Frank Thomas Hit a TRIPLE! Oh and the A's Also Win Big
For all the close games the A's and Angels have played over the last few years, tonight was the rare exception. The A's blasted the hated Angels 14-2 with Emil Brown and Daric Barton leading the way with home runs and three RBIs a piece. Frank Thomas also was a home run short of the cycle. Chad Gaudin pitched through a rough strike zone and held the Angels to only two runs.
Let me get this out of the way right off the bat. Yes, Frank Thomas hit a triple in the first inning and Jack Cust had an infield hit. If that doesn't tell you that things have been breaking the A's way of late then nothing will. Thomas might've had a shot at the cycle had Bob Geren not put a pinch runner in at the bottom of the seventh when he led off with a double. The thing is, the game was actually still a game at that point because it was still 6-2 and despite Thomas' new found wheels that earned him a triple earlier in the game, I would want the extra insurance run if we can get it.
Emil Brown decided to eliminate that by starting the pain train on Chris Bootcheck, who got the check booted out of him. The A's started the Bugs Bunny style conga line going around the bases with Bootcheck. But the game was probably decided earlier. Home plate umpire Charlie Reliford had one of the most baffling strike zones I've seen in a while. And apparently Angels pitching coach Mike Butcher agreed as he got thrown out after Frank Thomas walked in the third inning. The funny thing is that Gaudin had to deal with the same weird strike zone and he worked through it. Is there ever a game when Mike Scioscia doesn't complain about something? The Angels announcers were blaming the loss on the Angels tough travel schedule about having to come home from Detroit last night late and play the A's today. Of course, no credit given to these anonymous A's. That's fine. Keep dissing this team. They love it that way.
I'm hoping Frank Thomas is now coming out of it with three hits tonight. That's his first triple since 2002 and Mulder, Hudson and Zito were still Athletics. That seems so long ago. Also, Daric Barton hits his first home run of the season and I thought the reason he did was because he was patient with the baffling strike zone. He essentially forced Garland to come in with an easy pitch right down the middle.
And finally, props to Vacafan who called Emil Brown's home run. Dude, are you getting an Emil tat or what?
This was one sweet night.
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Yeah
He actually almost hit another one later too. It’d be really good to get him going. I wonder how much not being in cold weather any more is helping the guys feel comfortable.
by Blez on
Apr 28, 2008 10:22 PM PDT
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It's just hard to hit when it's cold,
no matter whether you’re playing wiffleball, softball, or at the highest level.
"You have to have a catcher or you'll have all passed balls."- Casey Stengel
by Gaijin_Suketto on
Apr 28, 2008 11:22 PM PDT
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I like this team's anonymity
Let the media (national and bay area) ignore us, or favor the Gnats, etc. As long as the A’s keep winning, eventually they will have to pay attention.
"Evidently, a large number of people said, 'We really need more vermin at the ballpark, Artie.'" - Nick (AN), 10/7/07
by doctorK on
Apr 28, 2008 10:22 PM PDT
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Best record in the AL, baby
And who would’ve thought the team would actually have a damn good April for once? When is the last time that happened? I can’t remember.
by Blez on
Apr 28, 2008 10:23 PM PDT
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Been awhile
17-10 in ‘03
I'm here to talk about the past.
by 67MARQUEZ on
Apr 28, 2008 10:35 PM PDT
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Solid
We were ready. They weren’t. I doubt Garland was in Detroit last night.
by Colorado Fan on
Apr 28, 2008 10:23 PM PDT
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anyone know what happened to carlos gonzalez tonight?
i was at the rivercats game, he left after going first to third and possibly hitting the base awkwardly. i didn’t think it was a big deal, but they took him away on a cart. any updates?
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 28, 2008 10:23 PM PDT
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other than that mrs. lincoln, how was the play?
alaska A
by ak_A on
Apr 28, 2008 10:25 PM PDT
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Well...
...we already had the tickets, so…
- Mary Todd Lincoln
"Well, I've wrestled with reality for 35 years, doctor, and I'm happy to state that I've finally won out over it." -- Elwood P. Dowd (Jimmy Stewart), "Harvey"
by Derwood13 on
Apr 28, 2008 10:29 PM PDT
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yikes that doesn’t sound good. Hope he’s OK.
by drmmerchk on
Apr 28, 2008 10:25 PM PDT
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On a cart?
Holy…
"We were s--, pathetic," Guillen growled early in spring training. "We hit too many home runs."
by lenscrafters on
Apr 28, 2008 10:32 PM PDT
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oh nooooo!
not CarGon!
""These guys are a different breed of ballclub." - Twins manager Ron Gardenhire on the A's
by gotgreen on
Apr 28, 2008 10:34 PM PDT
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cargon really botched a line drive quite badly and let it get by him in CF. then he didn’t exactly go full speed on a routine ground ball in his first at bat. but later he made a sweet diving catch on a line drive to his right, completely horizontal eric byrnes style. after walking with the bases loaded, he went first to third on a single after the LF fumbled the ball. unfortunately i was looking at the ball so i didn’t pay attention to him running. there was no play at third, but they took him out. the cart came for him a bit later, and took him out through the LF wall. i don’t think they gave an update afterwards. perhaps something happened on one of the defensive plays, he looked quite awkward on the error.
other than that, petit and melillo hit well (of course it was against zito’s 0-6 buddy mike maroth), petit screwed up a routine grounder early on but made some nice defensive plays later. powell struck out twice, but there were some questionable calls including a really high strike three looking. blevins finished things off effortlessly…
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 28, 2008 10:51 PM PDT
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the headline at
oaklandclubhouse.com says that he rolled his ankle.
dont have a subscription so i don’t know any more…
by oakinboston on
Apr 29, 2008 6:30 AM PDT
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Its amazing what a win like this
does for my sometimes tenuous-lived-in-alaska-too-long-with-irritating-job mental health.
alaska A
by ak_A on
Apr 28, 2008 10:23 PM PDT
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this smile says it all!

big hurt’s post-game interview with fosse & kuiper!
""These guys are a different breed of ballclub." - Twins manager Ron Gardenhire on the A's
by gotgreen on
Apr 28, 2008 10:26 PM PDT
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looks good in green
Things could be worse. Suppose your errors were counted and published every day, like those of a baseball player.
by 149 on
Apr 28, 2008 10:29 PM PDT
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Ho ho ho...
...Green Giant!
"You have to have a catcher or you'll have all passed balls."- Casey Stengel
by Gaijin_Suketto on
Apr 28, 2008 11:24 PM PDT
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Ho ho ho...
...Green Giant!
"You have to have a catcher or you'll have all passed balls."- Casey Stengel
by Gaijin_Suketto on
Apr 28, 2008 11:25 PM PDT
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...crappy server!
"You have to have a catcher or you'll have all passed balls."- Casey Stengel
by Gaijin_Suketto on
Apr 28, 2008 11:25 PM PDT
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His winning smile
is as good as a cycle-clinching homer!
Thanks, Frank!
Green Hulk Fists
by oaklandSMASH on
Apr 29, 2008 12:12 AM PDT
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Hey Blez
What happened to the thing in the sidebar that shows when the next game is? I liked that, but it’s gone now.
This afternoon I was wondering if the series started tonight or if it was an off-day and the series start tomorrow, so I looked for it on AN, but that feature is gone now.
Policy decision, or technical difficulty?
formerly known as mdl
by iglew on
Apr 28, 2008 10:26 PM PDT
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Technical difficulty
Since our servers crashed last week, we’re slowly adding elements back in. We need to make sure we’re on rock solid ground as much as humanly possible so we don’t have a ridiculous outage like we did.
by Blez on
Apr 28, 2008 10:29 PM PDT
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Cool
I’m all for taking as long as necessary to get it right. Just wanted to make sure you knew it’s a desired feature.
thanks
formerly known as mdl
by iglew on
Apr 28, 2008 10:38 PM PDT
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FWIW
The server (or, “swerver”) didn’t handle the rapid inputs very well tonight. I got stuck if I hit “POST” without hitting preview. It just hung. I had to turn the browser (IE) off. If I went “PREVIEW”, waited, then “POST”, it worked okay. But direct to “POST” it could not handle. Just hung.
Not enough testing on the rapid inputs. Server is not handling it well, whatever topography they chose for this app.
"I never predict anything, and I never will." Paul Gascoigne, English footballer
by One won lost won on
Apr 28, 2008 10:51 PM PDT
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Weird
I didn’t have a single issue tonight. Worked flawlessly for me. Maybe cause I’m using firefox.
by Blez on
Apr 28, 2008 11:48 PM PDT
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not me
I’m using the latest version of Firefox (albeit on an old, slow processor), and any thread >200 comments starts to hiccup like Stomper after a particularly noxious batch of trough-urinal pruno.
And what did we do once we discovered a rift in the fourth dimension? We launched a monkey into it. @('.')@
by monkeyball on
Apr 29, 2008 9:46 AM PDT
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Blez, I prefer Firefox
but I’ve found it coming up “short” on some links while linked to www.athleticsnation.com. I just figured SBNation, like a lot of sites, bow to the popular majority and code to favor Internet Explorer. So, I’ve been using IE instead of Firefox.
I’ll give it a try tonight with Firefox, when the action gets 4-5 posts every ten seconds, like last night.
"I never predict anything, and I never will." Paul Gascoigne, English footballer
by One won lost won on
Apr 29, 2008 12:52 PM PDT
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I Could Feel This One Coming
Even the final score—I actually thought 13-2 or 14-2 earlier today—they were due to go deep—and Garland was a convenient foil.
Thing is, if we lose tomorrow I could easily see the Angels winning three straight. Santana is a beast against us and that final game of Blanton-Moseley looks like one of those trap games where the supposedlyweaker starter comes up big.
that said—it is the pitching depth that makes this team. No one else in the sport can match it.
by madmongoose on
Apr 28, 2008 10:26 PM PDT
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Enjoy this One.
And, Blanton isn’t pitching until Friday.
by Colorado Fan on
Apr 28, 2008 10:27 PM PDT
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Thursday is Duke for us -
and now it appears not Moseley for them. Adenhart?
I’m with you – I’ll believe a split when we win one more. I’ve seen too many 4-game series lately where we won the first and the Angels won the next three. Gotta keep rolling.
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 28, 2008 10:28 PM PDT
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Agreed
I can’t believe how good our pitching has been this year. Just night in and night out, steady and solid pitching.
by Blez on
Apr 28, 2008 10:31 PM PDT
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sorry about that-- gotone day ahead of myself
But I do think Moseley still goes—this would be his normal night to throw anyway.
by madmongoose on
Apr 28, 2008 10:34 PM PDT
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That's what they said on the Angels broadcast
Is that Moseley was only in because this was his normal day to throw.
by Blez on
Apr 28, 2008 10:35 PM PDT
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Adenhart pitched yesterday
Even if they are bringing him up, doesn’t make sense to start him on Thursday.
Bees’ 13-game winning streak ended today, by the way.
formerly known as mdl
by iglew on
Apr 28, 2008 10:41 PM PDT
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Crosby
Anyone else notice that he’s standing further from the plate lately? Someone needs to tell him to move closer to the dish, again.
by Colorado Fan on
Apr 28, 2008 10:26 PM PDT
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I did, in the Seattle game
and, his orientation to the mound looked uncomfortable.
I thought, “Uh Oh!!” as soon as i saw it. Tonight, no hits.
"I never predict anything, and I never will." Paul Gascoigne, English footballer
by One won lost won on
Apr 28, 2008 10:54 PM PDT
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for sure.... 'stanced kitty korner to the mound'
alaska A
by ak_A on
Apr 28, 2008 11:10 PM PDT
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WOO! This game was a ton of fun to watch! I’m hoping the bats stay hot the rest of the series. LOOOOVE this team!!! Thanks to everyone in the game threads for helping make the game even more amazing!
by drmmerchk on
Apr 28, 2008 10:27 PM PDT
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A's now lead the AL with the most runs scored and fewest runs allowed! Keep it up! Go A's!
by jwnewman on
Apr 28, 2008 10:29 PM PDT
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One half of that
is a whole lot harder to believe than the other.
formerly known as mdl
by iglew on
Apr 28, 2008 10:42 PM PDT
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A's run differential is 10 times better than Angels
LOL
Ours is 40 and theirs is 4.
Considering all the errors, the fact that we have given up the least runs is quire amazing.
by Trainman on
Apr 28, 2008 10:31 PM PDT
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Considering errors are totally useless as a stat,
the fact that anyone pays any attention to them is quite amazing.
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
by PaulThomas on
Apr 28, 2008 11:01 PM PDT
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Yeah
Kinda like grammatical errors on a sports blog.
I'm here to talk about the past.
by 67MARQUEZ on
Apr 28, 2008 11:03 PM PDT
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but what if errors are totally your worst pet peeve?
"You have to have a catcher or you'll have all passed balls."- Casey Stengel
by Gaijin_Suketto on
Apr 28, 2008 11:27 PM PDT
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I don't think he was using them "as a stat"
Errors happen. They exist. Often runs score because of them.
by dscel on
Apr 29, 2008 8:39 AM PDT
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They aren't completely useless
as long as you understand what they’re measuring, and what they’re not measuring.
ZIPS: Milledge: 466 HR, 485 2B, 2282 hits, 278-379-524
by rfloh on
Apr 29, 2008 9:07 AM PDT
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I guess
They’re OK as a “tools” stat to tell you how good someone is at fielding balls in their immediate vicinity. It’s like one minor component of defense, as if you measured teams’ offense purely by how many doubles they hit.
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
by PaulThomas on
Apr 29, 2008 10:14 AM PDT
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Let's see I'm pretty sure an error led to run last night
So they do in fact have an effect on a teams run differential.
by methodrampage on
Apr 29, 2008 9:13 AM PDT
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"Errors" may be useless, esp. as determined by our scorer * -- but I think defensive blunders are important.
- who is s/he, anyway?
The meaning of life is not so much 'found,' as it is 'made.' --Opus
by The Dogfather on
Apr 29, 2008 10:10 AM PDT
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Thanks A's!
This game totally made up for the non-TV games I missed last week. Awesome fun!
Let’s do it again tomorrow!
by streetfan on
Apr 28, 2008 10:31 PM PDT
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Thanks Blez
Just thought Brown caught a lot of grief in the Spring … for basically nothing more than signing a contract with us. So yeah, he’s my favorite this year … I hope he keeps it up.
I root for guys like that … just kind of floats around and earns a living ... he deserves some props.
VacaAsFan
by Vacafan on
Apr 28, 2008 10:35 PM PDT
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but the 2nd (erroneous) call totally undercut the 1st
by green star oakland on
Apr 28, 2008 11:05 PM PDT
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I know, I got greedy LOL
I needed at least one strike though—4 straight out of the strike zone … ala Bonds!!!!
VacaAsFan
by Vacafan on
Apr 29, 2008 12:44 PM PDT
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A's get two TDs
and only allow a safety on the bad snap out of the end zone… :)
Great to see the hit parade and loved Gaudin tonight. Keep up the good work, A’s. The media can ignore us. I’d hope that the Richard Dreyfuss line from Jaws comes to fruition at the end of the season:
“Uh, I think that I am familiar with the fact that you are going to ignore this particular problem until it swims up and bites you in the @$$!”
Go Green and Gold! :)
"Well, I've wrestled with reality for 35 years, doctor, and I'm happy to state that I've finally won out over it." -- Elwood P. Dowd (Jimmy Stewart), "Harvey"
by Derwood13 on
Apr 28, 2008 10:35 PM PDT
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San Jose A's at Fremont
I don’t know how many people cought it, but Lew Wolf came as close as I’m sure he is able in confirming that the new name of the A’s will be the San Jose A’s when he gave his speech about Art Moreno saving him some money and paying for all the legal work when they changed their name to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
Sometimes life will strike you out on a curve ball and the only choice you have is to flip off the umpire and walk to first base anyway.
by Threepwood XX on
Apr 28, 2008 10:35 PM PDT
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I caught it.
Better than Portland A’s, or Las Vegas A’s.
by mikev on
Apr 28, 2008 11:21 PM PDT
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but i live in portland now :-P
Some of the most violent things I’ve ever seen were at Raiders games. And I’ve been to jail. - leopold bloom
by designatedforassignment on
Apr 29, 2008 12:04 PM PDT
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I'll still cheer "Let's go, Oak-Land!!"
“Let’s go San-Jo” doesn’t seem to cut it.
Green Hulk Fists
by oaklandSMASH on
Apr 29, 2008 1:15 AM PDT
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He's said that before
But I think he means the precedent to call them the Oakland A’s of Fremont. He’s said that Fremont will definitely be in the name.
by indigo on
Apr 29, 2008 8:18 AM PDT
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That wouldn't make sense.
The A’s wouldn’t be sued for adding “at Fremont” to their name after moving to Fremont, especially since Fremont knows they will not get top billing. Now what they would be sued for is adding a name currently part of Giant’s territory (like San Jose) to their name like the Angels did to the Dodgers.
Sometimes life will strike you out on a curve ball and the only choice you have is to flip off the umpire and walk to first base anyway.
by Threepwood XX on

