully they'll let the stories really fly, and hopefully the show will move to satellite radio, and hopefully those stories will gravitate toward "romantic escapades" and drunken debauchery.

by Mark H on Mar 12, 2008 4:38 PM PDT up reply actions  

You and Trixie Bells both

"I've got a lot of wins waiting in these white shoes." -Dan Meyer

by pam5981 on Mar 12, 2008 4:41 PM PDT up reply actions  

Nice to hear Byrnesy got some fan love

But on the country music note, I'd probably be more supportive of Buan's admittedly cool idea if I hadn't had country music shoved down my gullet for the 14 years I lived in Idaho. In Boise, the most "metropolitan" "city" in ID, there is: 1 classic rock station, 1 alternative station, 3 pop stations, and roughly 397 country stations.

by Joey C. on Mar 12, 2008 4:00 PM PDT reply actions  

I know what you mean...

I lived in Pocatello and drove to Idaho Falls every weekend to find a bar with rock music (Skyway). The biggest attraction in Poky was a C/W bar called the Green Triangle. Went there once. With my dad. That was more than enough.

by kapers on Mar 13, 2008 7:35 AM PDT up reply actions  

Haha

Yup, sounds about right.

by Joey C. on Mar 13, 2008 2:02 PM PDT up reply actions  

Yeah,

and re somebody's injury, he said something to the effect of "As soon as you put on an A's uniform you find interesting ways to get hurt."

by sslinger on Mar 12, 2008 5:54 PM PDT up reply actions  

Buan

This is neat.. I'd hate to see Buan leave the organization though...

by SwampyD on Mar 12, 2008 4:23 PM PDT reply actions  

Nice to see we're back to familiar days

when I logged on to AN to see which key player was injured today. "Make sure to fit him with a thumb guard, Larry!" Or Steve.

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 Mar 12, 2008 5:24 PM PDT reply actions  

Ah, we've advanced our lingo -

Now our guys are "days to days".

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 Mar 12, 2008 6:59 PM PDT up reply actions  

OT: I'm going to Philly later this month

and I was contemplating going into New York to see Spamalot, which I missed when David Hyde Pierce was starring in it. But I figured whoever the current cast was, it would be worth seeing, so I looked it up and it's starring -

CLAY AIKEN???

Are you f*&*%�$� kidding me?

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 Mar 12, 2008 7:23 PM PDT reply actions  

Unbearable music by talentless hacks?

I'd say we're right on topic.

[Runs and hides from Nick Swisher's ridiculous truck]

by HigherPie on Mar 12, 2008 9:26 PM PDT up reply actions  

Oh no way

Damn.. I'm actually in NY in a week and I was thinking of trying to pick up some tix to that as well. What a bummer. Maybe I'll go see the statue of liberty twice.

by SuperBean on Mar 12, 2008 10:30 PM PDT up reply actions  

Like him or not...

Clay has an amazing voice and has given some great performances and recordings. I imagine he will be great on Broadway.

Bring back Hammer.

by OaktownPower on Mar 12, 2008 11:27 PM PDT up reply actions  

screw Spamalot

and just go see Xanadu. At least that's what I did. And as a girl who wore out that record when I was a wee lass, roller skating in my garage, I was not disappointed.

"Don't be an ass!" --Bill King

by batgirl on Mar 13, 2008 1:02 PM PDT up reply actions  

I *love* Tim Hudson,

but I don't love him anywhere near enough to listen to two hours' worth of anything to do with country music.

"If I have to be remembered because of *statistics*, then I did something wrong along the way." ~ Brett Favre

by Poppy on Mar 12, 2008 10:40 PM PDT reply actions  

Country Music

Are we talking Good Country: i.e. Elvis, Cash, Willie, Waylon, Hank?... or are we talking wanna-be, new school, B.S. Country? If it's the ladder, I'll take it that CarGo's "day-to-day" hammy is the good news.

by Colorado Fan on Mar 12, 2008 11:34 PM PDT reply actions  

If it's "the ladder," then ...

... this thread has nowhere to go, but up.

The meaning of life is not so much 'found,' as it is 'made.' --Opus

by The Dogfather on Mar 13, 2008 1:22 AM PDT up reply actions  

i hate country music...

only a little less than I hate athletes that praise God for their performance after they win.

Where are the ones that curse God after they lose... they have to be more plentiful.

Go A's!

by FoolshGame22 on Mar 13, 2008 12:00 AM PDT reply actions  

So, who wins when both competitors invoke the deity before the contest?

(The better player.)

The meaning of life is not so much 'found,' as it is 'made.' --Opus

by The Dogfather on Mar 13, 2008 1:43 AM PDT up reply actions  

Country music..

Sucks.

When will then be now? Soon.

by Syphon on Mar 13, 2008 12:23 AM PDT reply actions  

Love of country music hate....

I guess I wont see any of you at the Keith Urban/Carrie show tomorrow. Going to be awesome.

Bring back Hammer.

by OaktownPower on Mar 13, 2008 12:36 AM PDT reply actions  

I saved you my seat.

Yer welcome, pardner.

The meaning of life is not so much 'found,' as it is 'made.' --Opus

by The Dogfather on Mar 13, 2008 2:04 AM PDT up reply actions  

one of the most disturbing things

One of the most disturbing things that changed during the 18 months that I was back in California between living in Canada is that during that time my brother in law started listening to country music..... That is the scary truth folks.

Rickey Henderson: 35, 24, hall of fame!

by Athletics fan and runner on Mar 13, 2008 6:02 AM PDT reply actions  

I don't know much country

but I do love the Old 97s, who are sort of country/rock and I adore Dolly Parton.

"Don't be an ass!" --Bill King

by batgirl on Mar 13, 2008 1:04 PM PDT reply actions  

The theme song has to be "I'll Go Down Swingin'" by Porter Wagoner, right?

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

by Nick on Mar 13, 2008 7:33 PM PDT reply actions  

HUDDY!

I'll listen for the laugh factor.
I've developed a tolerance for country over the past few years, thanks to my mom's late-in-life affection for the genre. *sigh*

by cagrrrl on Mar 13, 2008 9:22 PM PDT reply actions  

Timmeh!

Timmeh Timmeh! Timmeh!

formerly known as mdl

by iglew on Mar 13, 2008 11:33 PM PDT reply actions  

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