Athletics Nation: An SB Nation Community

Navigation: Jump to content areas:

Open Thread: Game 9 - A's at Blue Jays

As_kings_cal_tiny by louismg on

Oakland @ Toronto


It's often thought a team should put the players most likely to reach base at the top of the order, with those in a slump filling out the bottom half. Yet, as A's pitcher Greg Smith gets set to take the mound and make his major league debut north of the border, the A's feature a lineup where the leadoff man is batting .074 and the cleanup man is sporting a .130 mark. In contrast our 8 and 9 hitters are both above .400. That's right. The next threat to Ted Williams' historic mark just might be named Ryan Sweeney. Maybe.

As has been much discussed today, the A's made a roster move to bring Smith on the the major league team, designating the occasionally popular and occasionally frustrating Dan Johnson for assignment.

Your 2008 Oakland Athletics

1. Buck (RF)

2. Ellis (2B)

3. Barton (1B)

4. Cust (DH)

5. Brown (LF)

6. Crosby (SS)

7. Hannahan (3B)

8. Suzuki (C)

9. R. Sweeney (CF)

 

Their 2008 Toronto Blue Jays

1. Eckstein (SS)

2. Stewart (LF)

3. Rios (RF)

4. Wells (CF)

5. Thomas (DH)

6. Hill (2B)

7. Overbay (1B)

8. Scutaro (3B)

9. Zaun (C)

0 recs | Comment 392 comments

Story-email Email | Print |

Comments

Display:

First

Oh yeah. Go A's!

Might as well Jump! - Van Halen

by sprtsnwyn on Apr 9, 2008 3:46 PM PDT   0 recs

Harden out for the year!

that would not be surprising if it were true.

Let's GO GREG SMITH!!

by Oaktownflav on Apr 9, 2008 3:47 PM PDT   0 recs

I have a work meeting

catch y'all later in an hour or so

Let's Go Oak-land!!!

by OaklandSi on Apr 9, 2008 3:50 PM PDT   0 recs

Harden doesn't think he'll pitch saturday

according to the little box thingamajigg to the left.

Who didn't see this one coming?

"Mommy and Daddy are going to take a nap before the baseball game starts..."

by Devyn on Apr 9, 2008 3:54 PM PDT   0 recs

Oddly, Greg Smith

becomes just the second Smith to wear an Oakland Athletics uniform. Surely you remember Mark Smith's 8-game cup of coffee in 1983.

The A's like to play with their Johnsons. Seven have appeared for Oakland: Bob, Cliff, Dan (R.I.P.), Dane, Deron, John Henry and Mark.

Recently the Green and Gold have developed a taste for Brown. Andrew, Dee, Emil and Jeremy have all appeared in the last couple of years, joining oldtimers Darrell, Larry and Ollie. So Brown and Johnson are tied as the most popular last name in Oakland Athletics history at seven.

PLAY BALL and LET'S GO A'S!

by Soaker on Apr 9, 2008 3:55 PM PDT   0 recs

Line-up shuffle

How long untill we see Suzuki batting second behing Ellis and Buck getting dropped in the order?

by DiegoAsFan on Apr 9, 2008 4:07 PM PDT   0 recs

who

would bat a catcher at the top of the order?

by Future Ed on Apr 9, 2008 4:10 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

going to tough for Smith tonight

Toronto destroyed lefties last year.

The A's colors are green and gold.

by mikeA on Apr 9, 2008 4:07 PM PDT   0 recs

Nice start

Let's hope Buck can continue his (very) recent trend of hitting

by ClutchSteinbach on Apr 9, 2008 4:08 PM PDT   0 recs

wooo, buck's hitting >100

it's all uphill from here.

by phastphill on Apr 9, 2008 4:10 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Stupid Canada and it's high walls....

The A's colors are green and gold.

by mikeA on Apr 9, 2008 4:09 PM PDT   0 recs

I thought NAFTA knocked down such barriers

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

by monkeyball on Apr 9, 2008 4:09 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Stay loose, Mark

Wait for it.

by paradox on Apr 9, 2008 4:09 PM PDT   0 recs

There you go

2-2, patience.

by paradox on Apr 9, 2008 4:10 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

See?

3-2, fastball inside, likely

by paradox on Apr 9, 2008 4:11 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

)*^%)_+)*

Dern it, Buck.

Out at third

by paradox on Apr 9, 2008 4:12 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

MaE hit a roller right on the line

Scoot muffed it, it bounced around and the pitcher scooped it to tag out Buck sliding into third.

It's not the mistake it seems at first, they got a lucky bounce....

by paradox on Apr 9, 2008 4:14 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

boo,

thanks though

by pam5981 on Apr 9, 2008 4:18 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

buck baserunning

TBuck tries to get to third after ellis hit a roller down the line that hit the bag. when it pop'd up and away McGowan grab at tagged out buck at third

by KCB58 on Apr 9, 2008 4:15 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

unlucky, or unwise?

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

by monkeyball on Apr 9, 2008 4:13 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

ugh

The A's colors are green and gold.

by mikeA on Apr 9, 2008 4:12 PM PDT   0 recs

Base running mistakes!

My favorite way to make outs!

More than just ANtics: http://www.louisgray.com/live/

by louismg on Apr 9, 2008 4:13 PM PDT   0 recs

Eckstein: taking the "s" out of "scrappy"

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

by monkeyball on Apr 9, 2008 4:14 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Wow

Could Ellis have scored on that?

by ClutchSteinbach on Apr 9, 2008 4:16 PM PDT   0 recs

bs call

The A's colors are green and gold.

by mikeA on Apr 9, 2008 4:17 PM PDT   0 recs

Seriously

High standards. The Giants would kill for an inning like that.

by ClutchSteinbach on Apr 9, 2008 4:19 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

When a Giant makes it past second base

he calls his friends to brag about it afterward.

"Tomorrow it may rain." - Leo Durocher

by andeux on Apr 9, 2008 4:21 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

that inning sucked.

The A's colors are green and gold.

by mikeA on Apr 9, 2008 4:18 PM PDT   0 recs

Greg Smith seems pretty impervious to nicknaming

The A's colors are green and gold.

by mikeA on Apr 9, 2008 4:19 PM PDT   0 recs

GS = The Baron

Might as well Jump! - Van Halen

by sprtsnwyn on Apr 9, 2008 4:23 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

OT: On a good note from the minors

Henry Rodriguez put up a good line in his second start in Stockton

6IP 2H 0R 2BB 8K

ERA now at 0.89 after 2 starts.

by DiegoAsFan on Apr 9, 2008 4:20 PM PDT   0 recs

woo hoo

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 9, 2008 4:28 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

[sigh]

Smith hits that ugly-throwing tweeber.

by paradox on Apr 9, 2008 4:20 PM PDT   0 recs

hahaha

hit your ex-teammate in your secind pitch of your career!

Ellis for President

by tosk on Apr 9, 2008 4:20 PM PDT   0 recs

I love Smith already...

Plunking Eckstein.

When will then be now? Soon.

by Syphon on Apr 9, 2008 4:21 PM PDT   0 recs

jitters

The A's colors are green and gold.

by mikeA on Apr 9, 2008 4:21 PM PDT   0 recs

Jeez

This kid's all over the plate. Looks like Ricky Vaughn out there.

by ClutchSteinbach on Apr 9, 2008 4:21 PM PDT   0 recs

Ohhhhh boy

This could get ugly fast.

by ClutchSteinbach on Apr 9, 2008 4:24 PM PDT   0 recs

well, I do have alex rios on my fantasy team . . .

My earliest memory in life is of Campy Campaneris

by eastcoasta'sfan on Apr 9, 2008 4:25 PM PDT   0 recs

If your fantasy team

means more to you than the A's then leave the site (note: he's on my team as well :)

www.baseballmachine.blogspot.com

by SwishMyNish33 on Apr 9, 2008 4:27 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

just looking for a bright side here

if you can believe it, i picked up rios in the 4th round of a 16 team league

My earliest memory in life is of Campy Campaneris

by eastcoasta'sfan on Apr 9, 2008 4:28 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

The bright side

is that it's the first inning of the guy's majoy league debut.

by pam5981 on Apr 9, 2008 4:29 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

the other bright side is that we're young and good

and getting better. IMO it doesn't matter much how smith does today, or how the A's do this season. but, lest anyone mistake, I would love to see smith fan the side, including rios.

My earliest memory in life is of Campy Campaneris

by eastcoasta'sfan on Apr 9, 2008 4:32 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

plus, i've been rooting for the a's since 1972

it was a good year to fall in love with green and gold

My earliest memory in life is of Campy Campaneris

by eastcoasta'sfan on Apr 9, 2008 4:29 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

You've been a fan

much longer than me, so I really can't be talking. I'm one of those people that got into the A's through Moneyball

www.baseballmachine.blogspot.com

by SwishMyNish33 on Apr 9, 2008 4:31 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I was 7 years old then, and have followed them ever since

AN has been a great way for me to feel connected

My earliest memory in life is of Campy Campaneris

by eastcoasta'sfan on Apr 9, 2008 4:33 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

slider is pretty mediocre...

The A's colors are green and gold.

by mikeA on Apr 9, 2008 4:25 PM PDT   0 recs

Come on Smith

need a K here to inch our way out of trouble

by ClutchSteinbach on Apr 9, 2008 4:26 PM PDT   0 recs

good call!

Ellis for President

by tosk on Apr 9, 2008 4:27 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

But it was not to be.

1-0 Blue Jays