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Our 15-Run, 20-Hit Roller Coaster Ride

As_kings_cal_tiny by louismg on

When you ask a would-be DH who has never taken a real liking to the field to put on a glove and make plays, sometimes things can get a bit out of hand. With the A's adding Frank Thomas to the roster, last year's surprise star, Jack Cust, will be seeing a lot more time in the field, and every once in a while, he's going to drop a ball now and then. We saw it in person last season, and we saw it in Anaheim tonight.

But the reason the A's stick with a guy like Jack Cust is not because he's going to win us over in the field. He's here to swing the bat and get on base. And today, he did nothing but get on base... stroking four hits, including his long-awaited second home run of the year, and adding two walks, while scoring three runs, more than atoning for a costly second inning error that had some of us here on AN asking for his head on a plate.

Errors are bad. The A's have had more than their fair share this year, and yet, here we are on the first of May, tied for first place with the LA Angels, who everyone said was going to run away with the division this season. For every botched play by a Cust, or a Hannahan or a Barton, the A's hitters and pitching are doing their part to keep us in the win column. Tonight, we saw how the team can bounce back from frustration and not look back, drumming out 20 hits and 15 runs, making Sunday's 4 dollar Plaza level tickets look quite inviting.

Not to ignore the rest of the game, Duchscherer bounced back from his own 2nd inning woes, and Brown and Casilla continued their scoreless innings streak. Dallas Braden? Not so much. But that's why he was mopping up with a nine-run lead at the end of the game.

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Celebrate good times, c'mon!

There’s a party going on right here!

Good job getting the win thread up quickly Louis!

Fremont is basically a parking lot with a mayor

by B_Bochte on May 1, 2008 10:36 PM PDT   0 recs

$4 coupon code?

where is it?...

by GooooAs on May 1, 2008 10:36 PM PDT   0 recs

hits or hit

one of those

Things could be worse. Suppose your errors were counted and published every day, like those of a baseball player.

by 149 on May 1, 2008 10:37 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

woohoo!

$4 tickets!!!

by asfansince1989 on May 1, 2008 10:37 PM PDT   0 recs

me 2

Dilemma, might have to make an impulse purchase, and do the drive on Sun

by asfansince1989 on May 1, 2008 10:39 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

okay, so who all are going to the $4 game on sunday?

and is the site functional yet?

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 May 1, 2008 10:40 PM PDT   0 recs

Get Clockwerks on it!

Fremont is basically a parking lot with a mayor

by B_Bochte on May 1, 2008 10:41 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I am and it isn't

The candy and the baseball all night long :)

by Englishmajor on May 1, 2008 10:41 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Anyone else want a ticket, if I get in?

The candy and the baseball all night long :)

by Englishmajor on May 1, 2008 10:42 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I suggest you scalp them

Sell up for $15 and pocket $11 a pop!

Fremont is basically a parking lot with a mayor

by B_Bochte on May 1, 2008 10:48 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

"High transaction volume"

I think we crashed the A’s ticket server.

Which, given the amount of volume it typically handles, is probably an Apple II.

Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.

by PaulThomas on May 1, 2008 10:41 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I thought it was a woman named Thelma

emailing each fan back personally.

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 May 1, 2008 10:42 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Dude,

its at least an Apple IIe!

Fremont is basically a parking lot with a mayor

by B_Bochte on May 1, 2008 10:42 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I’ll be there, but my roommate already got our tickets. So no $4 tickets for me. =(

"I don't know where my pants are but I know where the A's are."

by justarebelheart on May 1, 2008 10:41 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

wonder if...

you can get day of tickts and say “HITS” at the ticket window….website doesnt’ say anything about online only…

by GooooAs on May 1, 2008 10:42 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Or perhaps an anagram of HITS

The candy and the baseball all night long :)

by Englishmajor on May 1, 2008 10:43 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

THIS!!!

Ha ha!

-Cindi

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 May 1, 2008 10:45 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Too Late

I already have tickets.

Enjoy the game

by DCinWC on May 2, 2008 8:14 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

as i predicted...

Error
We’re sorry, we were unable to process your request due to high transaction volumes. Please try to submit your request again.

by GooooAs on May 1, 2008 10:41 PM PDT   1 recs

14 minutes and counting

Been refreshing for 9 of those

by sactownbull on May 1, 2008 10:42 PM PDT   0 recs

It doesn't sound very refreshing

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 May 1, 2008 10:42 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

hahaha

The entered coupon code is invalid. Please enter a new coupon code or select from the regular priced tickets below.

You can't fire me...I don't work in this van!

by BigTuna on May 1, 2008 10:43 PM PDT   0 recs

Sold out already?

Fremont is basically a parking lot with a mayor

by B_Bochte on May 1, 2008 10:45 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Nico

What is your expert take on the A’s offence?

Will it ever score off decent pitching?

Fremont is basically a parking lot with a mayor

by B_Bochte on May 1, 2008 10:43 PM PDT   0 recs

Here's my take...
  • Suzuki, Ellis, Barton, (when he gets back) Buck, and Thomas will be fine.
  • Hannahan will walk and Crosby will be better than last year, but combined they will be a pretty mediocre hitting left-side of the infield.
  • Cust will be streaky but his OBP will make him a good leadoff contributor no matter what – albeit sometimes more as a leadoff hitter than as a #5 hitter.
  • Emil Brown will regress big time and Ryan Sweeney is not a major league hitter at this time.

Overall, they seem to have a much better approach (I think van Burkeleo should get due credit) but aren’t a hugely talented group as a collective, which will lead them to be low-middle (maybe 8th in the league?) in scoring.

Or I could be totally wrong.

Final thought: Replacing Sweenorfia with CGon in CF could make a huge difference, once CGon is major league ready.

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 May 1, 2008 10:52 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Thanks!

Last year to this year is like nite and day.

I agree with giving mad props to Van Burkeleo!

Fremont is basically a parking lot with a mayor

by B_Bochte on May 1, 2008 10:54 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I really do feel like this year, suddenly,

they have more than just a “see a lot of pitches” approach, like they are doing two crucial things:

1. “zone hitting” (waiting/looking for “their pitch” and then swinging at it)

2. hitting to all fields – emphasizing “hitting it hard” over pulling the ball

Me likey.

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 May 1, 2008 10:57 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Pretty much agree, especially with this...
Overall, they seem to have a much better approach (I think van Burkeleo should get due credit) but aren’t a hugely talented group as a collective, which will lead them to be low-middle (maybe 8th in the league?) in scoring.

It’s downright refreshing to see this team taking advantage of opportunities more often than they used to. Especially hits with RISP early in the game. I don;t know if it’s van Burkleo, or if the young guys don;t know they’re supposed to suck, or a combination of the two, but this is the most excited I’ve been about the A’s offense in years.

Having said that, they are inconsistent. 30 runs in 4 games is great, but 29 of the 30 were in only two of the games. Gotta smooth out the peaks and valleys. For this reason, I’d still pick the Angels to eventually win the division at this point, but see the A’s on a solid upward track… with the potential to surprise.

My only quibble with your assessment is that Ryan Sweeney is not a major league hitter. Granted, his OBP is low, and he could learn to take a walk, but other than that he’s right in there with everybody else, stat-wise, and has had a couple key hits.

Agree that EBrown wil regress, but he’s doing well now so I say ride it while you can.

Some read stats. Fans actually watch the games.

by UncleLeo on May 2, 2008 8:51 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I didn't realise van Burekleo was the Angels minor league hitting instructor.

They’re obviously doing something right down there, and our offence is producing at the moment. So right now I’m going to credit him.

by OldhamA on May 2, 2008 9:13 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Darn the lack of edit button.

I’m with Nico (I assume) in that I think Sweeney will develop into a major league hitter – and whilst the going is good I don’t see the need to demote him if we can get him enough at bats. Right now though he’s a sub par hitter. The problem is he doesn’t walk or hit extra base hits enough – especially for somebody with his frame.

by OldhamA on May 2, 2008 9:15 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

My concern about R. Sweeney is that

he not only doesn’t have a good OBP, but he also has shown little to no power (3 XBH). The same (no slugging) can be said of Denorfia, but Denorfia’s BA is solid and his OBP is solid.

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 May 2, 2008 9:19 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Sure, the one thing is Emil Brown

is producing right around hi career numbers right now anyways, so if by regressing you mean not getting tons of RBIs then sure. but his offensive numbers other than RBI are well within reason (inline with 2 out of his last 3 years). they just aren’t that much to write home about to begin with.

Jeremy was safe. He jumped over the tag.

by mrrickyg on May 2, 2008 10:08 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

It's hard to quantify on a stat sheet...

...but it isn’t so much how many hits/xbhs/rbis he gets, but rather when he gets them that has impressed me so far.

Some read stats. Fans actually watch the games.

by UncleLeo on May 2, 2008 10:52 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Now....

We’re sorry, we were unable to process your request due to high transaction volumes. Please try to submit your request again.

You can't fire me...I don't work in this van!

by BigTuna on May 1, 2008 10:44 PM PDT   0 recs

After trying for 2 tickets

“Tickets are not available together in the quantity you requested in this section at this time. Please choose one of the other options below:”

You can't fire me...I don't work in this van!

by BigTuna on May 1, 2008 10:45 PM PDT   0 recs

good to know

i was trying for 5 and thought they might be all gone. sounds like just an error message

by sactownbull on May 1, 2008 10:50 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Can't I just take a postcard

with the word “HITS” to the box office at the Coliseum on Sunday?

A postcard or a reasonable facsimile is supposedly valid!!

"I never predict anything, and I never will." Paul Gascoigne, English footballer

by One won lost won on May 1, 2008 10:46 PM PDT   0 recs

:D

FIRST PLACE sweeetness

by GooooAs on May 1, 2008 10:47 PM PDT   0 recs

uh-oh

I just talked with the A’s ticket office. They said Jack Cust is fielding all $4 ticket requests.

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

by monkeyball on May 1, 2008 10:47 PM PDT   1 recs

Now that is funny

Dammit Monkeyball.

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

by louismg on May 1, 2008 10:51 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Looks like they have really dropped the ball

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 May 1, 2008 10:52 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

lmao

Things could be worse. Suppose your errors were counted and published every day, like those of a baseball player.

by 149 on May 1, 2008 10:51 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

lol

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 May 1, 2008 10:52 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I think the person who thought up this promoting

is ordering up all the tickets!

Cheaper than losing your job!

"I never predict anything, and I never will." Paul Gascoigne, English footballer

by One won lost won on May 1, 2008 10:49 PM PDT   0 recs

Must have been some long faces in the Magic Kingdom

tonite!

Fremont is basically a parking lot with a mayor

by B_Bochte on May 1, 2008 10:49 PM PDT   0 recs

Except for Bootchuck

He lowered his ERA from 31.50 to 14.40!

Fremont is basically a parking lot with a mayor

by B_Bochte on May 1, 2008 10:50 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I got in

but it’s telling me there are no tickets together in the quantity I requested. Even when the quantity is 1.

The candy and the baseball all night long :)

by Englishmajor on May 1, 2008 10:50 PM PDT   0 recs

That was fun.

And stressful. Then fun again.

And yes, I’m getting blocked out of $4 tix. Seems like there were very few available.

pam5981: Patience is a virtue that I do not possess.
ohtobe21likehuston: But you're good at drinking and cussing. Two out of three ain't bad.

by pam5981 on May 1, 2008 10:50 PM PDT   0 recs

I Bought them all

They are on eBay for $6 apiece.

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

by louismg on May 1, 2008 10:51 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Nice!

That’s the entreprenuerial spirit!

Fremont is basically a parking lot with a mayor

by B_Bochte on May 1, 2008 10:53 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

By 12:45 PM

they will be $2 on the BART bridge.

The candy and the baseball all night long :)

by Englishmajor on May 1, 2008 10:53 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Keep trying

I kept clicking “continue” with 2 in my queue and magically got 2.

I’m going to keep trying for 2. if i get through, lemme know if you want dibs

You can't fire me...I don't work in this van!

by BigTuna on May 1, 2008 10:51 PM PDT   0 recs

has anyone got tickets?

what sucks is I was going Sunday any way. This is just making it that much harder

by sactownbull on May 1, 2008 10:52 PM PDT   0 recs

Jeez, processing for tickets

costs almost as much as the ticket itself

You can't fire me...I don't work in this van!

by BigTuna on May 1, 2008 10:53 PM PDT   0 recs

I'm sure you were telling me

but I was too busy clicking continue like a big weird guy

You can't fire me...I don't work in this van!

by BigTuna on May 1, 2008 10:56 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

ugh, i give up...

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 May 1, 2008 10:54 PM PDT   0 recs

How many

do you need? I’ll give you a hand

You can't fire me...I don't work in this van!

by BigTuna on May 1, 2008 10:54 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

That's what they were counting on

A’s marketing – woo hoo!!!

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 May 1, 2008 10:54 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

keep clicking

i just got one.

pam5981: Patience is a virtue that I do not possess.
ohtobe21likehuston: But you're good at drinking and cussing. Two out of three ain't bad.

by pam5981 on May 1, 2008 10:54 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Print @ Home + Convenience fee

is more than the ticket. Hah.

pam5981: Patience is a virtue that I do not possess.
ohtobe21likehuston: But you're good at drinking and cussing. Two out of three ain't bad.

by pam5981 on May 1, 2008 10:58 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

but ESPN and the Angels

tell me we don’t even have that many fans…

You can't fire me...I don't work in this van!

by BigTuna on May 1, 2008 10:59 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

...and CSN...

...and KNBR…and The Giants…and The Giants Fans….and the Giants “Fans”.....and….and…and…

You can't fire me...I don't work in this van!

by BigTuna on May 1, 2008 10:59 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

That's because

no one goes to the games. It’s pretty simple.

"It's not how people vote that matters, it's who counts the votes" -Stalin

by boatshoes on May 1, 2008 11:00 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

you forgot

mark mulder

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 May 1, 2008 11:03 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

She actually wrote

“There are 2500 seats in that section.”
They’re not limiting the promotion to 2500, that’s just how many seats there are there.

"I'm going to take a camera crew and march into Billy Beane's office and demand to know why instituting his newfangled cost-saving measures means that the run manufacturing plant had to get shut down." FJM

by Elvez on May 1, 2008 11:13 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Cust

I’d still rather see Ryan Sweeney or Chris Denoria in the outfield.

"It's not how people vote that matters, it's who counts the votes" -Stalin

by boatshoes on May 1, 2008 10:59 PM PDT   0 recs

sweet

it said my debit card was declined. i checked everything like 4 times, and pressed submit. every time declined. then my 5 minutes was up.

this was like on my 8 millionth try because none of the times it said it had tickets available, or i got some other error.

best part, i log into my bank account to see what was up, sure enough there are 4 charges from ticketmaster on there, but no tickets for me. I

Jeremy was safe. He jumped over the tag.

by mrrickyg on May 1, 2008 11:00 PM PDT   0 recs

its a good thing we pay processing fees for this type of service.

i assume they will just clear out as pre-authorizations in 24 hours. but ticketmaster really sux.

Jeremy was safe. He jumped over the tag.

by mrrickyg on May 1, 2008 11:02 PM PDT to parent up