3/24/08: DLD - The Waiting Game
by HigherPie on Mar 24, 2008 9:49 AM PDT
95 comments
First up, Mike Sweeney is officially an Oakland A, and some new kid might not be Sacto-bound as we all thought:
Mike Sweeney is officially on the A's Opening Night roster, and the team's ineligible list for Tuesday's game might be pretty interesting, too. [...]The A's wont have to deal with The Mayor in Japan:
[Carlos] Gonzalez, who was obtained in the Dan Haren deal with Arizona, remained in Phoenix because of a hamstring strain, but he has begun playing in minor-league games. Considering that the A's center-field situation remains uncertain, there is an excellent chance that the team will want to keep Gonzalez in the mix at least through the Bay Bridge Series against the Giants this weekend. And because neither Chris Denorfia nor Ryan Sweeney conclusively has grabbed the starting job, Gonzalez might have a realistic shot at being in center for the home opener.
The 18-hour flight that brought the Boston Red Sox to Tokyo claimed one victim when Sean Casey developed a stiff neck that is expected to keep him out of the first two games of the season against the Oakland Athletics.And finally, Joe Blanton is clearly pumped for the series, as demonstrated by this AP photo taken during Monday's workout at the Tokyo Dome:
In less than 24 hours, the A's will be 1-0 in 2008! Commence Opening Day Eve dumpage, friends. But first, answer me this: if I go to the Coliseum box office to buy tickets, do I still have to pay the ridiculous $4.50/ticket "convenience fee" that gets charged when buying online?
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That hair is a thing of beauty.
It could launch a thousand ships. Cure cancer. Possibly be the source of world peace. Unfortunately, it still won't help Crosby's swing.
But damn. That hair should have its own number.
"This must be heaven," he says.
"No. It's Oakland."
by Kyli on Mar 24, 2008 10:11 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
His hair is like a mix of honey and sunshine.
by Jennifer on Mar 24, 2008 10:48 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Oh my god.
Did you type that with a straight face?
EEEEEHH...!
by Poppy on Mar 24, 2008 10:58 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
That is freaking beautiful.
Also the hair is too.
"I've got a lot of wins waiting in these white shoes." -Dan Meyer
by pam5981 on Mar 24, 2008 9:11 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
not even close
The A's colors are green and gold.
by mikeA on Mar 24, 2008 10:56 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I just saw Buck
On a huge Adidas promo poster in a Dick Sporting Goods in Ohio. His uniform and helmet were airbrushed so that you couldn't see any identifying team insignia. But it was Buck all right, sans the locks. Even out here, they know true beauty.
Sweating the small stuff
by SportySpice on Mar 24, 2008 12:07 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
[sharp intake of breath]
oh what lovely lovely hair.
by whiteshoes40 on Mar 24, 2008 9:14 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
White people like San Francisco
formerly known as mdl
by iglew on Mar 24, 2008 10:10 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Complete with ghostridden volvo
stat-addled alien overlord
by salb918 on Mar 24, 2008 10:38 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I wonder where Ben and Nate are now?
The Huge in Asia site doesn't seem to have been updated for almost a year, so they probably aren't hanging out in Viet Nam and Thailand these days...or ghostriding the bullet train to the Tokyo Dome.
The candy and the baseball all night long: )
by Englishmajor on Mar 24, 2008 10:52 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
is this the most popular blog ever?
I can't believe the amount of comments in such a recent post..
by jahs34 on Mar 24, 2008 6:16 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
buying tickets
no convenience fee if you buy them at the box office. if you buy them using the computer terminal at the souvenir stands inside the stadium, then yes there is a fee. but not at the box office.
There's no crying in baseball!
by gigglingone on Mar 24, 2008 10:13 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Awesome, thank you.
I'm buying 15 tickets for my fantasy league, and was hoping to avoid the $67 being charged for my convenience.
BART, here I come.
by HigherPie on Mar 24, 2008 10:19 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
*sigh*
too much hotness on the right side of the pic!
by gotgreen on Mar 24, 2008 10:18 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Once again...
the A's have outdressed the Red Sox.
by Jennifer on Mar 24, 2008 10:30 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
the red sox can't afford nice clothes, that's why they held out for more money
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 Mar 24, 2008 10:53 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
nice to see the smirk cleared customs
Lenny Kravitz looks huge in that photo.
"Don't be an ass!" --Bill King
by batgirl on Mar 24, 2008 11:03 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Who on earth is the second guy from the left?
Julio Lugo?
Is Alex Cora still a Sock?
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
by PaulThomas on Mar 24, 2008 11:03 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
It's not Lugo
Cora is still on the team and it looks like him.
by Dilferules on Mar 24, 2008 1:04 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Argh! Can't chip the radio broadcast!!
Is anyone or anyplace going to make the KFRC broadcast of game #1 available via MP3 or podcast tuesday morning? Then one could watch the chipped game and listen to the chipped Korach.
Add some chipped beef and chocolate chipped cookies and you've got....well....you've got a lotta chips!
"Isotopes win a game! Isotopes win a game!"
by Hungry Hungry Homer on Mar 24, 2008 10:29 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Speaking of Hungry Hungry Homer..
Chiba Lotte lost simultaneously in the fighter plane of the Japanese ham.
by JediLeroy on Mar 24, 2008 10:33 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I was thinking more along the lines of...
Joejira!!!
EEEEEHH...!
by Poppy on Mar 24, 2008 10:53 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I was thinking more along the lines of...
Joejira!!!
EEEEEHH...!
by Poppy on Mar 24, 2008 10:57 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
so is Blanton a true blond?
or did he dye is gotee? just wondering.
A's all the way in 08 . . . oh never mind!
by micdog2001 on Mar 24, 2008 11:41 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
And...
will he bother to use a matching dye down south?
I love you, k^2. -Poppy*
by kaweahkaweah on Mar 24, 2008 2:06 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I knew someone was going to bring that up
gross
A's all the way in 08 . . . oh never mind!
by micdog2001 on Mar 24, 2008 3:53 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Slusser can't stands in no more
Reporters thronged to a news conference with Boston brass and players, but the majority cleared out when the A's arrived. Boston's exhibition games were packed and received top billing; the A's drew less than half the fans. Oakland drew the short stick of playing the late exhibition game Saturday night and then the noon exhibition the following day; the Red Sox had the more leisurely schedule.
"We're delighted to be here," Wolff said, then added with a smile, "It's very hard to get tickets to Boston games. That's one of the reasons we came out here."
Beane followed by saying, "I wish they'd left Boston at home and brought in someone else to play. It would have been a much more fun series."
There had been a great deal of deferment to the Red Sox before they arrived. Boston players held out for more money last fall before they'd agree to play in Tokyo and had their fees go from $25,000 to $40,000 - but, apparently unbeknownst to all, that extra money eliminated payments to the teams' coaches and managers.
Not everyone here is totally enamored with Boston, however. Rowdy Boston fans at the Tokyo Dome have drawn some disapproving looks and comment. And back at the team hotel, one Japanese woman standing in the lobby surrounded by Red Sox fans turned to her companion and said, "These Boston people are awful."
Beat. Their. Asses.
stat-addled alien overlord
by salb918 on Mar 24, 2008 10:41 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Freaking blockquotes.
Beane's comment should have been blockquoted.
stat-addled alien overlord
by salb918 on Mar 24, 2008 10:41 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Blockquote test
This is paragraph one.
This is paragraph two after using br's. Is it still blockquoted?
Yeah, that works. If you manually add HTML line breaks between paragraphs and delete and delete spaces and non-HTML line breaks between paragraphs (i.e., "end of paragraph one.[br /][br /]Start of paragraph two"), you can have more than one paragraph inside a single blockquote tag.
by HigherPie on Mar 24, 2008 10:48 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
annihilate!
kick their puppies!
"The Athletics at Fremont" is malodorous
by ArakSOT on Mar 24, 2008 10:51 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
"These Boston people are awful."
if i ever want to replace my sig, this will make the short list.
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 Mar 24, 2008 10:54 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
It's also a good thing
just to say at random times, or if you're doing acting warmup exercises.
The A's colors are green and gold.
by mikeA on Mar 24, 2008 11:03 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Also in that article:
game will re-air on ESPN2 at 11 a.m.
For those who don't see the original airing at 3:00 and/or don't record it.
EEEEEHH...!
by Poppy on Mar 24, 2008 11:04 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I was partial to these gems
several members of the local media corps have asked American reporters if they think Matsuzaka can no-hit the A's.
and
Later, a Japanese reporter asked Oakland closer Huston Street if the A's were intimidated to play the Red Sox.
Sweet fancy Moses I hope we win these games.
"Don't be an ass!" --Bill King
by batgirl on Mar 24, 2008 11:12 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
At least the first one.
Sweet hairy Mary let us win Game 1.
"If you could fart into a kind of microprocessing funnel, and the funnel poured the fart into a computer, which converted the fart into words, this is what it would look like." - Ken Tremendous, FJM
by HigherPie on Mar 24, 2008 11:16 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Nothing can intimidate Huston.
He's a mean, grizzled closer, silly reporters! See how mean and grizzled he is?
"This must be heaven," he says.
"No. It's Oakland."
by Kyli on Mar 24, 2008 11:21 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I hope the A's knock Dice-K out early
stupid Red Sox.
A's all the way in 08 . . . oh never mind!
by micdog2001 on Mar 24, 2008 11:45 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
honestly...
come on now. With the shortened spring both teams are going to be lucky to have their starter last 6 and not get shelled, seriously.
I hope we bomb Matsuzaka out of their in the 2nd inning!!!
Rickey Henderson: 35, 24, hall of fame!
by Athletics fan and runner on Mar 24, 2008 12:17 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Ha, ha...
even the Japanese people hate Redsox fan.
by sf drift king on Mar 24, 2008 2:18 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Sending Boston was a serious
miscalculation by MLB. People everywhere learn to hate Bostonians the second they foul your stadium with their presence. Hopefully, A's fans in attendance will inform their Japanese hosts that it is tradition in America to pummel them throughout the game. Otherwise, out of courtesy, it may take the Japanese until the third inning to figure this out on their own.
"You may glory in a team triumphant, but you fall in love with a team in defeat."--The Boys of Summer
by alox on Mar 24, 2008 4:17 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
congrats mike sweeney
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 Mar 24, 2008 10:52 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
So what does this mean?
With Fiortenio and Sweeney on the opening day roster, what does that mean for DJ? DFA'd tomorrow? If CarGon is on the roster but inactive, where does DJ fit in... there are what 30 guys over there now, 2 are guaranteed to be not on the roster, if someone still in Phoenix is on the roster... what happens in the numbers crunch?
by jeffro on Mar 24, 2008 12:52 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Dear clockwerks,
Having commenting issues again, where subject and text of my previous comment will appear when I'm trying to make replies.
EEEEEHH...!
by Poppy on Mar 24, 2008 11:06 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
we'll look into it
I'm one of the guys that built the new SB Nation
by Trei Brundrett on Mar 24, 2008 3:22 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Paging Mr. Geren
What do you mean, you "don't know what kind of playing time Mike Sweeney will get out of the gate?" If Sweeney is healthy and available, he starts at DH and hits third, every day, and we live with Jack Cust, left fielder. If you want to limit his playing time to prevent injury, that's one thing, but if it's to give at-bats to Emil Brown or Dan Johnson, I'm coming at you like a spider monkey.
So it goes.
by jeepers on Mar 24, 2008 12:21 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
So, while we're waiting, just what is the derivation of "Higher Pie?"
I keep catching a Stevie Winwood earworm whenever I see it.
The meaning of life is not so much 'found,' as it is 'made.' --Opus
by The Dogfather on Mar 24, 2008 1:20 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
If I told you
I'd be a CGV.
"If you could fart into a kind of microprocessing funnel, and the funnel poured the fart into a computer, which converted the fart into words, this is what it would look like." - Ken Tremendous, FJM
by HigherPie on Mar 24, 2008 1:31 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Okay, thanks. If it wasn't a CGV, I'd say 'I'll stick with Stevie and the earworm.'
The meaning of life is not so much 'found,' as it is 'made.' --Opus
by The Dogfather on Mar 24, 2008 1:43 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Chipper
looks like he just stumbled drunk out of his single-wide and is blinded by the lights from the Cops camera crew.
by Dilferules on Mar 24, 2008 2:41 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
My vote may change to Denorfia.
Pretty much the same thing can be said about Chrissy D.'s picture, but you have to replace Cops with To Catch a Predator.
Formerly known as hward86.
by BWH on Mar 24, 2008 2:49 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Man
Denorfia doesn't have any luck with pictures. His 2007 Topps Update baseball card, which is his only A's card, identifies him as Hector Carrasco. I have to still go with Chipper for worst mugshot, but Denorfia does look like he's about to say "GIT ER DONE!"
by Dilferules on Mar 24, 2008 2:56 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
eh, I disagree
Denorfia looks more like he's got the whole Morgan Spurlock, drinkin'-Schlitz-6-years-after-it's-no-longer-ironic-to-do-so, pedagogy-of-the-easily-impressed thing going on.
way to speed humanities demise douche bags! @('.')@
by monkeyball on Mar 24, 2008 7:36 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Watching the Angels/Padres game on MLB.TV
Gary Matthews Jr. just limped off the field. Might have just been a twisted ankle, though.
"If you could fart into a kind of microprocessing funnel, and the funnel poured the fart into a computer, which converted the fart into words, this is what it would look like." - Ken Tremendous, FJM
by HigherPie on Mar 24, 2008 1:35 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Sprained ankel, day to day
"If you could fart into a kind of microprocessing funnel, and the funnel poured the fart into a computer, which converted the fart into words, this is what it would look like." - Ken Tremendous, FJM
by HigherPie on Mar 24, 2008 1:41 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Ankel? Ankiel? Ankle. Whatevs.
"If you could fart into a kind of microprocessing funnel, and the funnel poured the fart into a computer, which converted the fart into words, this is what it would look like." - Ken Tremendous, FJM
by HigherPie on Mar 24, 2008 1:42 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
A little HGH, and that Ankiel won't be day-to-day anymore.
So it goes.
by jeepers on Mar 24, 2008 2:12 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
A's released Halsey
According to baseball america.
Another failed piece from the Hudson trade; A's flipped Juan Cruz to D'Backs for Halsey
"just a beating heart ... plasma that we'll put into our uniform." - Billy Beane
by athleticsBB4life on Mar 24, 2008 1:53 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
I've never been upset
about how badly the A's botched that trade, because they totally ripped off the Cardinals in the Mulder trade. Helps even it out a little.
by Dilferules on Mar 24, 2008 2:48 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Longoria
"If you could fart into a kind of microprocessing funnel, and the funnel poured the fart into a computer, which converted the fart into words, this is what it would look like." - Ken Tremendous, FJM
by HigherPie on Mar 24, 2008 2:31 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
What was Tony Parker thinking?
So it goes.
by jeepers on Mar 24, 2008 2:56 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
they are taking a page from the A's playbook
holding off hie arby years and whatnot.
A's all the way in 08 . . . oh never mind!
by micdog2001 on Mar 24, 2008 3:55 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Joe Blanton and Jack Cust
are obviously already well into their Arbys years.
by Dilferules on Mar 24, 2008 4:31 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
uumm
ok, good to know. but i was talking about Evan Longoria of the Tampa Bay Rays being sent down to AAA. not quite sure what you meant but maybe I'm just missing something. It's been know to happen.
A's all the way in 08 . . . oh never mind!
by micdog2001 on Mar 24, 2008 5:06 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Arby's
is a restaurant.
In a restaurant you eat food (possible exception: Arby's).
Jack Cust and Joe Blanton eat food.
Joe Blanton and Jack Cust are not skinny.
Chiba Lotte lost simultaneously in the fighter plane of the Japanese ham.
by JediLeroy on Mar 24, 2008 5:30 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Jedi powers of deduction
apparently trump dog intuition.
by Dilferules on Mar 24, 2008 6:19 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Apparently obscure jokes aren’t my thing
sorry to ruin the joke by needing to have it explained. next time I will keep my mouth closed.
A's all the way in 08 . . . oh never mind!
by micdog2001 on Mar 25, 2008 2:01 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
MLB overseas stories
From the public radio program "The World":
A story about MLB stepping up outreach in Africa and a postcard from a guy who went to the Hanshin-Red Sox game.
The candy and the baseball all night long: )
by Englishmajor on Mar 24, 2008 2:49 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
NYTimes on Zito
Zito Alters Motion In Attempt To Regain His Form
I guess there wasn't room for "Vain" in that headline.
Of last season, Barry told the Times:
It’s just the learning curve that I had to go through.
The candy and the baseball all night long: )
by Englishmajor on Mar 24, 2008 3:25 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Yes, the learning curve...
is the problem.
Since 2002, batters have been learning his curve.
I love you, k^2. -Poppy*
by kaweahkaweah on Mar 24, 2008 3:40 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
other interesting Baseball notes
Brandon Inge will start the season at CF for Detroit because Curtis Granderson is hurt. weird, he was going to be the back up 3B and C, now he is center.
Brad Lidge is on the DL
Scott Rolen on the DL (broke his middle finger in fielding drill)
A's all the way in 08 . . . oh never mind!
by micdog2001 on Mar 24, 2008 3:57 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Now how is Rolen
supposed to communicate with LaRussa?
I love you, k^2. -Poppy*
by kaweahkaweah on Mar 24, 2008 4:13 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Inge in CF?
Wow. That... does not sound like a good idea.
What happened to Ryan Raburn? And wouldn't it be a better idea to put Ordonez or Thames out there, mediocre as they are, since at least they've played outfield in the recent past?
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
by PaulThomas on Mar 24, 2008 4:53 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Dare we hope the AL west injury bug
has had its fill of green and gold? Might it now be looking to feed on Angel blood?
"You may glory in a team triumphant, but you fall in love with a team in defeat."--The Boys of Summer
by alox on Mar 24, 2008 4:22 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Nope,
I'm pretty sure Harden is going to sprain his wrist trying to use chopsticks to eat sushi and be out till August.
by Dilferules on Mar 24, 2008 4:33 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
your favorite A's moment?
the others sound good but I wasn't around for the A's upset of the Big Red Machine, so my favorite A's memory was obviously Hatty's HR and 20 game win strk.
by sf drift king on Mar 24, 2008 5:09 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
They left out the best moment
That was the A's beating the Gnats' asses in the '89 Series.
"Evidently, a large number of people said, 'We really need more vermin at the ballpark, Artie.'" - Nick (AN), 10/7/07
by doctorK on Mar 24, 2008 5:12 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
'89
I think the quake overshadowed that great moment, and prob is the reason it wasn't listed.
by sf drift king on Mar 24, 2008 5:25 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
That was a great moment.
One I will always cherish haha.
by IM4Oakgal on Mar 24, 2008 7:47 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
As expected
Roster Moves
Mike Sweeney on the active roster
Chavez and Gaudin on the 15-day DL
Calero on the 60-day DL
"Tomorrow it may rain." - Leo Durocher
by andeux on Mar 24, 2008 9:42 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Since we don't have a newer DLD than this...
Here's Channel 5 video of "a couple of diehard A's fans" in a postgame interview from Ricky's...
"There is an HR in Hanrahan." ~ mikeA
by Poppy on Mar 25, 2008 5:57 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
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