4/30/08 DLD: One link is all you need

yeah, but mine is even bigger

Does everyone have knives that large sitting around… their bedroom?

a big knife and a bat in easy reach

by jakarta on Apr 30, 2008 8:58 AM PDT 0 recs

Happy DLD

Just 47.15 years left for me now!

Chiba Lotte lost simultaneously in the fighter plane of the Japanese ham.

by JediLeroy on Apr 30, 2008 9:05 AM PDT 0 recs

Happy birthday!

"Hasn’t the foggiest inclination toward winning ‘tall. Hates to win. Likes to be buggered."

by Jennifer on Apr 30, 2008 9:05 AM PDT up 0 recs

Thanks!

It’s the last one I’ll get to celebrate in the ‘States for a while

Chiba Lotte lost simultaneously in the fighter plane of the Japanese ham.

by JediLeroy on Apr 30, 2008 9:53 AM PDT up 0 recs

Finally deported your butt, huh?

stat-addled alien overlord

by salb918 on Apr 30, 2008 9:58 AM PDT up 0 recs

They don't appreciate my Canadian weed down here

But you can’t keep Randy Hardich down for long.

We’ll see how they like it in Japan for the next few years.

I’m coming out to California at the beginning of July for a couple weeks (7th to the 24th). From the 14th on they’re out of town (All-Star break and road trip), so I’d better get some games in before then. Unless the A’s play in Japan again, I won’t be seeing them live for the next 2-3 years.

It looks like they play the Mariners and the Angels while I’m there. Maybe I’ll see them play both teams. Looks like a 6:05 start on Saturday the 12th against the Halos, which would give us plenty of time to get there early. Maybe I’ll hit the 12:35 start against the M’s on Wednesday the 10th.

I’d like to meet some ANers. Do people here go mostly to the night games? I’d imagine there’ll be a lot more seats available for the day game.

We’ve gotta get Kelsey some more A’s gear in preparation for her first game.

Chiba Lotte lost simultaneously in the fighter plane of the Japanese ham.

by JediLeroy on Apr 30, 2008 10:26 AM PDT up 0 recs

You know how everyone is really nice to you

when you’re carting around your little kid? Triply so when you go the Coli and dress the little bugger up in A’s gear. Even for an exceptionally handsome infant, salb918 jr. got a lot of compliments.

stat-addled alien overlord

by salb918 on Apr 30, 2008 10:34 AM PDT up 0 recs

You might be surprised,

Wed day games are often lots more full than weeknight games.

by sslinger on Apr 30, 2008 11:49 AM PDT up 0 recs

Definitely will look for you at the ballpark

The weekend of July 12-13 is also the Obon celebration in San Jose, the largest in Northern California and one of the largest in the US—if you want to start transitioning into things Japanese it’s a good way to start.

The candy and the baseball all night long :)

by Englishmajor on Apr 30, 2008 1:06 PM PDT up 0 recs

HB!

I have [null set] to say.

by Poppy on Apr 30, 2008 11:04 AM PDT up 0 recs

TYWTFBBQ!

Chiba Lotte lost simultaneously in the fighter plane of the Japanese ham.

by JediLeroy on Apr 30, 2008 11:21 AM PDT up 0 recs

Frank Thomas said he got a text from former A’s infielder Marco Scutaro, who was also his teammate in Toronto, that said, “Oh my goodness … a triple?”

Jiminy cricket! Jeez Louise! Oh my goodness!

I have [null set] to say.

by Poppy on Apr 30, 2008 11:12 AM PDT up 0 recs

That's how I text.

Snerk.

"Hasn’t the foggiest inclination toward winning ‘tall. Hates to win. Likes to be buggered."

by Jennifer on Apr 30, 2008 11:13 AM PDT up 0 recs

What it really said:

OMFG3BWTFBBQ

Chiba Lotte lost simultaneously in the fighter plane of the Japanese ham.

by JediLeroy on Apr 30, 2008 11:14 AM PDT up 0 recs

Hahaha.

The kings remain missing, so they're playing with Eric Chavez Bobbleheads. "Chavvy does have six Gold Gloves," Brown explained. "That's good enough to be king."

by pam5981 on Apr 30, 2008 11:17 AM PDT up 0 recs

Fucking AN3.

Pardon my French.

It’s doing that “repost your last comment when you try to post a new comment somewhere else” thing again.

I have [null set] to say.

by Poppy on Apr 30, 2008 11:14 AM PDT up 0 recs

LOL

I didn’t notice.

"Hasn’t the foggiest inclination toward winning ‘tall. Hates to win. Likes to be buggered."

by Jennifer on Apr 30, 2008 11:18 AM PDT up 0 recs

Bonds done?

According to SI.com, he is.

The A’s chose Mike Sweeney and now Thomas over Bonds. The Rays prefer Jonny Gomes over Bonds. Now the Blue Jays feel much better giving the at-bats to Adam Lind, a 24-year-old with a career .298 OBP. (Lind, the primary left fielder, will get Thomas’ at-bats while erstwhile left fielders Matt Stairs and Shannon Stewart fill the DH position.)
“We feel Lind is capable of hitting .260 to .280 with 25 home runs,” Ricciardi said. “We really like Lind, and he’s capable of doing more from a batting average standpoint.”

I don’t know what is worse – dumping Frank for a guy with a .298 OBP, or blowing off Bonds for a guy with a .298 OBP.

"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 30, 2008 9:30 AM PDT 0 recs

He's 24

Obviously they think his OBP is going to improve.

Still not a good idea if they want to win this season, but maybe they’re conceding defeat… again.

Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.

by PaulThomas on Apr 30, 2008 9:42 AM PDT up 0 recs

I agree

Lind does have some good minor league numbers, but if the idea was for the Jays to compete this year, it seems like they’ve already punted.

"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 30, 2008 10:07 AM PDT up 0 recs

The Jays never had a chance...

"You have to have a catcher or you'll have all passed balls."- Casey Stengel

by Gaijin_Suketto on Apr 30, 2008 11:59 AM PDT up 0 recs

What is worse

is paying Frank Thomas $8 Million to play for someone else, while making Shannon Stewart your DH. But I guess I shouldn’t complain.

In not-entirely-unrelated news, Roy Halladay picked up his third straight complete game loss last night, 1-0.

"Tomorrow it may rain." - Leo Durocher

by andeux on Apr 30, 2008 10:21 AM PDT up 0 recs

Via McC: Giant Zito poster, priced to move

http://www.fathead.com/mlb/san-francisco-giants/barry-zito/

stat-addled alien overlord

by salb918 on Apr 30, 2008 9:48 AM PDT 0 recs

I think I've identified Zito's mechanical flaw

He can’t generate any traction to get leverage from his lower body, because he’s floating a foot off the ground.

And what did we do once we discovered a rift in the fourth dimension? We launched a monkey into it. @('.')@

by monkeyball on Apr 30, 2008 9:51 AM PDT up 0 recs

He's never really generated much with his lower body though.

I don’t have any proof, but I’m guessing that his arm speed has gotten slower from knee lift to ball release.

Couple that with his relatively short stride, and you’re not going to have a lot of “whip” action from the arm to generate velocity.

by mikev on Apr 30, 2008 10:38 AM PDT up 0 recs

does he have "dead arm"?

can’t you have “dead arm” without feeling pain and need Tommy John?

Jeremy was safe. He jumped over the tag.

by mrrickyg on Apr 30, 2008 10:43 AM PDT up 0 recs

So many wonderful euphisms...

Chiba Lotte lost simultaneously in the fighter plane of the Japanese ham.

by JediLeroy on Apr 30, 2008 10:43 AM PDT up 0 recs

euphemisms

Chiba Lotte lost simultaneously in the fighter plane of the Japanese ham.

by JediLeroy on Apr 30, 2008 10:44 AM PDT up 0 recs

Yeah, they're not the technical terms

But whatever :)

by mikev on Apr 30, 2008 10:48 AM PDT up 0 recs

Nah, I was referring to something else:

doesn’t “generate much with the lower body”
“whip action from the arm”
“arm speed slower from knee lift to ball release”

Maybe we need to set him up with Alyssa Milano again.

Chiba Lotte lost simultaneously in the fighter plane of the Japanese ham.

by JediLeroy on Apr 30, 2008 10:57 AM PDT up 0 recs

he's also, per that picture, become a two-dimensional pitcher

{hits CTRL-ALT-DEL on mikev’s snark detector}

And what did we do once we discovered a rift in the fourth dimension? We launched a monkey into it. @('.')@

by monkeyball on Apr 30, 2008 11:06 AM PDT up 0 recs

LEEMEEALONE.

I hate a late soccer match last night, now my shin splints are killing me. I slept wrong and pinched a nerve or something around my shoulder blade and I need a massage, and I’m dead tired.

I need a massage. No, not that kind. An actual massage. this sucks.

by mikev on Apr 30, 2008 11:10 AM PDT up 0 recs

too fine in the zone?

And what did we do once we discovered a rift in the fourth dimension? We launched a monkey into it. @('.')@

by monkeyball on Apr 30, 2008 11:16 AM PDT up 0 recs

Dude...

Wait what?

by mikev on Apr 30, 2008 11:18 AM PDT up 0 recs

I think he's just spouting random Zito-isms

and trusting that your dirty mind will read them as sexual innuendo.

Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.

by PaulThomas on Apr 30, 2008 11:55 AM PDT up 0 recs

That's not a bad assessment.

I can pretty much spin anything into a sexual innuendo.

by mikev on Apr 30, 2008 12:03 PM PDT up 0 recs

When correctly viewed

everything is lewd.

formerly known as mdl

by iglew on Apr 30, 2008 5:03 PM PDT up 0 recs

I like the expression on that kid's face

He doesn’t look like he’s exactly pleased to have a gigantic Zito floating around his bedroom.

The candy and the baseball all night long :)

by Englishmajor on Apr 30, 2008 1:09 PM PDT up 0 recs

frightening in the zone

And what did we do once we discovered a rift in the fourth dimension? We launched a monkey into it. @('.')@

by monkeyball on Apr 30, 2008 1:22 PM PDT up 0 recs

can't sleep, zito will eat me...

stat-addled alien overlord

by salb918 on Apr 30, 2008 1:27 PM PDT up 0 recs

He'd be more likely to nibble you to death.

"Hasn’t the foggiest inclination toward winning ‘tall. Hates to win. Likes to be buggered."

by Jennifer on Apr 30, 2008 1:33 PM PDT up 0 recs

QOTM!

What was that reporting email address again?

There is an A in Whimsy.

by FreeSeatUpgrade on Apr 30, 2008 1:55 PM PDT up 0 recs

There's an email address?

Huh.

I have [null set] to say.

by Poppy on May 1, 2008 12:55 PM PDT up 0 recs

sal is hilary duff?

"Tomorrow it may rain." - Leo Durocher

by andeux on Apr 30, 2008 1:40 PM PDT up 0 recs

This one is on CLEARANCE! for only $9.95...

http://www.fathead.com/nba/golden-state-warriors/jason-richardson/

"He's a misfit. He gets along with everyone." - Reggie Jackson, describing Joe Rudi

by McFood on May 1, 2008 7:33 AM PDT up 0 recs

That's hilarious

And I agree – Best. Recap. Ever (non-A’s division).

Over at the HBT, Mike Fast has an analysis of the PITCHf/x data for Jack Cust at the plate to try and determine why he’s off to such a slow start this season.

His summary statement,

I’m curious if Cust is doing something different mechanically with his swing during his cold streaks. He’s clearly not pulling the ball in the air, and that doesn’t seem to be due to changes in the pitches he’s seeing. Unfortunately, I’m not a guy who can pick up flaws in mechanics from video, so I’ll have to leave that analysis to someone else.

I’ve only been able to watch the 2 games in Japan, so those of you who’ve been able to watch Cust at the plate a lot more than I – have you noticed anything different about his swing/approach this season?

Will there ever be a boy born who can swim faster than a shark?

by JLeverenz on Apr 30, 2008 9:49 AM PDT 0 recs

delete the extra "http://"

like so

And what did we do once we discovered a rift in the fourth dimension? We launched a monkey into it. @('.')@

by monkeyball on Apr 30, 2008 9:52 AM PDT up 0 recs

Doh

I thought I had deleted the extra http

That’ll learn me.

Will there ever be a boy born who can swim faster than a shark?

by JLeverenz on Apr 30, 2008 10:23 AM PDT up 0 recs

Interesting

This indicates a couple of (related) things:

1. Pitchers are not pitching him differently than last year (i.e. he’s not being thrown nothing but offspeed pitches, etc.), and
2. the league has not “figured him out” (he’s hitting essentially the same pitches, but getting different results).

The problem is on Cust’s end. Yes, people, this is a slump, not the end of his career. That’s not to say that he’s just getting unlucky—he’s not hitting the ball hard, for whatever reason, and he’s going to have to make some changes—but he’s not irrevocably doomed to failure, either.

Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.

by PaulThomas on Apr 30, 2008 11:14 AM PDT up 0 recs

from what I've seen ...

... live and with the A’s spotty tv coverage, it looks like most of his misses are when he does the massive uppercut, and that he may in fact be altering the angle of his swing more toward the horizontal the deeper he gets in the count. In my (perhaps totally erroneous) recall, most of his stinging-low-liner or hard-hit-GB singles have been with 2 strikes.

And what did we do once we discovered a rift in the fourth dimension? We launched a monkey into it. @('.')@

by monkeyball on Apr 30, 2008 11:18 AM PDT up 0 recs

A's on Zito:

link:
Street:

“He couldn’t seem more positive,” Street said. “He understands the situation he’s in. It’s also important to forget about the money – anyone would have taken that deal, and if anyone thinks Barry is playing for the money, they’ve never spoken a word to him. He’s playing this game because he believes in greatness. In six years, everyone will be saying it was a fair deal.

Croz:

“I know he’s harder on himself that anyone is going to be. I wish he would have success and everyone would stop talking about it. I root for the guy and he’s having a tough time, but he’ll figure it out. He’s a good enough pitcher and he’s mentally strong.”

So, I guess the clubhouse beer ban doesn’t apply on the road….

The A's colors are green and gold.

by mikeA on Apr 30, 2008 9:51 AM PDT 0 recs

No, no, no.

It wasn’t beer. They were hallucinating after paying homage to the late Albert Hoffman.

stat-addled alien overlord

by salb918 on Apr 30, 2008 9:58 AM PDT up 0 recs

just wait 'til we move to Fremont, Dana

Eveland at home: Dana Eveland is on a weeklong family visit. He has numerous relatives in the Seattle area who came to see his start against the Mariners, and he has even more friends and family in Southern California because he is from Palmdale (Los Angeles County). Tonight will be Eveland’s first start at Angel Stadium.
“Everyone wants tickets,” Eveland said. “I got 10 text messages today, and I said, ‘No. They’re too expensive here.’ “

And what did we do once we discovered a rift in the fourth dimension? We launched a monkey into it. @('.')@

by monkeyball on Apr 30, 2008 10:01 AM PDT up 0 recs

Alternate snark:

Crosby should thank his lucky stars we’re talking about how someone else sucks this year.

The A's colors are green and gold.

by mikeA on Apr 30, 2008 10:06 AM PDT up 0 recs

Preferred term is "alternasnark"

stat-addled alien overlord

by salb918 on Apr 30, 2008 10:09 AM PDT up 0 recs

just wait 6 weeks

And what did we do once we discovered a rift in the fourth dimension? We launched a monkey into it. @('.')@

by monkeyball on Apr 30, 2008 10:50 AM PDT up 0 recs

So I'm looking up the team stats

for a fanpost comparing the A’s players to their preseason projections (BTW, this could potentially be a Staturday if y’all are still hunting for articles) and discover that despite the hype, Crosby’s OPS is already down to .710.

This is one of his best months in the past 3 seasons, and he has been, essentially, league average.

Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.

by PaulThomas on Apr 30, 2008 11:03 AM PDT up 0 recs

I'm working on a Crosby-will-very-soon-be-sucking-again-if-he-isn't-already post

And what did we do once we discovered a rift in the fourth dimension? We launched a monkey into it. @('.')@

by monkeyball on Apr 30, 2008 11:07 AM PDT up 0 recs

and good idea on the Staturday notion

Contact salb918, devo, and/or grover if you want to do that.

And what did we do once we discovered a rift in the fourth dimension? We launched a monkey into it. @('.')@

by monkeyball on Apr 30, 2008 11:08 AM PDT up 0 recs

I was noticing last night

that he looks like he’s backed way off the plate again. If someone (TVB – are you out there?) doesn’t help him correct this (again) it looks like he will be back to flailing at sliders.

by sslinger on Apr 30, 2008 11:56 AM PDT up 0 recs