Our 15-Run, 20-Hit Roller Coaster Ride
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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Comments
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
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
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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
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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
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I am and it isn't
The candy and the baseball all night long :)
by Englishmajor on
May 1, 2008 10:41 PM PDT
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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
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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
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"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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Or perhaps an anagram of HITS
The candy and the baseball all night long :)
by Englishmajor on
May 1, 2008 10:43 PM PDT
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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
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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
I'm not even getting that -- just the "Check back here after the game!" screen
The candy and the baseball all night long :)
by Englishmajor on
May 1, 2008 10:43 PM PDT
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
Go to the regular ticket screen and enter the code hits
it let me in at $4 a pop
by sactownbull on May 1, 2008 10:45 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
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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
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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Discount tix limited to 2500
per Susan Slusser: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/05/01/SP9L10F90Q.DTL
by senor_k on May 1, 2008 10:58 PM PDT 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
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...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
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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
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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
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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
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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.

